What To Prepare For When Dealing With Behavioral Interview Questions
Behavioral interview questions are fast gaining popularity. You must be ready to respond to them effectively if you want to snatch that job. What is a behavioral interview anyway? This technique is unlike your traditional job interviews where the interviewer asks hypothetical questions. In a behavioral interview, the employer tries to predict your future performance by asking you questions on how you behaved in the past. You will be asked to give specific examples, sometimes even the exact time the behavior happened. As such, this technique is more objective than your traditional job interviews.
The requirements of a behavioral interview have to be specific with your answers. You will be as detailed as the name of the project you were working at, the objectives of the project, the contributions you made and the problems you encountered. In this setting, you can't get away with broad answers. It is but important that you are prepared to deal with behavioral interview questions and answers.
The trick is to be aware of behavioural interview questions that may be hurled at you. This way, you'll know what to prepare for. A common behavioral interview question is one that asks you to describe a situation where you succeeded at persuading someone to see things your way, or to act the way you wish them to. You will be asked to describe a highly stressful situation you encountered and the coping mechanisms you used (if any). You will also be asked to name one goal you set for yourself in the past and how you successfully attained it. Or the question can be as detailed as asking you to name a specific document you were required to write.
You must be getting the picture now. But it does not stop here. A behavioral interview can be painstaking. There is more in the list of possible behavioral based interview questions-Name a situation when you were faced with too many tasks and were forced to prioritize; Tell me about a conflict you encountered and how you tried to resolve it; Name a complex problem you had to solve using your own initiative and logic; Tell me about a situation where you had to go beyond your call of duty just so you can get a job done; Tell me about a policy you strongly disagree with but were forced to follow; Tell me about a time when you succeeded at motivating your coworkers; Describe a time when you tried to accomplish something but failed; Tell me about a time when you accurately predicted a problem and made the necessary preventive measures; Describe a situation where you had to deal with a very demanding client; Tell me about a time when you had to decide on something that your co-workers did not agree with; Describe a situation where you had to make a crucial last minute decision; Tell me a bout a time when you made a mistake with grave consequences; and many more. You must realize by now how demanding a behavioral interview can get. By now, you should already start recalling al the exemplary situations you had to deal with in your past jobs. Use the example questions stated as your guide. After reading the above, you should be well prepared in what to expect from a behavioral interview question. So learn and be prepared!
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