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

By Stephanie Fisher


Nobody ever seems to have anything good to say about job interviews. They are universally dreaded. The people who are the most successful at them say preparation is the key. They take the time to find out about the company and what it wants in an employee. These individuals have mastered the art of answering behavioral interview questions. You can do the same by planning ahead.

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.

The way you handle workplace challenges is another area interviewers like to delve into. You should consider tailoring your answer to fit the job you are applying for. A conservative company may not appreciate an employee who dives in without much thought and takes risks to meet challenges. A forward thinking, innovative company may find someone who is deliberate and methodical in her approach to challenges too measured for their taste.

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.

Interviewers tend to ask entry level applicants about their goals and where they see themselves in the future. They want to know if you are ambitious and what your plans are for advancing your career. Whatever you tell them should be compatible with the position you are applying for. You need to convince the interviewer that you see this company as vital to your ambitions.

You will probably be asked some question that involves teamwork and how well you work with others. You should emphasize the skills sets you have in the areas of delegating, communicating, listening, and acknowledging the accomplishments of co-workers. You might describe a club, classroom, or volunteer project you were involved with instead of a work related experience.

When an interviewer asks about problems you have experienced in a work environment, it is not an invitation to discuss what a horrible boss you had. You need to come up with another problem and describe what you had to do to solve it. You can discuss your personal philosophy as it pertains to difficult people and the challenges you've faced because of them.

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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