The most difficult questions you'll encounter in a job interview are the commonly asked behavioral or situational interview questions. The interviewer uses a probing style to ask questions seeking very specific examples. They often start out with, "Tell me about a time ... " or "Describe ... ", or "Give me an example ... " The interviewer is looking for details of your past abilities and specific work performance. He or she rates each response to determine how well you reacted to these situations in the past, and to predict your future performance with their company. These situational questions are thought-provoking and you should consider your answers carefully. The interviewer likely will take notes on each answer, and may continue the line of questioning for specifics: specific details, specific illustrations.
There are three key components to successfully answering interview questions:
" being well-prepared in advance of your appointment
" giving short, concise, specific answers that never exceed 60 seconds
" demonstrating your ability to perform the job
My clients say these behavioral or situational questions are the hardest type of interview questions, especially if you are not ready for them. You don't want make a fatal error by offering something vague and poorly phrased that might hurt your candidacy. You're unlikely to know in advance who will use this format, so be prepared with concise, detailed examples of your experience that will impress any interviewer with your capabilities. Typically, human resource personnel and recruiters are the ones most likely to use this style. More and more college students are being asked these types of questions, but so are managers, senior executives, professionals and administrative staff. Everyone can expect to be asked situational interview questions at some point in their job search. A Human Resource Manager at a Fortune 500 company explained it this way, "We are so worried about lawsuits, we now instruct ALL of our managers and HR people to ask only work-related questions that require specific examples. Every interviewee gets the same set of questions designed to evaluate their skills to perform that specific job, based on the examples they give us."
More tips on how to effectively answer these kinds of questions:
" Review anticipated questions beforehand and jot down your answers before the interview starts. In the book "60 Seconds & You're Hired!" you'll find answers to many of the hardest and trickiest questions interviews may ask.
" Give answers that encourage a conversation and the exchange of information. Don't babble! Demonstrate your self-confidence and retain their interest with brief, focused answers.
" Offer a specific example of how you've successfully operated in the past. Employers want assurances you'll be able to do the job. Offer explanations that include examples of how you solved a problem, saved money, or added to the bottom line. It's wise to have specific examples to illustrate positive results you've achieved, whether it's reorganizing the filing system or trimming production costs through a process change. Examples can also include the results of volunteer jobs and activities outside the typical work environment. These are skills you have acquired and perfected, and that you will use on the new job.
" Use descriptive words that paint a picture of how well you've performed the task in the past. For example: "I initiated and assembled a task force to address the problem of declining sales revenues in our Spokane branch. The group recommended changes in marketing approach which resulted in a 15% increase in sales the first six months of the new program."
" Impress the prospective employer. Include comments about how willing you are to take on new tasks as needed. Emphasizing your willingness to learn new skills in order to be a value-added asset, and keeping the company's needs in the forefront, will make you a very appealing candidate to the prospective employer.
Copyright 2007 Robin Ryan. All rights reserved.
