Many organisations use a competency based interview to make certain that you have the skills and experience required to do the job.
The important thing to remember during this type of an interview is to answer the question by giving a specific example that demonstrates you have the core competencies they are seeking.
In a competency based interview it is quite normal for you to be asked popular interview questions that are geared around situations when things went well or when they didn’t go quite so well.
What the interviewer is looking for is seeing how you have dealt with difficult issues, what you learned from the experience and how you have applied that learning.
Competency Based Interview – Using the STAR Method for answers
If you are invited to a competency based interview, you should find out what are the key competencies for the role are prior to the interview.
Use the STAR method to provide examples. You do not have to give work-based situations. An example of this might be:
“When did you last face a difficult situation and how did you resolve it?” You could answer this popular interview question, something like this….
“I left my car for a short while in a disabled parking space. When I returned, a traffic attendant was about to write me a ticket.
I explained to him that I was just renewing my disability badge and that I was in fact entitled to park there as the disc had not expired but I had been asked to bring the old one with me.
I showed him the necessary paperwork and he accepted my explanation as being valid and did not give me a ticket.”
Always use an example where the situation was satisfactorily resolved. In the example above you have shown that you acted calmly, did not allow the situation to escalate, explained your position and settled the matter without fuss.
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