How to Give Unforgettable Answers to Behavioral Interview Questions

Behavioral or situational interview questions can be tough. Surprisingly, it’s my most intelligent and qualified pharmacist, management and director-level clients that feel they struggle the most.
Candidates fade in these critical moments - not because they lack qualifications or experience – but because they failed to connect with their audience. It’s common for them to tell me they felt they were droning on and lost the interviewer’s attention or the point they were trying to make.

Behavioral or situational interview questions are your opportunity to create a lasting impression. They showcase your skills and provide the opportunity for you to shine, casting a shadow on other candidates.

Be unforgettable in your next pharmacy, management or director interview by preparing 3-4 stories that leverage 6 core storytelling elements: be articulate, be on point, be relatable, be concise, be engaging and be prepared for follow-up questions.

Turn your experiences into crisp, clear and relatable stories that build instant rapport. These might tell of how you worked with demanding personalities, helped patients better self-manage medications, solved a big problem, or improved processes. Knowing exactly how you will approach common situational questions will help you stay calm and focused. Here’s how:

BE ARTICULATE
Articulating your answer under pressure can be tough. Proven structures such as the STAR or CARL method will help ensure effective communication. CARL stands for Context, Action, Result, and Learning.  The STAR answer format stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
Both methods are similar. The CARL method emphasizes behaviors and learning. The STAR method is focuses on the task and result. Which method is best for you depends on the context of the interview. If you are speaking to a generalist without expertise in the job you’re interviewing for, the CARL method is more likely to create connection and engage their interest. However, if you interview is focused more on your technical capabilities, the STAR method may be best. Either way, be prepared to present your story with both methods. That way you’re never caught off-guard.

BE ON POINT
Your first objective is to capture their attention. The best way to accomplish that is by ensuring that your story answers the question the interviewer is asking. Accomplish this with the simple technique of repeating the question in the first sentence of your story. For example:
Q: What would you do if a senior physician disagrees with your medication recommendation?
A: The situation that comes to mind first involved Dr. Smith at Vance Regional. We’re great friends now but, we had a tricky situation just after I started when she didn’t agree with...

BE RELATABLE
Relatability is about making your interviewer comfortable. There are two key factors you must consider for your answer to be consistently relatable.

1. Speak in your audience’s language. Tailor your response to the person(s) you are speaking to. Use words, phrasing and jargon that is comfortable to them. Avoid things that may be foreign or outside their comfort zone.
2. Make sure that your story includes the emotions people are feeling within the experience you are describing. Consider something like, "I felt (shared feeling) when (event) happened, because (supporting details)."

BE CONCISE
Articulate a complete response quickly. Behavioral or situational questions should be answered in 2-minutes (Tell me about a challenging experience with patient immunization). Introductory questions should be answered in 30-90 seconds (What made you decide to become a pharmacist?).
Concise answers help ensure that you hold the interviewer’s attention and focus your story on a single, powerful key takeaway. It also demonstrates your ability to simplify complex information and prioritize details.  

BE ENGAGING
Great storytelling engages the audience. Accomplish this by asking for feedback. By doing so you’ll change the dynamic and be perceived as a stronger candidate.
Look for the interviewer to visibly relax. Why? Because you’re creating a two-way conversation that instantly establishes rapport and puts yourself on a more equal footing with the interviewer. You’ve given them permission to voice concerns, gained the opportunity to address any concerns, demonstrated your coachability and created a learning opportunity for you and your interviewer.

BE PREPARED
Thoughtful and specific answers to probing follow-up questions helps the interviewer verify your answer, better understand why you chose a certain course of action, what alternatives you considered, and what assumptions you may have made. Expect to be asked how you felt and how you communicated before, during and after the situation you are discussing.
Take a moment to reflect before responding. Think about what the interviewer really wants to know. Follow-ups aid in evaluating behaviors and attitudes that may impact your performance or fit within the team.

CONCLUSION
Once you learn the keys to effective storytelling, you’ll cut through competitive clutter and impress interviewers with an understanding of what makes you special. Anyone can by learn to be an engaging storyteller. And, it’s a skill you’ll use far beyond the interview room.
Need more help? Reach out to @Jana Rugg. I’d love to help you smash your next interview and take your career further than you may think possible.

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