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PREPARING FOR COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 31

It’s important that you have fluency in the language of your profes-
sion or industry and that you can speak comfortably with the interviewer
about these competencies. Review the following sources of information
on core competencies and write them down for easy reference.

, Job Descriptions and Classified Ads. Core competencies are listed in
job descriptions. For all your past jobs, read the description of your du-
ties and extract the core skills and abilities required to execute those du-
ties and responsibilities. Then you can focus your interview preparation
on these proficiencies for maximum effectiveness. Job descriptions and
classified ads are one and the same. Both describe the hiring organization
and outline the position requirements. Figure 2-1 shows a sample job de-
scription, that can also serve as a classified ad, for a customer service rep-
resentative; notice how it lists the duties and responsibilities as well as the
required knowledge, skills, and abilities. For your reference, I’ve under-
lined the core competencies.

, Performance Reviews. Performance reviews involve evaluation of
employees’ skills and abilities. The appraisal form used for these evalua-
tions usually lists the proficiencies involved and you can draw from this
source when preparing your list of core competencies. Figure 2-2 shows

Figure 2-1

Job Title: Customer Service Representative

Purpose: Responsible for providing top-flight quality service to customers

Primary Job Duties and Responsibilities:
• Courteous, hands-on contact with customers
• Strong data entry skills
• Processes customer payments into QuickBooks
• Correct billing errors or discrepancies.
• Troubleshoot customer inquiries and resolve discrepancies

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
• Must be able to work overtime when needed
• Good verbal, written, and interpersonal communications
• Accurately follow instructions and company policies

American Management Association
www.amanet.org