Many companies will ask competency based questions and for these you need to be able to have a specific example.   So, you could be asked can you give me an example of when you have had to deal with a difficult customer or perhaps this one:

Please describe a project or challenging task when you needed to work effectively to deliver a timely outcome.

This is a written response one of my clients used in their job application, but it gives you some details of what to include - you really must have some specific examples.

As part of my undergraduate degree I presented a 15,000-word dissertation on U.S. policy in Vietnam in the 1950s.  At first I faced considerable opposition from my academic advisors.  I was able to overcome this only through persuasion and thorough preparation of the project, clearly delineating achievable objectives.  Considerable self-motivation was required to research the work in Britain, Washington and Dallas and then to analyse the great quantity of archival material collected, remaining focused on the overall objectives of the study. 

At the same time it was necessary to regularly evaluate the project redefining the parameters in the light of the emerging results of my research.  I had to carry out the work whilst completing short-term assignments in parallel, providing good experience in prioritising tasks.  The final text had to be presented in accordance with specific rules and to a tight deadline, with strict penalties for incomplete, over-length or delayed submissions.  I was pleased to gain 1st-class marks for this component of my degree.

Hopefully this will be helpful as you prepare for your next interview.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 at 6:35 pm and is filed under Interview Tips & Assessment Centres. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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