Well It is a clear give away if the interviewer looks you in the eye and says with a smile “so tell me about a time when you.”, depending on how you answer, will determine if you get the position or if you will be considered for the job. Tips for successfully surviving the behaviour technique interview are:

Answer consistently and elaborate on your achievements

When asked about past achievements don’t be afraid to speak out and give clear concise examples of your past achievements, there is no getting around the fact that getting the job depends on your past experiences so elaborate on them. If you are lacking in experience then relate questions the interviewer is asking to something close to which you achieved, but above all be honest, don’t forget you have to be able to back up any claims you make.

Prepare yourself beforehand

Of course, you might not know what type of interview you will be attending, in fact this will happen more often than not so be prepared for anything beforehand. Do a little homework and write down all aspects you can think of that might relate to the position you are applying for and which will show you in the very best of light.

Write down everything you have achieved in the past, what the problem was and what part you played in determining the outcome. Be prepared to answer any questions and give clear concise answers how you made your achievements happen and the benefit the company gained from having you in their employment.

Common questions asked during behavioural interviews

Of course no one can tell what questions the interviewer will ask, if we had this insight we could all sail through interviews and get the job every time, however here are some examples of the types of questions that are commonly asked during behavioural interviews.

* Tell me about a time when a decision you made, made a huge difference.

* Tell me about a time when you had to carry most of the workload, what did you do about it, how did you handle it?

* Tell me about a time when you made a wrong decision, what did you do to put things right?

* Tell me about a strategy you had to meet a particular deadline?

Career centres/job centres

The career centre will offer a wide variety of jobs from all industries and are always worth checking on a regular basis as listings or postings are usually updated on a daily basis, depending on the size of the centre. Staff working in the office is there to help you in any way they can and are able to match your criteria with jobs that are on offer.

Job centres are much like the career centre but usually focus on the younger person under the age of 21, they will usually have jobs aimed more at the younger person, though some do now extend this to help anyone, however quite a few of the postings only offer minimum wage.

However, it is a good place to start if you’re looking to get your foot in the door or return to work after a break. Younger people can very often go on training courses to further their choice of career and most job centres hold registers on computers where jobs are matched to your particular skills and requirements.

Employer’s premises

It is worth checking the premises of the type of work you are looking for as many will post job openings on notice boards within the premises, larger stores such as DIY or food retailers will have notice boards and help desks where you can pick up forms to apply for openings. Some companies will take your name and number even if they don’t currently have any openings and will call you for interviews when positions open.

Newspapers

Local newspapers will advertise positions on offer listed by category, there are a lot of smaller local companies who will only list job openings in newspapers instead of using job centres so it is worth checking these on a weekly basis. If you are using newspapers for a source of job hunting then it is worthwhile checking out your local library, most libraries will have several daily newspapers and these can be checked free of charge.

The World Wide Web

The internet can be an invaluable source for those looking for work, local companies will usually list job openings on their websites, as do most of the larger retail stores. Recruitment agencies can also be found online with a popular choice being monster.com, jobs will be listed by industry and most of them offer posting of CV`s or resumes. Advice can also be found on sites such as these when looking for work and some great tips can be gained with many positions giving you the opportunity to apply online for the position.

A successful resume should make you stand out from the crowd and make the potential employer remember you, the same applies to attending interviews, you won’t be the only candidate but this is your chance to make sure that the employer sees you as the best one.

Pick out your best skills and achievements

By choosing your best skills and achievements in advance and focusing on these, you will be better prepared and when you are better prepared, you will appear more confident. Your objective during the interview is to get across to the interviewer that you have the skills for the job on offer, not only do you have the skills but you are the best candidate.

You should of course prepare first how you are going to get this point across, always highlight your strongest points during the interview and have your resume with you to back up these claims.

Define your strongest points

Your strongest points of course should match the job you are applying for, again make sure you do your homework and know not only what the position entails but also the particular traits or skills the company is looking for. For example if the job or company are looking for someone who has excellent skills in communication they make sure you highlight your skills in this area.

Your resume of course should always back up any claims that you make, and these should be highlighted as your key skills in your resume. By defining just a handful of key skills and your strongest points, you will be able to focus and so will a potential employer rather than being overwhelmed by a long list of skills which really don’t pertain to the position you are applying for.

Practice selling yourself

Another technique you can use is to practice; you can show your resume to your friends and family and ask them for advice and their honest opinion about it. You can practice your interview techniques in front of a mirror, while of course you won’t know what the interviewer is going to ask you, you can practice your manner of speech and your posture or body language. A confident well-spoken individual will always make a good expression in the interview room.

Options you should consider when looking for work are the internet, employment agencies, newspapers, contacting employers directly, unemployment offices and job centres. You should use as many different options as you can in your search because this will give you a much wider scope, some tips to help you get the most out of your hunt are:

* Persistency – if you keep attending interviews and aren’t successful then keep trying and don’t give up, be persistent in your search and keep applying for jobs and attending interviews, you will eventually succeed.

* Apply to both big and small companies – remember that while the larger companies might be better known and well established the newer smaller companies are still growing so you should check with the smaller ones too and not forget about them.

* Research companies – before you attend interviews you should do a little research into the particular company you are attending the interview for, find out what achievements they have gained in the past and what their hopes are for the future and make sure you let the interviewer knows you have done your homework during the interview.

* Get into a schedule – while you are looking for work treat it just as you would a job, set out certain times when you will search for work online, looking through papers and visiting the job centre. Keep a written account of the jobs you have applied for and when and who you contacted.

* Let people know you are looking for work – the more people who know you are looking for work the better, a lot of interviews are acquired by word of mouth and if people don’t know your interested then you might miss an opportunity.

* Send out thank you notes – if you have attended an interview then wait a couple of days and send out a thank you note for attending the interview, this will show the company or interviewer that you are polite and thoughtful and it will also keep you in their minds.

* Enlist support from family and friends – job hunting can be a particularly stressful time so if you can, get plenty of support from family and friends, they can also help with proof reading your resume and help in searching through adverts for positions if there are many on a daily basis.

* Contact potential employers yourself – some employers don’t advertise positions but instead only advertise them internally, it is worth going to companies and asking specifically if they have openings.

Don’t think of the interview as an interrogation

Try to think of the interview as just being a two-sided conversation in which each of you are taking an equal part, you will answer the interviewers questions and ask some of your own. While the interviewer will want to determine if you are the best candidate for the job you will also need to know if the company and the position will be right for you.

Tips to help you relax

Deep breathing techniques are the quickest way of relaxing and calming yourself down if you are in a stressful situation, it is a technique which is relatively easy to learn and one which can be practiced virtually everywhere at any time without anyone paying any attention to you.

The easiest technique is letting your shoulders slump as much as you can and taking deep breaths in slowly through your nose and then exhaling slowly back out through your nose. Other helpful techniques which you can learn and practice before you leave for the interview are meditation and yoga.

Usually the worst part and most stressful time is waiting to attend the interview and once you are in there and have started the interview all is forgotten, if not and you feel panic rising then remember to take long slow deep breaths.

Spend some time preparing for the interview

On the actual day of the interview spend some time preparing yourself, give yourself plenty of time to shower and dress without rushing and beforehand practice one of the strategies for relaxing. A good technique to use is visualisation, you can start by breathing deeply and slowly through your mouth and nose then visualise yourself walking into the interview in a relaxed and confident manner. Try to visualise what you want to say and the points you want to get across and imagine saying these to the interviewer.

Give yourself credit and treat yourself

After you have attended the interview, give yourself a pat on the back and don’t keep going over what was said or what you think you should have said but didn’t, if you think you made mistakes then there’s no point chastising yourself about it. Just let it go and try not to sit at home waiting for the phone to ring, if you got the job then you’ll know soon enough and if not then you can try again.

1. failure to ask questions

Throughout the interview, the interviewer will usually ask if you have any questions, never say a plain no, this could lead the interviewer to think that you aren’t interested and it also cuts the flow of the conversation to a dead stop. Listen to what the interviewer is saying and make mental notes of questions to ask when given the opportunity.

2. switch off your mobile phone

There is nothing worse than getting half way through your interview and things are going well, then your mobile phone rings with that silly tune, then you have to fumble for it and end the call. This is a big no-no and with a little forethought, it can be completely avoided, if you must take your phone with you then remember to put it on silent or better still turn it off completely.

3. research the company beforehand

You have made sure you have your resume up to date; you have practiced for hours going through all different types of scenario that could happen during your interview. You are prepared for anything the interviewer could ask you, but then the interviewer smiles and asks you a question relating to the future goals of the company and how you could make a difference.

Your face and mind goes blank, you know nothing about the company’s goals for the future. You should always make sure you do a little research into the background of the company beforehand; most big companies have websites where information can be found on their background and the company’s goals for the future.

4. you are not under interrogation

While you might think that the interview is an interrogation it isn’t, although you will be asked questions and of course will have to answer, you should also ask questions yourself. You are not there to simply answer questions, you also have to ask your own, you have to make sure that the position you are applying for and the company is suitable for you as well as the interviewer making sure you are right for the position.

5. always try to turn a negative aspect into a positive

The interviewer will want to find your weaknesses, be honest and admit you do have them, no one is perfect and the interviewer will of course know this. While you have weaknesses, you should however turn them into positive rather than negative. Admit to your weaknesses and also explain what you are doing to improve in those areas which need it.

Your resume was a success

When you are preparing to walk through the door to come face to face with the interviewer remind yourself that your resume was a success and that because of this you are here right now.

Appear confident and relaxed

However you might feel inside try to project a sense of calm and self-confidence as you walk through the door to greet the interviewer, walk with your head up making eye-to-eye contact with the interviewer and shake their hand with a firm handshake. Maintain eye contact as the interview proceeds and answer with firm decisive answers which show you in the best light possible and which focus on your achievements and skills which relate to the position.

Turn negative into positive

Sometimes a spanner can be thrown in the works if the interviewer asks you something which you have no knowledge about, this could occur for instance if the interviewer asks about any experience you have using a specific piece of software. When this happens remain calm and try to turn this negative aspect into a more positive one, you could do this by explaining that you are more experienced in a different type of software which is of similar nature and that you pick up things very quickly and would have no problem changing software.

Highlight your major accomplishments

If you are asked about accomplishments in a specific area then start with your biggest accomplishments in that area first and if need be then go onto relating smaller ones. By getting the biggest out there first you will make sure the employer hears them in case time runs out or the interviewer moves onto another question.

Don’t be afraid to speak up to get a point out

If the interview is closing and suddenly you realise that you forgot to mention an important point which is relevant,then don’t be afraid to open your mouth and say something, you could simply say as you are shaking hands “before we part I would just like to mention that.” and proceed to get your point across.

Make clear headings

Once you have got all the relevant information together then its time to practice putting it all together, many people find it takes several attempts to get their resume perfect so don’t be discouraged. Choose headings such as achievements, skills, honours and activities, once you have this then start listing your information clearly under each heading.

Match what the employer needs with what you’ve got

Make sure that you list all the experience, skills and achievements you have made than relate them to the position you are going for. If you have had any special training and have attended courses then list these too, examples of this could be any language skills you have, computer software training in office software or programming.

Place emphasis on your skills

Pay special attention to any details that emphasise your capabilities and skills which relate to the position on offer, if you have done your homework you will know the company and what they expect to achieve in the future, so work this to your advantage with skills you have previously earned.

Choose your words carefully

Make sure that you make good use of active verbs which describe your achievements and yourself in a positive way, great positive words which you could use are resourceful, capable and analytical.

Double check the presentation

Once you have completed your resume, make sure you go over it with a fine toothcomb and check the spelling, punctuation and also the overall presentation of it. Make sure all fonts are clear and easily readable with good spacing and margins on the sides, top and bottom. When you are ready to print, use only the best quality paper, preferably pure white and good quality ink. When you have printed your resume, re read it to make sure fonts show clearly and check again for spelling mistakes.

Give your resume a trial run

Make good use of reliable and honest family members and friends, once you have written the first draft of your resume ask them their honest opinion about your resume and be prepared for their honest advice and if necessary to make changes. Once you have corrected then ask them to re read again, you could also ask them for their input as you might have missed something which they think could improve the overall appearance or quality of your resume.
Getting started with your resume
Home
8 mistakes NOT to make on your resume
5 mistakes commonly made during interviews
A guide to writing a successful resume
Key strategies for a successful job interview
Overcoming nervousness during job interviews
Planning a strategy for job hunting
Putting together a portfolio
Recovering from a disastrous job interview
Selling yourself through your resume & at interviews
Submitting your online resume
The different types of resumes
The top 10 qualities that employers look for
Tips for students & third party recruiters
Tips for successful job hunting
Tips when attending behavioural interviews
Understanding the interview process
What are the benefits of using a resume bank
What is the difference between a resume and a CV
Writing a successful cover letter

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