The interview begins like any other, exchanged pleasantries and then the interviewer starts asking really strange, specific questions. “Give me a specific example of a time when you didn’t meet a deadline.” Your mind races for an example which answers the question and then turns that failure into a success as suggested by your highly regarded interviewing book. The problem is that your outdated book taught you how to interview for traditional interviews-not behavioral (competency-based) interviews.  (more…)

Question:

I have been through two grueling interviews in the last week. The interviewers asked really [probing] questions like, “Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline,” and “Give me a specific example of a time when your associates criticized your work in front of others.”

I was caught off guard by these types of questions. I expected more traditional questions like the ones found in two of the books I recently purchased on interviewing which proved to be of little use in these interviews. I became defensive and blew the interview. Is this a form of stress interviewing and how can I prepare for it? (more…)

The interview begins like any other, exchanged pleasantries and then the interviewer starts asking really strange, specific questions. “Give me a specific example of a time when you didn’t meet a deadline.” Your mind races for an example which answers the question and then turns that failure into a success as suggested by your highly regarded interviewing book. The problem is that your outdated book taught you how to interview for traditional interviews-not behavioral (competency-based) interviews. (more…)