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interview process


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Give an example of a situation in which you successfully communicated with a person with whom you had personal differences (or vice-versa). How did you achieve this?


Describe a time when you had an unhappy customer/ client who proved difficult to satisfy. How did you handle the situation, and what was the result?


How do I respond to BBI questions?


Let’s take one of these questions and give a sample response using the STAR technique outlined below:


Question: Describe a time when you had an unhappy customer/client who proved difficult to satisfy. How did you handle the situation, and what was the result?


Situation: I worked in a café as a waiter. A customer placed an order at the counter and, after receiving a table number, complained that personal service was disappearing from many eateries. The customer felt diners were treated simply as numbers, rather than individuals.


Task: Provide a positive experience for the customer.


Action: I explained that table numbers were provided because multiple staff prepared and served food, and it helped prevent confusion if a different waiter visited the table. I told the customer that in spite of this I understood the concerns. I made sure to personally deliver the meal to the table, offered to refill the customer’s water, and checked on the table during and after the meal to ensure the customer was comfortable.


Result: The customer approached me after the meal to thank me for the personalised service and for taking the time to converse, as they had been dining alone. The customer appreciated the effort and felt satisfied that they would enjoy future meals at the café.


This example illustrates various skills you possess: initiative; willingness to address the needs and concerns of others; ability to provide quality customer/clientele service; communication skills; and problem solving capabilities. Each provides the interviewer with insight into your professional and personal acumen.


Your questions An interview is a two-way street. Asking the interviewer questions reinforces your interest in the position and organisation, and also provides an opportunity to find out more. Avoid asking questions that indicate ignorance or lack of preparation, that have already been answered, or that focus on the benefits (e.g. salary). Examples of questions to ask include:


What induction/training programs do you have?


How are industry changes impacting on organisational direction?


What do you enjoy most about working for the organisation?


I’ve read your organisation highly values its community involvement. Tell me about participating in these projects.


Post-performance Treat every interview as a learning experience. Take notes on difficult questions, and if possible, seek feedback from the interviewer and incorporate their suggestions in your next performance. Immediately after the interview you may like to send a short, professional email thanking the interviewer for their time – it’s a perfect way to reiterate your interest.


STAR TECHNIQUE: Situation: a specific scenario you were in Task: the role or project you were required to complete Action: what you did to complete this task Result: the outcome of your action and what you learnt


application timeline


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