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2012 National BDPA Technology Conference
Behavioral Interviews:Strategies for Success
Portia Westbrooks
August 1– 4, 2012
Baltimore, MD
What is a Behavioral Interview?
Behavioral interviewing is based on the premise that; how you behaved in the past will predict how you will behave in the future.
“Past behavior predicts future performance”
What's the difference ?
• In a behavioral interview an employer
Has decided what skills or competencies are needed
Asks questions to find out if the candidate has those skills.
• Instead of asking how you would behave, they will ask you to describe how you actually behaved.
Behavioral interviewers “drill down”
• Give an example of a goal you reached
Tell me how you achieved it.
Was it a stressful situation?
If so, how did you handle it?
Get a sense of what skills and behavioral characteristics the employer is seeking
Refresh your memory considering situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on …Use them to help
frame responses.
Preparing for a Behavioral Interview
Respond like a STAR!
Succinctly describe the:
Specific situation
Tasks that needed to be done
Action you took
Results i.e. what happened
STAR Answers
Keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers.
The interviewer is simply trying to understand how you behaved in a given situation.
Preparing for the interview
• Visit the Company Website • Review the mission statement, history,
products and services• Who is in management • Company culture• Tap Your Connections Tools to help
Keep your resume in clear view
Have a short list of accomplishments
• Have a friend or family member conduct a mock interview
• During the Phone Interview – Smile !
Smiling will project a positive image to the listener and will change the tone of your voice.
Phone Interviews
Practice Interviewing
In-Person Interviews
Technical Interviews
In addition to more behavioral questions you will be asked:
•More technically focused questions
•Questions about your education, and technical certifications
•Details about your level of expertise with specific tools & technologies
•To complete a technical assessment or diagram a solution to a problem on a white board
Send Interviewers a “Thank You” note
• Express Your Enthusiasm• Address Unresolved
Points• Personalize • Reiterate Your Expertise• Highlight Your Successes• Proofread, and then
Proofread again
Sample Questions
Competency:Leadership Skills
Describe a time whenyou worked on a team and one member of
the team did not do their part. How did you handle the situation?
Competency: ProblemSolving Skills
Tell me about a difficult
project you worked onand how you overcamechallenges. What wasyour specific role in hesolution?
X Quarter NBOD Meeting2007 National BDPA Technology Conference
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Contact Information
Portia Westbrooks
LinkedIN - http://www.linkedin.com/in/portiawestbrooks
Twitter - @IT_Head_Hunter1
Pwestbrooks@ USG
