At school, we were taught many different things \u2013 how to divide and multiply, how the black death broke out and killed thousands and how complex gases make up the solar system. But, at no point where we taught how to prepare for an interview, or how to answer behavioural interview questions. Interviews have the power to change our lives. If they go well, of course \u2013 and for them to go well, we need to prepare.<\/p>\n
When we are young and daydreaming about our dream career, we can be na\u00efve. We believe that we can do anything, land any job but as we get older we realise we have to climb what feels like mount Kilimanjaro first \u2013 Kilimanjaro being the interview!<\/p>\n
Going for an interview can be terrifying! It can cause\u00a0sleepless nights and unavoidable anxiety. We worry about everything and I mean EVERYTHING – what we are going to wear, how we are going to present ourselves and how we are going to mention all the amazing skills we have! We have all been to one of those interviews which was just like something out of a nightmare. Unprepared, awkward and just an utter mess. But, if we properly prepare, going for an interview can become a breeze.<\/p>\n
My first tip \u2013 always know exactly how to describe yourself, your wants and needs, your hobbies, your aspirations. It is more than likely that in an interview, the interviewer will say \u201cSo tell me a little bit about yourself\u201d. If you\u2019re like me, painting a divine picture of yourself can be incredibly hard and a little cheesy. But, believe it or not, this question is not the worst \u2013 the Behavioural Interview Questions are, they are impossible!<\/p>\n
Interview questions are usually categorised to ensure each candidate has the skills and attributes desired. These categories are – Teamwork, Client\/Customer Facing, Ability to adapt, Time Management, Communication Skills, Motivation and Values. It should also be noted, that depending on the role you are applying to, the Behavioural Interview Questions may vary. These questions are all set out by employers with an aim to assess your responses, skills and attributes in relation to a job post.<\/p>\n
Here are the top five Behavioural Interview Questions which I have come across in my own personal experiences. Beware, they can be considered nightmarish!<\/p>\n
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This one applies mostly to retail or any other role which involves working directly with customers or clients. Employers want to hear about your experiences, of course, this is the purpose of behavioural interview questions. For this question, employers want to know what you did and why \u2013 they want to understand your motives and your reason for helping. Just don\u2019t say \u2018well it was my job\u2019, cause if you do, you probably won\u2019t get the job. Don’t fear the Behavioral Interview Questions if you have no or little experience with customers – just look at situations where you have had to help somebody out, like the old lady who lives next door or the pregnant woman who needed a seat on the bus. Show off your compassion.<\/p>\n
Now, this is a really important question. It comes up quite a lot in Behavioral Interview Questions.
\nThis question is designed to assess whether you are a quick thinker, whether you can deal with challenging situations and how you will react to such dilemmas. An example of using your own initiative is this – \u00a0I was working at my local supermarket. It was a Sunday afternoon, just before closing and I was faced with a customer who had picked up broccoli without a barcode. I needed a barcode to scan but the store was about to close and I already had an impatient queue of customers. So, I used my initiative and looked around, I examined the till next to me and found broccoli on the conveyer belt next to me. I scanned that and the customer didn\u2019t have to wait.<\/p>\n
This example shows the employer that you are capable of using your initiative to get a challenging situation resolved quickly and effectively.<\/p>\n
Being able to work well in a team is vital to most job positions out there. We are required to interact and work with other like-minded people. This one of the Behavioral Interview Questions allows an employer to imagine what you would be like in a team environment and whether you would fit in with their already-established team. The last thing an employer wants is somebody who finds it hard to work with others.<\/p>\n
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This question is one that I have come across most! This is one of the Behavioral Interview Questions which is incredibly important to employers, it shows them that you are capable of controlling challenging situations, that you are able to remain calm and overcome obstacles. Have a good example prepared for this question!<\/p>\n
This one is one of the Behavioral Interview Questions which is more likely to come up for those who have applied for managerial roles. So, it is less likely to come up in an interview for a trainee or graduate role. \u00a0This question is designed to show employers whether you are capable of implementing unpopular change or decisions and whether you are capable of taking on such responsibility.<\/p>\n
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At school, we were taught many different things \u2013 how to divide and multiply, how the black death broke out and killed thousands and how complex gases make up the solar system. But, at no point where we taught how to prepare for an interview, or how to answer behavioural interview questions. Interviews have the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25119,"featured_media":141819,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1800,1803],"tags":[18474,10285,8856],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-141741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-after-uni","category-young-professionals","tag-behavioural","tag-interview","tag-job"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n