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Being ready for a job interview involves more than getting a good night’s sleep, arriving on time and dressing professionally. During the days before the interview, you should research the company and job, and practice interview skills so you don’t get caught off guard with interview questions!

Top 5 Tips to Ace Your Next Interview:

• Be Yourself – A job interview is an opportunity for employers to get to know you and get a feel for how you will fit in with the company culture. This is an opportunity to stand out from the crowd, show your personality and professionalism.
• Keep Your Answers Short – Provide answers to the specific questions asked during your interview. Stay focused and don’t go off topic! Being able to provide a succinct answer demonstrates your mastery of listening and communication skills.
• Reframe Your Faults – The interviewer may ask you to identify your biggest challenge or fault. Practice your interview skills beforehand and have an answer ready. Be sure to reframe your answer into a positive, and never end an answer on a negative note.
• Identify a Past Challenge – Interviewers will usually ask you to identify a challenge you have faced in your past employment and describe how you handled the situation. Practice answering this question with various examples and solutions so you are not caught off guard when asked. Ensure you portray a good example of how you overcame a challenge and succeeded!
• Have Your Questions Ready – At the end of the interview you may be asked if you have any questions. This is where you can demonstrate your understanding of the company and the job duties. Be ready with some thought-out questions that demonstrate your knowledge and interest.

Are you having problems preparing for job interviews? Learn about Metro College Job Search Assistance Service, and get the help you need!

Get the most out of your education with these 5 tips: 

1. Focus on learning, not memorizing. It might be more simple to memorize new information in order to recite it at a later date, this may be effective in class, but will fail in the real-world. Focus on learning, truly understanding new concepts, theories and terms, so that you can properly apply them in a real world situation. 
2. Create solid study habits. Understanding your optimal learning method will make it easier for you to study! Do you retain information better in the morning or evening? Does it help you write your own summaries of new concepts? Do cue cards help you retain new information? Learn more about the Top Skills to Develop While in College. 
3. Do the work, don’t coast! Homework, readings and assignments might seem mundane, or optional, but they are provided as an added education tool to help students understand new theories and concepts, and apply them to a variety of real-world scenarios. Learn more about Completing Homework: The Key to Success. 
4. Don’t cram. Cramming, trying to memorize weeks of work within a day, is never a good idea and rarely leads to actual learning. Take the opportunity to review notes and assignments on a regular basis, and give yourself the time to absorb new information, ask questions to your peers and/or instructor, and be prepared to be tested on your knowledge at any time. Learn more about Test Taking Tips for College Students! 
5. Use college resources. Metro College has several Student Services available to help you with your educational journey and future career. Check out the Department of Co-Operative Education, Job Preparation Services, and Financial Aid Office. 

Are you struggling with your education? Talk to your instructor or student manager about your concerns. Together we will find a solution that will help you optimize your learning experience at Metro College!

Your time in college is invaluable and it gives you an excellent opportunity to develop a range of skills that will benefit you in your career, and make you more employable! 

Top 6 Skills Prized by Employers:

• Oral Communication – It is an essential skill in a workplace. While in college, take initiative to polish up on your oral communication skills by asking for feedback, joining an English class or a public speaking group! Learn how to Master Public Speaking Today.
• Written Communication – most communication in the workplace is written. It is therefore important to be able to write well and accurately relay information in a professional, respectful manner. Learn more about Email Etiquette and Professionalism.
• Time Management – Time management is essential in the workplace where there are several projects on the go, with different deliverables and due dates. Develop time management skills now and be prepared! Learn more about Workplace Time Management.
• Professionalism – The workplace is a professional environment and requires a set standard of behavior, attire and conduct. Learn more about Dress Codes in the Workplace.
• Drive and Initiative – Employers prize individuals who have tenacity, take initiative to problem solve, and have the drive to succeed. Learn how to Boost your Opportunity for Promotion.
• Computer Skills – A basic level of computer knowledge is expected by employers. You should take the initiative to learn more and master computer skills that will be needed in your career. Learn about the Top 4 Computer Skills to Master.

Consider yourself a brand and your resume a sales letter that outlines your knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience!

Metro College provides all students with a course: Professional Development that provides resume and cover letter workshops, job interview practices and job search techniques. It is important to take the time to develop a resume that is an accurate portrayal of yourself as well as an advertisement of your knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience.

Top 6 Resume Tips:

• Avoid fancy resume layouts, fonts or other special effects and ensure your resume is geared to the type of job and industry you are applying to. For example, a Graphic Design resume could include graphic designs, but a paralegal resume should be much more formal.
• Ensure your resume is easy to visually scan! Most human resource professional will spend 10 seconds scanning a resume. It is important that your most vital knowledge, skills, and experience be displayed in a manner that can be easily seen.
• Prepare you resume in a simple format that can be viewed on most common computer programs such as Microsoft Word. Avoid using templates and tables as formatting might be skewed when the employer reads the resume on a different program.
• Set out your work experience in reverse chronological order, with your most recent work experience listed first (this also applies to the education section of your resume).
• Use bullet points when appropriate. This is commonly done when describing various duties and accomplishments in prior work experience.
• Include important (industry specific) keywords in your resume. These keywords can usually be found in the job advertisement, and by examining the business website.

BONUS TIP: Do not include a personal photo in resumes; although this is a common practice in other countries, it is discouraged in Canada. 

Resumes should be constantly revised and updated during your career. Don’t wait until you are on the job hunt to work on your resume, keep it updated as you gain new work experience and education!

Have you already perfected your resume? Move on to other items related to your job search including:

• Your Cover Letter
• Selecting your References
• Preparing for your Job Interview
• Develop your Professional Network