Saturday 26 May 2018

Your Dream Job Can Hinge On How Well You Answer Behavioral Interview Questions

By Stephanie Fisher


Everybody dreads job interviews. They are almost always awkward and stressful. The applicants who are most successful at interviewing prepare carefully for them. They research the company and find out what kind of employee the company is looking for. This way they can be ready to answer the behavioral interview questions everyone has come to expect.

There are certain subjects you expect every interviewer to quiz you about. One of them involves stress. Saying that you're immune to stress is a lie, and the interviewer will know it. It is much better to admit that you get stressed just like everybody else, and then relate an experience that illustrates how well you handle it. Explaining that you try to learn something from every experience and how it can make you a more productive employee will be effective.

You might be asked how you handle challenges in the workplace. Your answer will depend on what kind of job you're interviewing for. If it is one where challenges are best met with measured and methodical responses, relay a story of an experience you had where you responded in this way. If the job demands someone who dives right in and isn't afraid to take chances, frame your answer to reflect that.

One of the most common questions asked concerns workplace mistakes. You can't say you've never made a mistake, but you can put a positive spin on the answer you give. By asking this question the interviewer hopes to get a feel for your weaknesses and the ways you handle stress. Explaining what you learned from a workplace mistake, and the ways you became a better employee because of it is a good example of an effective answer.

A lot of younger prospective employees are asked what their goals are and what they are doing to achieve them. Interviewers want to know how ambitious you are and what your plan is to get ahead. You could show that your goals align with the position they are filling and how you believe this company will play an integral part in your success.

The interviewer may want to know if you are a team player and have gotten along well with co-workers and supervisors. Some of the skill sets you want to emphasize are listening, communicating, delegating, and recognizing the accomplishments of others. This is a question that doesn't have to be answered with an example of a workplace experience. It might include volunteer, classroom, or club projects.

When you're asked about workplace problems and the ways you solve them, the interviewer is not giving you an opening to gripe about your former boss. You need to describe an actual problem and what you did to resolve it. This is an appropriate place to offer your personal philosophy about handling difficult situations and challenging personalities.

If you have to work, job interviews are probably going to be a fact of life. You will never look forward to them, but you can go in prepared. Over rehearsed responses to the questions you are asked won't impress the interviewer. You will have to practice hard enough to appear spontaneous.




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