Behavior Based Interviews

1. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Behavior Based Interviews What job seekers need to know in order to effectively compete in the job market

2. QUOTE In show business the key word is honesty. Once you’ve learned to fake that, the rest is easy. George Burns

3. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Preparation is Key to Success in the Interview • You need to know: • The Industry • The Company • The Interviewer (?) • The Job

4. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Employers use past performance to predict future behavior • Demonstrate that you have the RELEVANT skills, knowledge, attributes. • Only talk about THOSE target areas. • Provide SPECIFIC examples which demonstrate how you handled these situations in the past.

5. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Answers must demonstrate you have skills in a variety of areas including: • Job-specific skills • Communication • Analytical Problem Solving • Decision Making • Teamwork • Goal setting

6. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Suggestions for Preparing for Behavioral Interviews • Review the job description • Highlight the KEYWORDS. • Practice answering interview questions (aloud) using THEIR language and terminology.

7. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Assess yourself: • Identify your skills and experiences which directly relate to the job requirements. • Use THEIR language and terminology to describe your skills, knowledge, attributes. • Initially, write them down!

8. School of Business Administration At Portland State University • The interviewer needs specific examples of how you have used those skills from: • class projects • work experience • internships • student activities • volunteer work “SUCCESS STORIES”--WRITE THEM DOWN!

9. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Develop brief stories which describe a specific situation. • Use the STAR approach • S,T=Situation or Task—The problem? • A=Action – What you did? • R=Result - What was the benefit (the payoff)?

10. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Be prepared to discuss situations where things didn’t go well. • Employers are interested in how well you handle failure as well as success. • Demonstrate how you used this experience to change. your behavior

11. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Identify attributes that set you apart from the competition. • Sometimes it’s a combination of skills/knowledge/attributes. • A unique relevant experience? • Recognition or leadership awards? • Special abilities, talents, etc.?

12. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Listen carefully • You cannot answer a question well unless you are “listening as hard as you can”! • Answer the question that was asked and stop. • Make sure you completely understand the question before you answer. • If you are in doubt, paraphrase the question. Don’t guess!

13. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Some sample behavior-based interview questions. • Tell me about a time when you had to use your teamwork and organizational skills. • Describe a time when you came up with a creative way to solve a problem. • Tell me about a recent encounter with an angry customer? • Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a co-worker. • Describe your experience with (competency)…

14. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Questions cont’d • Describe a time when you failed to reach a goal. • Tell me about a time you made a mistake that cost your employer money. • Think about a time when you felt overwhelmed or stressed out. How did you handle it?

15. School of Business Administration At Portland State University EXERCISE “So, why don’t you start by telling me a little bit about yourself?” HANDOUT --5 MIN PREP --Pick a partner --2 min. each --30 seconds of feedback

16. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Ask pertinent Questions: • You are judged more by the questions you ask than the answers you give. • Questions reveal a great deal about you; your diligence (homework?), enthusiasm, goals, motives, confidence, etc.

17. School of Business Administration At Portland State University You ARE your questions • Frame questions which show you did your research and relate to the company’s needs, values, mission. • In other words, you MUST do your homework (20 minutes!). • Ask questions which show your intention to make sure this job is a “good fit”.

18. School of Business Administration At Portland State University Sample questions to ask • How would you describe the culture of this organization? • If I were to ask your team to describe your management style, what would they say? • What are the key strengths of this team? • Where would you like to see improvement? • What is the first project you would like this person to do? • How is one judged? What accounts for success?

19. Quote It’s pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness. Poverty and wealth have both failed. Kin Hubbard

20. School of Business Administration At Portland State University INTERVIEW PREPARATION SBA 240 (503)725-3712 Fran Moga (503) 725-3710 fmoga@sba.pdx.edu Jim Bombino (503) 725-3746 bombinoj@sba.pdx.edu