In a behavioural interview you will have to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and abilities, collectively known as competences, by giving specific examples from your past experiences.

The interviewer wants to know, not that you can do something, but that you have done it. He or she, prior to the interview, determines what competenes are required for the position. Then the interviewer develops a series of questions that will allow him or her to find out if you, the job candidate, possess the necessary competences to perform the job.

The basic premise of the behavioural interview is that past performance is a good predictor of future performance.

While many candidates are intimidated by this method, a behavioural interview gives you the opportunity to demonstrate to a prospective employer why you are well suited for the job. Rather then merely telling the interviewer what you would do in a situation, as in a regular interview, you must describe, in detail, how you handled a situation in the past. What better way to "strut your stuff?"

In a behavioural interview, you can expect questions like "Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example of when..." Fill in the blanks with one of any number of skills, knowledge, or abilities the interviewer is trying to ascertain you have.

For example, if conflict resolution is a required competence, the question may be: "Tell me about a time two people you had to work with weren't getting along." If you have work experience you can talk about two of your co-workers. If you're interviewing for your first job you can select an experience that occurred during a time you worked on a group project, or participated in a team sport.

As long as you clearly state the problem, demonstrate the steps you took to resolve it, and discuss the results, it doesn't matter what experience you draw upon.

Why use this technique?

When asked simple 'yes' or 'no' questions, a job candidate can easily tell an interviewer what he or she wants to hear.

However, if the interviewer asks what you have done in the past to complete a project on a tight deadline, you would have to give a real-life example, detailing how you handled the situation.

Then the interviewer could ask some probing questions to verify that what you are saying actually happened.

The difficult part of the behavioural interview is preparing for it. First, you must determine what competences the employer is looking for. Read through the job description. If you're working with a recruiter, talk to him or her. Research the company.

Some of the competences the employer may be seeking include enthusiasm and decision making; knowledge/skills leadership; personal attributes and team-building; and flexibility and communication.

Next, you need to come up with examples of how you've demonstrated those competences. You can start by listing questions an interviewer might ask you. Here are some sample questions to help you get started. It is important to remember that this is only a taste, and questions may vary depending on the number of interviews you have attended, lines of business or industry, your level of experience and knowledge, type of position, and, of course, your interviewer.

Sample questions

Tell me about the time when you...

¤ achieved a great deal in a short amount of time

¤ were disappointed in your performance

¤ made a major sacrifice to achieve an important goal

¤ were unwilling or unable to make the necessary sacrifice to achieve a goal

¤ worked effectively under a great deal of pressure.

Looking back at your past jobs, try to answer the questions related to the competences the job requires. Your time in school is also a good place to look.

Like many new graduates, you may not have much work experience. However, your group projects provide excellent opportunities to demonstrate skills that employers are seeking.

Write down your stories. Be as specific as you can. In talking about the event, talk about who was involved, what problem occurred, and what you did to help resolve it. Also discuss the outcome.

Think not only of examples with positive outcomes, but also those with negative outcomes. Interviewers will ask you about situations that you could not resolve favourably and what you learned from those experiences.

For the future

While we're currently employed, most of us don't think about interviewing for our next jobs. And students generally don't put much thought into interviews they may go to in the future. You should.

When you do something at work, or in school, that will demonstrate a competency to a prospective employer, now's the time to write it down. Time has a funny way of clouding our memories.

If you write down the details of an event right after it happens you'll be able to be more specific. You might even consider keeping a diary.

CSB Employment Agency has been supporting the local business community with its services since 1987. For further information you can write to us at Vincenti Buildings, 14/19 Strait Street, Valletta VLT 08, or call 2122-5800 or 2124-6543, fax: 2123-0520, e-mail: jobs@vacancycentre.com, or visit www.VacancyCentre.com..