Job Search - Interviews - ComPetency Based Interviews

What are competency based interviews?

Many companies use competency based interviews as the basis for their recruitment and selection processes. Competency interviews are about finding out how you performed in work/college situations in the past.  If the employer feels that you have worked well in the past this is a good indicator for them that you will perform well in similar situations in the future.
The company will have identified a number of core competencies that are essential for the role on offer and they will have devised specific questions to examine these.

The core competencies for the role are usually outlined in the job specification or advert. Typical graduate competencies include teamwork, communication skills, initiative and problem solving. 

Competency based interviews are a good way for employers to benchmark candidates off each other as they will ask all candidates the same questions.

These interviews will usually begin with a number of familiar questions to ease the candidate into the interview such as....

“Tell me a bit about yourself” or “take me through your CV” but the interview will quickly move towards competency questions.

How do I know I’m being asked a competency based question?

These questions are easy to spot as they generally start as follows:

• Tell me about a time when you had to….
• Can you describe where you have had to….
• Give me an example of……….
  

How do I answer a competency based question?

The best way to answer these questions is to use the STAR framework outlined below. This method helps to keep your answers structured, clear and to the point.

Once you have given your answer the interviewer may probe a little by asking things like....

• Why did you take that approach?
• Would you do anything differently in hindsight?
• Did you find that situation difficult?

Don't worry! - this is a normal part of the competency interview process.

Tips to Prepare for a Competency Based Interview

1. Re-read the job advertisement and highlight the core competencies for the role. You should expect to be asked questions on where you have demonstrated these.
2. Write out examples of where you have developed each of these competencies, be creative with your approach, use examples from different areas such as college, placement, part-time work, volunteering, or your roles in clubs and societies.
3. Practice your answers out loud using the STAR technique. You can arrange an appointment in the Career Development Centre for a trial run before your interview.
4. When you are in the interview let your personality come through, be enthuastic and confident!

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