Candidate Tips and Tricks

The campus interview and written assignments are key steps in Finance Canada's recruitment process. Their goal is to help our recruiters gather job-related information about each applicant in a consistent way, so that we can make a fair, reliable and accurate prediction about future job performance. We want you to succeed, as our recruiters can better evaluate your competencies—and therefore make better recruitment decisions—if you are confident, comfortable and candid. So, to help you get "in the zone," we have assembled a collection of tips that you may find helpful. Good luck!

Preparation

• Understand our interview objectives. We will evaluate you based on the extent to which you demonstrate the competencies we seek. The more familiar you are with these competencies, the more likely you will demonstrate them during the interview. We recommend that you review them at least once beforehand.
• Explore our website. Finance Canada's website ( www.fin.gc.ca ) provides information about the Department. Understanding a bit about our role and about the issues we work on may help you add extra depth to your responses.
• Inform our recruiters if you have special needs. Please inform our recruiters of any special needs when they first contact you. We will work with you and the university to accommodate them.
• Don't panic! We know that interviews can sometimes be a stressful affair. We recommend that you do what you can to arrive relaxed, confident, and ready to impress. Plan to meet a friend for coffee, stroll around campus, or lightly review notes prior to your interview. If the interview is taking place in an unfamiliar location, visit beforehand so you avoid last-minute inconveniences. Aim to arrive 10–15 minutes early so you have a chance to relax and collect your thoughts (if you arrive early and the door is closed, please do not knock as another interview may be in process).

During the interview

• Organize your thoughts. A question may consist of more than one part. Take notes as we read the question and briefly organize your response before answering. Focus on addressing each element. It is generally easier for us to evaluate a structured answer than one that meanders.
• There is no one right answer. Each candidate will interpret a question differently. This is encouraged, as the ability to approach the same problem from different angles and diversity of opinions enriches the workplace. When responding, we want to hear your thoughts, and not the thoughts you think we want to hear.
• Explain your rationale. It is important that you explain each step of your thinking throughout your response. State the assumptions and define the terms you use, connect causes and effects, and explain how you arrive at your conclusions.
• Use concrete examples. To demonstrate that you possess the competencies we seek, it helps to explain how you have applied them in real life. Use examples from your school life, your professional career, your volunteer activities, or other experiences to help the recruiters see that you demonstrated the relevant competencies. When using an example, provide some context, explain what happened, and summarize what you want the recruiters to take away from your anecdote.
• Don't be shy. Remember the saying "there is no I in team"? Most of the time, we agree. However, in this case, the team is not interviewing: you are! We want to hear about your contributions to a project, what you did to solve a problem, and what you think of a particular issue. Teamwork is quite important, but during the interview we encourage you to take ownership of your actions and ideas.
• Be confident in your responses. We want you to answer each question thoroughly, and so we will not interrupt a response. We will be busy taking notes, so we may not make eye contact when you finish your answer. Without these signals, some candidates may feel the need to continue speaking to fill the silence. When you are satisfied that your response is complete, conclude by summarizing your main points and inform us you are finished.
• Ask questions. Please ask us to repeat a question or part of a question if you need us to. Also, there will be a few minutes at the end of the interview to ask questions of the recruiters. This is a chance for you to learn a bit about what they do, about the work of the Department more broadly, about their favourite aspect of working at Finance, and anything else that might pique your curiosity.

The written assignments

• Review the interview tips. Many of the tips that will help you succeed in the oral interview are also applicable to the written assignments. An organized response that explains your opinion using sensible rationale is a great foundation for any answer, written or spoken.
• Remember high school. Applying the basic writing rules you learned in high school will help you succeed. Begin your response by defining the issue and stating your thesis. Explain why you think your thesis is justified. Use full sentences, organized in paragraphs, each having a clear topic sentence. Conclude by summarizing your main arguments. These and other basic writing rules go a long way towards a strong response.
• Focus on the meat and potatoes. We want you to demonstrate how you communicate your ideas in writing. Your priority should be to clearly answer the question rather than to use flowery language or write a lengthy dissertation. State your opinion, advance your argument, and justify your views. You can work on perfecting the language or adding length after you have addressed the core issues.
• Mind the time. During the second-round interview, you have one hour to read the assignment, formulate a response, and get it down on paper (typed on a computer, though no internet allowed). This can be a challenge. Please be aware of your time, and manage it accordingly.