behavioral_interviews

Behavioral Interviews

Article courtesy of InterviewConcepts.com

To get a handle on how you have performed in previous roles, recruiters will often
ask "behavioral interview questions", which ask you to relate a specific
experience based on the criteria set by the interviewer. (An example would be,
"Tell me about a time when you handled a difficult situation with a peer.")

To successfully answer behavioral interview questions (as well as most other
interview questions), you must be prepared to speak in concise terms about
relevant experiences that reflect positively on your skills and your character.

I suggest that you create a written inventory of you successes and
accomplishments. You will not give this list to employers, but you will use it
extensively in preparing for your interviews.

Creating inventory

In creating this inventory, don't limit yourself to experiences at your last job or
position. You should consider your volunteer experiences, your activities and
hobbies. Even include jobs held years ago or just for short periods of time if they
are relevant to the position you are currently interviewing for. In some cases, it is
appropriate to include experiences from your personal life.

Many of these successes will already appear on your resume - especially if your
resume is not just a list of your previous job duties, but also includes your
accomplishments, projects you initiated or positive changes you made while on the
job.

But don't limit yourself to the items that appear on your resume, either. Take some
time to reflect on each job or activity you have engaged in over the previous
several years, and try to pinpoint those times that you produced a positive result
or were challenged by difficult circumstances.

Qualities to convey to the company

As you enter items onto your list, write about how each situation reflects
positively on the skills and qualities you want to convey to a company. The most
effective items will be those that reflect the skills necessary for the job at hand, as
well as the personal characteristics that most employers seek. What is the
interviewer looking for? The ability to work as part of a team; leadership ability;
high level of motivation; ability to work under stress, positive attitude; ability to
solve problems; ability to deal with adversity, to create new workable solutions;
etc.).

Quantifiable results

Write down dates, names, quantities or measurements of success and other
details that will convey the situation to the interviewer. If you improved a
maintenance readiness rate by 15%, be prepared for specific numbers to offer in
the interview. Maybe you implemented a program that saved $25,000 on an
ongoing basis. You may have to ballpark some of these numbers, but do so with
your best possible guess to bring validity to your accomplishments.

Inventory of success

Having generated an inventory of your successes, you should review the items
on this catalogue and then list your five or six greatest strengths. Under each
strength, list several key examples that demonstrate that skill or characteristic.
This will provide you with a sense of the main points you would like to make in any
interview situation.