- Demonstrate enthusiasm and potential.
- Tell vivid stories.
- Exude confidence.
- Be prepared.
- Sell yourself
- Come across as a real and genuine person.
- Listen intently.
- Show you can solve problems.
- Be interesting.
- Know things about the organization.
- Know yourself.
Besides the points mentioned above, you must also prepare to answer behavior-based interview questions. They are among the most unpredictable. There are literally hundreds of questions which can be asked. Although the wording will differ, in essence they will begin with, "Tell me about a time when…," While most of the questions will allow you to speak of positive experiences, you will also receive numerous questions that will require you to discuss negative or less positive experiences. You are not being singled out. This is simply part of the process. Virtually everyone will be asked the same questions, including the difficult ones.
The following questions are a sampling of behavior-based questions. Not all behavior-based questions begin with "Tell me about a time when.../' but I'm using that phrase as a convenient way to introduce to you the types of questions you can expect.
Tell me about a time when you:
- achieved a great deal in a short amount of time.
- were disappointed in your performance.
- made a major sacrifice to achieve a work goal.
- were unwilling to make the necessary sacrifice to achieve a goal.
- worked effectively under a great deal of pressure.
- didn't handle a stressful situation very well.
- really got angry over a situation at work.
- felt under a great deal of pressure from an internal or external customer.
- were really bothered by the actions of a coworker.
- were especially creative in solving a problem.
- were not as creative as usual.
- organized or planned an event that was very successful.
- planned and coordinated a project that was very successful.
- were unable to complete a project on schedule despite your best efforts.
- really had to remain flexible.
- had to deal with a personality conflict with a boss or co-worker.
- were unable to sell your idea to a key person.
- felt really good about a decision you made and the process you went through.
- were very effective in your problem solving ability.
- used facts and reason to persuade someone to accept your recommendation.
- utilized your leadership ability to gain support for what initially had strong opposition.
- were able to build team spirit during a time of low morale.
- were able to gain commitment from others to really work as a team.
- used your political savvy to push through a program you believed in.
- were particularly perceptive regarding a person's or group's feelings and needs.
- were able to predict someone's behavior or response based on your assessment of him or her.
- were particularly supportive and reassuring to a person
- who needed a friend.
- built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions.
- wrote a report which was well received by others.
- were particularly effective at prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.
- identified potential problems and resolved the situation before the problems became serious.
- were highly motivated and your example inspired others.
- found it necessary to tactfully but forcefully say things others did not want to hear.
- were particularly effective in a talk you gave or in a seminar you taught.
- had to make an important decision quickly even though you did not have all the information you wanted.
- had to make a decision you knew would be unpopular.
- were in a situation when events and circumstances changed rapidly.
Because these questions can be so difficult, the best preparation is to simply recall dozens of different experiences that you have had, both positive and negative. These experiences need not be major events in your life. They may be experiences that started and ended in five minutes or five days. The best way to recall experiences is to begin with your current job. Just let experiences flow through your mind and as they do, quickly jot down a key word or two so you'll know which experience you're referring to. Pause just long enough to visualize it in your mind for a few seconds.
If this seems like a lot of effort, it is, but if you've ever been in a behavior-based interview and were not able to come up with an example, you'll understand why this process is important.
Be Ready For Anything
An employer can take any quality or characteristic and turn it into a question by asking whether you are analytical, intuitive, genuine, easy to work with, assertive, aggressive, decisive, etc. Reviewing the questions below can also help you get ready. As with the most commonly asked questions, write out each question and then list the points you would want to make, almost in an outline form.
- Can you establish effective methods and procedures?
- Describe a typical work day.
- Can you establish long-term relations with customers (vendors)?
- Can you quickly establish rapport with people?
- Can you handle working with people with big egos?
- We need people who are detail-oriented.
- We have some very difficult and demanding customers. Can you handle that?
- We need someone who is resourceful.
- What personal areas are you working on? (similar to greatest weakness)
- How do you resolve conflicts?
- What project that you worked on has been most helpful in your personal growth?
- What was the most useful criticism you ever received?
- What is the most important lesson you've learned in the last 10 years?
- Describe a time you had a leadership role. How did you gain it and why did you take it on?
- What has been your greatest challenge?
- Describe a stressful time when you performed well.
- Describe the type of stress that hurts your efforts and the type that helps. Give me examples.
- Describe a team project where you are proud of the team's result, as well as your personal contribution.
- Describe a difficult decision you've made, and the process you went through to reach that decision.
- What is the biggest change you've made in your life in the last 10 years?
- Walk me through a project when you demonstrated (human relations) skills.
- In hindsight most of us can think of some things we wish we had done differently. What are some things you would have done differently, and what did you learn from them?
- Give me three qualities that are really helping you get ahead, and three qualities you must work on if you are going to achieve your career goals.
- If you won a $5 million lottery today, what would you be doing a year from now?
- Describe a time when you were rejected or an idea was rejected. How did you handle it?
- What is your feeling about job quotas (or any controversial subject such as abortion or gay rights)?
- Are you tolerant of people with opinions and values different from yours?
