Competency Based Interview - 6 Steps to
Success!
By Martin Haworth
Competency based interviews are intended to
get the best from you, the candidate, whilst also fulfilling the needs of
the organisation to get the very best person for the job. There are some
easy steps to make the most of yourself and have a much better chance of
success.
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Prepare well, but keep it sensible
As long as you know the job you are going for, ask for details of what
you will be measured against. Ask for a set of competencies. Ask
for a job description. This sets you up to succeed, not just
because you are better informed, but also because you have asked - which
will impress the decision-makers, before you even get there!
-
Get Creative
Here is the time to use your own experiences to create 'stories' which
you can use in the actual interview. These 'stories' are real scenarios
that you have been a part of, which over a period of days and weeks
beforehand, you write up. Maybe you will have 20+ initial ideas.
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Leverage!
Take the very best scenarios and write them out, bullet points first.
Then flesh them out, whilst referring carefully to the competencies
you've been given. It is amazing how you can 'tune-in' your scenario to
include many, if not all of the competencies. And if you can't fit them
all in, there will be a use for them - later!
-
Practice
By reading through your scenarios (and by now you should not have more
than six or seven) you will familiarise yourself with the contents, so
well, that they will become second nature - even in the scary experience
of an interview.
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How to Find Your Dream Career Articles
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In the Interview
There are some tactics in here too!
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Using your scenarios make just three key
points about what you've been asked. Make them relevant and the right
'weight'. Not too long or too short.
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After that, leave space for them to ask more -
that's what they are listening for.
-
Say 'I' a lot - they want to know what your
personal involvement and experience was, not 'the team' or 'they'.
-
Have fun - whilst not contrived, smile and
make some simple jokes, if you feel comfortable with that - they want to
employ happy as well as capable people.
-
Can't answer? That's fine. Make sure that you
reflect on your shortcomings by saying things like, 'It's one of the first
things I want to develop in my next job - if you did your stuff on your
scenarios and your competencies well enough, you will have covered 90% of
the bases well and you'll be forgiven for not being 'perfect'. If you are
really stumped - say so!
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Ask questions - relevant, about their culture,
focus on developing you, opportunities - the positive 'peopley' things
(remember it's your chance to see if you want to work with them!).
-
Also ask about current issues they may be
facing - you did do your homework on them, didn't you?
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Strong Ending!
Keep the whole thing light, even as you leave at the end. Have a conversation
in general terms - about anything! Do make sure that you ask them some
things that are about them - they will love it if you ask them some
open (what, how, when, where, who) general questions about your new job! About
something nice in the building or their clothes - take as it comes and do what
feels comfortable!
Remember that competencies are there to help you
and they provide a guide-map for your competency based interview success!
© 2005 Martin Haworth is a Business and
Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business
owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas
at his website,
http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. (Note to editors. Feel free
to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - it would be good
if you could include a live link)
...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...
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