5 stories you should have on hand for job interviews

You’re 100% ready for your interview: you have rehearsed your elevator pitch and you have prepared yourself to each question the employer could ask you. Now, it’s time for the interview. You feel calm and completely prepared until the interviewer asks the dreaded question: “Tell me about a time when…”

"Behavioral questions" are more and more frequent in interviews as employers want to find out more personal and behavioral aspects of each personality.

Here are a few examples of how you can answer these questions:

1. I’m a real problem solver

A high amount of job descriptions mention “problem solver” as requirement. It’s easy to add this skill to your CV, but it can become challenging when you are asked to explain when and how you've actually exercised this skill : “Have you ever resolved a conflict between two team members you worked with? How would you deal with a last minute conference speaker cancellation?”. When asking these kind of questions, the interviewer is not looking for a yes/no answer but more you reasoning in these situations. Our advice is that you go through your history to find an example that shows you’re creative, resourceful and self-motivated to solve a problem.

2. I overcome challenges

Challenges are part of the workplace. Our advice is not to lie on how you climbed the Mount Kilimanjaro as interviewers are not looking for a movie pilot. Instead, try and come up with a real life example of a challenging situation you experienced and explain how you got around it. You can, for example share how you got around having two jobs to pay for your college tuition.

3. Mistakes are human

Recruiters are aware that you’re not perfect and can make mistakes. In asking questions related to mistakes you may have made, recruiters want to find out more about your personality: will you sweep them under the rug, or address them head on?

4. I have leadership skills

If you’re applying for a management position, you can be sure that the interviewer will want to test your leadership skills. Try and come up with examples of when you successfully took charge and saw positive results.

5. Teamwork makes dream work!

To demonstrate how you are able to be a good team worker, take examples that show that you understand not just how to collaborate but why it WAS valuable: all heads are better than one!