How to Deal with Behavioral Interview Questions

How to Deal with Behavioral Interview QuestionsFor some hiring managers, a job interview is a chance to get a candidates psychological profile as well as his or her direct qualifications for the job. This might include staring contest type questions, hypothetical situations that seem to have little to do with the topic at hand, or questions about your life outside of work. These can pull you out of your interview comfort zone, but they dont have to. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Here are some strategies for navigating behavioral interview questions.DONT fall into the silent treatment trap.Most people, when faced with silence (especially with someone they dont know well), feel obligated to fill that silence. If an interviewer asks you a question, and you answer it only to be met with a stare and no reply, dont try to shovel in mora information or clarify further. You already answered the question, and going off the cuff could talk you o ut of the job. Its okay to give the pause a few minutes, then ask, Is there anything else youd like to know on this point? Make sure that when you ask, its elend sarcastic or nervousjust a straightforward question.DONT try to match the silent treatment with aggression.Staring down your interviewer, nostrils flaring like youre in an Old West showdown, is not going to help your cause. Its not necessarily a case of he who backs down first loses, but rather just a test of how you react. Keep it calm and friendly.DO be prepared to talk about what you do outside of workbut try to keep it at least semi-related to the job discussion. If you do volunteer work, talk about the kind of skills you apply there. If you talk about a hobby, emphasize that its something that helps you decompress outside of work hours. Before you talk about any outside interests, make sure its appropriate for the company and professional conversation. NSFW hobbies should be left off the table completely (and hopefully your R-rated blog is well hidden under a non-identifiable pseudonym).DONT let unnerving questions be a backdoor to illegal interview information.Whether intentional or not, shifting the focus of the interview to personal activities, or to making you so nervous that youre willing to spill anything, can produce information that the interviewer should not be privy to.For example, if youre asked about your personal goals and activities, and you talk about your church youth group mentoring, youve introduced religion to the interview. If you talk about the Mommy-and-Me yoga class you started in your neighborhood, youve opened up family status. Be choosy about what you discuss.DO be creative for What would you be? questions.If youre asked what kind of tree/animal/Backstreet Boy youd be, answer the question. But you dont have to answer it totally faithfully to your personality. Tailor it to what you think would best match the job and the company. For example, I wouldnt answer, Id be a pand a, because Im slow and like to eat salad. Instead, Id say, Id be an octopus, because Im great at multitasking.These questions may be designed to knock you slightly off your game and get to the real you, so you shouldnt worry too much when they happen. Just be ready to keep the focus on the job thats up for grabs, and always find a way to spin it back to your qualifications.

The Right Way to Be Aggressive In Your Job Search, According to a VP

The Right Way to Be Aggressive In Your Job Search, According to a VP As you pursue your next opportunity, you may consider a few words of advice from Jean Savage, Vice President of Surface Mining Technology at Caterpillar Put yourself out there both to succeed and to fail. Jean, who has worked with customers around the globe, says she loves to learn and asks questions, which is helpful as she has assumed new roles and responsibilities.Savage calls her coworkers her favorite aspect of her company. Employees at Cat at all levels of the organization are committed to the companys values and demonstrate every day how they are willing to work hard to serve our customers, she says.How long have you been in your current role, and what were you doing previously? I have been in my current role for two years, and prior to that, I served as Vice President for the Innovation Technology Development Division at Caterpillar.Whats the first thing you do at work every day?As email continues to be the primary mode of communication, my first task of the day is reading and addressing priority emails and enjoying a hot cup of tea along the way.Whats the fruchtwein unique or interesting aspect of your job?The most unique aspect of my job is where it takes me. We have customers working all around the world, 24/7, from Australia with temperatures of +120F to the Oil Sands where temps can drop to -40 F to altitudes above 4,500 meters in Chile to a mine. Our amazing machines, loaded with technology solutions, can load and haul up to 400 tons of material and are increasingly being driven by autonomous technology. I have literally gone to all ends of the earth in this jobWhats something you think most people (perhaps even current employees) dont know about Caterpillar that you think they should?The Caterpillar Foundation is dedicated to transforming lives in the communities where we live and work around the world. As part of the Caterpillar Foundations work to alleviate poverty, we kn ow that investments in programs that support women and girls have proven to yield the best results in putting communities on a path to prosperity. Thats why the Caterpillar Foundation supports the UN Foundations Girl Up a global leadership development initiative that positions girls to be leaders and creates tangible change for girls everywhere.How do you apply your strengths at work?I pride myself on being able to understand what the business needs to succeed, recognizing the right talent and bringing them together as a gruppe to achieve results.What about outside of work?I love being a grandmother to my two grandsons, and spending as much time as I can with my two sons and their families. To do this, I work hard to manage my time well so that I can enjoy as much balance as I can. I work to unplug and recharge as often as possible.What are you trying to improve on? I love to learn and tend to ask a lot of questions, and sometimes this causes more work for my team. I am trying to b etter balance my desire to learn with the impact it has on them.Whats your favorite mistake? While I was the Chief Technology Officer for Caterpillar, I was called upon to present in many different forums. At one of the events, I got on stage and was several slides into my presentation when I lost my train of thought. I had to take a deep breath and forget about the script and just talk to the audience. Since then, I have learned I communicate better when I have a conversation rather than following a scripted presentation.Whats the one career move youve made that youre most proud of?I have taken seitlich opportunities, which provided new experiences and gave me broader exposure to different industries and business challenges.What do you love most about Caterpillar?The people. Employees at Cat at all levels of the organization are committed to the companys values and demonstrate every day how they are willing to work hard to serve our customers.What are you currently reading/watchi ng/listening to? I am currently reading Leading Change by John P. Kotter. With the pace of change, understanding and being able to lead our teams through the change is paramount to survival.Whats your no. 1 piece of advice for women who are looking for jobs right now?Be aggressive in your search and leverage your network. Call on your mentors and ask for advice as you pursue the next step in your career.Who is/was the most influential rolle in your life and why?The first credit must go to my mother and father. My mother encouraged us (her children) to go after our dreams, and my father instilled a very strong work ethic.In my professional career, Billy Ainsworth, Senior Vice President of Progress Rail at Caterpillar, demonstrated best the principle of servant leadership and helped me develop and perform to my highest potential.Whats the most memorable piece of career advice youve received?Always consider trying new opportunities. Put yourself out there, both to succeed and to fail. What was the best quality of the best boss youve ever had? I appreciate a boss who is direct, fair and provides the right amount of guidance someone who teaches from their own experiences while also allowing the employee to manage and own the outcomes.--Fairygodboss is proud to freund with Caterpillar.Find a job there today