Behavioral Questions
What they are and
tips for answering them
What is a
Behavioral Interview Question?
Behavioral questions ask you to describe
specific past examples of how you have
demonstrated a particular skill.
Compare:
Traditional Interview Question:
How would you say you deal with conflict?
Behavioral Interview Question:
Give me an example of a time you had a conflict
with a supervisor and how you resolved that
conflict?
Sample Behavioral Questions
Describe a time when you had a problem with
a team member.
Give me an example of a time when you
faced a lot of obstacles to achieving a goal.
Tell me about a time when you worked with a
team to complete a project.
Preparing for
Behavioral Questions
Analyze the job announcement
Identify key skills & abilities desired
Think of some of your past experiences that could
relate to the job
Prepare relevant stories that reveal your skills
Your stories provide credibility for your skills
Create vivid “pictures” in the employer’s mind with
your stories
Describe problems or challenges and how you
resolved them
Preparing for
Behavioral Questions
You can use examples from jobs, internships,
class projects, volunteer, extracurricular and
sports and family experiences
Skills from any of these are transferable
Prepare in advance: it is hard to come up with
story examples “on the spot” during the interview
Think of several story examples that illustrate
your relevant skills
Tips for your answers
Use the “STAR” method for behavioral questions
Situation: “Set the scene”
When and where did the situation take place?
Task: What did you accomplish?
Action: What actions did you take to
achieve your goals or solve the problems?
Result: What was the end result?
If not completely positive, what did you learn from
the experience?
Example 1
Sales Interview Behavioral Question
Tell me about a time you handled a customer problem.
The Situation & Task:I was working as a sales rep for XYX
company last summer. I had been assigned to contact a
customer who did not want to hear about the features of my
merchandise because of a prior negative interaction with my
company.
The Action: I listened to her story and made sure I heard her
complaint. I then explained how I would have handled the
situation differently and how I could offer her better service. I
showed her some facts that changed her mind about dealing
with the company again.
The Result: She not only bought the merchandise, but also
complimented me on how I handled her account. She is now
one of my best customers.
Example 2 -
Leadership Behavioral Question
Give me an example of a time when you were a leader.
Situation: My service organization was in danger of
losing its charter at the university. Membership was
down and funds were quite low.
Task: As fundraising chairperson, I was responsible for
increasing donations by 25% percent.
Action: In order to accomplish my goal, I initiated a
door-to-door off-campus campaign. I convinced all of
our members to get involved in the fundraising effort.
Result: Thanks to our membership’s dedication and
participation, we increased donations by 30% and we
retained our charter.
Example 3
Negative Behavioral Question
Tell me about a time when you were
unable to solve a problem the first time.
What did you do?
Prepare some examples of “negative”
experiences, but choose those from
which you gained something positive or
learned something valuable.
Keys to Success
Have 6 to 8 “success stories” prepared
in your mind
Tell all the parts of the story:
Use the “STAR” method to structure your
stories
Don’t ramble
Practice telling your stories to a friend
or counselor or tape record yourself