Job Interview Answers - A List Of 8 Traits All Hiring Managers Are Looking For

Job Interview coming up? ... Keep in mind that whether they know it or not, all Hiring Managers are looking for certain characteristics or "Behavioral Competencies."

One of the most important is CONFIDENCE. Now, all of us have made mistakes in the past, and maybe all of your performance reviews have not exactly been "glowing," but the point is not to live your life looking in the rear view mirror. If you know you have made mistakes, and you are working on improving yourself, then there is no reason why you shouldn't move forward with CONFIDENCE and an EXPECTATION OF SUCCESS.

Review the following Behavioral Competencies with CONFIDENCE. Nobody is a super-person that exhibits all of these characteristics at 100%, but if you have ever worked any job then you have exhibited all of these characteristics to some degree. EMPHASIZE THE POSITIVE when you formulate your interview answers, and think of times on the job when you HAVE exhibited these characteristics -- NOT times when you might have failed to.

What you want to demonstrate to the Hiring Manager: Courage / Persuasion: This is your ability to increase your determination to get the job done when you are faced with resistance or a difficult situation. Show the ability to move people towards a commitment to buy or act. Demonstrate that you are fair and nice, but also show that you are aggressive and may even sometimes intimidate others. Don't be modest. Demonstrate confidence and the fact that you are not easily intimidated. Indicate the desire to influence the thinking of others. Show that you can gain agreement from others via logic, alternatives, and emotional appeals.

Beliefs / Ethics: This is your capacity to believe strongly in what you do and emphasize service. Indicate loyalty so that the Hiring Manager knows that you won't quit after three months -- or leave your clients hanging and out of the loop. This quality is key to the development of accounts and customer satisfaction. Show that you will act in terms of what is right. Demonstrate that you follow through and actually do what you say you will do.

Commitment: This is your capacity for becoming dedicated to your work. You should demonstrate a strong belief in what you do. Demonstrate that you are willing to make a sacrifice for people when appropriate because you are a COMMITTED person. Show a strong responsibility and commitment to not only the Hiring Manager and the company, but even more importantly, to customers and clients.

Work Orientation / Stamina: This is your capacity to handle mental intensity and hard work. Indicate the high tempo and speed at which you work, and your capacity for endurance. Show that you invest the TIME and ENERGY necessary to get the job done right the first time, consistently.

Interpersonal Skills / Charm: This is your capacity to know how and when to get things done with people. Show that you are outgoing and charming, and that you are especially effective in this regard when you have an objective in mind, or need someone to do something. Demonstrate that you have an intrinsic need to win the approval of others, fit in, and get along. Show that you have the ability to build quick relationships with people.

Discipline: Demonstrate that you have inner standards that make you both predictable and productive. Show that you enjoy the responsibility of planning and carrying out your own schedule. Indicate that you can motivate yourself to work on a task until completion.

Competitiveness: This is your drive to be better than others. Show that you like to compete and have the desire to win, and show the maturity of knowing how this benefits everyone.

Focus: This is your ability to determine what is important, set priorities for tasks, and maintain direction. Show that you understand how to set short and long-term objectives, and how to intelligently schedule these objectives so that you hit your goals and complete.

... When you formulate your interview answers, try to integrate at least two of the above competencies. Remember, confidence is the most important! Relax, deliver your best answer, use the above guidelines -- and you WILL get HIRED!