Little Canada Interview

Little Canada process

"There's always an artist at the heart of these projects," says Tschudi. In the case of Little Canada, there are 50. After architect Dave Domansky provides the initial layouts of the towns and cities, Brenninkmeijer says they are filled in and brought to life by a team of model makers, scenic artists, mechatronics and animation specialists.

Little Canada

Our vision is to entertain our guests with a magical journey of discovery through Canada in miniature, that will be amazing, exciting, and meaningful for all ages. Our mission is to evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity about Canada. To make you feel at home, welcomed, cared for, and connected to Canada. Little Canada is a vast, highly detailed and animated journey through Canada in miniature. This permanent attraction opened in summer 2021 in the heart of downtown Toronto, in a 50,000 square foot facility. Our goal is to be a top 10 attraction in Toronto, with anticipated attendance of over 500,000/year.

Little Canada Values

We create to amaze! - the astonishment of our guests is our inspiration We're naturally curious - we're eager to learn We are family - we support each other We're better together - we bring out the extraordinary in each other We're serious about fun - like any self-respecting Canadian, we don't take ourselves too seriously

Questions to Ask

What does success look like for this role? Is this a new position? What do you personally like most about working for this organisation? (i know you've only been working there for four months) What does a typical day look like for someone in this position? What new initiatives or projects are on the horizon for the organisation?

What interested you about this job post/job? Why did you apply for this position? Why do you want to work here?

When I came across the job description I noticed similarities between my prior experience and what I am interested in learning more about. I am interested in having the opportunity to expand my skills and experience in social media, communications and marketing and I enjoy that this role involves a variety of assignments in these areas. Also while researching the company and reading the job description Little Canada seems to have a great family-oriented culture that is also diverse and inclusive I would love to be a part of. Lastly, I feel that my prior experience would be beneficial, specifically my social media experience and learning the importance of analytics, what works best on each platform, and leveraging trends and new features.

What do you know about our company or organization? (talk about recent social media stuff, news etc)

- Founded by Jean Louis Brenninkmeijer - This particular vision of Canada began forming when Brenninkmeijer, now 60, first moved here for a two-year work commitment in 1999. - the idea for the animated mini replica of the nation's familiar sites came from displays he'd seen while growing up in Europe. - opened in summer 2021 - he has now devoted more than a decade designing and building Little Canada to share this love with others. - There are 50 artists involved in these projects, model makers, scenic artists, animation specialists

Tell me about yourself

- I completed my undergrad at York University in Communication Studies and then continued my studies at Centennial College for Professional Writing. - I've spent the past year developing my skills in writing, social media strategy, and visual design in my roles at Girl Gang Strong and Life Works Well. - In my previous roles, I've really learned the importance of staying on top of trends and analyzing data and metrics to inform your strategy. - I enjoy finding creative ways to tell a story, or connect with an audience. - During my role at Girl Gang Strong I helped develop the Girl Gang Love series recognizing girls in the community and pitched the idea of a Big Sister Q&A live to answer questions on topics important to young girls.

What i love about Little Canada

- I love that it's not just showing the famous attractions and landmarks but it's also showing the daily lives of Canadians

Founder

- Jean Louis Brenninkmeijer - This particular vision of Canada began forming when Brenninkmeijer, now 60, first moved here for a two-year work commitment in 1999. Before then, he had only experienced snow on a ski holiday, he'd never heard of Wayne Gretzky, and had only read about the famous niceness of Canadians. Started back in 2011. - he has now devoted more than a decade designing and building Little Canada to share this love with others. - And he has devoted not just time, but a lot of money too. Much of the initial $24 million investment came from Brenninkmeijer's personal finances - What he really wants is for every visitor to leave having learned something new about the country — or just like a real road trip, take a moment to step away from the stress of everyday life and get out to see our nation.

What do you know about our company or organization? (talk about recent social media stuff, news etc) 2

- Little Known facts - POV's staying in Little Chateau Laurier

Ideas for Social Media

- Photo/Video Scavenger Hunt Challenge where contestants can take pictures of all kinds of Canadian things e.g. food, maple leaf etc. make creative videos, - TikTok challenges -> (like easter egg) Hide certain things in Little Canada and have visitors find them and share on social media. - Tik Tok Challenges quizzing them on Canadian history, facts etc Get people to find certain things in Little Canada People to film videos sharing them say the name of Canadian things in French - Canadian facts trivia etc - Behind the scenes - How to's / teaching / workshops

Little Canada 2

GIANT Adventures await at Little Canada. Little Canada takes you on a journey of discovery from the moment you enter, a place where you'll lose yourself in our country's captivating vistas, famous landmarks, iconic cityscapes and little stories in miniature scale. Our mission is to evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity about Canada. Little Canada is a celebration of Canada and all that makes this country so great, shrunk into a 90 minute experience, a place for residents and visitors alike to experience Canada and all that it has to offer. All under one roof. For launch in the summer of 2021, we opened with our first six destinations; Little Niagara, Little Golden Horseshoe, Little Toronto, Little Ottawa, Petit Québec with our sixth destination, Little North, under construction. Every year or two after, we will launch a new destination until our journey reaches across the country, coast-to-coast-to coast. From the border, through the Rockies. From the East Coast and up to the North, a new landscape to explore is around every corner - it's an experience for all ages.

Talk about an accomplishment

Girl Gang Love Series - Started on Twitter as a series to recognize young girls doing great things in their community, each month I'd choose 5 girls to focus on and share their accomplishments and work. This later developed into blog series only one girl is published so far. Welcome Series- I developed the content and design for the welcome series that are sent to new subscribers of the subscription box. I created three emails, Girl Gang Strong's story, their products + testimonials, and our resources Launch of the Celebration Box- I developed the messaging and positioning for the launch of the Celebration Box which was a box of curated items young girls can use when celebrating their birthdays or as loot bags. Blog - Increased traffic to the blog post using SEO keywords

Phone Interview Tips

Hi this is Mohini How are you? -> I'm doing great, excited to learn more about Little Canada & the position, How's your day going so far?

Are you currently interviewing with other companies?

I feel this job fits what I'm looking for and aligns with my skill set. However, I'm interviewing with two other employers.

What are you passionate about? / What Motivates You?

I love connecting with people, whether it's helping young girls develop their confidence or helping HR professionals make a difference in the workplace. At Little Canada there's opportunities to do this in many ways through a shared love of Canada.

5. Describe What You Do in Your Current Role.

I manage Life Works Well social media channels, I send out newsletters on Mailchimp Write blog posts Edit & Upload mentor circles Other tasks such as creating resources for our website

What are your salary expectations?

I'd like to hear more about the details of the role I've been doing some research on the market for the role of Social Media Coordinator. What I found from LinkedIn's salary tool is that here in Toronto base pay for these jobs tends to run between 45,000/yr as I would be considered entry level 40,000 - 45,000

9. When are you available to start?

I'm available to start two weeks after I receive a job offer. This would allow me to give my current employer enough notice and prepare for the new role."

What are you looking for in your next position? Why do you want this job? Why are you looking for a new opportunity Why are you leaving your current role?

I'm grateful I learned a lot in my current role but I'm looking to develop new skills and I'm looking for a position that involves different job responsibilities and a collaborative team environment. My last two positions were with small businesses who were both working remotely.

Tell me about your experience that relates to this role What would you bring to the team that makes you the right fit for this role? Why are you the best candidate for this position?

In my roles at GGS & LWW, I've gained valuable experience in creating content that resonates with an audience, monitoring KPI's and staying on top of trends. AT GGS I was also able to gain some skills in outreach to interview girls for our Girl Gang Love series. I've volunteered at Harbourfront Centre as an activity assistant working during their summer festivals. I loved connecting with the kids I met and learning about what they loved about Canada. I also embody Little Canada's value of curiosity and being eager to learn. At Life Works Well I've learned a lot about the role of HR and the importance of culture in an organization. I aim to use my skills to spread Little Canada's vision, and help achieve their goal of being a top 10 attraction and an attendance of 500,000 a year.