by Mark Speed
"Recruitment professionals believe that the best way to distinguish a candidate’spotential future performance is to find out about examples of past performance."
However graduate candidates don’t usually have any experience of the industry to which they are applying and consequently it is impossible for interviewers to discuss previous job roles. Instead interviewers use competency questions to force candidates to reveal how they have performed in various situations in the past, revealing individual personality traits. These are a great help for interviewers interested in finding out exactly who a candidate is and how they may act if employed. Interviewers usually isolate specific key competencies that they believe suitable employees should possess and ask competency based interview questions designed to force candidates to reveal their skills in these areas. Examples of key competencies interviewers ask about are: Teamwork, Responsibility, Decision making, Communication, Leadership, Commitment to career, Commercial awareness and Career motivation.
How to Answer Competency Questions
An example of a typical competency interview question is:
“Tell me about a time when you failed to complete a task or project on time, despite intending to do so?”
In your response your interviewer will want to find out how you manage your time during difficult tasks and the reason why you failed to meet your deadline on this occasion (and consequently a reason why you may fail to meet deadlines in the future).
Interviewers using behaviour-based interviewing techniques such as competency questions are likely to probe for additional details during your responses. Always make sure you provide concise, highly specific answers that are well explained, thought out and detailed. Although your interviewer will at times ask you to give examples of past failures (such as the question above) rather than achievements, you must adequately justify why you failed to complete tasks, and defend the reasons for your failure. Clever candidates will justify failure by giving examples of positive personality traits. Consider the following answers:
Competency answer one: Positive justification for missed deadline
“During my final year at university I failed to deliver my dissertation on the due date.
This was because I was heavily involved in cutting edge research right up until the end of my course and was waiting for imminent results from surveys being undertaken by researchers at other academic institutions.
Considering this was my final piece of academic work, I wanted to ensure it was based on the most accurate and up to date sources of information available, even if this meant a delay in production. To ensure no marks were deducted from my dissertation, I contacted my course director and personal tutor two weeks before my dissertation due date to discuss my particular situation. I argued my case, and was consequently allowed an extra two weeks to produce my work.
Although my work was delayed, I feel that this delay was justified in that the work was of the highest quality it could be. Furthermore, I sufficiently organised myself in relation to my department and tutors, so that all relevant people were aware of a possible delay in the production of my dissertation.”
Compare this answer to those below, which justify failure with much weaker, negative responses:
Competency answer two: Negative justification for missed deadline
“During my final year at university I failed to deliver my dissertation on the due date.
This was because I was ill for a couple of weeks during my final semester.”
Competency answer three: Negative justification for missed deadline
“During my final year at university I failed to deliver my dissertation on the due date.
One of my worst characteristics is poor organisation, especially in relation to time.”
For further techniques and to test yourself go to career zone at www.justaccountancyjobs.com
How to Answer Competency Questions
An example of a typical competency interview question is:
“Tell me about a time when you failed to complete a task or project on time, despite intending to do so?”
In your response your interviewer will want to find out how you manage your time during difficult tasks and the reason why you failed to meet your deadline on this occasion (and consequently a reason why you may fail to meet deadlines in the future).
Interviewers using behaviour-based interviewing techniques such as competency questions are likely to probe for additional details during your responses. Always make sure you provide concise, highly specific answers that are well explained, thought out and detailed. Although your interviewer will at times ask you to give examples of past failures (such as the question above) rather than achievements, you must adequately justify why you failed to complete tasks, and defend the reasons for your failure. Clever candidates will justify failure by giving examples of positive personality traits. Consider the following answers:
Competency answer one: Positive justification for missed deadline
“During my final year at university I failed to deliver my dissertation on the due date.
This was because I was heavily involved in cutting edge research right up until the end of my course and was waiting for imminent results from surveys being undertaken by researchers at other academic institutions.
Considering this was my final piece of academic work, I wanted to ensure it was based on the most accurate and up to date sources of information available, even if this meant a delay in production. To ensure no marks were deducted from my dissertation, I contacted my course director and personal tutor two weeks before my dissertation due date to discuss my particular situation. I argued my case, and was consequently allowed an extra two weeks to produce my work.
Although my work was delayed, I feel that this delay was justified in that the work was of the highest quality it could be. Furthermore, I sufficiently organised myself in relation to my department and tutors, so that all relevant people were aware of a possible delay in the production of my dissertation.”
Compare this answer to those below, which justify failure with much weaker, negative responses:
Competency answer two: Negative justification for missed deadline
“During my final year at university I failed to deliver my dissertation on the due date.
This was because I was ill for a couple of weeks during my final semester.”
Competency answer three: Negative justification for missed deadline
“During my final year at university I failed to deliver my dissertation on the due date.
One of my worst characteristics is poor organisation, especially in relation to time.”
For further techniques and to test yourself go to career zone at www.justaccountancyjobs.com
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