As you prepare for your RCMP Regular Member Selection Interview (RMSI), are you struggling to find good examples for the Behavioural portion of the interview? When working with my clients, that is one of the biggest issues they have. Remembering examples from their past that they can use to articulate how they meet each of the eight competencies.
One of the issues that I often see is that people don’t really feel that the things they have been involved with seem relevant or big enough, or that their contribution was really that big a deal.
My advice is always the same. Never underestimate what your contribution to a situation is. I’m not saying that you should take every little thing that you have done and turn it into a big story. What I am saying is that when you are thinking about your past experience to relate to the interview board, really stop and think of how your role in the situation made a difference.
For instance, if you are asked a question to demonstrate that you meet the competency of Self Control and Composure, you want to think of an example that will show how you have maintained a calm approach, even when challenged or pushed to extreme. Think about a situation, even if it seems like a minor example, and really think about how your approach made a difference to the outcome. Remember, the hiring board is assessing your ability to meet the competency of Self Control and Composure, so you need to ensure that the way you tell this story really highlights how you maintained self control.
It is not easy to come up with enough past experiences to really articulate how you meet each of these competencies. Remember, you not only have to have experience stories to tell, you must also be able to answer the question that is posed by the Interview Board, so I would suggest that you have at least a couple of examples prepared for each competency. Having one example prepared simply won’t be enough.
If you are still having trouble remembering situations that you have been involved in, talk to someone you have worked with and see if they can help you remember some stories, or work with a Certified Professional Career Coach experienced in conducting Competency Based Interviews to help you work through the process.
Do you know someone who is faced with this challenge? Feel free to share this post by using the share links at the top of this page. Also, if you’d like more interview tips, feel free to check out the interview resource page.
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