Behavioral Interviews II

Behavioral Interviewing Part II: The Big Three

No matter what interview you sit for, there are three questions that you will almost always be asked. As with the STAR questions there is a formula that can be used to create an outline which will help you NAIL these questions every time. It should also be remembered that the interview is a chance for you to learn about the employer as well. Having pointed, specific questions can make you stand out from the best of the best.

What are those three questions?

• Tell me about yourself
• What is your strength and why?
• What is your weakness? What are you doing to overcome it?

Tell me about yourself: Overview

This is your opportunity to set the tone for the interview. Show who you are behind that resume. Keep it professional. We don’t need to know how many kids you have at home, your relationship status or where you went to highschool.

Tell me about yourself: What to say

• Keep to five major points, that you know and communicate easily
• Relevant facts that paint a story of your professional journey
• Know your audience! Use relevant facts from outside of work that contribute to your professional narrative (Where do you volunteer, what groups or professional organizations are you a member of, etc.)

Tell me about yourself: What not to say

• Regurgitating what you've already shared on yoru resume
• Unneeded or irrelevant personal information
• An excessive timeline of your personal history with unrelated details

What is your greatest strength and why?

• This is not a trick question!
• Try to think outside of the box vs those cliche answers (time management, great leader, team work, etc.)
• REMEMBER TO EXPLAIN WHY. This is the piece that they are really looking for. No use in saying you’re great at picking things up quickly if you can’t explain how you learned that skill.

What is your weakness? What are you doing to overcome it?

• Also not trick question. What is your true weakness NOT what is your weakness that you spun into a strength.
• Again, think outside of the box but also don’t dig yourself into a hole. Do not say “I pay too much attention to detail” (weakness that is a strength and also yawn worthy) but also don’t say “I am not a self-starter” (RED FLAG for employers.)
• Remember to mention what you are doing to overcome it. This should be something you are actively working toward.

Now how do I come up with questions for the interviewers?

• Research. Research. Research. Find out who you are interviewing with and find their LinkedIn. Some may see this as weird/creepy, employers see this as being prepared.
• Have a list of 10 total questions; 5 general company or team or day in the life questions; 5 more pointed to the individuals you are interviewing with. Prepare to ask 5 questions total.
• A great resource for finding general questions for you interviewer can be found here
• For the specific questions, use the posted job description (if available) your research on the role and organization, and questions generated throughout the interview to determine what you need to ask. Asking about the interviewer's personal journey to their role and their own experiences is also a solid choice.

Activity

Objective: Formulate a personal outline for the big three questions and a list of questions for interviewers.

Activity Instructions:

• Split into pairs, and share your resume or job history with your partner, walking through your two most recent professional experiences.
• Describe your personal journey to each of these roles, and to WCCI to your partner, creating bullet points for the description
• Once you've each organized this story into solid, detailed, and professional bullet points, create an outline for your narrative answer to the "Tell me about yourself" question.
• In the same pairs, follow the bulleting and outlining strategy, discussing your content with your partner, to formulate responses to questions regarding your strengths and weaknesses