Prepare for a Behavioral Interview now. But bear in mind that behavioral interview questions require you to share examples of specific situations they’ve been in where they had to use certain skills.
What is a Behavioral Interview? Behavioral interviewing explores the workplace competencies that are required for successful job performance.
If the job requires a person to be able to analyze and find solutions to problems the interviewer will ask the candidate to provide an example of when they previously displayed that behavior.
“Tell me about a problem you uncovered in your previous job. What steps did you take to sort it out?”
It is often difficult to think of good examples within the time constraints and stressful context of a job interview.
Know which behaviors (sometimes referred to as competencies) are required in the position by reviewing the job description and requirements.
Behavioral Interview Tips
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Study the job description
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Review the major projects you’ve worked on
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Revisit previous job performance reviews
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Make a list of your professional accomplishments
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Use the STAR method to structure your response
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Be open and honest in your answer
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Practice your interview responses aloud
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Keep your answers under two minutes
With these kinds of questions, interviewers are usually trying to learn three things: First, they want to know how you behave in a real-world situation.
Second, they want to understand the measurable value you added to that situation. Finally, they are trying to learn how you define something like “pressure at work”—a concept different people might interpret differently.
Success in a behavioral interview is all about preparation. There aren’t necessarily wrong answers. These questions are aimed at getting to know the real you.
The important thing is, to be honest, and to practice structuring your responses in a way that communicates what you have to offer.
Five Steps to Get Yourself Prepared
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Analyze the position you are being interviewed for; determine the skills required.
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Evaluate and reflect upon your background to identify your skills and experiences related to the position.
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Develop brief scenarios or “STAR stories” before your interview that demonstrate your leadership, teamwork, communication, initiative, etc. Each “story” should explain the situation, task, action, and result (STAR).
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Be specific in your stories. Giving generalizations will not help the employer understand and evaluate your behavior and skills. Employers want to know what you did rather than what you would do in a given situation.
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Identify three to five top selling points that set you apart from other candidates – and be sure to take the opportunity to point them out during the interview.
Common Behavioral Interview Questions Here are five common behavioral questions employers might ask any applicant.
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Tell me about a time you had a conflict with someone within the organization.
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Tell me about a time you worked on a challenging team project.
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Do you prefer to work alone or with others?
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Tell me about a time you took a leadership role. What was the role and what was the outcome?
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What’s the most difficult problem you had to solve? How did you navigate it?
STAR Method For Behavioral Interviews Looking back at your past jobs, prepare good behavioral examples using the following STAR technique:
ST – Describe the specific situation or task you were involved in
A – Detail the action and steps you took in the situation
R – Outline the results and outcome of your actions. What happened, what was accomplished, what did you learn
Listen carefully to the questions asked and, if need be, ask for further clarification. Answer with an appropriate and specific example. Often the interviewer will ask follow-up questions to get more information.
“Tell me why you did that”
“Take me through your decision process”
“How did you feel about that”
so it is essential to have a complete, actual example to draw on.
Don’t view behavioral interview questions as curveballs meant to trip you up. View them as opportunities to highlight your insight, experience, and critical thinking skills as indicators of future success.
Kindly share with your friends these prepared-for behavioral interview guidelines on different social media platforms after reading.
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