What is and Why should I care about Behavioral Interviewing?

Throughout the years, hiring manages have used all types of techniques to eliminate candidates in an attempt to decide who is best competent for a job. A great deal has changed from the days when the job interviewers could ask anything they wanted to. With changes in laws regarding inequity, etc, new types were developed to form an opinion on candidates. One of those techniques is called “Behavioral Style” interviewing and the truth is that candidates may not even know when behavioral interviewing is being used.

The question you may be asking yourself is “What is behavioral interviewing and should I really care about it?” This method of interviewing uncovers pertinent information about the candidate’s past work performance and behavior. The keyword is “pertinent”, meaning, how you reacted to particular past work situations as the same situations may occur in the job that you are interviewing for. This method provides insight for the job interviewers on your past behaviors as they can assume that this will be your same behavior in the future. Most job interviewers will have a list of questions prepared that will involve the necessary skills needed for the job and will use behavioral style questions to give them the best understanding of your traits and how they related to the position. One of the best ways an interviewer will use this method is by asking you about a situation, asking you what actions you took and what the outcome was because of your actions.

For an example, candidates may be asked “Have you ever had a situation where a co-worker wasn’t doing their share of work, If so, did you ever do anything about it, and was the result of your actions?” Compare to “Tell me how you would resolve a conflict with a co-worker if it was affecting your share of the work?” Do you see the difference? In one situation candidates are asked very specifically what they did in a particular situation where the other question simply asked the candidate to describe what they might do. We all have the best intentions, so whatever you say might you would do is not essentially what you might do in reality.

How do candidates prepare for this style of interview, now that we know what behavioral interviewing is?

Like all job interviews, candidates need to prepare. As always, the basics still apply, conducting research on the company’s financial outlook, products and of course corporate culture. Most of this information is available on the company’s website and/or yahoo finance. When you get the hiring manager’s name, conduct an internet search on them as well. Sites such as LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com can provide vital information about them. Information like education and previous employers will help you learn a lot of the interviewer beforehand. Since it is so easy to conduct an internet search on people today, it’s very likely that the job interviewer will do the same search on you. You may want to make sure there isn’t any information or images on the internet that could damage your image.

With all of the information above, candidates must remember no matter what job interview style, you need to know as much information as possible before a job interview. Behavioral style interviewing is something you need to prepare strongly for. Remember that in a behavioral interview that you should have rock-solid examples of your past work experiences and demonstrate how they relate to the open position in the job interview. The majority of behavioral style questions are identical to questions that have been used for years except with the wording tailored to extract detailed responses from you of genuine past behavioral work experiences. You can go to InstantJobInterviewTools.com/Behavioral-Interview-Answer.html for examples of how to answer behavioral style interview questions. You can also go to any search engine and type in behavioral interview questions for more practicing answering these questions. Remember, the job interviewer is assuming that past behavioral is a sign of future behavioral. Just remember when answering interview questions, be specific and to the point. Good Luck!

Interview Answers, Interview Questions, Job Interview Answers, Interview Job Answers

Being Prepared is the Best Way to Deal with Hard Interview Questions

It appears that now than ever before college students are filling out online job applications following graduation with anticipation of getting a job interview. Before students graduate college they need to have an extraordinary resume. Most colleges offer some type of resume writing seminar and students should be able to write a good resume most of the time. With that being said, the first step of getting a job interview includes having a great cover letter and an extraordinary resume.

Preparation is the key for answering hard interview questions once a job interview has been scheduled. A good amount of people do keep this in mind and prepare for answering hard interview questions. A lot of people prepare by practicing responding to interview questions so that they can sound confidence while answering them. Because the job market is very competitive with the current economic climate, employers have developed a way to separate applicants to find the brightest stars. Companies will ask interview questions that are tricky, which will make job applicants nervous and be hard to answer.

Hard Interview Questions You Can Expect

We will take a closer look at some hard interview questions you could be asked and what your response should be:

What is your biggest weakness? – Of course nobody wants to answer this question. Why answer a question that reflects negatively on you? Be clear and confident in communicating to the potential employer what you feel your biggest weakness is. Use this simple strategy: Turn a negative into a positive. Explain how you made your biggest weakness into a goal to overcome and how you did it.

Have you ever had time that you didn’t agree with a supervisor or college professor? – How did you resolve the conflict? When you answer this question, make sure you don’t reveal to the interviewer that you hold a grudge against your former supervisor or professor. You want to keep everything positive as can be with an interview. Never say anything bad about your former employer or teachers. To answer this question accurately, you need to display that you are able to see the other person’s view in the disagreement, consider all options and then act logically. That is what the potential employer is looking for. The potential employer really wants to know how you handled yourself and the situation.

How would friends, employers, and professors describe you? – This is a good time to incorporate some of your key strengths and skills into your answer. i.e. Passionate, Driven. Inform the job interviewer that you have references for their review to support your comments. By the way, LinkedIn.com is a great tool for references.

What motivates you to be successful? – This question is normally asked to see how driven you are to be successful for the position that you are interviewing for. There no correct or incorrect answers. Obviously, in order to answer this question, you need to first write down what motivates you professionally and think of some examples that display these attributes.

You have no experience. Why should I hire you? – You need to be persuasive. Mention your ability to overcome various challenges. Also, mention how you increased your knowledge through education, internships and your past employers. Explain how your core competencies would have a positive impact on the organization’s bottom line.

The Essential Job Interview Checklist

You just got the call for a job interview! This is great news, Congratulations! See how all the hard work you put into writing a professional resume, networking at various events and online job searching has paid off at last. To be sure you are the brightest star above all the other job candidates, I have provide essential job interview tips to ensure your success!

Be Prepared – This means practicing answering interview questions , doing your homework on the potential employer and matching your skills with your answers for the duties related for the open position.

Dressing for Success – Dressing professionally makes the best first impression. While it may not be necessary to purchase a business suit, it is very important that you dress the part.

Don’t Be Late – Arriving on time for a job interview means getting to the interview location at least 15 minutes early. Indeed the job interviewer will take note of your arrival time and will allow you to review all your notes for the interview.

Keep Eye Contact – Making eye contact, along with a smile and solid handshake will convey confidence to the job interviewer.

Show Enthusiasm – If the job comes down to you and another candidate, this is an excellent way to stand out to the interviewer. Showing your enthusiasm for the open position lets the interviewer know that you are serious about the position and are driven to succeed.

Let Them Know You’re a Team Player – Hiring managers want to make sure that they hire someone who can take direction. They also want someone that can lead a team to meet the company’s objectives. Provide real work examples of how you can lead a team and also how you can be a team player for a company.

Make Sure You Sell Yourself – It has been proven that people buy from people they like and this theory does apply when hiring someone. Remember a job interview is like a sales pitch. Have a list of your core competencies and be prepared to discuss how you have showcase your competencies in the past and they will be beneficial to the potential employer.

Always be Truthful – Never mislead the job interviewer, especially about your skills and past experiences. Most companies will conduct a background check before they hire someone and you don’t want to be in the boat where they find out that you were being dishonest to them.

Be Professional at all Times – Although this should always be done without saying, sometimes people do need to be reminded from time to time. Don’t chew gum, pay attention and sit up straight.

Ask Interview Questions – Asking questions demonstrates to the interviewer that you are interested in the job. So much to the fact that if you don’t ask interview questions you could come off as frail and useless. Also asking questions allows you to evaluate the company so that you can make sure that company is a good match for you.

Always Thank the Interviewer – When the a job interview comes to an end make sure to smile, stand up to extend your hand for a firm handshake and say “thank you. Ask the interviewer when do they expect to make their decision and if you should follow up with them if you don’t hear from them by the decision date.

5 Must Interview Questions You Need to Ask!

These five must ask interview questions go beyond the apparent ones, such as what is the title of the job, what is the job description, who would you be reporting to, and other fundamental questions. In fact, it's doubtful you'll even need to ask those questions, as they are typically summarized for you.

Through some preparation and consideration, you should have no trouble coming up with 10 to 15 first interview questions to ask. However these five interview questions in some shape or form must always be asked.

Not only will they assist you to determine if the job for which you are interviewing for meets the standards of your ideal job, but the answers, when formulated, will give you a fairly accurate description of what's actually is happening behind scenes of the job interview.

1. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES FOR THE POSITION THAT WILL NEED TO BE IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSED?:
As you know the title of the position doesn’t tell you anything. The job description is helpful as it will tell you what you will be expected to do on a daily basis, but again it doesn’t reveal much of anything. Since you listed your accomplishments on your resume, you should be given the same sense of what the position requires from you as an individual. You need to be able to know if you are walking into a position that will require you to clean up someone else’s mess. If that is the case, are you going to be able to do it? If you don’t have this information available to you already, this will provide you with some insight about the hiring manager and the previous employee.

2. WHY DID THE PREVIOUS EMPLOYEE LEAVE? HOW LONG DID THEY HOLD THE POSITION?
Most of the time, when answering the first part, the hiring manager will answer the second part as well. However, if they decide not to answer the second part, make sure you ask. If the previous employee was working with the employer for a relatively short time, you will also what to know how long the previous person before the last employee left was there.
Do you understand why we are asking these questions? If the opened position is constantly disarray and the last two employees were there for only a small period of time and/or were fired, you won’t need to ask any of the other interview questions in this article. Make sure you end the interview elegantly and then leave as fast as you can! Because if you are hired for the job, it won’t be too long before you either quit the job or get fired from it, because you were not able to meet the objectives of the position, despite if the duties listed can be done in a realistic time frame of not.

3. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE? HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOUR EMPLOYEES TO SUCCEED?: This question will help you determine if the hiring personnel is a micro manager. Is the manager is a good communicator? Will they keep you in the loop with everything? Will this person leave you alone and only work with you when you need help? Will this person provide mentoring? Of course, the person is not going to come right out and tell you that they are a micro manager! Instead they may say, "I like to keep a very secure watch on what's going on in my department," or "I visit with each of my employees on a daily basis to make sure they're staying on track," or something related. You’ll find that the hiring manager will be fairly straight forward in sharing their management style with you. What you want to pay attention to is how they word it.

4. WHAT TYPES OF PEOPLE DO WELL AT THIS COMPANY?: People who work great in teams or committees? Employees who kept their manager in the loop of everything? Perhaps people who are workaholics? This will help you learn about the culture of the company. Someone who is has an entrepreneurial spirit won’t do well in a committee type environment. At the same time, sales driven personalities can vary immensely, the lead achievers are goal driven and inspired to achieve, rather than self-righteous. People who are adjust to thinking for themselves will find themselves chafing in an organization that has a more dictatorial approach, while those who perform better when they're told what to do will find themselves lost in a organization that requires its employees to think for themselves.

5. HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR THE COMPANY? WHY DO YOU STILL WORK HERE?: This question will give you a good idea as to the general feeling of the company. The way in which the hiring manager answers this question will also give you addition insights about your potential supervisor, their management style and what type of personnel do well with the company.

These questions are not challenges, these are valuable informational questions. Make you are legitimately interested each of the answers, sine you are gaining information that will be valuable for your future. When you leave the job interview and start thinking about the information gained from the interviewing, you’ll be matching what you learned with what you are searching for.

Pay attention to the job interviewer’s facial expressions and body language. Does the interviewer help fill in some of the spaces? Are they relaxed during the interview? Do they speak to you or do they speak at you? Do they answer your interview questions briefly and then quickly fire back with another one. These, too, are priceless cues, and after the interview, you'll need to piece them together with the verbal information you received. Your ideal job might land in your lap by good luck and fortune. But more likely, you'll need to search for it. It's there, but to identify it, you'll need to know what it does not look like, as well as what it does.

When was the last time you had a job interview? Did it go well for you? Chances are that it went poorly for you and that is no criticism on you personally, it’s just that people tend to be afraid of interviewing and as a result, they don’t get the jobs they want. I read that something like 86% of people in the workforce right now had to go through 6 interviews before they landed the job that they are in right now. There may be several reasons for this number however; I must tell you that if the large majority of people knew the secrets of successful interviewing, they would get the job every time. Instead of getting rejections letters, they would be turning downing offer letters.

So personality isn’t just the reason? This is a yes and no answer. Having a personality that presents yourself in the best possible way and can carry a conversation is very important in a job interview, however not many people have this engaging personality. There are a lot of people who get jobs than people with outgoing personalities and the reason is that they know how to interview well. Yes, job interviewing skills can specifically be and ought to be learned. Now the question is, how do people learn?

A lot of people have learned how to interview through trial and error. The more you do something, the more you become a pro at it. This can be very hard though, not many people want to learn like this. I mean, no one likes being rejected from a job interview. Indeed, interviewing isn’t a fun activity. Most of the time, people tend to fear them. Since this is the case, wouldn’t it be great if you could learn how to interview and impress the interviewer? Wouldn’t it be great to go into a job interview with all the confidence in the world and have the state of mind that you are evaluating them, instead of the other way around.

Another important thing to remember is that this goes much deeper than learning interviewing skills or tricks. The point being is that training that makes you successful at interviewing, will make you successful in life. Learning how to interview is learning how to communicate well. Good communication will help you with the ability to lead, network and social confidence.

Whether you are a freshman in college or an experience business person, learning and gaining interviewing skills is a profitable benefit for anyone. It is also good for you as it serves as a value tool outside of your career including dating, parenting, marriage and so forth. Don’t wait any longer to take control of your life and be successful in your career.

The Greatest Defense – Tough Interview Questions

Worrying going into a job interview about your weaknesses being exposed, or what can be seen as flaws from your previous work history, won’t get you anywhere. The true is, focusing on your flaws often is displayed through the way you answer job interview questions, and even in the way you present your body language. Candidates who move a lot, plays with things like their pen, or loses their train of thought during a discussion, hurt their changes even more of getting the job.

Okay, so you may have some flaws. Perhaps there was a time three years ago, that you didn’t have a job and were out of work for several months. Or the potential employer requires a certain competency level that you have not reached yet. Taking all of those things into consideration, you are still a candidate for the open position.

There is an easy, two component solution: First, make the best out of you weakest flaw and next make the employer’s goals, your own.

Learn as much as you can about your weaknesses in your resume and build on them. If you were unemployed for a period of time, reflect about your experiences you had throughout that time period, the companies you visited, and what you took from the present economy and job market. Demonstrate that you pay attention to detail, and like learning from unpredicted opportunities.

Demonstrate your eagerness for having the opportunity to enhance your current skills. Apply the same tactic to any other flaws that you may have. Even if you left a job because of a character conflict, it can be seen as a positive if you can highlight what you took from the experience. No matter what the case may have been, you must stay positive and leave any negativity at the door. Interviewers want people that are positive and have the passion to move forward and grow with them.

Now onto the second solution, showcasing yourself in a way that makes you well-matched with the potential employer’s requirements, and emphasizes the benefit they receive by hiring you.

Learn about the employer’s business and the division in which you are applying for. Make sure you ask why they are hiring someone in the first place (Did someone quit, Are they growing? Did someone retire?) then highlight the competencies and experiences that make you not only qualified for the position, but of bringing innovated concepts and a positive outlook to it.

Make sure you have a positive point to every negative point in your resume or employment history. Next showcase your personality and competencies with an emphasis on each of the company’s objectives. The combination of your skills and eagerness is frequently the key for a winning interview.

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If you want to provide the best job interview answers for interview questions and get the job you deserve, then the Superstar Interview Guide is your best bet! You can find the Superstar Interview Guide at www.InstantJobInterviewTools.com

Top Job Interview Tips for College Seniors

You are told when you are younger that you need to go college to get a good job. Well, times have changed and just getting a college degree does mean you are going to land a job after graduation. In fact there is a good chance that you won’t land a job after college for at least 6 months to a year. College seniors need to be able to stand out in front of potential employers. Although most colleges do have career advisors available for their students, colleges don’t teach students how to interview for a job in the real world. Thanks to Global Jobs Network Group from LinkedIn, several members provided real world top job interview tips for graduating college seniors. See what some of them said.

1. Wear a well-fitted suit so that both males and females feel confident going into an interview. According to Monica Brooks of Brooks Consulting, “my experience with new or soon-to-be grads is that their wardrobes are horrible. Dress For Success isn't kidding, nor should it be taken lightly. Unpressed or ill-fitting, or old or worn-out or out of style clothes couldn't possibly enforce self-confidence. “

2. “Practice, practice, practice! Find a friend and have a mock interview.” According to Sonia Garrido of Sulzer, It is really helpful especially because you can sort of plan out the answers you can give to certain questions. Also, it makes you feel a little more comfortable when you are in the real interview and you won't be as nervous. Have your friend be critical about your answers and your overall presentation.”

3. According to Dana Bigman of the Casablanca Fan Company, “learn as much as possible about the company in advance and subtly weave that knowledge into your responses and questions. Also be sure to focus on what you can do for them (help them be profitable, solve a problem, etc.), not what they can do for you (a good starting salary, benefits, advanced education, etc.)”

4. According to Lewis Bryan of SellState Capital Realty, “be prepared to share your own (couple of them) business experience and if you do not have any, be prepared to share any life experience that would help the interviewer understand how you confront obstacle and how you handle yourself under pressure. Be honest in your answers and be yourself. Do not try to be someone you are not.”

5. “Make sure you firmly shake the hand of the interviewer and look them in the eye when you introduce yourself at the start of the interview.” According to Gary Trebels of IFC Credit Corporation, “make sure you firmly shake the hand of the interviewer and look them in the eye when you introduce yourself at the start of the interview. A flimsy handshake to me is weak and lacks confidence. First impressions are made in the first minute to thirty seconds and they are very hard to change. Why start off at a disadvantage when you can make such a favorable first impression within that first minute? My mother, who was a secretary to CEO's, drilled this into my head since I was 10 years old, and I am very thankful that she did.”

6. “Before the interview ends, and after you have decided if you want the job, in a polite way, ask for the job?” According to Paul Balutis of A#1 Southport, “So many people never close the opportunity at hand. You do not have to be too direct, just ask how you did, what's the next step, and oh by the way, I am more interested in the position than I was before this interview! This will separate you from the pack, this will make you stand out, and it may get you to step 2!”

Everyone of the interview tips provided is needed to succeed in a job interview. The most important job interview tip that you can use is just being yourself in a job interview. People are going to hire you because of who you are and what you have to offer.

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If you want more job interview tips and want to provide the best job interview answers for interview questions and get the job you deserve, then the Superstar Interview Guide is your best bet! You can find the Superstar Interview Guide at http://www.instantjobinterviewtools.com/

The Superstar Interview Guide by James Malervy is the Preferred Job Interview Resource Among Hiring Managers

LANCASTER, PA, August 27, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Jarret Lord, District Sales Manager for Staples Business Advantage, states "James Malervy hit the nail on the head with this one. As an active recruiter of new untapped talent in the sales industry, I feel that I pass over a ton of talent that could very well be the next big thing within my company, all because of their interviewing techniques or lack thereof. If most interviewees did their research to this extent I think my job would be that much easier or that much harder depending on how many people read the book and actually applied this information. Think of this as Interviewing for Dummies but with real up to date and practical information."If you want to provide the best job interview answers for interview questions and get the job you deserve, then the Superstar Interview Guide is your best bet! You can find the Superstar Interview Guide at http://www.instantjobinterviewtools.com/

Contact:James J. Malervy, II
James@SuperstarInterviewGuide.com
http://www.instantjobinterviewtools.com/

James Malervy is an expert author and leading influencer on the subject of interviewing. He has worked with such companies as Sprint, Pepsi and the Walt Disney Company and brings his professional experience to job seekers in writing the "Superstar Interview Guide." He provides career advice to hundreds everyday and even provides his services as a Career Coach through the "Superstar Career Coach E-Zine" available through subscription at www.InstantJobInterviewTools.com James is dedicated to helping others in becoming more competitive in the job market, gaining confident in their interviewing skills, and finally getting hired for the job they deserve.

Welcome to Interview Questions, Answers and Career Tips

Welcome to Interview Questions, Answers & Career Tips. My name is James Malervy and I am the author of the Superstar Interview Guide available through www.InstantJobInterviewToosl.com and this is my blog. I will be providing information pertaining to interview questions, interview answers, articles and other career advice. Also, I try to answer all questions submitted. I look forward to hearing from all of you!