People interviewing for jobs today often fail because they are using yesterday's strategies. Recruiting technology has become more sophisticated, and the best employers are constantly changing the way interviews are done. This course gives you detailed strategies for handling tough competency-based, or behavioral, interviews so that you can communicate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that you have and that employers demand.

After completion of the course, students will be able to: 

1. Identify what the hiring organization is looking for in using behavioral interviewing techniques.

2. List the steps in the S.T.A.R. response strategy and apply the steps, using reasonably correct language, to respond to behavioral interview questions.

3. Use your responses to behavioral and competency-based questions to communicate your personal values.

4. Identify what the hiring organization is looking for in asking situational and wild-card interview questions.

5. List the steps in the P.R.E.P. and 5 W's response strategies and apply the steps, using reasonably correct language, to answer at least one wild-card and two situational interview questions.

6. Develop an optimal strategy for responding to the weaknesses question, based on recognizing why a hiring organization asks these questions.

7. Demonstrate your personal strengths and maturity through your responses to the weaknesses question.

8. Correctly apply hedging language to soften a negative and boosting language to emphasize a positive aspect of your professional and/or academic background.

9. Ask questions to determine how well an organization fits with your personality, career goals and salary objectives.

10. Ask questions that communicate your competencies and strengths.

11. Negotiate the best job offer and compensation package for yourself.

12. Perform successfully on telephone interviews.