Many Canadian employers are open to global talent, but navigating a new professional context from afar can pose a real challenge for those currently living in refugee circumstances and trying to secure a job in Canada.

Doing your research and being prepared can go a long way in demystifying the process and boosting your confidence in all steps of a job search. If, after building a strong CV and applying to available opportunities, you have been invited to interview with an employer, it’s especially important to know what to expect. Outlined here are some of the types of interviews you may face with a Canadian employer, depending on the industry and role.

Thanks to a generous $50,000 grant from the KPMG Foundation, TalentLift is making resources like this accessible to youth living as refugees, helping them put their best foot forward and pursue meaningful careers. We recently welcomed Bunmi Adeboyejo, a recruitment manager with KPMG, as a guest speaker at a virtual event, to share her expertise on professional interviews in the Canadian context. We’re grateful to share her insights here. 

See a general guide to preparing for a Canadian job interview here.

Screening interviews

Screening interviews are often a first step in the interview process and usually take the form of a phone call or a video call with a human resources representative or a recruiter. You may not need to complete a screening interview as part of a job application, but if you do, keep in mind that their purpose is to confirm you are a real applicant and that you meet the basic requirements for the position. 

You can expect questions about:

• Your work history
• Your right to work in Canada, or your expected timeline for an immigration application
• Your salary expectations

Remember to be honest about your current situation. You don’t need to share details about your refugee circumstances, but if asked, be clear about the fact that you are an international applicant located outside of Canada and that you intend to apply for a visa to Canada after obtaining a job offer. 

You can also address visa questions earlier on by including TalentLift’s letter of support in your job application, helping employers understand your visa eligibility and unique path. You can access your letter of support through your TalentLift profile. After logging in, navigate to the “Jobs” tab and select the “Looking for jobs on your own?” button. There, you can request a personalized letter of support to be emailed to you.

Behavioural interviews

Behaviour interviews, sometimes referred to as competency-based interviews, are the most common type of interview in Canada. These interviews aim to dive into your behaviour in professional settings in order to predict your potential performance in the role you are interviewing for. 

In a behavioural interview, you’ll likely be asked questions that start with, “Tell me about a time when you…” or “Give me an example of a situation where you…”

A few common topics you can expect include:

• Conflict resolution (i.e. “Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a manager and how you resolved the issue.”)
• Teamwork (i.e. “Give me an example of how you contributed to a team goal in your previous position.”)
• Problem solving (i.e. “Describe a time when you faced a challenge at work. How did you overcome this challenge?”)

To ensure that you respond to behavioural interview questions in a clear and structured way, remember the STAR method. You can read more about the STAR method in our general guide to interview preparation here.

Technical interviews 

If you are in IT, engineering, accounting, or the sciences, you will likely face a technical interview. Technical interviews are less about your personality and more about proving your hard skills.

Here’s what you can expect depending on the industry:

• For roles in tech, technical interviews often take the form of a live coding challenge, a whiteboard test, or a take-home project such as building a small piece of software.
• For roles in engineering, you can expect to be asked about specific engineering principles, asked to solve design problems, or potentially completing a portfolio review.
• For roles in finance and accounting, applicants may be given scenario-based math problems and asked to answer questions about financial principals and regulations.

You may find it helpful to share your screen during a virtual technical interview, so it’s especially important to ensure that you’re comfortable with the meeting software being used for the interview and that it’s working as planned.

Be mindful that there are increasingly good ways for interviewers to spot any use of AI. If you’re unsure about the interviewer’s expectations around using AI or not, make sure to ask your interviewer in advance. Be honest and transparent about any tools you use during your interview. 

Case interviews

Case interviews are most common in consulting, finance, and some management roles. Interviewees will be presented with a business problem and asked to think through it and provide an answer. The business problem you’re asked to solve may be more straightforward (i.e. “Our client’s profits are declining, what should they do?”) but they may also be more abstract (i.e. “How many coffee shops are there in this city?”). The goal of case interview questions is to see how you think and not necessarily whether you can provide the right answer.

To succeed in a case interview, remember to:

• Think out loud. The interviewer wants to understand your thought process, so help them do so by talking through your problem solving process (i.e. “I’m going to start by breaking this problem down into 2 parts …”).
• Ask clarifying questions. Not only does this help you understand the problem better, it shows the interviewer that you avoid making assumptions and take the time to consider all potential factors.
• Use a clear framework. Case interviews are designed to test for logical reasoning and structuring your answer within a framework can help ensure that the logic of your answer can be easily followed and shows that you’re able to effectively explain your ideas to others.

Panel interviews

In Canada, it is common to be interviewed by multiple people at once. For example, you may be interviewed by a panel made up of your potential manager, a team member, and someone from the company’s human resources department.

The panel of interviewers will likely take turns asking questions. It can feel overwhelming having to divide your attention between the different interviewers, but it doesn’t have to be. 

Try to think of each member of the panel as an individual and answer their questions like you would in any other interview. When answering questions, for example, look at the person who asked the question, but also make sure to look at the others occasionally to include them in the conversation. If the panel members introduce themselves at the beginning of the interview, take note of their names so that you can address them later on when it’s their turn to ask you a question.

Informal interviews

Sometimes, especially if you are networking, you might have a virtual coffee chat or informational interview with someone that feels very casual. Come prepared with thoughtful questions about the person’s own role or career, their company, or their industry. Though the stated purpose of the interaction may be to learn from this connection about their organization and potential roles in the industry, they could be a great source of information on future job openings and may even personally refer you. 

Make sure to treat these interviews with the same professionalism as a formal interview. Being prepared with thoughtful questions can showcase your curiosity, genuine interest, and critical thinking. These are all excellent qualities that can prompt someone to think of you for future opportunities within their network.

Don’t forget …

Every interview is an important opportunity to practice, even if it doesn’t end in a job offer. Interviews are your opportunity to showcase what you know and what you’ve done – and to help you refine your goals, including the type of workplace you want to be in and the impact you want to have.

We know how much you have to offer – good luck!

Candidates living in refugee circumstances and seeking a job in Canada can join TalentLift. 

Interested in a career at KPMG Canada? Check out their open roles here.