competency based interview

MadMickIV

Hi, I don't know if anyone can help Me! I have a competency based interview for a sales role this coming week. I have attended 2 competence based interviews in the last year, both went really bad and although I asked for feed back I never received it.

It must be my age I just don't seem to to understand them. I read on a site the best way is to use the Situation. Task. Action. Result. method. This seems to be OK if you have a memory, which unfortunately I don't and having been out for 18 months is getting no better.

Is there a site where you can pick up some scenarios and change to your industry and your name ?

I also don't know how you know what questions their going to ask by reading the job profile! as the site says this is the best way to predict the questions. If anybody wants to have a go I can send the job profile. Cheers In Advance MadMickIV.....

pamfin

I hate competency based interviews as well. I find that I can never think of clear answers. I'm not allowed to post links because I'm a new user but I found some helpful websites by Googling 'Tips for competency based interviews'

I have another on Wednesday and am going to try and think of some of the questions I've been asked in the past and write out answers to them (using the STARS thing) in the hope of fixing them more firmly in my mind.

Good luck.

michilin27

Hi folks

When i prepare for competency based interviews, i usually look at the job spec/ role profile and base my prep around the competencies on there. I usually then prepare examples for each competency from previous work experience that demonstrates that i am competent and have experience in that area. Really, a competency based interview is looking for examples so if you break it down to " give me an example of a time when you had to prioritise a certain piece of work", then prep your answer around what you had to do in order to priortise that piece of work.

Check out this link as well- quite good!

http://www.interview-skills.co.uk/competency-based-interviews.aspx

Good luck!

MadMickIV

Thanks Guys, Good advice I'm now trying to combat the nerves!

CCFC_80

pamfin wrote: »

I hate competency based interviews as well. I find that I can never think of clear answers. I'm not allowed to post links because I'm a new user but I found some helpful websites by Googling 'Tips for competency based interviews'

I have another on Wednesday and am going to try and think of some of the questions I've been asked in the past and write out answers to them (using the STARS thing) in the hope of fixing them more firmly in my mind.

Good luck.

Just to add I hate these type of interviews also and do not believe they pick out the best candidate.It is usually good for those over confident type people who have their heads up their own backsides who can just bulls**t their way through the interview saying anything.

bristol_pilot

Competency-based interviews tend to favour the best-prepared candidate with a good memory. It's questionable whether this is necessarily the best person for the job or not. Also tends to favour more experienced candidates. I don't agree it favours the loudmouth bulls**ers, quite the opposite in fact, but the consumate liar would do well.

Try to determine from the job spec what competencies they are looking for; some companies will actually tell you. Then write out some examples for EVERY competence using the S-T-A-R formula based on your experience, then memorise your written answers. The memorising must be done thoroughly. All you have to do then is remember which answer goes with the question you have just been asked. Remember to answer in terms of what 'I did' rather than what 'happened'. HR departments seem very keen on this type of interview, I suspect it's because they can conduct interviews without understanding the subject matter themselves.

ihatebt_2

Someone else here that hates these stupid interviews. Complete cobblers. I want to be challenged about my technical skills and experience at interviews, not asked some question beginning with "Can you think of a time when......."

"Well yes, I have to deal with pressure or prioritse things on a daily basis. Which one of those 5,000 instances shall I recall for you Mr Interviewer?"

Why do so many HR departments subscribe to this complete drivel?

Person_one

I always liked CAR rather than STAR, challenge, action, result. Task and action are a bit too blurred together and fuzzy for my liking.

campervancrazy

well I'm not sure what it says about me after some of the comments above, but I have just been offered a job after a CBI ! I don't think I am at all loudmouthed! What I am is very thorough so i had an example in mind for each possible scenario, ie: tell us about when something went wrong, give an example of when you had to lead others etc I also had their company values ready to quote and did so about 3 times. Have to say I thought it went ok not great because I had repeated myself alot, but hitting on the key phrases such as values and reiterating what I had learn't from bad times at work seemed to do the trick.
Best of luck in your interview let us know how you get on.

togarama

The first time I did a CB interview I didn't get the job but the next two times I did.

The main difference was research and preparation in the manner others here have already described. I made sure I knew the key competences for the job inside out and had several examples to quote for each.

I was also more relaxed on the second two occasions and better able to think on my feet.

Good luck!

bristol_pilot

togarama wrote: »

The first time I did a CB interview I didn't get the job but the next two times I did.

The main difference was research and preparation in the manner others here have already described. I made sure I knew the key competences for the job inside out and had several examples to quote for each.

I was also more relaxed on the second two occasions and better able to think on my feet.

This is all totally true, I just can't understand why HR departments don't seem to realise that they are selecting the person who was best prepared for the interview rather than the person who would be best at the job. They may as well test who is best at solving Rubik's cube or something else that improves with practice. Any HR professionals care to post?