One of the first questions I’m asked by English learners preparing for interviews is: “Why are non-technical interview questions important? Shouldn’t I practice my introduction instead?” They ask because the first thing I do during a coaching session is to ask them several behavioral questions… When they expect help with their resume (or CV) before jumping directly to working on their professional introduction or technical vocabulary.
I’m happy to help with your CV!
I also love working on introductions.
However, before we can create your really impressive introductory speech, you need to understand behavioral interview questions and why they’re important — especially for non-native speakers.
It’s easy to use a summary of the work experience already on your resume as your introduction. Unfortunately, it won’t help the interviewer get excited about your potential.
If everyone has the same technical skill level, then there is only one difference between an average — or forgettable — interview candidate and an impressive candidate.
That difference is how you perform during the behavioral questions.
First: What are behavioral (or non-technical) interview questions?
What do some of these behavioral — in other words, non-technical — interview questions look like? Well, they usually start with phrases like:
- Tell me about a time when…
- Give me an example of a time you had to…
- Describe a situation when…
If they start with these, it’s definitely a behavioral question. Although, they don’t all start like that. Other common questions can also include:
- What is your biggest weakness? And why?
- What is your biggest strength? Why?
- Tell me about a mistake you made at work. What did you do?
- Have you ever dealt with conflict in a team? How did you handle it?
This blog from The Balance Careers lists the top 10 behavioral interview questions. And it also includes sample answers.
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So, now that you know what behavioral questions are, let’s jump into the main three reasons you, especially as an English learner, need to practice answering those non-technical questions:
1. You need to prove your English communication skills.
Even the most independent job role requires good communication.
You might be able to code a project by yourself better — or more efficiently — than any other candidate. You could be the most detail-oriented person in the country. However…
If you can’t communicate important info, ask for things you need in order to do your job well, or understand what others need… They will hire someone else.
As a non-native English speaker, you must — unfortunately — be more intentional about how you communicate. The most important time to communicate clearly is during the interview.
This does not mean you can’t make grammar mistakes, because an interview isn’t an English test. Usually. But it does mean that you need to understand why interviewers ask some questions. When you understand why they’re asking something, you can then give the appropriate responses.
If you can give answers that help your interviewer make decisions, they feel understood. They also feel like they understand you. And then… they feel great about your communication skills!
2. You need to stand out from the crowd of other interview applicants who want the job.
Remember: If 20% of the job candidates have the exact skills the company wants… then how do they choose between those candidates?
- Soft skills.
- Will your personality fit into the team?
- Which candidate seems the most motivated?
- Who has demonstrated their ability to learn new skills and processes? Learn from mistakes?
These are just a few things they think about — besides work history and industry experience.
The best and easiest way to communicate these things is by creating really good answers to those behavioral questions.
You might be the only candidate that did a personal project which developed new, useful skills. Or maybe you improved your leadership or communication skills because of a hobby.
I loved talking about volunteering to help organize a local music festival that promoted women in the local music scene — because I volunteered to use my digital marketing skills. It showed personality. It showed motivation. And it showed skill!
The interviewers saw me as an interesting person with skills they needed, instead of a lifeless resume.
You want them to imagine you on the team!
3. You need them to trust your ability to think through problems, adapt when things change or go wrong, and learn new skills.
Anyone who learns new skills has had to step out of their comfort zone at some time.
As an English learner, you have the perfect opportunity to showcase your ability and motivation to develop new skills… and think through problems!
However, interviewers are not mind-readers. You should explain your reasons and thought processes so they understand two things: First, how you make decisions, and second, how you react to things.
I have a friend who wanted to change careers. During a job interview, he was asked about a software program he’d never heard of. So, even though he didn’t — and couldn’t — know the correct answer, he managed to impress his interviewer.
How did he do that? He said:
“Well, I’ve never worked with that program before. However, I assume the answer is __, because I have worked with __ in the past. They sound like similar processes, which would mean that __ program could be useful for __.”
my friend’s interview answer
The interviewer’s response? “Your answer was technically wrong, but I like your thought process. Very nice.”
Most interviewers want to know you’re confident enough to say that you don’t know the answer, but you do know how to figure it out.
So… you can use these behavioral-style answers to give an impressive answer… even if it’s “technically” incorrect.
Okay, so… Behavioral interview questions are important to practice… What now?
Now that you know why answering non-technical interview questions is an essential and important part of the job search process as English learners, it’s time to spend an hour or two thinking about all the soft skills you have and the stories you can tell that will help your interviewer trust you.
Answering Non-Technical Interview Questions
- Do your company research.
- Match your soft skills to the qualities the company wants in a candidate.
- Decide which job-experience stories demonstrate your soft skills.
- Get comfortable telling those stories.
Once you do this, you’ll be in a much better place to create your professional introduction and level-up your interview performance.
More Interview Prep Help
If you want guidance for this process, I offer a super-handy Interview Prep workbook! The workbook has templates that are perfect for organizing your answers to those non-technical interview questions — including grammar help specifically for English learners. It’s a perfect companion for my book 8 Steps for Interview Prep, but they are both helpful as stand-alone resources!
8-Week Interview Prep Course Starting April 11, 2022
Follow my 8 Steps for Interview Prep with a group of other English-learning job seekers, including live calls, homework feedback, and extra workshops for additional job-seeking skills. Find more details here.
Very nice, you give a clear analysis of an essential but easily overlooked part of the interview, and explain what is behind it. I look forward to more of your insightful posts
I’m glad you found it helpful! Thanks for the comment. 🙂