Tips for Using / Completing the Behaviorial Interview Grid
Most interviews contain some degree of Behavioral Interviewing which is based on the premise that past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior. Use the grid below to capture and recall details about your past experience in terms an interviewer can relate to.
1) On a separate piece of paper (not the Grid), make brief notes about each of the following:
- Projects you took part in
- Groups you worked with
- Your key skills, strengths and abilities
- Specific moments in the last 18 months of you work experience which are poignant because of their impact on you or your impact on them
- Specific moments in the MBA program which are poignant because of their impact on you or your impact on them
- Make certain the key bullets in your resume are included in these notes
2) Beside each of the notes from above, write the 2 - 3 key 'behaviors' which it best represents:
- Initiative
- Innovation
- Leadership
- Working with Others / Team
- Critical Thinking
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Overcoming Obstacles
- Creativity
- Dealing with Ambiguity
- Flexibility
3) Practice explaining each note out loud (to yourself is fine) in no more than 45 - 60 seconds with the following detail:
- Your employer and position at the time
- A very high level overview of the situation (event or circumstance)
- Your role within the situation
- The 3 - 5 key events (calls, meetings, presentations, etc.) that took place in which you show cased the specific behavior
- The outcome of your impact on the situation
4) Use two or three key words to remember each note and write them on the grid.
5) Don't memorize the grid. Instead, become VERY familiar and
