Crafting Compelling Stories for Competency-Based Interviews

Competency-based interviews are akin to storytelling. You might be asked questions such as, “Can you describe a time when you had to overcome a significant challenge?” Using the STAR technique for these responses is essential. This approach helps you frame your answers with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The more detailed and enthusiastic your responses, the more impact they will make. Tailor your experiences to align with the role and company you are interviewing for.

Before you start preparing, understand the specific competencies required for the role. Once identified, you can tailor your preparation accordingly.

Competency Areas and Sample Questions

Here’s a breakdown of key competencies with sample questions to guide your preparation:

• Customer Focus: Describe how you improved customer satisfaction in a previous role.
• Planning & Organising: Share a time when you effectively planned and executed a complex project.
• Using Initiative: Explain how you identified and acted on a new opportunity in your last role.
• Decision Making & Problem Solving: Give an example of a challenging decision you made and its outcome.
• Effective Communication: Tell us about a time when your communication skills resolved a misunderstanding.
• Team & Collaborative Working: Describe how you contributed to a successful team project.
• Innovation & Creative Thinking: Share an instance where you introduced a creative solution to a problem.
• Adaptability & Flexibility: Provide an example of how you adapted to significant changes at work.
• Leadership: Discuss how you led a team through a challenging period.
• Continuous Development: Explain how you pursued professional development for yourself or your team.
• Strategic Thinking: Describe a situation where your strategic thinking led to a successful outcome.
• Resilience & Stress Tolerance: Share how you managed stress during a high-pressure project.
• Commercial Awareness: Discuss how you kept up with industry trends and applied them in your role.
• Trustworthiness & Ethics: Provide an example of how you handled an ethical dilemma at work.
• Energy & Enthusiasm: Describe a time when your enthusiasm drove a project forward.

Mastering the STAR Technique

The STAR Technique is a proven method for structuring your answers. The acronym stands for:

• Situation: Describe the context within which you performed a task or faced a challenge.
• Task: Explain the specific task or responsibility you had.
• Action: Detail the actions you took to address the task or challenge.
• Result: Share the outcome of your actions and what you learned.

Planning & Organising

In the STEM industry, effective planning and organising are crucial. Employers look for candidates who can manage time efficiently and achieve strategic objectives. Consider these sample questions:

• Describe a complex task you managed and how you approached it.
• Explain a time when you successfully set and achieved work-related goals.
• Share how you adjusted your plans in response to unforeseen events.

Using Initiative

Demonstrating initiative is vital. Employers value candidates who proactively seek to improve performance and seize opportunities. Prepare for questions such as:

• Describe a time when you used a new approach to solve a problem.
• Share how you identified and acted on an opportunity for improvement.

Decision Making & Problem Solving

Effective decision making and problem solving are key skills. Be ready to answer questions like:

• Provide an example of a difficult decision you made and its impact.
• Describe a complex problem you solved and how you approached it.

Adaptability & Flexibility

Adaptability is crucial in a constantly evolving field. Prepare for questions like:

• Discuss a time when you had to adapt quickly to a major change.
• Share how you handled a situation where you disagreed with new procedures.

Leadership

Leadership skills are highly valued. Expect questions such as:

• Describe a time when you had to lead a team through a challenging situation.
• Explain how you adjusted your team’s goals to align with organisational objectives.

Continuous Development

Continuous development is essential for staying current. Prepare to discuss:

• How you’ve supported the professional growth of others.
• Your own strategies for personal and professional development.

Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking helps align daily tasks with long-term goals. Prepare for questions like:

• Share an example of how you developed a strategy to meet a long-term objective.
• Describe how your role contributes to the organisation’s strategic goals.

Resilience & Stress Tolerance

Resilience and stress tolerance are vital in high-pressure environments. Be ready for questions such as:

• Provide an example of how you managed stress during a critical project.
• Describe a time when you effectively handled a challenging situation.

Commercial Awareness

Understanding industry trends and their impact on your role is crucial. Prepare for questions like:

• Discuss how you stay updated with industry trends.
• Explain how you used market knowledge to support a project.

Trustworthiness & Ethics

Ethical considerations are important in any role. Prepare to answer:

• Describe a time when you faced an ethical dilemma and how you resolved it.
• Share how you handled a situation that tested your integrity.

Energy & Enthusiasm

Demonstrating energy and enthusiasm is important. Be ready to discuss:

• Describe a time when you maintained high performance during a challenging period.
• Share how your enthusiasm contributed to a project’s success.