Posted: 8/21/2013 2:13:51 AM EDT
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Situation, Task, Action, Result
Does anyone do well on these? Where they ask you dumb questions like, "Tell me about a time when you failed to complete a task", or some other nonsense that is supposed to determine whether or not you can fill the position they are looking for. I have an interview tomorrow, and I've been trying to prepare by going over the possible questions, but I can't seem to come up with any good answers for this crap. I know it's based on your own experiences, but how am I supposed to answer a question like, "Tell us what makes you better than the other applicants". How the fuck do I answer that? They're not going to let me look at their resumes and call their references. "Gee, let's see... I have a car, and I'll show up on time. I'll do my job..." Seriously? I don't get how you can possibly try to fill a skilled position with an interview like this. I could see a test on the equipment I would be using, math, blueprints, etc. But behavioral questions? I don't get it. |
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The concept of a behavioral interview is to relate specific past experience to determine the ability to do the job. Assumption is that "past performance is the best indicator of future performance". Answers in a BI should start with "I remember a time when ---" or "just last month I had a ---".
The STAR is just a reminder for the interviewer to get all the aspects of a BI in your answer. If, after several attempts to complete a STAR response, you DO NOT give the right answers, the interviewer will continue with other questions. At that point, you have already failed the interview. BI is a very common interview method. Know what they are looking for and answer accordingly, and you will do fine. If you can't get past the concept of a BI, then you should be in business for yourself, because you will not pass an interview process. ETA: "Tell us what makes you better than the other applicants" IS NOT a BI question. |
Sounds like, if someone asked you why you are the best candidate, you don't know the answer. That is not a good interview strategy. 
Behavioral questions are designed to see how you react in everyday situations, some of which are difficult. They are trying to understand if your values would be a good fit for the company. Your research on the company (you have done that, right?) should tell you what they are looking for, along with the position's duties. For example, if delivering on time is critical, a question about that is looking for a response where you did that well based on the job you are seeking. If you are a machine operator, maybe you worked some extra hours to make an important date. If you are a supervisor, maybe you scheduled in a way that made it happen. |
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Yeah, I think I may be reading too much into it.
If I had the capital, I'd start my own business, but it's not in the bank yet. I've done a couple of these, and I really don't like them. I didn't do well on the last one, even though I was we'll qualified for the job. My present job we had to take an assessment, and then meet with the plant manager. I'm sure he had a list of questions, but it seemed very relaxed and informal. I don't like the idea of these types of interviews, or the multiple choice personality tests. |
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Exactly, I only fuck up my own shit...  Quoted:
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what if you are like me and have never failed a task or project at work   Exactly, I only fuck up my own shit... If that is really true, and odds are it isn't, there are still ways to answer intelligently. "I'm proud of my past accomplishments and can honestly say I have yet to fail a project or task. I credit a lot of that success to careful planning before hand and attention to detail during the engagement. However, I view failure as a valuable learning opportunity where I can reflect on where the mistakes were made, learn from them, and do my best to educate not only myself but my co-workers going forward to insure it does not happen again." Then sit back, throw your hands behind your head and say "come on, give me a hard question, jerk face." |