Job Hunting and the Behavioral Interview

When you go on a trip to an unknown place, you do not just jump in the car and start driving. First, you research the area, the hotels, the entertainment, and very likely check the road map if you are driving. Preparing for a behavioral based interview requires the same level of scrutiny. Before you go for the interview, learn what the position entails, the functions performed, and skills that are required. If possible, ask for the job description prior to the interview and be certain that you possess the necessary skills. Many online career sites (like Monster and Career Builder) provide extensive information about the skills, education and responsibilities of a particular position.

Once you know what the job entails, take inventory of your past skills and experiences. Match professional and personal successes with those required in the position for which you are interviewing. If you go into a behavioral based job interview well prepared, you can capitalize on your strengths and respond with "personal stories" to illustrate that you have the right qualifications to be successful working for the organization.

Consider developing a portable job skills document like the sample below. This allows you to highlight your most positive attributes and present them in a simple format that can be perused quickly by the interviewer during the job interview. If you feel the interview is going well leave a copy of it with the interviewer.

List three columns: Previous Experience, Features, and Benefits:
- Previous Experience - Communications Skills
- Features - Copywriting, Media Relations, Advertisings, Sales Training and Development
- Benefits - Brochures, Newsletters, Press Releases, Script Writing, Employee Training

Next, list three more columns: Portable Job Skills, Features, and Benefits:
- Portable Job Skills - Writing Skills
- Features - Strong Creative and Technical Writing
- Benefits - Media Relations, Publications, Advertising, etc.

Finally, you will want to include a single column for personality traits.
List things in this column that describe your positive personality traits and those that equate to a strong employee if you are chosen for the job: use words like loyal, analytical, creative, dependable, flexible, etc. Jobs can be challenging and, at times, having a good sense of humor may make you a more valued employee. However, be cautious in the phrasing you choose for this job trait. You do not want to send a message that you might take yourself too seriously or the job too lightly.

Develop and rehearse brief scenarios about how you used certain skills in a previous job, with each scenario illustrating a specific activity or task required by the job for which you are interviewing. Each scenario should explain the problem and your solution, as well as describe the benefit the company derived. Behavioral interviewers are looking for quantified terms and will be more impressed if you quantify your success. If you need help understanding quantifiable terms, visit http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/rrb/overview.html for an in-depth explanation. Do not shy away from citing examples that were part of the training process. Drawing on these can help you in preparing examples for your behavioral interview of occasions when results were different from the ones you desired or expected. Example: a product survey produced undesirable responses. However, the project was a success because the survey provided critical information that affected the marketing and branding efforts of the company in a positive way. Always remember that the behavioral interviewer will probe your skill in handling failure as well as success, and follow-up questions will likely solicit more details from you than you initially provided.

Identify Your Selling Points for Each Position

Every position that you apply for will have its own unique requirements. What skills and attributes do you possess that set you apart from other candidates?

Body language tells a story as well, so pay attention to your body language and behavior. A few things that behavioral interviewers look for are: alertness, assertiveness, confrontational, ability to clarify a point or position, creativity, management skills, how well you deal with ambiguity, follow-through, leadership skills, decision making skills, how focused you are, communication skills, goal-setting and time management skills, listening, problem-solving, team member attitude, and organization and planning.

When preparing for a behavioral interview, always include an unsuccessful example for things most employees will find themselves confronted with. Then work on that story by asking a friend or family member to listen to your response until you feel comfortable with your presentation and can present it from a position of strength. Was there a time when you learned a hard lesson? Did the challenge result in saving or making the company money, did it bring about positive change, or was it a catalyst that increased employee moral? Think about the impression you can make by turning a negative into a positive. "My mistake delayed the project by several days, causing me to miss a deadline. Thankfully, it was not a critical deadline and it motivated me to investigate and develop a project management system which allows input from everyone and minimizes the chance of that happening again." Remember that when an employee has a good attitude, mistakes can help you learn and turning a negative experience into a positive one is a desirable trait. Be forewarned that telling the behavioral interviewer that you really cannot think of any mistakes that you made on your previous jobs will likely result in a brief interview or a sudden conclusion to your interview. Moreover, you should not expect a second interview!

As more and more companies adopt behavioral interviews as an effective way of identifying and placing the best candidate in an open position, you must understand and prepare for the behavioral interview. Preparedness can make the difference in getting that dream job or having to settle for another mediocre position.