How to prepare for job interviews and the hiring process

Job interviews in Canada

Canadians tend to be friendly and generous with superlatives. During interviews, you may hear very positive feedback—you’d be “a perfect fit” or your resume is “awesome”, etc. Maybe you did ace your job interview and maybe you’ll get a call back right away… but the recruiter or hiring manager may also never call again. It’s possible to be “ghosted” after being led to believe you could get the job.

Always follow up once, then move on if you don’t get the job offer. It could just be that another candidate was more qualified or the role was filled internally.

The hiring process in Canada

If an employer makes you an offer, congratulations! After you accept the offer formally, you will have to provide your SIN (for income tax reporting purposes).

Not all employers in Canada make you sign an employment contract—large companies with a HR department usually will but smaller employers may skip this practice, and it’s not illegal to do so.

How do you know your terms of employment without a contract? The Canada Labour Code sets out minimum standards that federally regulated employers and employees must follow. You should look up the employment standards for your province/territory.

Always make sure to get your pay stubs (paycheck). Your pay stubs will show your gross income, net pay, employment insurance, vacation pay, and other deductions. You will need this information when it comes to tax season.