Microsoft Word - Applying For a Job at Manitoba Hydro 2012.docx



the

INTERVIEW

PROCESS

Applying

for a job

Manitoba

Hydro



Thankyou foryourinterestindeveloping yourcareerthroughemployment

atManitoba Hydro. Thisguideisintendedtohelppreparepotential

emp lo yees

r

interview process.Mani t oba Hydro usesBehaviour

Description Interviewing

in

themajorityofinterviews inordertoevaluate

potentialcandidates.Thismeansthatthecandidates willbeaskedto

provide examplesfromtheirpasteducation,

rk,

orlifeexperiences that

demonstratethedesiredcompetencies identifiedas

ical

tothesuccess

oftheCorporation. Inaddition,Manitoba Hydro iscommitted to

e

principlesofDiversi tyandEmployment Equityintheinterviewprocessto

sur

e

thatemployment opportunitiesarebasedonfairnessandtoensure

a

e

work

forc



Ifyouareoverwhelmed bytheinformationinthisguide,trytofocusonthe

parts

f

theguidethatapplytoyour situation.Use theTableofContentsto

identify

ecificsectionsthatarerelatedtoyour situation.

Applying forajobcanbeintimidatingandstressfulattimes.Thisguidewill

help

o

explaintheinterviewprocess,aswellashelpyoutobecome aware

thatthe

w

processcanbeanextremelyvaluablelearning

exp

ience



Again, thankyouforyourinterestinManitoba Hydro, andgood

!



1

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

TABLE OF

ONTENT



SectionITheResume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .  3

WhatisaResume? . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . .  3

WhatisthePurposeofaResume?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . .  3

HowdoIStart?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . .  . .  3

What

CategoriesshouldIincludeinaResume?............... . .  . . . .  4

StylesofResumes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . .... 5

TipsonPreparingResumes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . .... 7

Four

ExamplesofResumes.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . .  .  .  9

TheCoreandLeadershipCompetencies. . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . .  .  17



SectionII TheCoverLetter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Whatis

aCoverLetter?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . ....... 31

HowshouldCoverLettersbeOrganized. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .  . .  31

TipsonPreparingaCoverLetter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . .. 31

TwoExamples

ofCoverLetters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . .. 33

ActionVerbs–EnhancingyourResumeandCoverLetter. . . . . . . . . . .

.  35

TheResumeandCoverLetterChecklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .  37



SectionIII BeforetheInterview . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .  39

ThePurposeoftheInterview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  39

AdvancePreparationsfor

anInterview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  39

TypesofInterviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .  42

ExamplesofInterviewQuestions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  42

BehaviourDescriptionQuestions. . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  45



SectionIV DuringtheInterview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . 53

StagesoftheEmploymentInterview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  53

TipsforaGreatInterview! . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  55

TypicalPitfallstoWatchforDuringanInterview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56



Section

V AftertheInterview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

TheJobInterviewReview . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  57







2

MANITOBAHYDRO2012





3

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

SECTION I



THE

RESUME



WhatisaResume?

• Aconcise, employment directed

biogra



• Asummary ofyourcareerstrengthsanddirection,personaldata,educational

background a

nd

training,professionalexperience, achievements and

tio



• Aselfportrait,summing upanddisp layingyou —inthebestpossiblelight.



WhatisthePurposeofaResume?

• ToobtainaSelectionInterview.

• Tocatchyourreader’sinterestandmakethemwanttoknowmoreaboutyou.

• Toeffectivelyadvertiseyourworkskills.

• Torepresentyouinyourabsenceandconveyyourimage.

• Todrawattentiontoyourmoresignificantaccompli shmentsandcontributions.

•

Todemonstrateyourwrittencommunicationskills.

• Toprovideanoutlineforanemploymentinterview.

• Toremindtheinterviewingsupervisorofyouaftertheinterview.

HowdoIStart?



Writing aneffectiveresume isaprocess ofgatheringinformationtogether,choosing the

informa t io nthatismostrelevanttothejobyou areseeking,selectingaresumeformat,puttinga

draftresume



andeditingyourdraftuntilitisasimpr essiveasyou canmakeit.Follow

these5simplesteps:



Step1

• Gatherfactsaboutyouremploymentandeducationhistoryanddosomeworkonidentifying

yourskillsandaccomplishments.Thereareskillassessmentexercisesavailablewhichmaybe

helpful.



• Createa“factsheet”bylistingthefollowingfactsabo utyour employmentandeducation

history:

o Names,addressesandtelephonenu mbersofformeremployers,datesofemployment

andnamesofsupervisors;

o Jobtitles,jobdescriptions,alistofyourskillsandsituationsinwhichyouhave

demonstratedthose

skills;

o Namesandaddressesofeducation/traininginstitutionsyouhaveattended,theprograms

completed,majorareasofstudyortrainingandanyawardsorrecognitionyouhave

received;

o Volunteerexperience,hobbies,otheractivitiesandmembershipsthatshowyouhave

knowledgeorexperiencerelatedtothetypeofjobyouwant,

orshowthatyouhave

positivecharacteristicssuchaspersonalinitiative;

o Names,addressesandtelephonenu mbersofyourreferencesifyouaregoingtoinclude

themonyourresume.Thisisoptionalandwillbeexplainedinfurtherdetaillaterinthis

guideline.



4

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Step2



• Decidewhichqualificationsyoushouldemphasizeforthetypeofjobyouareseeking.



Yourstrongestqualificationsshouldbelistedclosesttothebeginningofyourresume.



Hint:Most experienced workerslistwork historyfirst,theneducationandtraining.

However, ifyoudon’thavemuch experience

thatrelatestothejobyouareseeking,

you maychoose tolist

ur

educatio nandtrainingfirst.



Step3



• Choosearesumeformat.Therearebasicallythreetypesofresumeformatstochoose

from:Functional,ChronologicalandCombination.Theywillbeexplainedinfurtherdetail

laterinthisguideline.



Step4



• Writeadraftresume.



Step5



• Edit,

edit,edit.Theneditsomemoreuntilyourskillsarerepresentedasconciselyandin

thebestlightaspossible.Useaminimumnumberofwords,andavoidusingabbreviations.



WhatCategoriesshouldIincludeinaResume?



Resumes usuallycontain thesamecatego riesofinfo rma t ion butcandiff erinthewayin

which

e

informationispr esen t ed.Themaincategoriesofinformationare:



1. Personal



2. Career Aims &Goals (optional)

uca



Exp

ience



5. ExtraCurricular

ties



6. References(optional)



1. Personaldata.



Yourfullname,address,e‐mailaddress,andaphonenumberwhereyoucanbereached

duringthedayisplacedatthetopofthepage.Intheeventyoucannotbereachedduring

businesshours,includeaphonenumberwheremessages

maybeleftonyourbehalf.

Informationonage,sex,health ,height,weight,maritalstatus,dependants,religionorplace

oforiginshouldnotbeprovided.AccordingtotheHumanRightsAct,thisinformationisnot

relevanttoanindividual’sabilitytodothejobanddiscriminationonthesegroundsisillegal.



2. Careeraimsandgoals.



Yo u  should haveacareergoalbeforeyoubeginwritingyourresume.Yo u  shouldbeable

to

descr

e

thekindofwork youareseekingandtheskillsyou wishtouse.Itisoptionalto

provide thisinformationonyourresumebutbepreparedwithananswershouldyoube

questionedabout

ergoalsduringan

.





5

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

3. Education.



Ifyouarecurrentlyinschoolorarecentgraduatewithminimal workexperience, your

educa

nalhistorywillbeimportant.Generally, themor eexperience youhave,thelessyou

need tofocusonthisinformation.Itisapersonaldecisionastowhetheryouthinkyour

education orexperience

sho

uld

belistedfirst.Beginningwiththemostrecently attained

educationalstanding,listthenamesof

e

institutionsyouattended,thetypesofcourses or

programstakenandareaofspecialization,

degr

ee

certificateachievedandanyhonours,

scholarships orspecialawards.Ifyouhavecompleted aspecificwork‐related highschool

program such asbusinesseducation,you mayalsowishto

inc

ude

it.

Company‐sponsored

training,professionaldevelopmen t workshop s, eveningand

esp

ndence

coursesshould

alsobeincluded.Theseindicatethatyouareinterestedinselfdevelopment and

in

keeping

yourskills



4. Experience.

Thisinformationcanbepresent edinseveral

ys:

• Functional—Organizing your experience according toskillsyouhave



• Chronological—Listingexperience gainedfromjobs(permanent,part‐timeandsummer)

in

e

chronological orderbeginning withthemostrecentjob;



• Combination—Showing bothskillsandchronological work

exp

ience



Note:Eachresumeformathasadvantagesanddisadvantages.Purelyfunctionalresumes

may

e

appropriateinsomecircumstances, butstudiesconsistently revealthatmost

emplo yers view

hem

withsuspicion. Most supervisorsfindfunctionalstyleresumes

difficulttofollow,thus

makin

g

recruitmentdifficultforthem.Therefor e,onlychronological

andcombina tion formatsare

dis

uss

ed

furtherinthis

guideline



StylesofResumes





ChronologicalResume

EmphasizesWork

History



Ifyouarelookin gforabetterjobinthesamefield,andyourworkhistoryshows asteadyand

logical

pr ogressiontopositionsofincreasing respon sibility,you ma ychoose tooutlineyourpast

experience

in

thechronological format.Insteadofjustlistingoffda tesandpositionsheld,you

shouldprovide abrief(keepdescriptionofearliestjobsverybrief)butconcise descriptionofduties

performedineach

osi

tio

.

Focus notonlyontasksperformedbutalsoontheskillsrequired,the

scope ofyourresponsib ili ty,a

y

promotions orrecognition givenandresultsachieved.Thisisthe

mostconservative approach butit

can

beveryeffectiveifyouarewellqualifiedforaparticular

positionbasedonyourpastexperience. Itis

als

o

theeasiesttowrit e .Emplo y ers oftenpreferthis

formatbecauseitismostfamiliartothemandbecauseitprovides themwithaveryclearpicture

ofyouremplo yment historyanditistheeasiestto

llo

.



6

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

ADVAN

GES



DISADVAN

GES

Mostwidelyused.Easytoprepare.

Exposesdrawbackssuchasgapsin

employment,frequentjobchanges,

lackofrelatedexperienceorlackof

Highlightsasteadyemploymentrecord.

Hardtosellyourselfwhenchanging

careersbecauseithighlightsmost

recentemployment,notskills.

Emphasizesgrowthand

developmentinemployment



Logicalflowmakesiteasytoread.



CombinationResume

EmphasizesbothExperienceand

Skills



Thisapproachisbecomingmorepopularasitallowsyoutohighlightskillsyoupossesswhichmatchthe

jobcriteriaandgivesexamplesofhowyouhaveusedthoseskillsinpastpositions.Italsoallowsyouto

listyourplacesofemploym ent,withdates,andastatementabout

eachpositionasyoudesire,thus

showingcontinuityofwork.



ADVAN

GES



DISADVAN

GES

Highlightsmostrelevantskills,

capabilitiesandaccomplishments.

Hardtopreparewhenyouarenotclear

aboutyourcapabilitiesand

li h t

Minimizesdrawbackssuchasgaps

inemploymentandlackofdirectly

relatedexperience.

Hardtopreparewhenyouarere‐

enteringjobmarketormakingacareer

change.

Canbeusedwhenapplyingfora

varietyofdifferentpositions.

Canbeconfusingtothereaderif

notwellwritten.



5. Extra‐curricularactivities.



Itisbesttomentionactivitieswhichrelatetothejobyouareseeking.Activitiesthatarenotjob

relatedmayalsobeappropriateastheymaycatchtheattentionoftheemployerandprovide

somein sightsintoyourpersonality.Includesuchthingsasmembershipsin

organizations,

involvementincommunityactivities,part icipationinsports,andyourinterestsandhobbies.This

categoryshou ldbekeptbrief.



6. References.



IfsupplyingreferencesonyourResume,includetitles,businessandtelephone numbers.

Choose

ur

referencescarefullyandconsultthepeopleyouchoose beforeusingtheir

names.Letthemknow

e

positionyouhaveappliedforandtheskillsyouwould liketo

highlight.Iftheydon’tfeel

e

aboutrecommending yourwork,theycannotgive

you astrongrecommendation. Ideallyyou

sho

uld

have threereferencesfromindividuals

whocancomment onyourabilitiesinareasof

emp

men

,

education andcharacter.Itis

alsoconsidered agoodideatogiveyourreferencesacopyofyour

sume

andpointout

how yourqualificationsrelatetothejobyouareseeking.Thebetterinformed

ur

referencesare,thebetterpreparedtheyaretoanswer questionswhen emplo y ers call

em.



Yo u  can also specify on your resume that “references will be provided upon request”. In

doing so,

e

sure to bring a typed list of your references, as described above, to all your

interviewsjustincase

e

interviewerrequestsit.



7

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

TipsonPr eparingResumes



• Yourresumeshouldbeshort(notmorethanthreepages),conciselyworded,well

organizedandeasytoread.

• Emphasizeyouraccomplishmentsandachievements.Never“undersell”yourself.

• Behonest.Donotexaggerateormisrepresentyourself—mostsupervisorscheck

information.

• Placethemostrelevantinformationfirst—

middleoffirstpageatleast.Youmustcatch

yourreadersinterestinthefirstfewseconds.

• Usewordsthatareeasilyunderstoodandmatchthewordingusedinthejobbulletin.

• Besuretoincludeallrelevantandimportantinformationinyourresumeorcovering

letter.

• It

shouldbeeye‐catchingandprofessionallooking.Toaddtotheclean,professionallook

usewidemarginsandleavelotsof“whitespace”.

• Itshouldbetypedon8½˝x11˝goodqualitybondpapermakingsurethereareno

abbreviations,spellingorpunctuationerrors.

• Beforeyou

submityourresume,havesomeonereaditoverandmakesuggestionsfor

improvements.

• Stapleyourresumeonly,donotplaceinafolderofanykind.

• Attachacoverlettertoyourresume.



Onthefollowingpagesareexamplesofdifferentresumestyles.





8

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

 



9

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Example#1—ChronologicalResume



GLENP. CAMPBELL

239GATEWAYDRIVEWINNIPEG,

MANITOBAR3Y1A7

PHONE: 123‐456(home)

474‐9999(work)



SUMMARYOFSKILLSANDABILITIES



• SevenyearsexperienceinlinetradeswithBCHydro

• Commendedbysupervisorsforexcellentworkhabitsandproperuseandcareof

toolsandequipment

• Excellentverbalskills,dealeffectivelywithcustomersandstaff

• Someexperienceinaleadershiproleasaleadhand

• Someexperience

operatingabuckettruck



EMPLOYMENTEXPERIENCE



JourneymanLineman,

BCHydro,(OperatingCentre)



January1991–Present



- Constructcustomerserviceextensions,installmeters,connectservicesandensurethat

propervoltagesar esupplied

- Performelectricalinspectionsonresidentialclassificationbuildings

- Performswitching

- Respondtoemergencymaintenanceonoverheadandundergrounddistribution



JourneymanLineman,

BCHydro(Hot

LineTools,Mtce.&Construction)



June–December,1990



- Trainin“LiveLineTool”workofalltypes onelectricallyenergizedlines,disconnecting

devicesandapparatus.

- Locate,isolateandrepairfaultconditionsonoverheadlinesincludingHVDCand500kV

transmissionlinesandapparatus.



LinemanTrainee

BCHydro



1987

–1990



− CompleteLineTradesTrainingprogram



EDUCATION



Currentlyenrolledin:

CertificatePrograminBusinessManagement

DalhousieUniversity



CompletedBCHydroJourneymanLineman 1990

ApprenticeshipProgram

Grade12GraduateAlexanderCollegiate 1987

Vancouver,BC



10

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

IN‐HOUSECOURSES

Validcertificatesheldinthe

following:WHMIS

St.JohnAmbulanceFirstAid

C.P.R.



INTERESTSANDACTIVITIES



Outdoorsports,curling,snowmobiling,boating,fixingoldcars



REFERENCES



Availableuponrequest.







11

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Example#2—ChronologicalResume



LESLIEROBINSON

239GATEWAYDRIVEWINNIPEG,

MANITOBAR3Y1A6

PHONE: 123‐4567(home)

474‐1111(work)



EXPERIENCE



May1985– Great‐WestLife

Present AdministrationClerk



- Provideadministrativeservices toMarketingDepartment.

- OperatingandprovidecounseltoInsurancePlanDevelopmentandExternal

MarketingDepartment



- Provideassistancetoallst affinapplication,interpretationandintentofall

personnelpoliciesandprocedures

- Prepareandmaintainvacationschedu les

andre ports

- Maintainallrecordsoftrainees,includingtransfers,appraisals,andreclassification

- Processpersonnelrequisitions,terminations,layoffs,WorkersCompensati onclaims

andassociatedrecommend ations.

1979–1985 ManitobaWildernessAssociation

ManagerialAssistant



- Contactfor100instructorsintheprovince:arrangedandadvertisedcourses,

suggestedandsuppliedresourcematerials

- Interviewedprospective

instructors,scre enedforinstructortrainingprogram,

issuedcertific atesofachievement

- Respondedtoinquiriesfrompublic,ifnecessaryreferredtoappropriatecontact

- Aidedinthedesignandpreparat ionofcoursematerials

- Compiledand analyzedstatisticsforprogrambasedonnumberofinstructors,

participants,andcoursesdelivered

- Draftedst atist icsfor

annualreport,WildernessRecreation 



1976–1979 CanadianBroadcastingCorporation

RadioTechnicalClerk



- Editedpre‐recordedprogramsandmonitoredbroadcastsforqualitycontrol

- ConductedresearchforManagerofRadioTechnicalOperations

- Maintainedtechnicallibrary

- Compiledbroadcastrecords





12

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

EDUCATION

1971–1974 AlexanderHighSchoolUniversityEntranceDiploma



PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENTCOURSES



1989(5days) ProblemSolving&DecisionMaking UniversityofWinnipeg

1988(1day) TechnicalWriting RedRiverCollegiate

1981(12weekeveningstudies) CrisisCounselling OsborneHouse



INTERESTSANDACTIVITIES



1981–Present DistressCentre–VolunteerCounsellor

1977–Present Toastmasters–Currentmember,pastpresident

Otherinterests:  Writing,outdoorsports,continuingeducation



REFERENCES



Mr.JohnDoe,Coordinator Mr.JimBrown

ManitobaWildernessAssociation 225ChurchillDrive



112NotreDameStreet Winnipeg,Manitoba



Winnipeg,MB Phone:253‐0001



Phone:284‐7792



Mrs.JaneSmith,BroadcastDirector

CanadianBroadcastingCorporation



2300PortageAvenue



Winnipeg,Manitoba



Phone:786‐7732







13

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Example#3—CombinationResume



GLENP. CAMPBELL

239GATEWAYDRIVEWINNIPEG,

MANITOBAR3Y1A7

PHONE: 123‐4567(home)

474‐9999(work)



EDUCATIONANDTRAINING



- CompletedBCHydro’sLineTradesTrainingProgram1987–1990

- Experienceoperatingabuckettruck

- CurrentlyenrolledinBusinessManagementwithDalhousieUniversity.Completedthree(3)

coursestodate

- ValidcertificatesinWHMIS,C.P.R.andSt.JohnAmbulanceFirstAid



EXPERIENCE



JourneymanLineman



- SevenyearsexperienceinlinetradeswithBCHydro

- SixmonthsexperienceworkingwithHotLineTools

- Constructingcustomerserviceextensions,in st al lmeters,connectser vices andensureproper

voltagesaresupplied

- Performingelectricalinspectionsonresidentialclassificationbuildings

- Performingswitching

- Respondingtoemergencymaintenanceonoverheadand

undergrounddist ribu tionlines

- Locating,isolatingandrep airingfaultconditionsonoverheadlinesincludingHVDCand500kV

transmissionlinesandapparatus



Leadership



- Experienceworkingasaleadhand

- Trainedin“LiveLineTool”workofalltypesonelectricallyenergizedlines,disconnectingdevices

andappar atus

- Commendedbysupervisorsforexcellentworkinghabitsincludingthepropercareanduseoftools

andequipment



Communication



- Excellentwrittenandverbalcommunicationskills.Experienceinreportwriting.

- Dealeffectivelywithbothcustomersandstaff





14

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

WORKHISTORY

JourneymanLineman (January1991–Present)

BCHydro(OperatingCentre)



JourneymanLineman (June–December1990)

BCHydro

(HotLineTools,Maintenance&Construction)



LinemanTrainee (1987–1990)BCHydro



INTERESTSANDACTIVITIES



Outdoorsports,curling,snowmobiling,boating,fixingoldcars



REFERENCES



Availableuponrequest

 



15

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

.Example#4–CombinationResume



LESLIEROBINSON

239GATEWAYDRIVEWINNIPEG,

MANITOBAR3Y1A6

PHONE: 123‐4567(home)

474‐1111(work)



AREASOFPROFICIENCY:



PUBLICRELATIONS/COMMUNICATIONS



- providedassistancetoallGreat‐WestLifestaffinapplication,interpretationandintentofall

personnelpoliciesandprocedur es

- providedadministrativeservicestoMarketingDepartmentandprovidedcounseltoInsurance

PlanDevelopmentandExternalMarketingDepartmentatGreat‐WestLife.



- interviewedandscreened115candidatesforinstructortraining

programssponsoredby

ManitobaWildernessAssociation(M.W.A.)



- receivedToastmastersawardforbestpreparedspeech

- editedpre‐recordedprogramsandmonitoredbroadcastsforqualitycontrol

- dealtwithpublicoverphoneandinperson



ORGANIZATION



- maintainedallrecordsofGreat‐WestLifetrainees,includingtransfers,appraisalsand

reclassification

- maintainedmoreefficientcontactwithM.W.A.instructorsthroughimprovemen tsto

organizationofinventoryandfollow‐upprocedures

- contactfor100instructorsintheprovince:arrangedandadvertisedcourses,andsupplied

resourcematerialuponrequest

- aided

inthedesignandpreparationofcoursematerial

- organizedtechnicallibraryforRadioTechnicalOperationsBranchoftheCBS

- maintainedinventoryofresourcematerialforM.W.A.



COMPUTERKNOWLEDG E



- preparedandmaintainedvacationscheduleandreports.

- workingknowledgeofvariouscomputerprogramsincludingWordPerfect5.1,Lotus123and

- Focus

- compiledandanalyzedstatisticsforprogramsbasedonnumberofinstructors,participants,and

coursedeliveries

- draftedstatisticsforannualreport

- compiledbroadcastrecords

- conductedresearchforManager

ofRadioTechnicalOperations

- compiledatwodaycompanysponsoredcourseonStatisticalSurveyandData

- preparedandprocessedtaxforms



16

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

SUMMARYOFWORKEXPERIENCE

May1985–Present Great‐WestLife

AdministrativeClerk



*pro videdadministrativeservicestoappr oximately200employees



1979–1985 ManitobaWildernessAssociation

ManagerialAssistant



*commendedbyCoordinatorforsuccessfullymanagingprogram



duringhisfrequentandextendedabsenc es



1976–1979CanadianBroadcastingCorporation

RadioTechnicalClerk



*

someoftheprogramswhichIassistedinproducingwere



broadcast

nationally



EDUCATIONANDPROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT



1989(5days) ProblemSolving&DecisionMaking Univ ersityofWinnipeg

1988(1day) TechnicalWriting RedRiverCollege

1981(12weekeveningstudies)CrisisCounselling OsborneHouse

1971–1974 AlexanderHighSchool,UniversityEntranceDiploma

(graduatedfromhighschoolwithhighestmarks



inmathematics)



INTERESTSANDACTIVITIES



1981–Present   Distr essCentre–VolunteerCounsellor

1977–Present   Toastmasters–Currentmember,pastpresident

Otherinterests:  writing,outdoorsports,continuingeducation



REFERENCES



Ms.SusanBrown

AdministrativeOfficer

Great‐WestLife

123OsborneSt.



Winnipeg,Manitoba Phone:474‐1111



Mr.JohnDoe

Coordinat or



ManitobaWildernessAssociation



112NotreDameStreet



Winnipeg,Manitoba Phone:284‐7792







17

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

The

CoreandLeadershipCompetencies



Ma nito ba Hydro hasnineCore andtwoLeadership competencies thatarerelatedto

positionsa

nd

incl uded intothequalificationsforallpositions,alongwithtechnical

requirements.On thefollowing



pagesarethe Core andLeadership competencies (cal led

CompetencySu m m a rySheets).



ItisagoodideatointegrateManitobaHydro’sCoreandLeadershipcompetenciesintoyour 

resumewheneverpossible.Competenciesaredefinedasaclusterofrelatedknowledge,

skillsandattributes(e.g.values,traits,andmotives)thatrelatetojob

performance.

“Communication”isacompetency,aswellas“Teamwork”.Alongwithyouneeding

knowledgeandskilltocommunicatewellorbeagoodteamplayer,youalsoneedtohave

thepersonalattributesthatgoalongwithit,likebeingmotivatedtousetheskills,value

goodcommunicationandteamwork,

etc.



Toreflectcompetenciesonaresume,youwouldneedtoshowhowyourworkexperience

demonstratesthequalitiesofthecompetencies.Mostresumescapturetheknowledgeand

expertisewhichonlyimplycompetencies.Aresumethatassociatesbehaviourwithresults

mightread“Managedmultipleassignmentsandprojectsoversix‐monthperiod

to

customer’ssatisfactionandwithinbudget,demonstratingstrongteamleadershipand

achievementofresults”.







18

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

TheCoreandLeadershipCompetenciesIntroduction



Competencies aligned with an organization’s vision, mission, operating principles and strategic

directiondefinetheessentialbehavioursthatareimportantforsuccessfulperformanceandachieving

results at all levels of the organization. Competencies provide employees and the organization with

focus, consistency and a systematic way to assess key beha viours and characteristics

that drive

businesssuccessandmeettheorganization’sgoals.

TherearenineCoreandtwoLeadershipCompetenciesrequiredinvaryinglevelsandcombinationsfor

employeesofManitobaHydro.Therequirementsforcompetenciesandlevelswillbebasedonthe

competencyprofilesandwillbethosethataremostcriticalforperformance

excellenceinthejob

class.



EachCompetencyhasaDefinition,anexplanationforwhyitisimportanttoManitobaHydro,levels

showingtheincreasingcomplexityatwhichthecompetency canbedemonstrated,behavioural

indicators,positiveindicatorsandwarningsignswhichgiveexamplesofpositiveandnegative

behaviour.



Why the competency is important to Manitoba

Hd Biih

Hydro

Competency levels: these show the increasing

iil f

sophistication or complexity at which the

competency can be demonstrated

Behavioral Indicators: these provide detail on

specific behaviours for the competency at each

level, providing examples of how the competency

can be seen in practice

Positive indicators and warning

signs: these give examples of

positive and negative behaviors.

competency definition: this defines in more

detail what the competency is about and what

involves

Competency title







19

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



Theskilllevelsarestructuredtoshowtheincreasingsophisticationorcomplexityatwhichthe

competencycanbedemonstrated.Thelevelsofinitiative,planning,problem‐solvingandimpact

increaseasthelevelsincrease.

 



20

MANITOBAHYDRO2012





APPLYINGLEARNING

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

ApplyingLearningisaboutassimilatingandapplyingnewjob‐related

informationinatimelyandinnovativemanner.Itinvolvesusing

informationtoenhanceperformanceandgrowth.Itincludesthe

integrationandacceptanceofnewtechnology.

ManitobaHydrorequiresindividualstobecomeproficientattheirjobsas

quicklyaspossible.Thiscompetency

reflectsape rson’sabilitytolearn

materialnecessarytofunctioninthejobandtograspandapplynew

informationquicklyandininnovativeways.

LEVEL1

REMAINSCURRENT

LEVEL2

DEMONSTRATES

COMMITMENTTOPERSONAL

LEARNING

LEVEL3

DEVELOPSINNOVATIVE

WAYSOFACQUIRINGAND

TRANSFERRING

PROFESSIONALKNOWLEDGE

LEVEL4

GENERATESNEW

KNOWLEDGEANDDEVELOPS

CONCEPTS

 Remainscurrentwithnew

technicaljob‐related

information through

observationoractiveinquiry.

 Takesfulladvantageof

opportunitiestolearn.

 Learnsfrompastexperience

andmistakes.

 Activelyparticipatesin

learningactivities.



 Appliesacquiredknowledge

quicklyandappropriatelyon

thejob.

 Improvesskillthroughpractice



andapplication. 

 Createsopportunitiestoshare

newknowledgewithothers.

 Putsnewknowledge,

understanding,orskillto

practicaland/orinnovative

useonthejob.



Recognizeshowprior

knowledgeandskillsapplyto

complexornew

circumstances.

 Developsinnovativewaysof

applyingtechnical/

professionalknowledgeto

handlenewchallenges.

 Demonstratescommitmentto

continuouslearningand

growthtodevelopknowledge

andexpertise.

 Demonstratesadvanced

academic,professionaland

businessexperience.

 Regularlyseeksnew

insightsin

awidevarietyofareas.

 Appliesprofessionaland

businessknowledgeand

experienceinsettingstrategic

andoperationaldirection.



POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Readilycomprehendsnewinformationfromformalandinformal

learningexperiences.

 Quicklylearnstooperatenewtechnology,tools,orequipment.

 Activelyparticipatesinlearningactivitiesinawaythatmakesthe

mostofthelearningexperience(e.g.takesnotes,asksquestions,

doesrequiredtasks).

 Learnsnewinformationaboutchangingproducts,markets,

procedures,ormanagementtechniques.

 Comesupwithinnovativeideasforapplyingconcepts.

 Complainsabouthavingtolearnnewtechnology,toolsor

equipment.

 Choosesnottoparticipateinlearningactivitiesandtraining.

 Reluctanttotakeanactiveroleinacquiringnewskillsbyasking

questionsandobservingothers.

 Doesnotapplynewknowledgeorskilltopracticaluseonthejob.

 Doesnotinitiateopportunitiestoshareknowledgeandlearningwith

others



21

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



COMMUNICATION

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

Communicationinvolvesexpressingideas,factsandopinionsclearly;

articulatingpersonalpointsofviewpersuasively;seekingtounderstand

theviewsofothersandopenlysharinginformation.Itinvolvesoraland

writtencommunicationskillsincludingpresentationornegotiationskills

toachievedesiredresults.



ClearandopencommunicationiscriticalforManitobaHydro

toachieve

itsgoalsintheshortandlongterm.Itcreatesanatmosphereinwhich

timelyandhighqualityinformationflowssmoothlythroughoutthe

Corporationandencouragesanopenexpressionofideasandopinions.

LEVEL1

LISTENSACTIVELY&CLEARLY

PRESENTSINFORMATION

LEVEL2

FOSTERS2‐WAYCOMMUNICATION

LEVEL3

ADAPTSCOMMUNICATIONTO

OTHERS

LEVEL4

COMMUNICATESCOMPLEX

MESSAGES&COMMUNICATES

STRATEGICALLY

 Activelylistensandseeksto

understandbygettingthe

factsandpertinent

information. 

 Clearlyexpressesideasusing

bothwrittenandoral

communication.

 Usesappropriategrammar

andvocabulary.

 Usesarespectfultone,

appropriateeyecontact,

gesturesandotherbody

language.

 Elicitsideas,commentsor

feedbackonwhat

hasbeen

said.

 Asksquestionstoclarifyand

confirminformationto

ensurecommon

understanding.

 Recognizesothersimmediate

feelingsandemotions and

respondsinwaysthat

communicatesclear

understanding.

 Listensresponsivelyandtakes

actionstopersuade.



Tailorsthecontentofspeech

andwrittencommunication

tosuitthelevel,cultural

backgroundandexperience

oftheaudience.

 Establishescommunication

plansandstrategies.

 Anticipatesandpreparesfor

othersreactions,adapting

tacticstocreateaspecific

impact.

 Communicatescomplex

issuesclearlyandcredibly

withwidelyvariedaudiences.

 Developsandimplements

communicationstrategiesfor

highprofile initiatives.

 Identifieskeystakeholders

thatneedtobepersuaded

andtakesmultiplestepsto

influence.

 Effectivelyaddressescomplex

on‐the‐spotquestions.

 Communicatesopenlyboth

personalvaluesand

corporateoperating

principlesdeemedimportant

tosuccess.



POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Asksclearquestions

 Writesclearly,conciselyandgrammaticallyusingcorrect

punctuationandspecificlanguage.

 Providesclearinstructionsorinformationtopeers,teammembers

orothersthroughoralorothermethodsofcommunication.

 Conveyscomplexideasinalogicalsequencethatotherscan

understand.

 Usesgraphicsandotheraidstoclarifycomplexortechnical

information.

 Alwaysconsiderstheaudiencewhenconveyingamessage.

 

 Talkstoomuchwithoutgetting tothepoint.

 Interrupts.

 Monopolizesconversationinagroupwithoutgivingothersachance

totalk.

 Doesnotshareideasandinformationwithothers.

 Unabletoorganizeandsummarizeideasbothorallyandinwriting.

 Usesbadgrammarorinappropriatelanguage.

 Usesadisrespectfultoneofvoice

 Judgesandcriticizesothers’ideasinaninsensitivemanner.

 



22

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



CREATIVITY&INNOVATION

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

CreativityandInnovationisabouttheabilitytoformulatenewideasor

toadaptoruseexistingideasinneworunexpectedwaystosolve

problems,andtothinkaheadtospotorcreateopportunitiesand

maximizethem.Itisaboutdevelopingbetter,faster,orlessexpensive

waystoaccomplishthings.



Developinganddeliveringproducts,services,approachesandsolutions

thatarecreativeandinnovativeisnecessaryforManitobaHydro’sshort

andlongtermsuccess.Inordertoachieveourstrategicgoalsand

continuetobealeader,employeesmustcontinuouslylookaheadto

identifyopportunitiesorobstaclesanddevelopinnovativesolutions.



LEVEL1

DEMONSTRATESANINTERESTIN

NEWIDEASANDAPPROACHES.

LEVEL2

CHALLENGESANDADAPTSEXISTING

APPROACHES;ACTIVELYSEEKSNEW

WAYSOFDOINGTHINGS

LEVEL3

NURTURESCREATIVITYINOTHERS;

FACILITATESTHEIMPLEMENTATION

OFNEWIDEAS



LEVEL4

CREATESANORGANIZATIONAL

ENVIRONMENTTHATFOSTERSAND

SUPPORTSINNOVATION;ACTSFOR

THELONGTERM

 Recognizesnewwaysto

accomplishtasks.

 Bouncesideasoffothers.

 Openlyexploresnewideas.

 Displayscuriosityand

imagination.

 Keepsabreastofnew

innovativeapproaches.

 Triesmorethanone

approachtoovercomea

problem.



 Regularlychallenges

traditionalapproaches.

 Addressescurrent

opportunitiesandproblems

byimprovingandadapting

existingapproaches.

 Generatesideasandsolutions

thatreflectthinkingoutside

thebox.

 Proposesnewapproaches,

methods,ortechnologies.





Looksaheadandisableto

spotopportunities/obstacles

andtodevelopnew

approaches,productsand

servicestomeet

organizationalneeds.

 Encouragesothersto

challengetraditional

approaches.

 Asksthoughtprovoking

questionstosparkothers’

creativity.

 Supportsandworkswith

otherstoproduceinnovative

solutions.

 Recognizesandrewards

creativethinkingand

innovation.

 Developsrecognition

programsforinnovativeideas

andsolutions.

 Removessystemicbarriersto

innovationinthe

organization.

 Createsanenvironmentin

whichbeingproactiveis

valued.

 Introducesorganizational

learningopportunitiesto

developcreativeand

innovativethinking.

 Encouragesandsupports

innovationinthe

organization.



 Keepsabreastofbusiness,

industryandmarket

information thatmayreveal

businessopportunities.

POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Setsasidethinkingtimetocomeupwithmorecreativeideasfor

gettingthingsdone.

 Ispreparedtoconsidermajorchangestoprocessesandprocedures

ifreasonedanalysisshowsbenefitstobegreaterthancosts.

 Respondstonewideasbydiscussing whytheymightworkinstead

oftellingotherswhytheywon’twork.

 Askscolleaguestoidentifykeyfactorsthathinderperformance,

alternativewaystoachieveresultsandusethesetoplan

improvements.

 Actstotakeadvantageofnewtechnologiesandideas

 Lookstootherareasandcompaniesforgoodideas.

 Usesbrainstormingtechniquestocomeupwithsolutionsto

problems.Doesn’tjustdothesameasbefore.

 Useswellprovenorfamiliarapproacheswithoutadaptingor

improving.

 Makesminoradaptationstoexistingsystemsorprocesseswhen

moreradicalchangeisneeded.

 Failstoactuponnewtrendspresentwithinthemarketplace.

 Isinternallyfocused.

 Overlooksproblemsandopportunities,whichmayaffectthe

businessandissurprisedcontinuouslybyupandcomingevents.

 Alwaysputsoffuntiltomorrowwhatcouldbedonetoday.

 Isunabletostepbackfromcurrentissuestoidentifypotential

opportunitiesandthreats.

 



23

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



 

CUSTOMERSERVICE

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

CustomerServiceisaboutunderstandingtheneedsofthecustomerand

activelyfocusingonanticipating,meetingandexceedingthoseneeds.It

includesrespondingtocurrentandfuturecustomerneedsandproviding

excellentservicetobothinternalandexternalcustomers.

Exceptionalcustomerserviceandpositiverelationshipswithinternaland

externalcustomersand

strategicstakeholdersiscriticaltoManitoba

Hydroachievingitsbusinessresults.

LEVEL1

TAKESPERSONALRESPONSIBILITYTO

DELIVEREXCELLENTSERVICE

LEVEL2

ADDSVALUEANDSEEKSSOLUTIONS

LEVEL3

ADDRESSESUNDERLYINGNEEDS

LEVEL4

SERVESLONGTERMINTERESTS

 Ensuresprofessionaland

courteousservice.

 Actspromptlytoensure

customerexpectationsare

metandproblemsare

resolved.

 Takespersonalresponsibility

forprovidingexcellent

service.

 Interactswellwithall

customersandunderstands

thateachcustomeris

different.

 Takespersonalresponsibility

foraddressingcustomer

serviceissues.

 Makes

decisionswiththe

customerinmind.

 Takesprideindeliveringa

highqualityproductor

service.

 Investigatesservicedelivery

andprovidessolutionsto

problems.

 Regularlyattemptstoadd

valuetocustomer

expectations.



Takestimetoquestionand

understandthereal,

underlyingneedsof

customers,beyondthose

initiallyexpressed.

 Monitorscustomer

satisfactionand

makes/recommendschanges

toworkproces sesorsystems

toimproveresultsand

service.

 Focusesresourcesonpriority

areasand/orkeycustomer

groups.

 Alwaysworkscloselywith

customers,developing

an

independentviewoftheir

needsandactingintheir

long‐terminterest.

 Fostersanenvironmentthat

isconcernedwithdelivering

thehighestqualityserviceto

customers.

 Developsandfacilitatesthe

implementationofstrategies

toimprovecustomer

relations.

 Appliesanunderstandingof

theCorporation’s

marketplace,customer

requirementsand



stakeholders’needsand

wantsinsettingcorporate

direction.

 Buildsandnurturescustomer,

communityand

organizationalrelationships

topositionManitobaHydro

asagoodcorporatecitizen

andstewardofthe

community.

POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Respondstocustomerrequestspromptly.

 Treatsallcustomerswithrespect.

 Doesnotmakeassumptionsaboutcustomerneeds,butaskslotsof

questionstoclarifythem.

 Takestheinitiativeindevelopingpoliciestomeetcustomerneeds.

 Requestsfeedbackfromcustomerstoensuresatisfaction,and

sharestheresults.

 Knowswhenandhowtopolitelydeclineaninappropriaterequest 

 Doesnottreatallcustomerswithrespect.

 Failstodeliver.

 Failstorecognizeorestablishdifferentcustomers’needsand

deliverswhatheorshe(ratherthanthecustomer)thinks

appropriate.

 Keepscustomerfeedbacktohimorherselfanddoesnotshare

learning.

 Speaksdismissivelyaboutcusto mers.

 Isinflexibleaboutownsystemandwayofdoingthings.



24

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



 

DECISIONMAKING

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

Decision‐Makingisaboutmakinggood,timelydecisionsandsolving

problemsinvolvingvariedlevelsofcomplexity,ambiguityandrisk.It

includesthinkingcreativelyandfocusingoninnovation,consulting

andengagingothersandreconcilingcompetinginterests.Itisalso

aboutactingwithintegrityinanhonestandtrustworthymanner

basedonpersonal

accountabilityandaconvictiontodotheright

thing.ItisaboutmakingdecisionswithinestablishedCodeofEthics&

standards

Effectivedecision‐making,integrityandgoodjudgementbyemployeesare

importantforManitobaHydrotoachieveitsgoalsintheshortandlong

term.Itiscriticaltoprioritize,

makeimportantdecisionsandsolve

problemsbasedonanassessmentoftheimpactandimplicationsofthe

likelyoutcomes.Integrityandethicaldecision‐makingbyemployeesare

vitalforfuturesuccess.

LEVEL1

ANALYZESPROBLEMSANDMAKES

DECISIONSBASEDONPOLICYOR

GUIDELINES

LEVEL2

MAKESDECISIONSBYGATHERING

APPROPRIATEINFORMATIONAND

PASTEXPERIENCE

LEVEL3

CONDUCTSIN‐DEPTHANALYSISAND

MAKESCOMPLEXDECISIONSTO

SOLVEPROBLEMS

LEVEL4

MAKESSTRATEGICPLANSANDHIGH‐

RISKDECISIONSINCOMPLEXAND

AMBIGUOUSSITUATIONS

 Makesdecisionsin

accordancewithprofessional

standards,established

guidelines,proceduresand/or

legislation.

 Collectsreadilyavailable

information relativetothe

decision.

 Consultswithothersorrefers

anissuetoothersfor

resolutionwhencriteriaare

notclear.

 Considersthefinancial

implicationsofdecisionsand

factorstheseinappropriately.



 Modelsethicalbehaviour

 Appliesguidelinesand

proceduresthatrequire

someinterpretationwhen

dealingwithexceptions.

 Makesappropriate

independentdecisionsin

non‐routinesituations.

 Considerstherisksand

consequencesofaction

anddecisions.

 Focusesoninnovative

ratherthanordinary

solutionstoproblems.

 Monitorsimpactand

effectivenessofdecisions.

 



Makescomplexdecisionsfor

whichtherearenoset

procedures.

 Developsinnovativesolutions

thataddresstherootcauseof

theproblemandprevent

recurrence.

 Alignsdecisionswith

organizationalgoals,direction,

ethicsandvalues.

 Anticipatesobstaclesand

thinksaheadaboutsteps.

 Makessoundbusiness

decisionswhenfaced

with

complexandcontradictory

alternatives

 Defines,communicatesand

consistentlyexemplifiesthe

organization’svalues&ethics.

 Demonstratesandexpects

decisive,boldand

entrepreneurialthinkingwhen

makingdecisionsandin

consideringnewandcreative

opportunities.

 Evaluatesnewbusiness

venturesandopportunitiesby

applyingeffectivenegotiation

techniques,systemsthinking,

businesscase

analysis,risk

analysisandpotentialproblems

analysis.

 Appliesanunderstandingofthe

utilitybusinessenvironment

andbusinessandsocio‐

economictrendsandissues,as

wellastheirimpactonbusiness

decisions.

POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Whenfacedwithadecisionorproblem,gathersasmuch

informationasnecessarybeforeidentifyingrootcausesand

possiblesolutions.

 Considersimpactsandimplicationsofactionsanddecisions.

 Takeschargewhennecess aryto facilitatechange,overcomean

impasse,faceissues,orensurethatdecisionsaremade.

 Includesothersinthedecision‐makingprocessaswarrantedto

makethemostappropriatedecisionsandensurebuy‐inand

understandingoftheresultingdecisions.

 Recognizeswhensituationsordecisionsareinconflictwith

professionalethicsororganizationalvaluesi.e.actingwith

integrity.

 Makespoor,untimelydecisionsfrequently.

 Takesactionwithoutthinkingofthefullrangeofoutcomes.

 Overanalyzesthesituationandgetsboggeddowninthedetail.

 Failstoassessthepositiveandnegativeaspectsofaproposedcourse

ofactionbeforegoingahead.

 Frequentlychangesdecisionwithoutclearjustification.

 Doesnotconsiderothermoreinnovativeoptionspriortochoosinga

courseofaction.

 Failstotakeownershipformistakes.

 Stickstodecisionsdespiteclearevidenceofnegativeoutcome.



25

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



FINANCIALRESPONSIBILITY

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

Financialresponsibilityisaboutusingresourceseffectivelyand

efficiently.Itisaboutperformingdailyworkinacostconsciousmanner.

Itincludesdemonstratinganunderstandingoffinancialprinciplesand

impactsandtakingstepstocontributetofinancialgoalsandtargets.

EveryManitobaHydroemployeehasaroletoplayrelatedto

Manitoba

Hydroachievingitsfinancialgoalsandtargets.InorderforManitoba

HydrotocontinuetoachievetheCorporategoalof“Maintaining

financialstrength”andperformwellagainstkeyfinancialtargets,every

employeemustbefinanciallyresponsibleandconsidercostsand

efficiencyintheirdailyworkanddecisions.

LEVEL1

PERFORMSWORKINACOST

CONSCIOUSMANNER

LEVEL2

UNDERSTANDSCOSTIMPLICATIONS;

PLANSANDMANAGESDAILYWORKIN

AFINANCIALLYASTUTEMANNER

LEVEL3

INCORPORATESFINANCIAL

PRINCIPLESINTOOPERATIONAL

DECISION‐MAKING;ACTIVELY

CONTRIBUTESTOFINANCIALTARGETS

LEVEL4

ESTABLISHESFINANCIALFRAMEWORK

ANDSTRATEGIESFORTHE

CORPORATION;MONITORS

FINANCIALPERFORMANCE

 Minimizescostsinperforming

dailywork.

 Usescorporateexpenseand

creditaccountsresponsibly.

 Recognizesrelevantfinancial

terminology.

 Performsworkinaccordance

withrelevantfinancial

guidelines.

 Identifieswastefulpractices

andopportunitiesfor

improvement.



 Understandsthecurrent

costsofworkprocessesand

programs.

 Balancescost

versusbenefit

intakingactionormaking

costrelateddecisions.

 Preparesaccuratecost

estimatesandschedules.

 Monitorsthebudget,tracks

costsandrevenue,where

appropriate.

 Takescorrectiveactionas

required.

 Monitorstoensurethe

efficientandappropriateuse

ofresources.

 Continuouslylooksfor

methodstoimprove



operational efficiencies.





Appliessoundprinciplesof

financialandbusiness

managementtoidentifyand

quantifypotentialrisksand

returnsofoptionsbeing

evaluated.

 Understandsand

communicatesthe

implicationsofbusiness

decisionsonthe“bottom

line”.

 Developsaccuratefinancial

plansandbudgets.

 Usesbusinesscaseanalysis

modelstoevaluate

alternatives.



Relatesplansandestimates

tooperatingandcapital

budget.

 Regularlyevaluatesworkunit

efficiencyusingfinancial

indicators.

 Recognizestheimpactof

businessdecisionsonthe

Corporation’sdifferent

businessunitsandfunctions,

anddevelopsstrategiesthat

minimizeconflictsand

maximizenetearnings.

 Designsfinancialpolicies.

 Identifiescorporatefinancial



targets.

 Identifiesstrategiesto

achievefinancialtargets.

 Ensuressystemsareinplace

tomonitororganizational

financialperformance.

 Tracksorganizationalfinancial

performance.

POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Considersfinancialimpactsandimplicationsofactionsand

decisions.

 Regularlyconsiderswaystoreducecosts.

 Identifieswastefulpracticesandopportunitiesforoptimizing

resourceuse.

 Exploresmorecosteffectivemethodsofperformingwork.

 Askquestionsaboutthecostimplicationsofnewprogramsor

initiatives.

 Demonstratesinterestandcommitmenttotheworkunitand

organization’sfinancialperformance.

 Understandsandcanexplaintheoverallfinancialperformanceof

theorganization.

 Doesnotconsiderfinancialimplicationspriortochoosingacourse

ofaction.

 Doesnotholdselforothersaccountableforexpenditures.

 Failstoreassessdecisionsorprio ritiesandtheirimpactonthe

bottomline.

 Reactstorequestsorprioritieswithoutthinkingaboutthelonger

termcosts.

 Doesnotattempttounderstandthecostofcurrentinitiativesor

workprocesses.

 Ignoresfinancialimplicationswhenassessingalternatives.

 Failstokeepwithinbudgetwithout properjustification.



26

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



RESULTSORIENTED

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

AchievingResultsisaboutusingtimeandresourceseffectivelyto

achievedesiredresults.Itinvolveshavingthesustainedenergyand

determinationinthefaceofobstaclestosetandmeetchallenging

targetsanddelivertherequiredbusinessresults.Itincludes

demonstratingahighlevelofaccountability,reliability,adaptabilityand

innovationin

accomplishingdaytodayworkandlongtermgoals.

ThisisimportantforManitobaHydrotoachievetheresultsto

accomplishourstrategicobjectives.Thisbehaviourshowsthenecessary

determinationandtenacitytocompletehighqualityworkandinvolves

raisingperformancelevelsovertheshort,mediumandlongterm.It

includesovercomingobstaclescausedbyconflictingpriorities,resource

challengesordifficultordemandingsituationsintheinternalorexternal

environment.

Level1

TAKESPERSONALRESPONSIBILITY

FORRESULTS

LEVEL2

WORKSTOGOALSANDMANAGES

OBSTACLESWITHINNOVATIVE

SOLUTIONS

LEVEL3

DRIVESFORIMPROVEMENT

LEVEL4

SETSANDMEETSCHALLENGING

GOALS&SEEKSLONGTERM

IMPROVEMENT

 Clarifieswhatisexpectedand

acceptsaccountabilityfor

completingtasks.

 Takesprideandownershipin

ownwork.

 Demonstratesahighlevelof

dependabilityinallaspectsof

thejob.

 Respectstherightsofothers

whileachievingone’sown

goals.

 Adjustseasilytochangesat

work.

 Ispersistentinachieving

improvedresults.

 Measuresprogressagainst

targets.

 Seekstounderstandreasons

forobstaclesandtofind

innovativewaystoovercome.

 Acknowledgestheworkand

contributionofothers.

 Modifiesbehaviourtofitthe

situation.



Tacklesdifficultproblemsand

takespersonalresponsibility

forreachingsolutions.

 Seesobstaclesaschallenges

anddevelopsinnovative

strategiestoovercomethem.

 Strivesforcontinuous

improvementandcreative

solutions.

 Setschallenginggoalsand

objectivesandmeasures

performanceagainstthese.

 Demonstratestheabilityto

usecorporateresourcesand

expertisetoachievedesired

results.

 

 Committedtosettinggoals,

achievingresultsandcreating

aworkenvironmentfocused

onaccountability,

responsibilityandaction.

 Developsandclearly

articulateskeystrategic

actionstosustainaclimateof

achievementandefficiencyin

theworkplace.

 Demonstratesandexpects

commitmentandfollow‐

throughofpersonal

responsibilities.

 Maintainsaconsistentand

fairapproachinthe

attainmentofgoalsboth

personallyandwith

employees.

 Regularlyestablishespersonal

measuresandtargetsof

excellence.

 Createsplans,definesgoals

andexpectedoutcomesthat

affectasignificantpartofthe

organization.

POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Agreestoachievablegoalsatthestartofeachproject.

 Fulfillscommitmentsmadetopeers,co‐workersandsupervisor.

 Monitorstasksforaccomplishment,qualityandtimeliness.

 Asksforfeedback.

 Acceptsresponsibilityforownbehaviour&jobrelatedtasks.

 Adjustsprioritieswithchangingdemands,withappropriate

stakeholderconsultation

 Stopsandgivesupatthefirstobstacle.

 Seeksexcusesratherthansolutionsorwaysforward.

 Exaggeratesone’sowninputorcl aimsanother’sworkorideaas

one’sown.Failstoacknowledgethecontributionsofothers.

 Doesnottakeresponsibilityformissedtargets.

 Losessightofhowataskfitsintowiderobjectives.

 Failstomeetdeadlinesorkeepwithinbudgetwithoutproper

reason.



27

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



SAFETY

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

Safetyinvolvesbeinghighlyself‐motivatedtoworksafely,thinking

proactivelyabouthis/hersafetyandthesafetyofothers,andactively

participatinginandpromotingasafetyfocusedculture.

Safetyisasignificantgoalofourstrategicplan,recognizedasoneofour

corebusinessareasandacorporatepriority.The

integrationofsafety

intothe"business"ofManitobaHydrorequiresemployeesatalllevels

oftheorganizationtounderstandandfullyconsiderthesafetyimpacts

ofthedecisionstheyaremaking.Thefieldstaffisthe"frontline"in

achievingthegoalofintegratingsafetyandmustbeequippedwith

the

propersafetyknowledgeandequipment.

LEVEL1

WORKSSAFELYANDIDENTIFIES

SAFETYISSUES&PROBLEMS

LEVEL2

PROACTIVELYCONSIDERSSAFETYOF

SELFANDOTHERS

LEVEL3

INITIATESPREVENTATIVEMEASURES

LEVEL4

CREATESA“SAFETYFOCUSED”

WORKENVIRONMENT

 Supportsanddemonstrates

safeworkbehaviours.

 Adherestoallsafetyrules

andproceduresonthejob.

 Displaysknowledgeofall

relatedoccupationalsafety

andhealthregulations.

 Understandshowtouseand

operateequipmentsafely.

 Alwaystakesthesafest

approachincarryingoutall

responsibilities.

 

 Proactivelythinksabout

his/hersafetyandthesafety

ofothers.

 Keepspersonalandgroup

safetyonemployees’minds

atalltimes.

 Adherestohighpersonal

standardsofsafety.

 Reportsand/orcorrects

unsafeworkconditions.

 Takesactiontocorrectunsafe

workhabits.

 Documentsand

monitors

occupationalsafetyand

healthviolations.



Servesasamodelofsafe

behaviour.

 Continuouslybuilds

awarenessandunderstanding

ofsafetyissues.

 Recommendsandor

improvesoccupationalsafety

andhealthproceduresto

protectandmaintain

workers’physicalandmental

health.

 Demonstratesandexplains

safetyequipmentand/or

procedures.

 Confrontsothersaboutsafety

concerns

and/orviolations.

 Demonstratesandclearly

articulatescorporate

commitmenttosafety.

 Developssolutionsand

createsnewprogramsand

policiestoimbedasafety

cultureinallcorporate

activities.

 Implementsstrategiesto

reinforceaccountabilityatall

levelsforasafeandhealthy

workplace.

 Initiatespreventivehealth

andwellnessmeasures

to

reducework‐relatedillnesses

andinjuries.

POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Detectshazardousworkingconditionsandsafetyproblems;checks

equipmentand/orworkarearegularly.

 Promotessafeworkpracticesandspeakspositivelyaboutsafety

precautions,suchasjobplanning.

 Reportsorcorrectsunsafeworkingconditions;makes

recommendationsand/orimprovessafetyprocedures;enforces

safetyregulationsandprocedures.

 Monitorssafetyissuesaftertakingcorrectiveactionandensures

continuedcompliance

 Proactivelyidentifieshazardsandgeneratesideastoeliminatethe

hazard.

 Ignoressafetyrules,policiesandprocedures

 Missessafetymeetingswithoutgoodreason.

 Failstoconductsitevisits.

 Engagesinriskybehavioursbothonthejobandoutsideofwork.

 Documentedinstancesofunaccepta blebehaviourwhich mayhave

increasedriskofinjurytothemselvesorothers.

 Placestheissueofsafetytowardsthebottomofhis/herlistof

prioritiesonthejob.

 Coversupsafetyinfractionswhentheyoccur.



28

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



TEAMWORK

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

Teamworkisaboutworkingcooperativelyandcollaborativelywith

diverseindividuals,teams,workgroupsandacrossorganizational

boundariestoachieveteamandorganizationalgoals.Itincludes

demonstratingrespectforindividualdifferences(e.g.race,gender,

ethnicity,disability,language,sexualorientation,ageandopinions),

valuingtheopinionofothersandinsistingonarespectful

workplace.

ManitobaHydroworksacrossdepartments,organizationsandcultures.

Employeesmustworkco‐operativelysharingbestpractices,breaking

downdepartmentalandotherbarriers,andcommunicatingfullyonnew

initiativesandpriorities.Theabilitytobuildaninter‐cultural

understandingtocreatedynamicpartnershipsensuresthatManitoba

Hydrounderstandsandmeets

theneedsofitsemployees,customers

andstrategicstakeholders.

LEVEL1

WORKSCO‐OPERATIVELY

LEVEL2

CONTRIBUTESTOTEAMPROCESS&

INVOLVESOTHERS

LEVEL3

SOLICITSINPUTANDBUILDSTHE

TEAM

LEVEL4

GENERATESLONG‐TERM

COMMITMENT

 Willinglyparticipates,works

effectivelywithothersand

seeksinputfromothers.

 Doeshisorhershareofthe

workandputsinextraeffort

whenneededtohelpothers.

 Sharesinformationand

supportsteamdecisions.

 Recognizesthatthewaysof

gettingthingsdonein

differentdepartments,

organizations

and

communitiesarenotthe

same.

 Activelyincludesindividuals

fromdiversebackgroundsin

teamactivities.

 Capitalizesondiverseskills

andideas.

 Spendstimehelpingothers

thinkthroughissues.

 Expressespositiveattitudes

andexpectationsofothers

abilitiesandcontributions.

 Takestimetolearnaboutand

understand

differences.



Proactivelysolicitsideasand

opinionsandshares 

information andlearningwith

others.

 Addressesconflictsorissues

withintheteaminapositive

andopenmanner.

 Providesclearfeedbackto

teammembers.

 Usesunderstandingof

differentinterestsand

agendastoachievepositive

outcomes.

 Engagesothersin

collaborative

problem‐

solving,encour agingthemto

sharetheirideasand

opinions.

 Isopen,sincere,and

emphaticindealingwithall

individualsandinall

circumstances.

 Createsnewopportunitiesfor

individualstoworktogether,

breakingdownbarrierswhen

necessary.

 Encouragesandempowers

others,makingthemfeel

accountableandengaged.



Isamodelofco‐operative

behaviourandholdsteam

membersaccountable.

 Activelypromotesdiversity

throughvisibleactionsand

initiatives.

 Managesandbalances

personalgoalswiththegoals

anddirectionofthe

Corporation.



POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Recognizestheneedforflexibilityandsensitivityindealingwith

cross‐culturalissues.

 Keepscommitmentsmadetoothers.

 Agreeswiththecrit icalsuccessfactorsfortheteamasawhole,and

brainstormswaysinwhichthesecanbemeasured.

 Treatstheconcernsofothergroupsordepartmentsasimportant.

 Co‐operatestomeetteamgoalsevenatexpenseofpersonal

preferences.

 Seeshimorherselfasbetterthanothersandfailstorespecttheir

contribution.

 Exhibitsbehaviourorlanguagethatisexclusionaryoroffensivein

nature.

 Assumesallculturesorcommunitiesarethesame.

 Co‐operatesselectivelyinaccordancewithhisorherownpersonal

interests.

 Talkspatronizinglytooraboutothergroupsorindividuals.



29

MANITOBAHYDRO2012



 

LEADINGANDDEVELOPINGOTHERS

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

LeadingandDevelopingOthersisaboutleading,encouraging,inspiring

andsupportingotherstodevelopconfidenceandcapabilitytohelp

themrealizetheirfullpotential.

Leadershaveacriticalroleinsecuringthelong‐termfutureofManitoba

Hydroanditsabilitytoachieveourstrategicobjectives.Todothis,

leadersare

responsibleforensuringthatindividualsandteams

understandwhatisrequiredofthemandwhy,forprovidingorarranging

appropriatesupportandcoaching,anddelegatingfullysothat

individualsareempoweredtotakeonmoreresponsibility.

LEVEL1

GIVESDIRECTIONANDGUIDANCE

LEVEL2

SUPPORTSTEAMDEVELOPMENT

LEVEL3

ISAROLEMODELFOREFFECTIVE

LEADERSHIP

LEVEL4

GAINSCOMMITMENT&INSPIRES

OTHERSTOACHIEVE

 Setscleardirectionandgives

step‐by‐stepguidance.

 Letspeopleknowexactly

whatisexpectedofthem.

 Buildsothers’confidence,

makingthemfeelbetter

equippedtodotheirjobsand

encouragestheirvoicestobe

heardindecisionmaking.

 Seeksfeedbackfromothers

tochallengeown



assumptionsaboutan

individual’s performanceor

developmentneed.

 Appreciatesandrecognizes

employeeaccomplishments.

 Walksthetalk;ensures

actionsareconsistentwith

words.

 Givesothersopportunitiesto

practicenewskillsand

providesorarranges

coaching.

 Workstoprovidea

supportiveenvironmentby

securingnecessaryresources

andremoving

blocksto

effectiveworking.

 Expressesconfidenceinthe

abilityofotherstobe

successful.

 Recognizesemployee

developmentneedsand

opportunities,provideson‐

goingfeedbackandcoaching.

 



Setsastrongexample

throughownbehaviour.

 Encouragesanenvironment

thatfostersmutualsupport.

 Givesspecificfeedbackand

expressesexpectationsfor

futureperformance.

 Encouragesandactsupon

feedbacktoself.

 Providesguidance,counsel,

direction,andassistanceto

employees.

 Provideschallenging

assignmentsandspecific

opportunitiesto

broaden

employees’skillsand

experiences.

 Communicatesandgains

teamcommitmenttoavision

ofwhatistobeachieved.

 Inspiresandempowers

otherstoovercome

difficultiesandachieve.

 Drivenbyhighpersonal

standardsandstrong

businessethics.

 Personallymodelsdesired

values,behaviours,andwork

practices(e.g.shared



corporatevision,corporate

citizenship,commitmentto

businessgoals,values

diversity).

 

POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:

 Makestimefortheteam,i.e.makesselfvisibleandavailable.

 Delegatesroutineelementsofmorecomplextasksandencourages

otherstodothesame,confirmswhenothershaveunderstoodand

learntfromdelegatedtasks.

 Treatseachteammemberequitably,andactsasafacilitatorwhen

teammembersexperienceconflict.

 Bybeingnondefe nsiveandgivingfeedback,createsaclimate

whereeveryonefeelstheycantakerisks,makemistakesandlearn

fromthemandarewillingtosupporteachother.

 Helpsteammemberstocomeupwiththeirownanswersrather

thansolvingproblemsforthem

 Findswaysandtimetocoachothers.

 Delegatestoindividualswithoutprovidingnecessarysupportor

resources.

 Failstosupportothersorletsotherstaketheblamewhenthingsgo

wrong.

 Doesnottakeresponsibilityforgroupperformance.

 Alwaysassumesindividualshaveknowl edgeandskillstodothejob.

 Expectscertainbehavioursbutdoesnotsetpersonalexample.

 Failstogiveequalsupportordevelopmentopportunitiestoall

membersoftheteam.

 Doesnotcapitalizeondiverseskillsandideasofferedbytheteam.

 Acceptswithoutquestionthereputationofanindividualanddenies

developmentopportunitiesbecausethepersonisconsidered‘high

risk’.



30

MANITOBAHYDRO2012





VISIONING&STRATEGICTHINKING

DEFINITION: WHYISITIMPORTANT?

VisioningandStrategicThinkingisaboutinspiringandguidingothers

towardaclearandunifyingvisionofthefuture;supporting,promoting

andensuringalignmentwiththecorporation’svisionandvalues.

Thisbehaviourisimportanttounderstandthecomplexpoliticaland

regulatedenvironmentinwhichManitobaHydrooperates.Itisabout

being

abletofocusonwhatisimportantandtoensurethatthereis

consistencyandclarityinthemessageorimagethecorporationdelivers.

Itisalsoaboutbeingabletoinspirecommitmentandenthusiasmin

otherswhileworkingtowardasharedgoal.

LEVEL1

UNDERSTANDSCURRENTSITUATION

ANDSTRIVESTOMAKEAPOSITIVE

IMPACT

LEVEL2

PROMOTESTEAMALIGNMENTAND

EFFECTIVENESS

LEVEL3

ALIGNSPROGRAM/OPERATIONAL

GOALS&PLANS

LEVEL4

INFLUENCESSTRATEGICDIRECTION/

DEMONSTRATESVISIONARY

LEADERSHIP

 Understandsthewaythings

aredonewithinthe

corporationandworksto

agreedstandards.

 Familiarizesselfwiththe

CorporateStrategicPlan.

 Strivestomakeapositive

impactonothers.

 Prioritizesworkinalignment

withbusinessgoalsand

adjustsprioritiesasrequired.

 Drawsoutthepositive

aspects

ofasituation.

 Expresseshopeforthefuture

andbuildsenjoymentinto

dailyactivities.

 Clearlyarticulatesand

promotesthesignificanceand

impactofemployee

contributionstopromoting

andachievingorganizational

goals.

 Identifiespotentialfuture

directions forworkareain

linewithvision.

 Createsconditionsthat

enable

theteam/workgroup

toperformatitsbest.

 Regularlyreviewsobjectives

andresults.

 Identifiesandenhances

personalleadershipstyle.

 Expressesconfidencein

others’abilitytomakea

meaningfulcontribution.



Workswithteamstoset

programs,operationalgoals

andplansinkeepingwiththe

strategicdirection,standards

&codeofethics.

 Developsanin‐depth

understandingoftheCSPand

explorestheimplications with

staff.

 Facilitatesthedevelopment

oftheunit’sbusinessplan.

 Monitorscommitmentand

enthusiasm

andresponds

appropriately.

 Foreseesobstaclesand

opportunitiesandacts

accordingly.

 Involvesothersin

understandingthegroup’s

roleinrealizingthecorporate

visionandcelebratesthe

group’scontributiontothe

sharedvision.

 Definesthefuturedirection

ofthecompany,identifies

businessopportunitiesand

developsshort/longterm

actionstomaintain

the

company’scompetitive

advantage.

 Communicatesthecorporate

visionandvaluesandbuilds

commitmentfromthe

corporateworkforce,key

stakeholdersandthe

communitytoachievethe

corporatevision.

 Appliesanunderstandingof

theCorporation’sprocesses,

practices,systemsand

supportresources,and

considerstheirimpactonthe

corporatestrategicplan.

 Effectivelybalancespolitical,

legalandsocialissueson

behalfofthestakeholders.

POSITIVEINDICATORS: WARNINGSIGNS:



31

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

SECTION



THE COVER

LET

TER



WhatisaCoverLetter?



Acoverletterisabusiness ‐likewaytointroduceyourselfandyourresumetotheemployer.Noresume

shouldbesentwithoutacoverletter. 

Coverlettersareverybeneficialwhenapplyingforajob.They“finishoff”thewrittenpresent ationand

canbehelpfulinhighlightingyourskills

andaccomplishmentsthatarerele vanttothepositionyouare

applyingfor. 

Coverletterscanalsopointoutextrafeaturesthatarenotincludedinyourresume.

Thepurposeofthecoverletteristocommunicatetotheemployeraspecificpersonalizedmessageabout

yourpotentialvaluetotheorganization

andtomakethemwanttoreadyourresum eandbringyouinfor

aninterview. 



HowshouldCoverLettersbeOrganized?

Thecoverlettertypicallyconsistsofthreeparts:Introduction,BodyandClosing.



Introduction—Thebeginn ingofyourlettershouldcapturetheemployer’sinterest,identifytheposition

forwhichyouareapplyingoryourcareerobjectiveanddescribeyou rparticularinterestintheposition.

Body—Thebodyofyour

letter(1–3paragraphs)shouldshowthatyouunderstandthenatureofthe

positionbyexplaininghowyourqualificationsrel atetoit.Youshouldincludeexamplesoftheskillsand/or

qualitiesfromyourresumethatyoubelievemakeyouastrongcandidate.Donotrepeatwhatisinyour

resume.Use

thissectionasanopportunitytoexpl ainindetailhowyouthinkyourexperiencecan

contributetotheorganization.

Closing—Sinceyourobjectiveistosecureaninterview,youwanttoestablishafl owof actionthat

producesaninvitationtodoso.Sincerelyyoursisagoodwayto

close yourletter.Neverforgettosignand

dateit.



TipsonP reparingaCoverLetter

• Itshouldbebrief,concise,neatandaccurate.Itshouldnotexceedonepage.

• Includeareferencetothespecificpositionyouareapplyingfor.Ifyouarerespondingtoan

advertisedposition,pleaserefertothe“EmploymentCircular”#thatisstatedinthe

advertisement.

• Tailorthe

lettertotherequirementsoftheposition.Besuretocreateinterestinyourselfby

communicatinghowyourskillswillbeofvaluetothejobandhowthejobwillbeofvalueto

you.Provideexamplesofhowyourworkexperiencedemonstratesthebehavioursofthe

coreand

leadershipcompetencies.

• Summarizethereasonsyouareapplyingforthepositionandyourmostapplicable

qualifications.



32

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

• Usethelanguageofthejobbulletin.Everyfieldhasitsownjargonandtechnologyandyour

skillsshouldbedescribedintheseterms.

• Donotbeapologeticornegative.

• Useattentiongettingactionverbsandadjectiveswhendescribingyourselfandyour

qualifications.Itwilladdflavourand

arouseinterest.Alistofsuggestedactionwordsis

locatedonpages49and51ofthisguide.

•

Close theletterbyaskingfortheoppo rtunity foraninterviewtodiscussyourbackgro und in

e

detail.Mention thatyou areavailableattheirconv enience andgivethemanumber where

youcanbereachedduringtheday.

• Proofreadasmanytimesaspossible.Checkforspellingerrorsanddonotrelyonyourspell

checktoidentify errors.Readyourletterbackwardstocatchyourspellingerrorsandtypos.

Checkforgrammaticalerrorsbyreadingyourletteroutloud

frombeginningtoend.Nothing

ruinsagoodfirstimpressionthanworkthatappearscarelesslydone.

• Thelettermustbedate dandsigned.



Samplecoverlettersareprovidedonthefollowingpage s. 





33

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Example #1 – Covering Letter



237GatewayDrive

Winnipeg,Manitoba

R3Y1A7



20060301



ManitobaHydro

EmploymentandPlacementDepartment



P. O. Box815



Winnipeg,Manitoba



R3C2P4



DearSirorMadam:



PleaseacceptthisletterandattachedresumeasmyapplicationforthepositionofAssistant

DistrictOperator.



Ihavebeen

aqualifiedJourneymanLinemansince1989andha veexperienc eworkinginthepo wer

industry,specificallyBCHydro.Ihaveworkedinmanyareas,includingtheOperatingCentre,Hot

LineTools,andEasternRegionConstruction.Ihav eonoccasionbeenaleadhandinchargeofa

crew.Ihaveanexcellentwork

andsafetyrecordandworkwellwithpeople.



ThepositionappearstobewellsuitedtomyqualificationsandskillsandIlookforwardtothe

opportunityofmakingacontributiontoyourOperatingCentre.



Iwouldappreciatetheopportunityforaninterviewtodiscussmybackgroundwithyou

in

moredetail.Icanbereachedat(204)555‐2222.



Yourstruly ,



[signhere]



GlenP. Campbell





34

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Example #2 – Covering Letter



239GatewayDrive

Winnipeg,Manitoba

R3Y1A6



October29,2006



ManitobaHydro

EmploymentandPlacementDepartment



P. O. Box815



Winnipeg,Manitoba



R3C2P4



ToWhomItMayConcern:



Inr e sponsetoE.C.#01/0092foranAdministrativeClerkIVintheBusinessDepartmentof

CentralRegion,Iamenclosingmy

resumeforyourconsideration.



IhaveworkedasanAdministrativeClerkintheMarketingDepartmentatGr eat‐WestLifefor

sevenyears.Throughacombinationofbothworkandvolunteerexperiences,Ihavedeveloped

skillsintheareasofadministration,verbalcommunication,organizationandcomputationwhich

seemessentialforthis

position.

IalsohaveexcellentcomputerskillswithparticularstrengthsinWordPerfectandLotus1‐2‐3.I

willbehappytodiscussmybackgroundwithyouingreaterdetailinapersonalinterview.

Icanbereachedat(204)555‐1111oryoucanleaveamessageforme

at(204)222‐1212



Sincerely,



[signhere]



LeslieRobinson





35

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

ACTION

VERBS



ENHANCINGYOUR

RESUME

AND

COVER

LET

TER



When promoting yourself,you muststateyour skills,assets,experience, andaccomplishments in

an

e

voicewhich isinaneasyandstraightforwardmanner. Thef ollowingisasamplelist,

createyour own thatreflectsyourskills.



Management

Skills



administered

analyzed

assigned

attained

chaired

contracted

consolidated

co‐ordinated

delegated

developed

directed

evaluated

executed

improv ed

increased

organize d

planned

prioritized

produced

recommended

reviewed

scheduled

strengthened

supervised

Communication



Skills



addressed

arbitrated

arranged

authored

corresponded

developed

directed

drafted

edited

enlisted

formulated

influenced

interpreted

lectured

mediated

moderated

motivated

negotiated

persuaded

promoted

publicized

recruited

translated

wrote

Research

Skills



clarified

collected

critiqued

diagnosed

evaluated

examined

extracted

identified 

inspected

interpreted

interviewed

inve stigated

organize d

reviewed

summarized 

surveyed

systematiz ed

Technical

Skills



assembled

built

calculated



computed

designed

devised

engineered

fabricated

maintained

operated

overhauled

programmed

remodelled

repaired

solved

trained

upgraded

Financial

Skills



administered

allocated

analyzed

appraised

audited

balanced

budgeted

calculated

computed

developed

forecast

managed

marketed

planned

projected

researched





36

MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Creative

Skills



acted

conceptualized

created

designed

developed

directed

established

fashioned

founded

illustrated

instituted

integrated

invented

originated

performed

revitalized

shaped

Teaching

Skills



adapted

advised

clarified

coached

communicated

co‐ordinated

developed

enabled

encouraged

evaluated

explained

facilitated

guided

informed

initiated

instructed

stimulated

Clerical

Skills



approved

arranged

catalogued

classified

collected

compiled

dispatched

executed

generated

implemented

inspected

monitored

operated

organize d

prepared

processed

purchased

recorded

retrieved

screened

specified

systematiz ed

tabulated

validated

Helping

Skills



assisted

assessed

clarified

coached

counselled

demonstrated

diagnosed

educated

expedited

facilitated

familiarized

guided

referred

rehabilitated

represented

serviced

supported

tended

tutored







37



MANITOBAHYDRO2012

The

ResumeandCoverLetterChecklist



Once youhavewrittenyourresumeandcoverletter,reviewthemwhile keeping the

llo

g

pointsin

mind:



• Isanyimportantinformationmissing?

• Hasallunnecessaryinformationbeeneliminated?

• Ismyobjectiveclearlyandsimply stated?

• Aretheybothtargetedtotheemployersneeds?

• HaveImadeanyspellingorgrammaticalmistakes?HaveIavoidedusingabbreviations?

• Arestatementsstrongandpositive?Are

thereanypointswhichstill needimprovement?

• HaveIavoidedexaggeration?CanIbackupallstatementswithfactualexplanationsinan

interview?

• HaveIavoidedundersellingmyskills?

• HaveIplacedmyselforanyoneelseinanegativelight?







38



MANITOBAHYDRO2012





39



MANITOBAHYDRO2012

SECTION III



BEFORE THE

INTER

VIE



The

PurposeoftheInterview



Aninterviewisusuallyrequiredpriortobeingawardedaposition.Theinterviewgivesyouandthe

supervisoranopportunitytoexploreyoursuitabilityforthepositionandprovidesinformationthat

enablesthesupervisortoselectthebestcandidate.Theinterviewerwantstoevaluateyoutodetermine

whetheryouhavethe

com petenciesorqualifications,skills,attitudeandattributestoperformtheduties

oftheposition.Tosumitup,are youlikelytobeanassettotheirdepartment?

Ourcoreandleadershipcompetenciesarereviewedbytheselectingsupervisorandareincorp oratedinto

thequalificationsandtheselectioncriteriafor

anadv ertisedposition.Sobothtechnicalrequ irementsand

corporatecompetencieswillformthecriteriayoucanbeevaluatedon.Thishasalway sbeenthecasein

pastinte rviewing,butwearenowusingaslightlymoreformalizedapproach.



WhatisaCompetency?



Itsimplyisaclusterofrelatedknowledge,skillsandattributes(e.g.values,traits,motives)that correlate

withperformance.Forexample,“Communication”isacompetency,aswellas“TeamPlayer”.You

needknowled geandskilltocommunicatewellorbeagoodteamplayer,andyoualsoneedtohavethe



personalattributesthatgoalongwithit(e.g.bemotivatedtousetheskills,valuegoodc ommunication

andteamwork,etc.).Ifyouhavethepersonalattributesrequired,thenitismorelikelythatyou’ll

demonstratethebehavioursofagoodcommunicatororteamplayer.Pleaserefertopages17–30

ofthis

bookletforadescriptionofManitobaHydro’sCoreandLeadershipCompetencies.

Ajobinterviewwillgivethesupervisorachancetoevaluateyourqualificat ions,andprovideyouwithan

opportunitytose llyourselfandWINthejob.Inaddition,itgivesyouachancetoevaluatethejobwith



respecttoyourinterestsandgoals.Isthejobagoodmatchforyou?Asyouprepareforandactually

participateinaninterview,youshouldalwayskeepthatobjectiveinmind.



AdvancePreparationsforanInterview

Soyouhaveaninterview…Nowwhat?

Preparinginadvanceisthekeytoagoodinterview.Itwillalsohelpyoutoevaluatewhetherthejob

opportunitywillbeapositivemoveforyourcareerandiftheworken vironmentwillfitwithyour

preferredstyleofwork ing.



 



40



MANITOBAHYDRO2012

TipstoHelpPrepareyouforanInterview



1. Researchtheposition.



• Learnasmuch asyoucanaboutManit oba Hydro, andthejobyouareapplying for.

• Major products ors

ices



• Organizatio n al structureofthe

depa

tmen



• Major

eti

s

• Review writteninformation thatrelatestothejob(e.g.An nualreport,pol icies,legislation,

brochures).

• Ifyoucanobtainacopy ofthejobdescription and/oranemployment circular,review

e

extensively. Review thesummary sheets(pages17–30)forthecompetencies identifiedon

the

stin



• Ifyou donothaveaccesstoajobdescription/employmentcircular,oryouareapplyingforan

unadvertisedposition,reviewtheCompetenciesonpages17–30ofthismanual,andtrytopredict

whichofthesewouldbemostrelevanttothepositionyouareapplyingfor.

• Askwho

willbeinterviewing.

• Talkwithpeopleinsimilarjobstolearnmoreaboutcurrentissues,jobstressesandexpectations.



2. Identifyyourareasofstrengthandweakness.



Mostinterviewswillaskaquestionaround“Whatareyourstrengthsandweaknesses?”Describeyour

weaknessesasstrengths.Thisistricky.The

interviewe rprobablywantstolearnseveral thingsabout

youwiththisquestion,suchas:



• Whetherornotyouarearrogant(“Ireallydon’tthinkIhave anyweaknesses ”)Donotboastthat

youareflawless.

• Whetheryouknowyourself(“Well,I’veneverreallythoughtabout it”)

• What

areyoudoingtoimproveyourweaknesses?

Twowaystoanswerthistypeofquestionisto:

a) Explain thatinovercoming aweakness youhavelearneds

methin

g.



Forexam ple :Thereisaperiodinyou rcareerpaththatjustdoesn’tfit(i.e.sellingcarsbetween

jobsasanaccountant),youmight say,“Oneweakness,whichtookmesometimetoovercome,

wasthatIreallywasn’tsure Iwantedtobeanaccountant.Iworkedincar

salesfor2years

becauseIcouldn’tdecideifIwantedaccountingasmycareer.ThatexperiencetaughtmethatI

reallydidn’twanttosellproducts,andthatIwasmuchmorechallengedbytheopportunityto

solveclientsproblems.”



b) Pickaweakness thatisreallyastrength

orgiveaqualitythatisgenerally notthatbad.

Name aflawandthestepsyou’ve takentoovercome it.



“OneofmyweaknessesisthatItendtobeimpatientwithpeoplewhoaren’twillingtopulltheir

fullweightandgive110%.”

“InthepastI’vebeen

impat ienttotacklemanybigprojectsatonce.I’mstillamb itious,howeverI

prioritizesoeverythinggetsdoneintherightorder.”Othersuggestedflawstomention:being

excessivelyorganizedanddeadline‐driven .



41



MANITOBAHYDRO2012

3. Rehearseyouranswers.



Whatcompet enciesarelistedinthequalificationsectionofthejobcircular?Thesequalification s

becomeapartoftheselectioncriteriasothereisanexcellentchancethatsomequestionswillbe

askedonthecompetencies posted.Rememberboththetechnicalrequirementsandcompetencies

willform

thecriteriayouwillbeevaluatedon.

Whatexampl escanyourelaythatdemonstrateyourabilityinthesecompetencies?Describeyour

accomplishmentsandhowtheyapplytothepositionin aclearconciseway.Thinkaboutyourcareer

goalsinrelationtothisjobandhowyouwillrespondtoquestions

aboutyourfutureplans.Don’t

over‐scriptyourres ponse s,makesureyouleaveroomforspontaneityandcreativity.

Practiceyouranswerswithataperecorderorafriend.



4. Preparealistofquestions.



Prepareali stofquestionsaboutthepositiontotaketotheinterview.Thesequestionsoftenrelateto

training,supervisionandcareerplanning.

Hereareafewquestionsthatcouldworkforyou.

• Whatopportunitiesarethereinthispositionformetodevelopmyskills?

• Whataresome

ofthechallengesandopportunitiesofthisposition?

• Whatarethemostimportantcharacteristicsyouarelookingforinacandidatetosatisfythis

position?

• Couldyoudescribetheworkingenvironment?

• WherecanIgofromhere,assumingImeet/exceedthejobrequirements?

• Whatisthe

historyoftheposition?Whyisitvacant?



5. Rereadyourresumeandthejobpo sting.



Becomefamiliarwiththejobpostingandfeelcomfortablethatit’sagood matchforyourcapabilities

andintere sts.Besureyouarefamiliarwiththeirterminologyorbusinessjargon.Thiswillgiveyou



moreconfidence.Theinterviewerwilllikelywanttoexpandonsomeinformationinyourresumeso

besureyoucanmakethelinkagefromyourresumetothepositionyouar eapplyingfor.



6. Confirmtimeandlocation.



Ensurethatyouareawareoftheexacttimeandloc ation.Go

ahe adoftimetoensureavailabilityof

parkingandtakeampletimefortravel.Besuretobringwithyouthenameandphonenumberofthe

personwh owillbeinterviewingyou.

Arriveontimefortheinte rview!Planyourschedulesoyouwouldarrive10to15minutes

early.





42



MANITOBAHYDRO2012

7. DressProfessionally.



“Professional”canbeinterpretedinmanywaysthesedays.Whethertheareastylerequire sasuit or

islaidback,makeanefforttolookpresentable.Dressfortheworkenvironment.ManitobaHydro

employsa“businesscasual”dresscode,howeverwhe nattendingtheinterviewitiswise 

toerronthe

sideofbusinessattire.



TypesofInterviews



Board/Panel Interview



Thistypeofinterviewinvolvestwoormorepeopleconductingtheinterviewtakingturnsaskingthe

applicantgroupsofquestions.Thissystemcanbeadvantageousbecausemorethanonepersonwillrate

yourrespon ses anddevelopimpressi ons,eliminatingtheproblemofindividu alpreferencesorprejudice.

Whenfeelinganxious,itisbest

tofocusonthepersonaskingeachquestion.Itisimportanttokeepin

mindthatyourresp onse swillbeevalu atedbyallpanelmembersnotonlytheonewhoisaskingthe

question.Somebackgroundknowledgeoneachinterviewermaybehelpful.



Strategyforsuccess.Directyouanswertothepersonwhoaskedthequestion,butmakeeyecontact

witheachofyourinterviewers.



One-on-One Interview



Thistypeofinterviewinvolvesyouandoneintervieweronly.Thecontentoftheinterviewshouldbethe

sameasaboard/panelinte rview.



Strategyforsuccess.Usepositivebodylanguage.Beattentive,situpstraightandmaintaingoodeye

contact.



ExamplesofInterviewQuestions



Therear edifferenttypesof interviewquestionsthatcanbeasked.Somemaybeopen‐ended,othersmay

presentahypotheticalsituationandaskyoutoexpresshowyou’ddealwiththesituation,andanother

typeistheBehaviour DescriptionQuestion.



OpenEnded/GeneralQuestions



Theinterviewwilloftenstartand

endwiththistypeofquestion.Typically,theremaybesomeopen

endedquestions,whichaskyoutotalkaboutyourselfandyourpastexperienceortechnicalabilities.



• Tellmeaboutyourself .

Thisopen ‐endedquestionhasno“right”or“wrong”answer.Itmerelyisawayto“break

theice.”It

doesn’tmatterwhatyousaybuthowyousayit:withenthusiasman dpassion.Talkabouthowyou

areexcitedaboutgettingtheopportunitytotalktothemandhowitmesheswithyourcareergoals.

Orusethetimetosaysomethingthatisnoton

yourresumeandimpresstothemwhyyouarean

assettotheirdepartment.Keepyouranswerjobrelate d.





43

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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

• Whyareyouinterestedinthisposition?Whydidyouapply?Whyareyouleavingyourcurrentjob?

Manyinterviewersmaybecuriousastowhyyouarelookingforanotherjobbutmakesureyoukeep

yourc ommentsdiplomatic.Neversayanythingdirectlynegativeabou tyourpresentjoblike

you rboss

isatyrantoryourco‐workersareincompetent.Insteadfocusonthingssuchasgrowthpotentialand

skilldevelopment.

• Whatdoyouregardasyourstrengthsinrelationtothisjob?Whatareyour weaknesses?

Thisisoneofthoseslipperyinterviewquestionsthatcancatch

you offguardifyouhaven’t givenit

alittlethought.Always turnthispointintoapositive!Stateaweaknessandturnitint oapositive

y

showing how you overcame theweakness. “Inthepast,ithasbeendifficultformetoaccept

criticismfrommypeers.However ,Iha velearnedtovaluean dso licitthisinputandithasimprovedmy

jobperformance.”

• Whataresomeofthingsthatmotivateyou?

• Doyouprefer

workingwithothersorbyyourself?Why?

• Whatkindofsupportwouldyouneedfromyoursupervisorandcolleaguesinordertomakeyour

bestcontributioninthisjob?

Thesequestions helpthesupervisor gaugehow wellyouwillfitthejob

enin

g.

• Tellmeaboutanyseminarsorcoursesinyourbackgroundthatyouthinkwillbeparticularly

relevanttothisjob

• Whatareyourfuturecareerplans?

Giveaconcretegoal,focusingontheresponsibilit ies,notthetitle.Indicatethatyouhopetoacquire

sufficientknowledgewithinthattimeto

makeapositivecontributiontothecompany.

• Whatdoyouknowaboutourcompany?

Theyarecheckingyou rknowledgeofManitobaHydro.Didyoutaketheinitiativeandtimetolearn

aboutthecompanybeforecomingtotheinterview?Ifyoudid,thiswillbereceivedverypositively.

•

Pleasedescribethemajorresponsibilitiesofyourpresentposition.

• Whatdoyouparticularlyenjoyaboutyourpresentposition?Whatdoyouliketheleast?

• Whatdoyouconsiderasoneofyourbiggestaccomplishmentsinyourpresentjob?

Give examples ofwaysinwhich yousavedthecom pany money,

 time,ordevelo ped an

officeprocedure thatimproved efficiency.



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44

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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

• Whenyouhavetalkedwithyourmanageraboutyourworkperformance,

• forwhatthingshaveyoubeen

limen



•

inwhatareashav eyouneeded tomakesome

emen

t?



• Howdoothersdescribeyou?

Thisisanotherwayfortheinterviewertoseehowyouwouldfitintotheworkgroup.Ifyouaren’t

comfortablewiththisquestiontalktosomepeopleyouhaveworkedwithandgetthemtodescribe

you.

• Doyoueverhavetowork

extr ahoursinyourcurren tposition?Underwhatcircu mstancesand

howoften?Howdoyoufeelaboutovertime?

• Arethereanyotheraspectsofyour qualificationsandbackgroundwhichhavenotcoveredthatyou

feelarerelevanttothisposition?Ifso,pleasetellmeaboutthem.

• Do

youhavean yquestionstoaskaboutthisposition?

Rememberbyaskingquestionsyoushowinterestinthejob. 



Situational or Hypothetical Questions



Jobinterviewsmayuseahypotheticalorproblem‐solvingapproachtodetermineapplicants’an alytical 

skillsandcriticalthinkingabilities.These“Whatif”questionsarepresentedintheformofacaseexample

orproblemsituation.Thecandidatesare askedtoimagi nethemselvesexperiencingthesituati on,andare

evaluatedonhowthey

wouldhandlethesituationp resented.Belowaresomebasicexamples,however

notethatproblem‐solvingscenarioscanbemorecomplexwithspecifictechnicalinformat ion

incorporated.



• Howwouldyourespondtoanem plo yeewhoaccusesafellowemployeeoftheft?

• Acustomercomplainsthathewasshort‐changed.

The

customerclaimsthathegavetheclerk

a$50bill,whereastheclerkclaimsthathewasgivena$20bill.Whatwouldyoudo?

• Howwouldyouhandleasituationinwhichyoufel taco‐workerwasnotdoinghisfairshare

ofthework?

• It’ s3

p.m.andyouhaveareportduetoyourmanagerat5o’clock.S uddenlyamajorcustomer

callsandsaystheyhaveacrisisandneedyourimmediatehelp.Whatdoyoudo?

•

You’re workingthenightshiftataplantwhenyoudiscoversmokecom ingfromoneof

thepanels.



• Whatst epsdoyoutake,andinwhatorder?



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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Technical Questions



Somequest ionsarestraighttestsoftechnicalknowledge.

Forex ample,youmaybeaskedtoidentifycertaincomponentsonadiagram,orlistoffthec orrectsteps

infixingsomething.Thesequestionswillvarydependingonthetechnicalrequ irementsofthejob.



BehaviourDescript ionQuestion s



MostemployerstodayusetheBehaviour DescriptionInterviewingtechnique.Itfocusesonexp eriences,

behaviours,knowledge,skillsandabilitiesthatarejobrelated.BehaviourDescripti onInterviewingis

basedonthebeliefthatpastbehaviourandperformanc epredictsfuturebehaviourandperformance.Itis

alsooneofthebest waystoevaluatepeople

toseeiftheyhavethedesiredcompetenciesrequ iredfor

success.Youmayfindthatthistypeofquestioncomprises50–75%oftheinterview.

Researchhasshownthatpastexperienceisthebestpredictoroffuturebehaviour.Sointhistypeof

question,theinterviewerwillaskyoufora

specificex amplefromyourpast(workorlifeexperienc e)

whereyou’vehadtodosomething(e.g.hadtocommunicatewell,orworkinateam,etc.).Youmaybe

askedtorelateapositiveexample,oran examplewhereyouhadadifficultorchallengingtime.Thisgives

theinterviewera

ful lpictureofyourabilities.



WhatdoInterviewersEvaluateinaBehaviourDescriptionInterview?

Theyarelookingfor3typesofskills:Content,FunctionalorTransferable,andAdaptiveSkills.



• Conten tSkills—Knowledge thatiswork specificsuchascomputer programming,

acco

tin

,

welding etc.expressedas



• FunctionalorTransferableSkills—Used withpeople,informatio northingssuchas

ganizin

g,

managing, developing, communicating etc.expressed as

erbs.



• AdaptiveSk ills—Personalcharacteristicssuchasdependab ili ty,teamplayer,s

lf‐

dir

,

punctualetc.expressed as

jec

es.



Probes

Inaddition,theinterviewermay probeformorespecificsofdetailssuchas:



• Whatwasthesituation,whatwasthetaskyouweresettingouttodo?

• Whatspeci ficallydidyoudointhesituation,whatwasyouraction?Heretheymaypromptyouto

express

morewhatyoudid,notwhatothe rsdid.Youshouldtrytorespondas“I...”insteadof“We...”

• Whatwastheresult?Wereyouorothershappywiththeoutcome?Whatspecificallywastheresult?

Ifrelatinganegative experience,describewhatyoulearnedfromit.

• Theymay

alsoaskyoutoiden tifywhentheexampletookplace,orhowoftensimilarsituationshave

happenedinthepast.Thisquestioningistoidentifyrecencyandfrequ ency,whichsimplymeansthe

morerecentthebehaviourorthemorefrequentthebehaviour,thehigherthechancethepersonwill

demonstratethat

inthenearfuture.



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46

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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

 



47

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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

“BEASTAR ”

Fo llowtheS*T*A*R*

met



S – Situation

T – Task



A– Action



R –Resultsachiev ed



Whenrel atingyourexample,tellthemthesituationyouwere in,thetask youwereperforming,what

actionsyoutookandtheendresult.Ifpossiblesh owhowyouidentifiedtheproblem,identifiedpossible

solutions,selected

thesoluti onandimplementedthesolution.Don’tforg ettomentionwh atthepositive

outcomeswe re.



HelpfulHintsinresponding tobehaviour descrip tiontypeof

questio



• Giveyou rselftimetocollectyourthoughtsbeforeresponding.Theinterviewerswillexpectthis.

• Alwayslistencarefullytothequestion.Askforcl arificationifnecessaryandensureyouanswerthe

questioncom pletely.

• Describeyouranswersingooddetail.De scribewhatyoudidspecificallyandwhatyourth oughts

were.Bespecificandrelated.

• Use“I ”insteadof“we”asmuchaspossible.Theyarelookingforwh atyoudidinthesituation

specifically,astheyareevaluatingyouonthebehavioursthatyouhaddemonstratedinthesituation.

• Whereverp ossible,quantifyyourresults.Numbersillustrateyourlevel

ofauthorityandresponsibility.

• Ifyoucan’tthinkofanex ample torelate(aftersufficientthought),thenasktheinterviewerifyoucan

returntothatquestionlater.Somethingmaycometoyourmindlater.

• Beaw arethattheinterviewermayaskyouforthename(areference)

ofsomeonewhohasobserved

theexampleyourelate.Theymayendupcallingthatperson aftertheinterview(withyour

permission),tove rifytheinform ationyoupresent.



TypesofBehaviourDescriptionQuestions



Adaptability:“Givemeanexamplethatwoulddemonstrateyourabilitytoadapttoachanging

environment

suchasarecentrestructuringorjobredundancy.Howdidyoucopewiththesechanges?”

Initiative:“Describeasituationinwhichyourecognizedapotentialproblemasanopportunity.Whatdid

youdo?”

Leadership:“Givemeaspecificexampleofsomethingyoudidthathelpedbuildenthusiasminothers

.”

Leadership:“Givemeanexampleofatimeyouhadto persuadeotherpeopletotakeaction.Whatdidyou

doandwereyousuccessful?”

Topreparefortheintervie w,specificallythebehaviourdescriptioncomponent,itishelpfultoprepare

yourselfbyreviewingthecompetencie sthatareidentifiedon

thejobpostingandthinkingofexamples

whereyouhavedemonstratedthesethings.



Thefol lowingpagesincludesamplebehaviourdescriptionquest ionsrelatedtoourCompetencies.



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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

SampleBehaviourDescriptionQuestions

Notes:

•

Some questions may have several parts. The interviewer will start with the first part of the

questio

.

Then,maycontinue withtheadditionalprobes



•

Questions may be customized for the specific job and worded appropriate to the specific

udience



(e.g.LabourerversusProfessionalEngineer).



CoreCompetencies



ApplyingLe arning

ApplyingLearningisaboutassimilatingandapplyingnewjob ‐relatedinformationinatimelyand

innovativemanner.Itinvolvesusinginformationtoenhanceperformanceandgrowth.Itincludesthe

integrationandacceptanceofnewtechnology.

• Itcanbedifficulttolearnnewtechnicalskills. Describeasituationwhen

youhaddifficultylearninga

newtechnology.

• Theabilit ytolearn,shareandapplytechnicalknowledgeisan importantpartofthisjob.Pleasegive

anexampleofwhenyouwererequi redtolearnanewtechnicalskillinordertobec omemore

effective.

• Inthisroleyou

willneedtoapplyyourtec hnicalknowledgetocomplexornewcircumstances. 

Describeasit uationwhereyouwereable toapplyyourexistingtechnicalknowledgeorskillsinan

innovativewaytosolveanewchallenge.

• Thispositi onrequiresyoutostrategicallyapplyspecialistknowledgetosolveava rietyof

problems.

Tellmeaboutasituationwhereyourspecialistknowledgeenabledyoutoidentifyapotential

problemanddevelopastrategytoaddressit.



Communication

Communicationinvolvesexpressingideas,factsandopinionsclearly;articulatingpersonalpointsofview

persuasively;seekingtounderstandtheviewsofother sandopenlysharinginformation.

Itinvolvesoral

andwrittencommunicationskillsincludingpresentationornegotiationsk illstoachievedesiredresults.

• Describethemostsignificantwrittendocument,report,orpresentationthat you’vecompleted.

• Describeasit uationwhenyouhadamiscommunicationwithsomeone.Whatdidyoudototryto

solvetheproblem?

• Communicationisoneofthestrategicaspectsofthisposition.Pleasedescribeasituationwhereyou

realizedyouneeded tocreateaformalcommunicationstrategyorplaninordertogetyourmessage

acrosseffectively.

• Persuasivenessortheabilitytoinfluenceothersisessent ialinthisposition.Tellus

ab outyourmost

challengingex periencepersuadingsomeonetoseeadifferentpointofview. 



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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Creativity&Innovati on

CreativityandInnovationisabouttheabilitytoformulatenewideasortoadaptoruseexistingideas

inneworunexpectedwaystosolveproblems,andtothinkaheadtospotorcreateopportunitiesand

maximizethem.Itisaboutdevelopingbetter,faster,orlessexpensiveways

toaccomplishthings.

• Tellmeaboutaproblemyousolvedinau niqueorcreativeway.

• Describeasit uationwhenyouwantedtocompleteataskusinganinnovativemethod,butwere

requiredtofollowthetraditionalapproach.

• Tellmeaboutaproblemoropportunityforimproveme nt

youidenti fiedinyourlastrolethathad

previouslybeenoverlooked.

• Pleasedescribeasituationwhereyouactivelyencouragedotherstoidentifyacreativeorinnovative

solutiontoaproblemorchallenge.



CustomerSe rvice

CustomerServiceisaboutunderstandingtheneedsofthecustomerandactivelyfocusingon

anticipating,

meetingandexceedingthoseneeds.Itincludesrespondingtocurrentandfuture

customerneedsandprovidingexcellentservicetobothinternalandexternalcustomers.

• Inthisposition,youwillhavetointeractwithinternalandexternalcustome rs.Pleasedescribea

situationwhenyouwereabletoaddressadifficultcustomer

requestinatimelyandcourteous

manner.

• Tellmeaboutasituationwhenyoureceivedwhat youfeltwasanunreasonablerequestfroma

customer.Whatwastherequestandwhatdidyoudo?

• Whenwearebusyitcanbehardtogetajobdoneand

maintainhighquality. Pleasedescribea

situationwhenyouknewyouwouldhavedifficultymeetingacustomer’sneeds.Whatdidyoudo?

• Givemeanexampleofwhenyouinitiatedachangeinprocess,proc edureoroperationsinresponse 

tocustomerfeedback.Whydidyoufeelitwasimportantto

makethechange?

• Buildingrapp ortwithsomecustomerscanbechallenging.Givemeanexampleofasitu ationwhen

youputinextraefforttobuildrapportwit hacustomer.Whatdidyoudo?



DecisionMa king

Decision‐Makingisaboutmakinggood,timelydecisionsandsolvingproblemsinvolvingvaried

levels

ofcomplexity,ambiguityandrisk.Itincludesthinkingcreativelyandfocusingoninnovation,

consultingandengagingothersandreconcilingcompetinginterests.Itisalsoaboutactingwith

integrityinanhonestandtrustworthymannerbasedonpersonalaccountabilityandaconvictionto

dotherightthing.Itisabo ut

makingdecisionswithinestablishedCodeofEthics&standards.

• Tellmeaboutasituationwhereyouhaddifficultymakingadecision.Howdidyoumakeyour

decision?

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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

• Whena(position)________ __isrespondingtoa(typeofjob)_________,effectivedecisionmaking

canbecritical.Describeasituationwhenyouexaminedaprobleman dmadeaquickdecision.

• Beingab letoworkonyourownisimportant.Pleasegiveanexampleofadifficultdecisionyou

made

onyourown.

• Tellmeaboutasituationinwhichalltheevidencesuggestedyoupursueonecourseofaction,but

your“gut‐feel”suggestedanother.Whatdidyoudecidetodo?Whatfactorsdidyouconsider? 

• Pleasedescribeasituationfromyourpreviousworkorvolunteer

experiencethat demonstratesyour

abilitytomakeastrategicdecision.



FinancialResponsibility

Financialresponsibilityisaboutusingresourceseffectivelyandefficiently.Itisaboutperformingdaily

workinacostconsciousmanner.Itincludesdemons tratinganunderstandingoffinancialprinciples

andimpactsandtakingstepstocontributetofinancialgoals

andtargets.

• Tellmeaboutasituationwhereyoufoundawaytogetthejobdonefasterandbetteratalowercost.

• Describeasit uationwhenyouneededtocompleteataskorprojectwithinastrictbudget.What

strategiesdidyouuse?

• Giveme

anex ampleofasituationwhen,byrecognizingandconsideringthefinancialimplic ationsofa

decision,youdecidedtodosomethingdifferentfromwhatyouoriginallyplanned.

• Tellmeaboutastrategicinitiativeyoudeveloped,identifiedandpursuedinordertoimprovethe

financialperformanceofyourdepartment /division.



Results

Oriented

AchievingResultsisaboutusingtimeandresourceseffectivelytoachievedesiredresults.Itinvolves

havingthesustainedenergyanddeterminationinthefaceofobstaclestosetandmeetchallenging

targetsanddelivertherequiredbusinessresults.Itincludesde monstratingahighlevelof

accountability,reliability,adaptabilityandinnovation

inaccomplishingday todayworkandlongterm

goals.

• Tellmeaboutasituationwhenyouhadm ultipletasksorprojectsgiventoyouatthesametime.How

didyouorganizetheworkyouneededtodo?

• Inthisposition,itisimport anttobeable 

toidentifyandimplementimprovements.Pleasegivean

exampleofasuggest ionyoumadethatledtoanimprovementinasystemorprocess.

• Wehave allexperienceddifficultproblemsorset‐backsonthejob.Tellmeaboutasituationwher e

youusedanegativeexperienceoraset

‐backasanopportunitytomakeanimprovement.

• Pleasedescribeahighprofile,strategicprojectthatyouhaveman agedinthepast.Whatdidyoudo

toensure thattheprioritiesremainedalignedwiththeCorporate/BusinessUnitStrategicplan?



 



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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Safety

Safetyinvolvesbeinghighlyself‐motivatedtoworksafely,thinkingproactivelyabouthis/hersafety

andthesafetyofothers,andactivelyparticipatinginandpromotingasafetyfocusedculture.

• Inmanysituations,employeesarerequiredtowearprotectiveequip mentthattheymayfind

uncomfortableorinconvenient.Tellmeabout

asituationwhenthiswastrueforyou.

• (SituationalQuestion)Youandyourcrewareunderalotoftimepressuretofinishajob.Your

supervisoris“stressed‐out ”andasksyoutodoatask thatyoufeelisunsafe.Whatwouldyoudo?

• Tellme

aboutasituati onat homeorwithi ntheworkplacewhereyouobservedapotentialsafety

hazardthat nooneelsesee medtoconsider?

• Tellmeaboutthemostchallengingsafetyissueyouhavehadtodealwith.What,specifically,madeit

challenging?

• Safetyisnotaone‐personjob.

Givemeanexampleofasitu ationwhenyouwereabletoimprove

safetyon lybecauseyouchosetoinvolveothersinmakingtheimprovement.

• Whatstep shaveyoutakentoimprovesafetyinyourworkgroupord epartment?



Teamwork

Teamworkisaboutworkingcooperativelyandcollaborativelywithdiverse

individuals,teams, work

groupsandacrossorganizationalboundariestoachieveteamandorganizationalgoals.Itincludes

demonstratingrespectforindividualdiff erences(e.g.race,gender,ethnicity,disability,language,

sexualorientation,ageandopinions),valuingtheopinionofothersandinsistingonarespectful

workplace.

• Givemeanexampleofwhen

youworkedcooperativelyaspartofateamtoaccomplishanimportant

goal.Whatwasthegoalorobjectiveandwhatwasyourroleinachievingthisobjective?

• Tellmeaboutasituationwhenyoufounditchallengingtoworkasamemberofateam.Didyoudo

anything

totrytoimprovetheteamenvironment?

• Tellmeaboutarecentteam experiencewhereyouwerenotthelead er,butplayedacriticalrolein

helpingtheteamworktogethertoachieveitsobjectives.

• Pleasegivemeanexampleofasitu ationwhereyouwereleadinga

teamthat hadoneormore

memberswh owereunproductive,unc ooperative,ordidnotse emtowanttosharetheirideasor

opinions.Whatdidyoudo?

• Individualswi thdifferentbackgrounds,values,or beliefsmayapproachsimil arsituationsvery

differently.Pleasegivemean examplethatdemon stratesyourability to

addressconflictbetween

teammemberswithdifferi ngvalues,ideas,andbeliefs.







52

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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

LeadingandDevelopingOthers

LeadingandDevelopingOthersisaboutleading,encouraging,inspiringandsupportingothersto

developconfidenceandcapabilitytohelpthemrealizetheirfullpotential.

• Tellmeaboutasituationwhenyoufeltanemployeewasoverwhelmedorstrugglin g.

• Describewhatstepsyouhavetakenin

yourcurrent orpreviouspositionstodefineandcommunicate

performanceexpectationstoyouremployees.

• Tellmeaboutasituationwhenyouhadtodelegatevariousresponsibilitiestostaff.Whatdidyou

considerwhendecidingwhattodelegatetothem?

• Givemeanexampleofasituationwhenyou

identifiedaskilldeficiencyinasub ordinate.Whatdid

youdo?Howdidyoubringtheskilldeficiencyupwiththeemploye e?

• Whatmethod shaveyouusedinthepasttomotivateanemployeetoachievegreaterresults,assume

moreresp onsibilityorimproveperformance?Please provideexampl esfromaspec ific

situ ation.



Visioning&StrategicThi nking

VisioningandStrategicThinkingisaboutinspiringandguidingotherstowardaclearandunifying

visionofthefuture;supporting,promotingandensuringalignmentwiththecorporation’svisionand

values.

• Whatchanges haveyoumadeinyou rworkareatoalignyourprojectsor

outc omeswiththe

Corporation’soperatingprinciplesorgoals?

• Employeestendtobemore effectivewhentheyunderstandtheimpactoftheirroleonthelarger

organization.Tellmeaboutasitu ationwhenyouwereabletoimproveperformanceormoraleby

explainingthistoanemployeeor workg roup.

• Tellmeaboutasituationwhenyouanticipatedafuturechallengeorneedandmadechangesinyour

areasothatyouwouldbebetterprepared.

• Whatacti onshaveyouundertakeninthepastyeartocommunicate,prom oteandmonitor

commitmenttotheCorporatevisi onwithinyourworkarea?

Howsuccessfuldoyoufeelyou’vebeen?

• Tellmeaboutaprogramorprojectthatyouledoriniti atedinordertosupp ortalarger‐scale

organization algoal.Whatwastheprogramandhowdiditalignwiththeorganizationalgoal?





53



MANITOBAHYDRO2012

SECTION IV



DURING THE

INTER

VIE



StagesoftheEmploymentInterview



ThethreestagesofanEm ployment Intervieware:

1. TheOpening

2. TheInterview

3. TheClosing



TheOpening



Your Goals:

• toformaninitialimpre s si onoftheinterviewer

• toestablishrapportwiththeint ervie wer 

• toadjustyourcommunicationstyl etothepreferenceoftheinterviewer

InterviewerGoals:

• towelcomeyou

• toformaninitialimpre s si onofyourin terpersonalstyleandskills

• to

establishrapportwithyou

• tomovetowardsthebusinessoftheinterview



TheInterview



Competencies,Skills,ExperienceandWorkRecord:



Your Goals:

• tohighlightyou rcompetencies,skills,qualificationsandaccomplishments

• toshowthatyouarethebestcandidateforthejob

• torelatethisinformationtothejobbeingdi scussed

• tosupportyourclaims

• todemonstratethatyouhave

theab il itytocommunicatewell

• todemonstratethatyouhavetheinterpersonalskillstointe ractwellwithother s

InterviewerGoals:

• tomeasurethelevelofyourcompetencies,skillsandknowledge

• todeterminetherelevanceofyourpreviousexperience

• toevaluateincons i st enc ie sonyourrecord

• to

judgehowwellyougetal ongwithothers

• tojudgeyourpotentialperformanceandfit





54



MANITOBAHYDRO2012

Education/TechnicalExpertise:

Your Goals:

• tostressqualificationsofdirectrelevancetothejob

• tostressequivalentexperiencewheneducationislacking



InterviewerGoals:

• todeterminetherelevanceofyoureducationandexperience

• todetermineeducationalperformanceandtestyourdecisionmaking abilitythroughyour

educationalchoices

•

toevaluatedepthofrelevantknowledgeandunderstandingobtained



CareerGoals:

Your Goals:

• toshowthatyouhaveadevelopedcareerplan

• toexpressyourgoalsclearlyandrelatethemtothejobbein gdiscussed

InterviewerGoals:

• toassessyourcareergoals(i.e.thatyouhave

careergoalsandareabletoexpressthem)

• toseewhatkindofmotivationyouwouldbringtothejob

• toexamin epossibleinconsistenciesinyourobjectives



Personal:

Your Goals:

• todemonstratepersonalfitwiththeorganization

• toremaincalmunderthestressofthe

interview

• toemphasizeotheractivities (extra‐curricular)thatdemonstratenecessaryqualitiesforthisjob

InterviewerGoals:

• toseehowyouhandleyourselfunderstress

• toidentify potentialproblemsin yourselfmanagementskills



YourQuestions:

Your Goals:

• todemonstratethescopeofyourknowledgeabout

theorganizationandtheposition

• todemonstrateyourint erestinthejob

• togetaddi tionalinform ationaboutthejobandworkingconditions

InterviewerGoals:

• todetermine your interestinandknowledge ofthe

osi

tio



• tomakethepositionappearattractiveto



•

toexplaintheworktobe

med





55

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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

TheClosing 



Your Goals:



• tomakesurethatyou havemadeallthepointsthatwereimportantforyouto

communicate to

e



• tomakeastrongclosingstatementtoconclu de the



• tofindoutwhen youcanexpecttohearadecision ontheoutcome ofthe



InterviewerGoals:

• tomakecertainthatallofthenecessaryinformationhasbeenaddressed

• toindicatetothecandidatewh entoex pe cttohearadecisionontheoutcomeoftheinterview



TipsforaGreatInterview!



• Thinkbeforeyouanswer,pauseand organizeyourthoughts.Behaviourdescriptionquestionsoften

requireyoutopauseandthinkofanexampletorela te.Theinterviewerwillexpectyoutotake

sometimetorespond—itisnotviewedasanegativethingtogiveyourselftimetothink.



• Yesandnoanswersareusuallynotsufficient—respondmorefully—whereverpossibleback‐up

answerswithexamples.

• Askforclarificationifyoudonotunderstandaquestionorrestatethequestioninyourownwords

toensureyouhaveunderstoodit.

• Payattentionto

yournon‐verbalcommunication—trynottofidget ,oractnervous.

• Trytolookdirectlyattheinterviewerwhenresponding.

• Keepyourselfinapositiveframeofmind.Bepreparedtodiscussjobrelatedtopics.

• Lettheintervie wersetthepaceoftheinterview.

• Answertruthfully.



• Maintaineyecontact.

• SMILE.

• Neversayanythingnegativeaboutyourselforyourcurrent/previousmanagers.

• Bepolitetoeveryoneyoumeetthere.Th eyallcount.

• Donotassumetheinterviewerknowshowtoelicittheinformationhe/sheislookingfor.

• Shakehandswiththeinterviewer

andthankhim/herfortheirtime.





56

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MANITOBAHYDRO2012

TypicalPitfallstoWatchforDuringanInterview



The process of effectively presenting yourself in employment interviews involves practice in

behavioursthatconfirmyouarethebestcandidateforthejobandeliminatingsomeoftheclassic

blundersthatcangetintheway.



Interviewerslistthefollowingitemsasnegativeswhenevaluatingjobcandidates:



• Being

latefortheinterview.

• Chewinggum.

• Ramblingresponsestoquest ions;inabilitytoexpressthoughtsclearlyandconcisely.

• Talkingingeneralitiesinsteadofprovidingconcreteexamplesinresponsetoquestions.

• Possessinga“knowitall”attitude;nothavingabalancedviewofone’sstrengthsandweaknesses.

• Displaying

anattitudethatsuggestsnoenthusiasmormotivationforthejobbeingofferedandfor

pastjobs.

• Offeringcriticismofone’sformeremployerandpossessingablamingattitudetowardsothersand

circumstancesoverall;lackofselfresponsibility.

• Demonstratinganoveremphasisonsalary andperkswithonlyminimalinterest

injobcontent.

• Undersellingone’sabilitiesandaccomplishmentsandprovidingonlybriefresponsestoquestions.

• Notmakingtheefforttolearnaboutthejobrequirementsor themainactivitiesoftheworkgroup

priortotheinterview.

• Feelingdistractedduetoextremenervousnessdisplayedbythecandidate—

pooreyecontact,

fidgeting,rigidposture,rockingmotions,nailtapping,etc.

• Demonstratingpoorlisteningskills.

• Interruptingwhentheintervieweristalking.

• Bringinguppersonalproblemsorirrelevantinformation.

• Demonstratingapoortoleranceforfrustration,appearingannoyedbysomeofthequestions,losing

one’stemperduringthe

interview.

• Makingderogatoryremarksaboutanothercandidateforthesamejob.

• Appearingtobeveryindecisiveandlackinginproblemsolvingordecisionmakingcapabilities.

• Mumblingormonotonevoice.

• Demonstratingalackofpersonalcourtesy.

• Sharinginformationfrompreviousemploymentexperiencethatwouldbeclassifiedas

confidential

totheemployer.

• Usingpoorgrammarorswearwords.

• Losingyourcomposureifyoudonotknowtheanswertosome questions.





57



MANITOBAHYDRO2012

SECTION V



AFTER THE

INTER

VIE



The

JobInterviewReview



Well,you havehadtheinterview.How diditgo?How doyouthinkyou

did?



• Ifajobofferismade,acceptwithinthetimeframespecified.Besurethatagreementhasbeen

reachedintermsofsalaryexpectationsandstartdate.Ifyouareunsureaboutacceptingthe

positionaskyourselfthefollowingquestions:

o Doyouwantthejob?

o Doesthe

positioninterestyou?Areyouwillingtomakethechange?

o Whatareyourimpressionsofthesupervisor’sstyle?Doesitfitwithyourpreferredwaysof

working?

o Willthepositionprovideanopportunityforcontinuedskilldevelopment?

o Aretheworkdemands,travelrequirements,etc.acceptablegivenyour

lifestyle?

o Ifyouarehavingadifficulttimeansweringyestoanyoftheabovequestions:

o Makeamentalorwrittenlistofwhatyouwouldgainfrommovingtothenewjoband

whatyoumightlose.Thismighthelpyoureachadecision.



• Ifyou

decidetoturndownajoboffer,betactfulandexpressappreciationfortheofferandin terest

showntoyou.Thisdemonstratesgoodpublicrelationsandcouldproveusefulinfuturecontacts.



• Ifyouwerenotthesuccessfulcandidateforthejob,requestfeedbackfromtheintervi ewer(s)

about

yourperformanceduringtheinterview,askforsuggestionstoimproveyourpresentationand

developmoreskillstobemorecompetitiveforsimilarpositionsinthefuture.Treattheprocessasa

positivelearningexperience.Infact,youmayhavebeenratedquitewell,butnotaswellasthe

selected

candidate.



Youmaywanttoaskyourselfthefollowingquestions:

• Didyouanswertheinterviewquestionsinamannerthatstressedyourabilities,yourwillingnessto

workandyoursuitabilityfortheposition?

• Didyoucoveralltheimportantpointsthatyouhadplannedinadvance?

• Did

youanswertruthfully?

• Doyourememberthequestionsyouwereaskedandyourresponses?Writethemdown,especially

thosethatproveddifficulttoanswersothatyoucanrehearsethembeforeotherinterviews.

• Whatcouldyouimproveoninfutureinterviews?



Everyinterviewisalearningexperience.

Useeachinterviewasabuildingblockforthenextone.

Youmaygothoughmanyinterviewsbeforeyouwiththerightjob.

before you connect with the right

job

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58

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MANITOBAHYDRO2012