Any service member about to enter the civilian workforce will need to prepare for job searching, resume writing and, of course, the all-important job interview. The interview is where the rubber meets the road, typically the last stop before a new candidate becomes an employee. So it’s critically important to practice, practice, practice.
Interview questions range from the typical, resume-based clarifications to more personality-based speculations. The former are simple questions like, “Tell me more about your role in this company.” The latter are questions like “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
Then there are the trickier questions, the ones that require a candidate to dig deep and tell a potential employer about actions they’ve taken in their work, what they meant and why they had to take them. It’s important to understand these behavioral interviews and how to succeed. These are the make-or-break questions.
Behavior-Based Interviews
Behavior-based interviews are the most common interview type and seek to understand how a candidate functions as an employee by exploring specific examples of their skills in action. These questions often come in the form of “tell me about a time when…” or “share an example of…”
Although these kinds of questions might seem daunting in the moment, there is a tried-and-true method to answering them: the STAR method, which we’ll explain.
Preparing for a Behavior-Based Interview
Many corporations have internal interview guidelines and want hiring managers to ask questions from a set list, so there are a few common themes to prepare to answer. Some examples include:
- A tough decision made on short notice, incomplete information, or in a crisis.
- Process improvement using analytics, communication and methodology.
- Talent/culture management and how you developed, retrained and managed performance.
- Conflict resolution or team collaboration.
- A time you made a mistake (emphasize what you learned).
- Project management and how you monitored performance to plan, collaborate and communicate with stakeholders.
You can also create a list of scenarios you want to highlight that pertain to the role you applied for. An example might look like:
- Led a team of five; trained on a unique programming language.
- Designed new staffing model, approved all test programs.
- Team wrote 20 new programs, improved efficiency by 18%.
Using that list, you can pre-identify examples in relation to the new role. The goal is to identify the most valuable parts of your story. Don’t focus so much on the questions being asked, but rather the examples and skills you want to highlight. You can tailor your examples to meet many questions.
Flow of a Behavior-Based Interview
An interview should flow like a conversation with an introduction, discussion and closing.
Introductions
As the interview opens, there will be an opportunity for the interviewer and the interview team to learn about each other. Answer questions such as “tell me about yourself” or “why are you interested in this role” by showcasing your background, strengths and what you’re looking for in your next role. As your interviewer shares about themselves, identify what’s important to them to better frame your later responses.
Do they:
- Quantify the size of their teams or use lots of numbers?
- Use specific brand or team names with pride?
- Talk about culture?
- Speak in a brief or detailed manner?
Discussion
This is the main part of the interview. In general, responses to questions should be three to five minutes, and share enough about the scenario to be specific and memorable. After learning the specific skills or attributes the interviewer is looking to learn about, use the STAR method to pull those elements out of your pre-identified examples.
The STAR Method
- Situation: Describe the scene and give the details of the situation.
- Task: What was your assigned role? What were you supposed to do in that situation?
- Action: Explain the steps taken to address and resolve the problem.
- Result: Discuss the outcomes achieved through the actions taken.
Close out your responses with a phrase like “What I learned from that situation was…” and a short sentence highlighting your takeaways.
Closing
As the interview is winding down there are two things you want to achieve:
- Reinforce your value and interest.
- Understand next steps.
Showcase your value by asking questions about the company, its culture, standards and processes. Use the response to reinforce your strengths by highlighting your relevant skills, successes and experience in those areas. Next, reiterate your interest in the role. Summarize topics that stood out during the interview and how your background lines up.
Questions should be thoughtful and either elaborate on information you found regarding company initiatives or be relevant to topics not accessible on their website.
Thank the panelists for their time, reinforce your interest in the role, and ask when you might hear back on the next steps.
Interviews can vary by company and role, but preparation and confidence in telling your story using the STAR method can prepare you for any question coming your way.
Find additional job search resources at RecruitMilitary.com.
Joel Martycz is a U.S. Air Force veteran, healthcare operations and supply chain executive, and veteran career coach.