To prepare for the possible assortment of questions on the previous page, jobseekers should use the S.T.A.R. or P.A.R. approach.  For this writing, I'll refer to this approach as P.A.R. only.  A good response to a behavior-based question should always explain the Problem that you were faced with, the Action that you took to resolve the problem, and the Results that came about as a result of your actions. 

To illustrate how a practice P.A.R. drill would work, I used a personal problem that I was faced with during my busy recruiting years while working at a large ad agency.

Problem:  Interviewer feedback on job applicants were always miserably one sided.  To explain this better, I mean I wasn't getting enough varied feedback/diverse perspectives on candidates interviewing for the different client service positions offered each year.  It was always the same senior level account personnel interviewing the countless job applicants competing for the 50 to 60 C.S.A. annual job openings.

Action:  To help obtain broader perspectives on candidates interviewing for CSA spots, I decided to invite more junior level staff to participate in the hiring process at the company.  I wrote memos encouraging junior personnel to get involved in recruitment while the unique opportunity existed for them.  I organized interviewer training seminars, recruited several talented people to help lead the seminars, and to get more people to attend the seminars I always made sure the seminars took place during lunch hours where I ordered plenty of pizza (free pizza is always a great incentive to get folks to come to just about anything).

Result: I successfully added 47 new interviewers to my interviewing rosters in just a matter of three weeks, 16 of those same interviewers also signed up for the company's rigorous recruitment duties on college campuses in both the Midwest and East Coast.  Plus, I started getting broader perspectives on the Candidate Performance Feedback forms and I also increased the number of senior level personnel interviewing during that same time period because of the contagious interviewing spirit that was suddenly infecting the company by our newest junior-level interviewing squad.

Okay, so now that I’ve explained how to apply the P.A.R. rule to help in responding to behavior-based questions and provided a short list of these types of questions, I’ll now share some other useful methods for increasing your chances of coming out unscathed from a behavioral interview. 

Analyze Position

First, you should always thoroughly explore or examine the position for which you’re applying.  If there is one available, you should always get a job description from the company you’re planning on interviewing with.  You should carefully review the skills that are required for the position.  Some popular skills/traits that employers normally look for when evaluating applicants for job openings are noted below.

Adaptability                       Oral Communication Skills

Analytical Thinker               Passion for Business

Applicable Skills                  Personality & Cultural Compatibility

Creativity                          Problem Solving Abilities

Critical Thinker                   Resourcefulness

Fast Learner                      Professionalism/Maturity

Initiative                           Risk Taker

Integrity                           Self-Confidence

Interpersonal Skills             Smarts/Intelligence

Leadership                        Team-Building Skills

Motivator                          Written Communication Skills

Assess Your Skills

Next, you should thoroughly assess your background.  Write down what skills you have that match with what’s on the company’s job description.  If you’re coming up short in one or two critical areas, then you should pull out your resume.  Review it closely.  Look at each company that you’ve ever worked for.  Think back hard and note closely which or what skills you've used in the past that are listed on the job description.  Maybe there’s a talent that was forgotten or a skill that you didn’t think worth mentioning before.  Don't overlook anything.  Write it all down.  You may definitely be able to tie in important traits with the requirements listed on the job description.  Also, when trying to create examples that demonstrate your capabilities, keep in mind that you don’t have to just pull experiences from past employment situations but you can also include experiences related to hobbies, volunteer work situations, school projects, family events, even a party you planned for a friend.

P.A.R. Recap

Once you’ve nailed your skills down that match the company’s job description, you should write down examples of past situations where these skills were clearly demonstrated.  Don’t forget that your examples must always tell a story, the P.A.R. story:  the problem faced by you, the action taken by you and the result because of your action.

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This article is © 2003-2005 by Tracy Miller and may not be reposted without written permission from the author and may not be reprinted for profit.