Job seekers aren’t the only ones taught to prepare for upcoming interviews. Employers also have experts in their ears telling them how to properly question a candidate to get the most important information. They want to hire the best possible person for the job, so one of the current trends in interviewing tries to get to the heart of why employees make certain decisions. They’re called behavioral interview questions. The most important thing to know about them as a candidate is they often begin with a phrase such as, “Can you tell me about.” Here are some things to consider when answering.
Consider the Common Categories
There are a variety of categories that companies will select when it comes to behavioral questions. They may ask you about mistakes you made or a problem you had to solve. They may ask you about a disagreement with a co-worker or manager. They may also ask you about your successes.
Prepare Some Stories to Tell
The way humans interact with one another is through story. So, don’t just recite the facts about these situations. Tell them a story. You can discuss the answers to this question by creating a narrative. Tell them how the situation started, how you handled yourself, and what you did when it was over.
Situation, Task, Action, Result
One such strategy is the STAR method. It stands for situation, task, action, and result. It will be easier to keep track of the aspects of your story if you keep these in mind. Begin by describing the situation. Talk about the task or obstacle that made it difficult, the action you took, and the end result.
Be Honest
Finally, regardless of the interview questions you’ve been asked, be sure to stay honest with your answers. It can be tempting to embellish situations to make yourself seem more accomplished or demonstrate a success, but these kinds of exaggerations can catch up with you throughout your career. Being genuine is much more important.
Are you prepared to answer behavioral interview questions in your job search? Contact Harvard Resource Solutions, now hiring for jobs in Southeast MI.
