Selina Episode final
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Katy: [00:00:00] Let's work it.

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Work It, a UVic career exploration podcast. My name is Katy. I'm a writer and communications professional who recently earned my MA in English from UVic. And I'm here today with my friend, Emma.

Emma: Hi everyone. I am Emma and I'm a recent co op graduate. Super excited for today's episode. Thanks.

Katy: Before we get going, I want to acknowledge that we're recording today at the University of Victoria, and [00:01:00] I acknowledge with respect the Lekwungen peoples on whose traditional territory the University of Victoria stands, and the Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSANEC peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

I feel privileged and honored to be able to work and play here. And I take the responsibility to continue learning about how to best live in relationship to this territory and the people on it every day. So I'm really thankful. Today on the podcast, we're going to be diving into a feature that we call ask an expert, where we will talk about your biggest career and work related questions and get some actionable advice.

Today we're excited to be joined by Selena Jorgensen. Selena works in career services at the University of Victoria as a career educator with a special interest in arts advocacy. As a fine arts alumni herself, she combines her passion as a creative with supporting and empowering students as they explore and pursue their career goals.

Welcome Selena, we're so glad to [00:02:00] have you.

Selina: I'm so glad to be here. Thank you, Katie and Emma.

Katy: Are you ready to talk about, uh, everybody's favourite part of the job application process, the interview?

Selina: Oh, you bet. And yes, interviews can be nerve wracking and it's pretty normal to feel a little nervous when you're going into an interview.

Emma: You're absolutely right. Almost everybody gets some kind of nerves or jitters before an interview. What's the best way to manage that feeling of anxiety or those jitters before you go in and have that conversation?

Selina: So it's pretty normal, like we were saying, to have some pre interview nerves. You are definitely not alone in this.

And so here's some tips for calming your nerves. Arrive early to the interview. Few things can shake you more than running late to an interview. So always arrive early. Um, however, be sure to wait in your car or a nearby cafe as being too early can place some unnecessary pressure on the interviewer [00:03:00] and it can start the meeting off on the wrong foot.

So you want to make sure that you're there on time and you know where you're going, but... Just take some time to wait outside. If it's an online interview, then you can enter the waiting room about ten minutes, five to ten minutes before the interview, and just wait until the interviewer starts the process.

Katy: That's really great advice, and I definitely have experiences of trying to juggle job interviews with coursework, and being in a huge hurry, and getting lost, and uh, let's just say I did not get that job.

Selina: A few more tips? Be friendly to everybody you meet on the way up. You never know what the relationship is between that person and the person who's hiring you.

So if you're friendly to everybody, then you make a good first impression across the board. Stop rehearsing at a certain point. You've done your practice. You don't want to over prepare because then it sounds too [00:04:00] rehearsed and not natural and authentic. Do some breathing exercises if you're feeling super nervous.

Counting your breath is one of the most immediate and impactful techniques for calming nerves. Simply focus on your breaths, counting each until you reach 10 and repeat. Or you can do four square breathing. You breathe in, count to four, breathe out, count to four. These are practices that slow down the heart and take down the cortisol levels.

Don't check your voicemail, or your email, or your social media accounts right before an interview. There could be something that would trigger you, or worry you, or change your um, feeling of enthusiasm and excitement going in. And so you want to maintain that. So you don't want anything that's going to disturb you right before an important meeting.

Take a look in the mirror just to make sure that you have nothing in your teeth, and that you're feeling good about how you're looking. And think happy thoughts. So this might sound a little cliche, but [00:05:00] thinking pleasant things that make you smile and feel good help put you in the right state of mind going into the interview.

So these are a few simple tips that can help calm the nerves and centre you and get you ready to go in to have this talk.

Katy: Thank you so much. I think those are all super helpful for getting in touch with the nervous system and realizing that it's totally normal, but there are ways that you can slow yourself down and chill yourself out a little bit so that you're going in feeling confident.

Speaking of nerves, I think that there are some interview questions that are easier to answer than others. What are common interview questions that you hear about from students that get them really nervous and how can people approach answering some of these common anxiety inducing questions?

Selina: Well, I think that one of the scariest and most intimidating questions is what is your weakness or your challenge?

Um, any question asking for [00:06:00] negative information can feel intimidating, but just remember that it's only a negative question if you make it a negative question. So when responding to these type of questions, you'll want to prepare some examples ahead of time to have some... Stories that you can relate to, and you're going to focus on the competencies, events, and subjects that are not central to the job.

So, like, if coding is not a strength for you, but the position requires some strong skills with it, then that's not a great example to use. Um, you're going to really want to flip the script, um, state the challenge clearly at the very beginning of your answer and as a fact, but then concentrate on how you are or have dealt with the situation and what you're doing to improve.

So that's where you want to put the emphasis. So you're kind of turning it around a little bit. So not only does this show your level of self awareness, but it also shows how you approach and deal with challenges. And of course preparing and practicing ahead of time shows the employer that you [00:07:00] care and that you're invested in the selection process and the job opportunity.

Emma: Yeah, I personally despise that question and I get it in every single interview somehow. And I don't despise it for what it is, but just how it makes me feel when I answer it. So that's really great advice and it actually makes me wonder. Since there's so many stories that you need to kind of prepare ahead of time when you're going into an interview, is it okay to bring notes?

Is that frowned upon, or is that something that people are doing?

Selina: I think it's okay to have, if you're having an online interview, having some notes to the side just as like, kind of, points that you want to remember and to help guide you is not a bad thing but you don't want to have any like, you don't want people to see that you're looking at those notes or hearing the rustling of paper and that kind of thing.

You don't want it to be distracting. So I would say point form in that situation if you're feeling like you need a little bit of support there. In person interviews, I think, It's probably more beneficial [00:08:00] to, uh, treat it as a conversation and have your ideas in your head. So, really, it's practicing those stories out loud, um, and, and thinking about the things that you want to share ahead of time so that they come to you more naturally and authentically.

Katy: I think that is such a good point. Often in an in person job interview, it's super acceptable to bring an extra copy of your resume for the interviewer, and having one of those for yourself can help trigger some of your past experiences and actionable skills that you already want to highlight without being dedicated notes that you've made.

Selina: Absolutely, that's a great strategy, and it's a great idea to bring a copy of your resume just in case. You're also going to want to make sure you bring your references along with you, you may have submitted in the original application or you may have said references on upon request or not at all. So it's really important that you come prepared with that information.

Emma: Good point.

Katy: That is so helpful. [00:09:00] I guess I will just say remember to prep your references. So everyone knows you should ask your references if you can use them, but also tell them what kinds of roles you're applying for because then they can approach a potential call from that employer. Just knowing some context about what it is you're hoping to do and what skills they can be highlighting.

Selina: Yeah, references turns out are super important. Um, and you're going to want to really pick people that can speak well of you and know your work ethic, know how you work and fit in a team. Um, and as you're going along in your academics and your work experience and you're growing and learning as a student, um, it's a really important thing to start cultivating those relationships early.

So you have people in your roster that when that, that job comes up, you can call on them and say, Hey, I'm applying for this job. I'm really excited about it. Would you be willing to be a reference for me?

Katy: Yes, that is awesome. So speaking of some of these intimidating questions that we sometimes can encounter in job [00:10:00] interviews and especially thinking about how we want to prepare stories and examples to bring in ahead of time, I need to ask you, what do employers want me to say when they say, tell me about yourself?

It's such a broad question. Personally, I contain multitudes. So, what do they want to hear?

Selina: So, this one can feel very intimidating because it is so broad. Um, but it's really about showcasing your strengths and why you applied for the job. So, you don't have to go into a full biography of yourself. Only the parts that relate to what led you to and why you're applying and what you can bring to the position, role, company, or organization.

Emma: It makes sense that you would tailor your answer in the same way that you would tailor your resume, for instance, to the job. It makes sense that with a broad question like that, you'd want to tailor your answer to the relevancy of the position.

Katy: Are employers looking for any sort of more personal [00:11:00] side to that question?

Often when I've received this question in interviews, I'll tell employers about my studies, what I've done at my previous jobs that's relevant to the role, but is there any value in talking about other aspects of your life that kind of showcase a little bit more of your personality, so to speak?

Selina: I think it's very helpful to talk about things that you are passionate about. And how you weave those competencies, skills and abilities that you're developing into that story. So I mean, at this point, once you're in the interview, they're looking for fit. They've already looked at your resume and cover letter. They see that you meet the qualifications that they need. So I think bringing in a bit of that personal piece. can be very useful.

Katy: That's awesome. Thank you.

Emma: Nice to know that we can be ourselves when we go into an interview. It almost feels like you're putting on a performance sometimes. So it's nice to know that you can bring those personal aspects of yourself into that [00:12:00] conversation. Because if you do get the position, you would be working with those people from there on out.

So good to know that you would fit well with the folks in the organization. And speaking of who's in the organization, how much research should people be doing about the employer before they go to the interview?

Selina: Definitely review their website. and the job posting again and be clear on your reasons why you're applying for the position.

So it's really, really common to be asked what you know about the organization. And if you have prepared and done some research ahead of time, it speaks to your ability to be organized and prepared and resourceful, as well as showing a genuine interest in the role. For example, I recently attended a hiring fair for BC Ferries, and I had a little look at their recruitment pages online, and I noticed that the language and the words that they were using were team and people, and they were peppered throughout the material over and over [00:13:00] again.

And so, to me, this was a clue that having good interpersonal skills and being able to speak to those during the interview would probably be an asset in that selection process.

Katy: That's such a good example and it reminds me of job application tip that I only heard recently, which is to pay attention to any language that is repeated a lot of times throughout the job posting.

And you can put a little less emphasis on stuff that's only mentioned once. So if it's talking all about communication, writing, speaking. Focus on those skills and if there's only one note about design, maybe it's okay if you're not as strong in that area.

Emma: Yeah, absolutely. Okay, I think this has probably happened to most people.

It certainly has happened to me multiple times. What do we do if our mind goes blank? We get asked a question, no thoughts. None at all. What do we do?

Katy: No thoughts, [00:14:00] head empty.

Emma: Yeah, head empty. How do we get back to our feet?

Selina: Oh, nerves can be a nasty business, can't they? Sometimes you do draw a blank, but there are some ways to kind of help yourself get back on track.

So you can ask the interviewer to repeat the question. You can take a few deep breaths to reset. You could choose to respond with something like, that's a great question, I just need to take a moment to consider it. Or asking if you can revisit that question and move forward with the next one. So you can buy yourself some time using responses like that.

Katy: I think that's all really great advice, and something that I often need to overcome in the job application process is feeling like I'm the only nervous person these interviewers have ever met. It's good to remember that they're probably doing this all day, and everyone they've talked to is just as nervous as you are, and so they're probably expecting a little bit of anxiety, and that's fine.

So, often at the end of [00:15:00] an interview, an employer will ask, Do you have any questions for me? And, for a long time, I would just say no and move on, but I get the sense that most employers expect you to have questions. What kinds of things are helpful to ask an employer at that stage of the process?

Selina: Well, I think it's really important to keep in mind that throughout the entire recruitment process, you're always trying to let the employer visualize what you would be like in that role.

So this is just another opportunity to do that. So it's an excellent idea to have a few questions ready for the end of the interview. Some good ones would include like, how would you describe the work environment? What training do you offer new employees? What is a typical day like? And also like, when will they be making their hiring decision?

So those are pretty good ones. You can frame these questions in ways to help the interviewer envision you in the role. So you could say, what would my typical day look like? You're putting yourself [00:16:00] in the role.

Emma: Lots of people who are Interviewing for a job want to know what the company culture is like and how they might fit into the existing team already.

So could you ask a question about how the team handles different scenarios, kind of flipping the script a little bit and asking the hiring panel about different examples of how the team is working, how they're solving problems. Things like that.

Selina: Absolutely. That can absolutely be one of your follow up questions, um, where you can give an example of, like, an industry specific task or process, and you can ask, you know, how does your team handle a situation like this?

I think that's completely appropriate. Yeah. Um, the other thing that you can do is, uh, aside from your research that you're doing online and, and about the company, if you know people that are working in the company, if you know people that are working in the industry, then absolutely, you know, take the chance to talk to them about what that culture looks like because you're going to get a more honest [00:17:00] answer from someone who's actually working there than you will, perhaps, from the person who wants to find someone to work there.

Emma: Ooh, that's a really good point.

Katy: Totally. Totally. And... Work culture. It's such a broad term. It can mean everything from what is the vibe of my day to day workplace and like, do people wear jeans in this office to what is this institution doing to address systemic racism or am I going to be getting support if I encounter a sudden medical challenge or how flexible is my work schedule?

So it sounds like it would be really valuable to talk to somebody who can give you. Not just the, the culture that the company is striving for and the values that they have, but also some of that day to day stuff that you can't really know until you're in the office. Like, is this an office where people go get coffee together?

Or is this an office where doors are closed? You can't ask that in an interview, [00:18:00] really. Well, maybe you can. I don't know.

Selina: Well, you could phrase it as like, what kind of team building initiatives do you participate in?

Katy: See, this is why you are the expert. That is awesome.

Emma: I want to write that down so I take that to my next interview.

Katy: I really love that.

Emma: And one of the other big questions that a lot of us want to ask but we're afraid to ask, salary. Should we ask employers about salary in an interview? Should we stay away from that question?

What do you think?

Selina: Well, I think it's really important to be very tactful and tread lightly around this one. Some salaries are quite set based on union negotiations and don't allow for a lot of wiggle room. So the person hiring you might not have any influence whatsoever on the rate of pay that you would receive.

Others are more negotiable and based on level of experience and qualifications. So, ways to handle [00:19:00] that, you will probably want to do some research first to see if you can answer that question yourself without having to bring it up at the interview. So check the pay band information on the company websites or in union agreements.

Check the original job posting and see if there is a salary range posted. Research some similar positions in the industry and see what the going rate of pay is. You can try like Glassdoor and Indeed, they both have that information. And if all else fails, you can ask for some clarification during the interview, but perhaps phrase it more along the lines of performance review timelines and opportunities for advancement and training.

If the employer asks about your salary expectations, It's helpful if you have done some research with some similar jobs and have an idea of what that typical wage for this kind of work is and what your own financial needs are. So really be mindful how you broach the subject and the language that you choose to

use.

Katy: It seems like, especially in the last [00:20:00] couple of years, there's a bit of a shift on the horizon around employers being more upfront and sharing what pay might look like when they are posting the job or early on in the process, especially given the economy and the cost of living right now, as well as the great resignation that was happening and workers really feeling like they can be a little bit more choosy.

Do you think that rings true? The landscape is changing? And if we can't find pay information on the job posting or the website, is it okay to just ask what is the salary range for this position?

Selina: I think if you put it in those terms, for salary range, I think that's a better way of handling it. Again, it comes back to the language and tone that you're using because you're always wanting to put forth a level of professionalism.

Katy: Totally. So, we've sort of come to the end of the interview. We've asked the employer our questions. We've wrapped up. What should I do next? After [00:21:00] the interview, should I follow up? Do people still send thank you notes? Should I add them on LinkedIn? Like, what is the move?

Selina: I feel like good manners never go out of style, and I'm a firm believer in thanking the interview panel at the end of the interview, and sending like a form of a thank you note.

And I think email is just fine for that, but acknowledging that they've taken the time to meet with you, and thanking them for that time, I think it's important.

Katy: I've also often been in the situation where an interviewer will give me an expected timeline to hear back, but maybe something happens on their end, and I don't hear back within that time frame.

Is it okay to send an email to follow up and ask about where the process is at?

Selina: I think that's completely appropriate. If it's feeling like it's taking longer than they quoted in the interview, then I think it's appropriate to investigate a little bit further and follow up. .

Emma: Here's something I hadn't thought about before, since you mentioned panel interviews, is there a [00:22:00] different way to approach a panel interview versus an interview with a single person?

Selina: I think there is a challenge in having three people as opposed to one person with regards to body language and eye contact and that, so I think it's really important when you're talking to a group that you are not just staring at one person. And that you're, you know, um, establishing like eye contact throughout, just like you would if you were giving a presentation to people.

So you really want to make sure that you're giving each person your attention and focus and be really present with them when they're asking the questions.

Katy: Something that I have been thinking about a lot, especially as a relatively new career graduate who has very recently been through this job search process.

It's so easy to get nervous during interviews and feel like I just need this organization to pick me. I'm anxious. Like I need a job. I need to like pay to live. I want to start my career. But [00:23:00] in the interview process, in a very real way, you're also sort of interviewing the organization and trying to get a read on the culture and if you'll be a good fit there.

And if it's, it's a position that you really want to be in and that you're really excited about. Going back to that issue of what kinds of questions you can ask at the end of the interview, do you have any tips for ways you can ask about work culture or how you can get a read on whether an employer aligns with your values, for example?

Selina: I think if you've done your research. about the organization. You'll have a sense of what their values are. You'll have a sense of the projects and work that they do. And so you'll get a sense of how that aligns with your own values and your own work motivators, um, at the very beginning, so you can do a lot of that pre interview.

You're gonna get, you know, a read off the people [00:24:00] as well and see if that's a comfortable environment for you. Yeah. Uh, sometimes, you know, I've been to interviews where , they're very like prescribed interview questions because of the hiring process that they have. So you don't always get a lot of like this conversational piece.

In interviews with large organizations and institutions, you might get a little bit more of that casual, conversational, get to know you feel if you were interviewing for like a family owned coffee shop or something like that. It really depends. On where you're interviewing and in what organizations you're interested in working for.

Katy: Yeah, in my experience, interviewing for especially large public institutions, the interview process can be a lot more formal than the actual day to day work environment just because of the hiring requirements. So it is really a good thing to note that the feel of the interview and the vibes you might get from the person will [00:25:00] probably vary based on the person.

the organization and how big it is. I wonder too, like, yeah, if you've done this research and you found projects that you're really excited about, can you ask about those projects? I like and show kind of your interest and your excitement.

Selina: Absolutely.

Katy: Maybe I just need to make friends all the time.

Selina: I think it's a really great idea.

If there's a project that aligns with your academic studies or experience . And you want to learn more about that or know more about that. You've got some questions that came up when your research process, I think it's completely appropriate to have that as one of your questions. And it also shows the employer that you have done that research.

You have prepped, you have looked at things and thought about what would align with your Values and interests. So it tells the employer a lot about who you are by asking questions like that.

Katy: Totally, because when an employer asks, why do you want to work here? You cannot just say I have to pay my rent.

You do need to have a different answer than that. [00:26:00]

Selina: Yeah. This, as long as you're keeping in mind throughout the process, what you can bring to that organization, why are you valuable? What would you be adding? And you're always keeping that in mind as you're answering all the interview questions, because your job is to convince them that you're the perfect candidate, right?

Katy: Absolutely. Like, once you're in that interview, like you said, they've seen your cover letter. They've seen your resume. They know that you could do this job on a technical level. And I think that reminding yourself of that is a great way to tackle your nerves and your imposter syndrome. Once you're in that interview room.

They know that you can do the job. You don't have to convince yourself that you deserve to be there, because they already believe that you deserve to be there.

Emma: I did want to take a second to talk about hiring fairs, because I know that type of interview is just a little bit different than if you were doing a regular job search process and you were shortlisted that way.

We've been in [00:27:00] different virtual career fairs or in person career fairs where you've got all the tables lined up and there's tons of people in the room and everybody's chatting and there's big groups and lineups and it's Quite a different experience. And for people who do go into job fairs or career fairs, what advice would you give them when they're talking to a recruiter?

Selina: I think that a healthy way to go to these events is in an information seeking mindset. So I think having the goal of learning more and meeting people and building your network is a better objective than going and thinking that you're going to hand out your resume and get a job. First off, it's a way for you to learn what's out there.

And help you with your job search Also half the time they'll say oh great. We're not taking resumes. We do it all online, [00:28:00] right?

Emma: That's a good point. I like that approach of coming in looking for more info building that network because then you could supposedly if you made a great connection at that event then do a separate interview afterwards.

That's you know more intimate one on one or whatever. That's really good advice. I think a lot of folks who go to events like that Really have the hope that they're going to get hired on the spot And it's nice to not put that pressure on yourself knowing that you can go there just to see what's available

Katy: Absolutely.

And you can always bring that experience on what you learn at that fair. Later, if you decide to apply for a job with a company, even open your cover letter saying, After connecting with so and so at X hiring fair, I was excited by this thing about your company, and wanted to apply.

Emma: Ooh, you know what? We should talk about the STAR method.

I think that's something that everyone encourages, [00:29:00] both employers and anyone giving advice about, about interviews. So yeah, let's talk about that.

Selina: All right. Um, the STAR method, it stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result, and Reflection. And so the key to answering questions in interviews is to really structure them in a way where you can stay on track and the interviewer can follow your train of thought.

And so the STAR technique is a great way of doing that.

Katy: I don't want to ask you to improvise, but I think it would be really valuable to give an example of an answer like that. Um, and if you don't want to improvise, I can improvise. So for example, if an employer asked me about a time when I had to work with a team, I could give an answer like, In my previous role at UVic, I was put in charge of planning a [00:30:00] virtual career fair with my colleagues on the events and communications team.

This event was a collaboration with two other universities, and so not only was I working with our team at UVic, but also with other stakeholders from across institutions. In order to manage that, I... Set up biweekly meetings and checked in daily over slack about tasks on the workflow. The result was a highly successful virtual career fair that has now been ongoing for two years since the onset of COVID 19 and a really healthy ongoing partnership with these two institutions.

Just for example.

Selina: I think that was an excellent example of using the STAR method.

Katy: Thank you.

Emma: That was awesome.

Katy: You can really tell when a person has had to apply for a lot of jobs in their life. I'm like, job interview me. Let's go. So before we let you go, Selena, uh, you work here at UVic with students every [00:31:00] day.

Helping prepare them to apply for jobs, plan their career, approach interviews, feeling confident and ready to go. Are there any resources or on campus events or programs that can support students with succeeding? in approaching job interviews that you would like to plug.

Selina: Absolutely. So Career Services is available to all students at UVic and even alumni.

So if you go out and work for a bit and you are making a transition and you just want some advice, you can come back and see us because you are Ours forever. On my way. Yeah, absolutely. You're one of us. So there's a few ways you can access services. Um, we do have some times that we're in the library, Monday, Wednesday, Friday afternoons, we have drop ins and those are usually about 15 minute appointments where you can, you know, if you're working on your resume and you have some questions, you'd like someone to just have a quick look at it, that's a great opportunity to do that.

There's a career educator in there and [00:32:00] they can give you some advice and coaching. If you feel like you want a little bit more time, you can pre schedule appointments, pre book with a career educator, those are about 30 minutes, and we can meet with you and discuss all kinds of things like resumes, cover letters, interview skills, grad school applications.

We can do a mock interview for you if you're having an interview coming up and you're feeling kind of nervous about that. We can, we can take some time and run through some questions. And then you'll have some feedback to work with as well, which can be really useful. Often you don't get that in a real interview.

So it's kind of nice to have that. It's definitely a good learning tool. Mm hmm.

Katy: Well, and it's a great way to practice some of those answers that you should be preparing for your interview too. You can kind of dry run them in the mock interview. That's great. And

Selina: We also run various events across campus throughout the year, like a resume, workshops, and we've got the career fair that comes up, and so various activities [00:33:00] that will be posted on our events page.

Katy: Yes, all of that info is on our website, which we will be linking in the show notes, so definitely check it out. I also want to note that Career Services also has been running dedicated workshops around issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the workplace. So if that's something you want support with or want to learn more about, they've been dedicating time and resources to that.

Emma: That's great. And just wanted to say a big thank you to Selena for joining us on today's episode and for sharing your wisdom and your knowledge. I think all of the things that you've brought up today are going to be really helpful for anyone who's interviewing for a job and I just really appreciate you dedicating your time to us today.

Thank you so much.

Katy: Yes, thank you for helping to demystify the process and Tackle some of those job interview questions that I think sometimes students are a little bit scared to ask.

Selina: It was a pleasure being here. Thank you to you [00:34:00] both. What a great way to share the information with students. So thank you so much for your time.

Katy: Work It is developed and distributed by Co op and Career Services at the University of Victoria.

The podcast is hosted by Katy DeCoste and Emma Ulveland and produced by Katy, Emma, and Joy Poliquin. Today's guest was Selina Jorgensen. Our theme music and art were created by Emma Ulveland with audio editing by Emma Ulveland. If you enjoyed today's episode, subscribe and you'll never miss an update.

To learn more about career possibilities and resources from UVic, Visit uvic. ca slash career dash services.