Some hiring managers are trained to interview in a way that prompts you to give detailed information about yourself. Avoid answering a question in an interview with a simple yes or no. Here’s why…
Behavioral Interviews
If you are on the hunt for your dream job, you need to know some key points about behavioral interviews.
Many hiring managers are currently conducting interviews using this method.
The goal of a behavioral interview is to determine how you are likely to handle a typical or challenging situation in the workplace.
Instead of simply asking if you consider yourself a good communicator, a behavioral interviewer will request that you recount an instance where you demonstrated effective communication skills.
Your Job Search Strategy
You can hone your job search strategy so that you are prepared for these types of questions.
Even if the interviewer is not trained in behavioral interviewing, you will make a glowing impression by answering from a behavioral perspective.
When an interviewer asks if you are a good communicator and you have prepared for a behavioral interview, you will not simply answer, “Yes, I am a good communicator.” You will give an account of a time in the past where you utilized your communication skills to solve a problem or get a job done effectively.
Finding Your Dream Job
What is your dream job? What are the skills required for you to do that job well?
Anticipate the questions you may be asked regarding these skills (and assume that your interviewer is trained in the art of behavioral interviewing).
Based on the questions you anticipate, compile a bank of stories that demonstrates your mastery of the skills required to do the job well.
You may be asked if you are good at solving problems on the fly.
You may be asked how you would handle a disgruntled client, how you would negotiate a deal, or what you would do to increase sales.
Once you have come up with instances that demonstrate your pertinent skills and capabilities, do whatever you need to do to commit them to memory.
You may want to write them down, and/or practice telling them to a friend.
These stories, true accounts of your past behavior, will allow you to present yourself as a credible, valuable asset.
It will also have the side-effect of giving you a high level of confidence going into the interview.
Let me help you land your dream job! If you’ve ever wondered if you’re doing the work you’re truly meant to do, I’d like to invite you for a F.R.E.E. Career Strategy Consult with me so you can have your first breakthrough. Book a time to chat with me here.