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Prepare for
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It goes beyond just looking at the candidate's educational and work history to determine the right fit, asking the candidate for specific examples of past behavior as they relate to the job requirements. The behavioral interview is based on the logic that past behavior predicts future behavior. |
If the job requires a person to be able to analyze and find solutions to problems the interviewer will ask the candidate to provide an example of when they previously displayed that behavior.
"Tell me about a problem you uncovered in your previous job. What steps did you take to sort it out?"
It is often difficult to think of good examples within the time constraints and stressful context of a job interview.
Know which behaviors (sometimes referred to as competencies) are required in the position by reviewing the job description and requirements.
Looking back at your past jobs, prepare good examples using the following technique:
- Describe the specific situation or task you were involved in
- Detail the action and steps you took in the situation
- Outline the results and outcome of your actions. What happened, what was accomplished, what did you learn
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Listen carefully to the questions asked and, if need be, ask for further clarification. Answer with an appropriate and specific example. Often the Interviewer will ask follow-up questions to get more information, " Tell me why you did that" "Take me through your decision process" " How did you feel about that" so it is essential to have a complete, actual example to draw on. |
Click on the list of Common Behavioral Questions & Answers above to help you frame your own examples.
Keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers, it is an attempt to see how you behaved in a given situation. It is not possible to fabricate an example. The Interviewer's in-depth probing will quickly expose this.
Examples can be taken from any context as long as they clearly detail the required behavior.
Click on the specific job interview guides to review a list of behavioral questions relevant to each particular job with guidelines on how to prepare your best answers.
Typical management interview questions can be found at the manager interview questions and answers guide.
Use these expert behavioral job interview tips to give you the confidence that you know how to handle this type of interview. Be prepared for success in the Behavioral Interview!
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