Job Interview Preparation Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: Prepare and research the employer

A job interview is a two-way conversation. The employer wants to know whether you can do the job, whether you will fit in, and why you want it. You want to know whether the job suits you. One Alberta career guide sums up the work as four Ps: Prepare, Practise, Present and Participate.

Read the job posting closely

The job posting is your best study guide. For each duty and qualification, write down a question the interviewer might ask and an example that shows you have the skill. Include transferable skills: skills from other jobs, school, volunteering or hobbies that also fit this job. A volunteer treasurer, for example, has real experience handling money.

You must meet all essential qualifications and be ready to show how. Desired qualifications are a bonus, but you may still be asked about them.

Research the employer

• Read its website: what it does, who its customers are, and its mission and values.
• Look for recent news or an annual report, and talk to someone who works there or does similar work.
• Check typical pay. Job Bank, a Government of Canada website, has a wage search by occupation and area.

Research lets you answer "Why do you want to work here?" with real facts, and helps you plan good questions. Also think about what might worry an employer, such as losing your last job, a criminal record or limited English. Plan a short, honest answer and say what you learned or how you are improving.

Plan the day

• If you have questions about the interview, such as what to bring, call the contact listed in the job ad.
• Work out your travel time, then add about 15 minutes.
• Bring copies of your résumé, a reference list, and a pen and paper. Ask your references for permission first and tell them about the job.
• Dress a little better than the job requires, clean and neat. Skip perfume, cologne and aftershave, because some workplaces are scent-free.
• If you cannot attend, call the interviewer as early as you can.

First impressions

Turn your phone off when you arrive and keep it off until you leave. Be polite to everyone you meet, including staff on a tour; in some hiring processes, interviewers assess you at every stage. Make eye contact, smile and stay standing until you are offered a seat. Sit up straight, keep your hands mostly still and lean forward slightly. Leaning far back looks bored, and perching on the edge of the chair looks tense.

Quiz tematico 1: Preparing and researching the employer

Lesson 2: Common questions and the STAR method

Common questions

Behavioural and hypothetical questions

A behavioural question asks about the past: "Tell me about a time when…". How you acted before suggests how you will act again. Use a real example, because the interviewer may ask follow-up questions. A hypothetical (situational) question asks "What would you do if…?" Explain the steps you would take, in order, and add a real example if you have one.

The STAR method

Some guides add a second S for Skills (STARS): name the skills your example shows. Keep each part to about two to four sentences. Examples can come from work, volunteering, school or sports. Choose examples with a positive ending, and practise them out loud without memorizing them word for word.

Weak answer, strong answer

Question: "Tell me about a time you dealt with an upset customer." Weak: "I'm really good with customers. Everyone likes me." Strong: "A customer's online order was missing items and he was angry (Situation). I had to fix it before he left (Task). I listened, apologized, checked the receipt and had a co-worker pick the missing items (Action). He left with a complete order in ten minutes and thanked me (Result)." The weak answer only makes claims; the strong one gives proof.

Quiz tematico 2: Common questions and the STAR method

Lesson 3: Practice for your type of job

Licences, checks and tests

• Security: each province and territory licenses security workers. In Alberta you must be over 18, complete approved basic security training, score 80% or higher on the provincial exam, speak English at Canadian Language Benchmark 5, and pass a criminal record check, a vulnerable sector search and a local police database search.
• Vulnerable sector check: a police information check plus a check for record suspensions for sexual offences, for positions of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons, such as many healthcare support jobs. The hiring organization asks for it with your consent, and the local police service where you live does it.
• Skills tests: in Alberta, tests must relate to the job and be given to everyone hired for similar work. A labour job cannot require a keyboarding test.

Safety and customer scenarios

A strong answer to a safety question puts safety first, follows procedures, tells the person and a supervisor, and reports what happened. Never say you would ignore a hazard, and do not promise things your role does not allow, such as chasing or holding people. For customers and patients, show that you listen, stay calm, respect people's choices and dignity, and involve your team. For office jobs, show how you protect private information.

Quiz tematico 3: Role-specific practice

Lesson 4: Interview formats, virtual interviews and your questions

In some government competitions, panel members cannot use what they already know about you. If you know someone on the panel, answer as if they know nothing about you.

Phone and video interviews

• Use a quiet, tidy room, and turn off apps and notifications.
• Download the platform early. About an hour before, test sound, camera and buttons with a friend.
• Put a phone on a tripod or stable surface. Do not hold it.
• Light your face from the front, such as facing a window. Avoid a bright window behind you.
• Use a plain background, not a virtual one, and dress as you would in person.
• Look at the camera, not at your own picture.
• On a weak connection, wait until the interviewer finishes, pause, then speak.

On the phone, your voice does the work. Smile, speak clearly, and keep your résumé and notes nearby. Do not eat, drink or smoke during the call, and give it your full attention.

Questions to ask

When asked "Do you have any questions?", always say yes. Ask three or four prepared questions, such as "What would a typical week look like in this role?", "What training do new employees receive?" or "What are the next steps?" Do not ask things the website already answers. Wait until you are offered the job to ask detailed questions about salary and benefits, unless the employer raises them first.

Quiz tematico 4: Interview formats, virtual interviews and your questions

Lesson 5: After the interview

At the end of the interview, sum up your skills, thank the interviewers and leave politely. If you have not already asked, ask about the next steps and when they expect to decide.

Send a thank-you message

Send a short thank-you message as soon as possible, usually by email. Send one even if you do not get the job; it shows you are professional and can keep the door open.

1. Thank the interviewer for their time.
2. Mention something specific from the interview and why you fit. You can add a qualification you forgot or improve a weak answer.
3. End by restating your interest.

Review and follow up

Write notes soon, before details fade: the interviewers' names, the questions, and how you answered. Which questions surprised you? What would you change? These notes help you prepare for your next interview.

Rejection, references and offers

Rejection is often not personal: someone else may have had more experience, or there may have been only one opening. A short note can thank them, briefly say you are disappointed, and say you are still interested in the company. Ask for feedback to learn, not to argue, and if they decline, stay polite and thank them.

Choose work-related references, such as direct supervisors, and ask their permission first. Employers can check your claims with references, so always be honest. Wait for an offer to ask detailed questions about pay and benefits. Some offers are conditional, for example on a job-related medical exam or proof that you can work in Canada.

Quiz tematico 5: Following up after the interview

Lesson 6: Questions employers should not ask

Human rights laws protect you when you apply for a job, not only after you are hired. Employers may ask about your ability to do the job, but not about personal characteristics unrelated to the work. This lesson is general information, not legal advice.

Which law applies?

The Canadian Human Rights Act covers federally regulated employers, such as federal departments, banks, airlines, telecommunications companies, railways and trucking companies that cross borders, and Crown corporations like Canada Post. Complaints go to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and you should file within 12 months of the incident (it can make exceptions). Most other employers, such as stores and restaurants, are covered by provincial or territorial law and its own human rights agency, such as the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

Protected grounds

The federal Act's prohibited grounds are race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability, and a pardoned or record-suspended conviction. Provincial lists differ: Alberta also protects source of income, ancestry and place of origin, and Ontario's Code includes citizenship, creed and record of offences.

Section 8 of the Act makes it a discriminatory practice to use an application form, job ad, or written or spoken question that expresses or implies a limitation or preference based on a prohibited ground.

Improper questions and better ones

Some information belongs after a job offer: an emergency contact, documents proving you can work in Canada, a photo for a security pass, or a job-related medical exam. The federal SIN code of practice says employers should not ask for your Social Insurance Number on an application or in an interview; they must ask for it within 3 days after you start work.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission says a strict "Canadian experience" requirement is discrimination on its face and allowed only in very limited cases. Describe experience from any country in terms of skills and results. If you need accommodation, such as a change to how a test is given, tell the person who invited you to the test.

How to respond

• Answer the real concern: "I can work all scheduled shifts, and my attendance at my last job was excellent."
• Politely decline, or write "not applicable" on a form.
• Point it out tactfully, then return to your skills.
• Get help from the right human rights agency if you think you faced discrimination.

Quiz tematico 6: Questions employers should not ask