Behavioral interviews are super tricky. They are designed to allow someone who has never seen you work to evaluate your work. That's not easy to do. Nor are they easy to answer. But this great article from Career Sherpa will help you be more prepared for them, and preparation often equals performance.
Excerpt From: Career Sherpa
Interviews are less stressful if you have some idea of what questions you’ll be asked. Since behavioral interview questions have become quite popular over the years, you can expect some to be thrown your way.
Read this guide to learn more about behavioral interview questions, get a list of the most common questions employers ask, and see some sample behavioral interview questions and answers to help you visualize the process. Plus get actionable tips on how to prepare and respond when you’re asked to give examples of how you handle situations at work.
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What Are Behavioral Interview Questions?
When a recruiter or hiring manager asks questions during a job interview, it’s likely they will ask you to tell them about a time when you…
These types of questions are referred to as behavioral interview questions because they help the interviewer understand and evaluate your behavior, as well as your skills.
Imagine trying to evaluate someone’s skills without actually seeing the work being performed. That’s the challenge recruiters face when selecting candidates for a job. The next best thing is to ask you to describe how you’ve solved a problem.
Behavioral questions are designed to help interviewers learn how you would respond to a specific situation and how you solve problems to achieve successful results.
Behavioral interview questions require the candidate to explain how you resolved an issue, solved a problem, or fixed something. Embedded within each answer are the human drivers or qualities that show why you took the actions you did. It’s like a small peek into what motivates you.
Here’s what you know:
You and your co-workers approached tasks differently. Imagine you were both interviewing for the same job. Your titles and work would look the same, but how you performed the job would come across differently during the job interview. Those are the subtle differences interviewers hope to discover from asking behavioral interview questions. And your unique style of getting work done is exactly what you want to emphasize during the interview. Clearly and concisely.
Behavioral interview answers are the proof or evidence of your soft skills as well as your ability to do the job.
Start today by recalling situations that show future employers you have what they are looking for, especially specific examples that highlight: productivity, leadership, teamwork, initiative, planning, flexibility/adaptability and interpersonal skills.
When practicing how to answer behavioral interview questions, you don’t need to prepare thousands of possible responses. Instead, think about the skills and behaviors your future employer needs. Some of the skills and behaviors are fairly common and would apply to almost any position with any company. Just look at the job description to see which skills are being requested.
Here are common categories you can prepare for during your upcoming interview:
Career/Experience
Motivation/Self Awareness
Conflict/Stress
Creativity
Adaptability/Flexibility
Problem Solving/Decision Making
Planning/Organizing
Leadership/Teamwork
Presentation/Communication
Follow Through
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