SHRM STUDENT
CAREER WEBINAR SERIES
Behavioral Interviewing
To Get The Role You Want
Presented by
Cathy Fyock, CSP, SPHR
Director of Recruiting
Louisville Office
Resources Global Professionals
What makes a great
interview?
Behavioral Interviewing
Tell me about a time when . . .
Think of a recent example of . . .
Tell me about an example of . . .
Consider a time when . . .
Poll#1
Have you ever had a behavioral interview?
To submit your answer, please check the
appropriate box.
What are your great stories?
 Major accomplishments
 Achievements
 How you excelled
 How you differentiated yourself
 How you gone“where no one has gone
before”
Homework
 Outline 5 – 10 of your best stories
 Identify traits/competencies for each story
 Outline your key competencies and think of a
story that demonstrates each trait
Leader Competencies
 Subject matter expertise
 Business acumen
 Critical thinking skills
 Leadership skills
 Interpersonal skills
 Strategic thinking skills
 Visionary thinking
Poll #2
Which of these skills do you most need to
develop?
Include key competencies in
your functional resume
Media training principles:
Answer their questions with
your key stories
Fine-Tune Your Stories
STAR
■ Situation or Task
■ Action
■ Result
Edit Your Stories
 Only the relevant facts
 1 – 2 minutes
 Positive outcomes/lessons learned
Rehearse Your Stories
 Develop a key word outline
 Practice with a friend
 Find an HR professional or hiring manager
More Story Development
■ Tell me about a time you had a major
conflict with a manager, coworker, or client
■ Tell me about a time you missed a major
deadline
■ Tell me about a time you failed to meet
customer expectations
■ Tell me about a time you lost a valued
employee
Dealing with Skeletons
 This is what happened
 This is what I learned
 This is how I ensure it never happens
again
Consider the worst or most
difficult questions an interviewer
could ask and script your
responses
Difficult Questions
 Why were you fired?
 You have a track record of being caught in
layoffs—why?
 You seem to be overqualified for this role.
Why are you interested?
 The position for which you are applying is
in an entirely new field/industry for you.
Why are you applying?
Poll #3
Which of the following situations have you
found yourself in (select all that apply):
Interview Challenges
 What if you can’t think of an example?
 What if that experience never happened to
you?
 What if you don’t understand the
question?
 What if the interviewer never asks about
your strongest competency?
Red Flags
 I always . . .
 I never . . .
 I generally . . .
Give one specific example
More Red Flags
 Balance between “I” and “we” in your
responses
 Be sure to relay the positive result
 Review the interview questions provided at
the end of this presentation
General Rules for the Interview
 Always put your best foot forward
 Always tell the truth
 Never trash your last job or supervisor
 Be upbeat and positive
 Consider the interview a two-way street
 Make a friend and develop a relationship
 Remember, you are enough
Good luck!
Additional Questions
 Tell me about a time when you were part
of a team for a project or assignment.
What was your role? What was the
result?
 Tell me about a time when you had to
work with a colleague whose work ethic
was different than yours.
Additional Questions
 Tell me about a time when you had to
surmount an obstacle to reach a goal.
 Describe an accomplishment that you are
especially proud of.
 Give me an example of an important goal
you set and how you took steps to achieve
that goal.
Additional Questions
 Tell me about a time you were faced with
a major change in your workplace.
 Give me an example of a time when you
had to go beyond the call of duty.
 Tell me about a time when you had to do
work that was clearly beneath your level of
expertise.
Additional Questions
 Tell me about a recent tough decision you
had to make.
 Tell me about a time when you had to
inspire your team to achieve a major goal.
 Tell me about a time when you faced an
ethical dilemma.
 Tell me about a time you had to bend the
rules to achieve a desired result.
Additional Questions
 Tell me about a time when you had to
Please join us
for our upcoming student
career webinars:
enforce
management
decisions
that you
were personally not in favor of.
 Give an example of a time when you had
to build enthusiasm in your team.
 Describe a time when you had to share
unpleasant news with someone at work.