How to survive the last mile In most professional behavioral-based interviews you will often not even be aware of the exact behavior or history of behaviors the interviewer is probing for or trying to ascertain. Below are some of the questions/tactics you might expect during a really tough interview as the employer struggles with the decision of whether you're really the right candidate for the job or have you simply memorized the latest Interview Skills Almanac and rehearsed at length with the Interview Brigade. Silence The silence left by an interviewer is not an invitation to babble or a license to ramble. In fact, it is a calculated tactic used by many a sophisticated employer to make you do precisely that. Avoid breaking the silence and above all don't lose your cool. Stay casual and relaxed, maintain your friendly demeanor and wait for the employer to break the silence. ‘Tell me a little about yourself' Stick to business and to those aspects of yourself that specifically related to the job at hand. This are not the time to pretend to enjoy soccer if you don't know how many people play in a team, who won the last World Cup and what the rules of the game are. Nor is it the time to reveal personal information that has no bearing to the professional setting and might impede your chances of success. This is your chance to really sell yourself and expound on all those character traits, accomplishments and success stories that have a direct bearing on the job. Substantiate your claims with concrete and positive examples from your past experience that reflect on your abilities, aptitudes and values. ‘Tell me a story' Trust us, the interviewer is not interested at this specific moment in pop culture, nursery rhymes or the sequel to the latest blockbuster. He is interested in his bottom line and in finding a candidate who can augment that while being a pleasant and welcome member of the team. Stay focused on why you are there and what the interviewer is looking for. Asking a question to get the conversation back on the most relevant professional track is your best course of action. “What would you like to hear about?” ‘Why should we hire you?' This question delivered sometimes in a condescending manner may come at a late stage of the interview by which time you thought you'd already expounded on all your virtues or it may be used as a shocker right at the beginning. Either way don't be discouraged or exasperated. Use it to drive home exactly why you believe you are uniquely and fundamentally and beyond any shade of a doubt qualified for the very specific role being discussed. Above all be sincere. ‘What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with?' Every workplace has its unique personalities and character profiles, some less ideal to work with than others. This is not the time to point fingers, generalize, compartmentalize or wax lyrical about your ideal team environment. Show you are tolerant, flexible, easygoing and able to get along with practically anyone and resolve conflicts professionally and productively. ‘How do you handle stress?' Stress is an inevitable part of life and the employer needs to hear you realize that and have already mastered the art of recognizing stress and coping with it effectively. Mention that you take time to really think through a situation before reacting and never allow matters to blow out of proportion or lose your calm. Give an example of a particularly stressful project you worked on and how you managed to reduce the stress level through proper planning, organization time management. ‘What was your biggest failure?' Obviously this is potentially your opportunity to talk yourself out of the job so be very careful and above all don't bring up a failure that has any impact or ramifications whatsoever on the job at hand. You may bring up something relatively insignificant that happened very early in your career and turn it into a story of remedial action and great success as directly affects and impacts your potential for contribution to the present job. Demonstrate that you have dramatically learned and grew from that experience. ‘To what do you attribute your success?' The interviewer probably wants to verify that you really are successful professional at this stage by gauging your sincerity when you respond to this question. He/she is also interested in your value system and character. Mention some of the values you hold most dear to you – honesty, integrity, character, discipline, and mention that you are an energetic, ambitious “doer” who has always been very persistent, organized and disciplined in setting and meeting goals. Don't be arrogant or over-confident when answering this question or ramble on endlessly as this is also a “likability” question. Remember to attribute some of the success to the wonderful people you have been blessed to work/ learn with – whether it is a unique boss, mentor, teacher, peer or group of people. ‘Describe a situation where you were faced with a problem that had no precedent' This question probes your problem-solving and analytical skills. How well can you think outside the box, wrap your mind around a particular quandary, get the full measure of it and formulate the means and method to resolve it in an exemplary fashion? ‘What has been your greatest accomplishment?' Choose a significant success story and make sure you position it in terms of how it positively impacts your potential for success in the new role. Give facts and figures to elaborate if possible. ‘What is your ideal work environment?' Emphasize your flexibility and your ability to be productive, happy and efficient in any number of environments. This is not the time to demand the corner office with the park view or uninterrupted close-door policy. Versatility goes a long way in today's fluid workplaces and you need to show that you are able to focus on the job at hand and “fit in” seamlessly regardless of extraneous factors be they the physical surroundings, team dynamics or general level of noise and activity in the office. - SG Lama Ataya is the Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Bayt.com __
