Issue #25 - Competently Handling Competency Based Interviews

How to prepare for behavioural interviews.

Welcome!

Welcome to Developing Skills - Skills for Developers looking to develop their careers.

Tip of The Week: How To Ace Competency-Based Interviews: A Guide for Software Engineers

Competency-based interviews, or behavioural interviews, are a great way to evaluate software engineers. they can be used to evaluate not just technical skills but also soft skills and, where relevant to the role, leadership and management skills.

These interviews focus on specific examples from your past experiences. The interviewer, if they’re doing it right, is trying to give you the opportunity to demonstrated the key competencies required for the role.

So how do you go about preparing for competency-based interviews?

There are several well-known frameworks that can be used to prepare for and answer these interview questions. They are: STAR, CAR, SOARA, and CCAR. Your answer doesn’t have to use the framework, instead the frameworks serve as a toolkit to help you prepare for such interviews, ensuring that you can explain your experience clearly.

Let’s look at them in more detail.

The STAR Method:

• Situation: Set the stage by describing the context around what happened.

• Task: Outline your responsibility in the situation.

• Action: Detail the steps you took to address the challenge.

• Result: Conclude with the positive outcome or what you learned from the experience.

The CAR Method (Context, Action, Result):

• Context: Provide the context of a situation or problem.

• Action: Describe the specific actions you took.

• Result: Highlight the positive outcomes or lessons learned.

The SOARA Method (Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result, Aftermath):

• Situation: Present the scenario or challenge.

• Obstacle: Identify the specific obstacle or difficulty.

• Action: Elaborate on the steps you took to overcome the obstacle.

• Result: Discuss the positive outcomes or changes.

• Aftermath: Share what you learned or how you would approach it differently.

The CCAR Method (Challenge, Context, Action, Result):

• Challenge: Describe the specific challenge you faced.

• Context: Provide background information on the situation.

• Action: Explain the steps you took to address the challenge.

• Result: Conclude with the positive result or impact of your actions.

It doesn’t matter which you use. What matters is that you prepare some answers for the competencies you are likely to be asked about and have a framework that you’re comfortable using to answer any unexpected questions.

So how can you put this all together? Here’s some suggestions:

Practice and Prepare:

• Develop examples for various competencies such as problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, and communication.

• Tailor your responses to align with the competencies highlighted in the job description.

• Offer concrete examples of how your technical expertise and soft skills contributed to positive outcomes.

• If the role involves any level of leadership of management, be prepared to discuss examples of relevant leadership skills and handling of the common management challenges.

Conduct Mock Interviews with Peers or Mentors:

• Simulate the interview environment to refine your responses.

• Seek feedback on your communication style, clarity, and the effectiveness of your examples.

Reflect on Feedback:

• After mock interviews or any feedback received, take the time to reflect and incorporate constructive criticism. Continuous refinement of your responses is key to success.

Competency-based interviews demand a strategic approach, emphasising the importance of showcasing practical experiences through frameworks like STAR. By mastering these methods, software engineers can confidently navigate interviews, providing evidence of their competencies and securing success in the ever-evolving landscape of the software engineering field.

Three Ways I Can Help You Level Up As A Software Engineer:

1. I write another newsletter, Coding Challenges that helps you become a better software engineer through coding challenges that build real applications.

2. I have some courses available:

   1. Build Your Own Redis Server (Python Edition) which guides you through solving the Redis Coding Challenge in Python.

   2. Build Your Own Shell (Go Edition) which guides you through solving the Shell Coding Challenge in Go.