Behavioral Inteviewing (Cont.)

Last time we discussed what behavioral interviewing is and why we have seen a transition to this style of interviewing.  It is helpful to think of your response in the form of a story.  The interviewer will typically have follow-up questions after you have responded to the initial question.  During the conversation be very specific for example, rather than stating, "I completed a project." a better response would be "I coordinated with various departments and supervised 10 individuals to ensure that the project was completed on time."

Keep in mind that some behavioral interview questions will require you to think about situations with unexpected results to see how you handled yourself and what you learned.  Make sure to figure out what the interviewer is looking for and demonstrate those skills through your response to the behavioral interview questions.  It is unlikely that you will know or have see every single behavioral interview question before the interview; however, the STAR approach will help you work your way through these types of questions.

Example of a Behavioral Question

Describe a time when you faced many deadlines and were concerned about completing all the tasks on time.

Example of a STAR Response

• S - Situation: During my last term in college I had to focus on my senior project and at the same time study for finals and completed term papers to graduate.
• T - Task:  I wanted to ensure that I was prepared for my finals and that my senior project and term papers were not only completed on time but also accurate and correct.
• A - Action: I decided to list all of my tasks that I had to complete on a spreadsheet and then created a schedule to prioritize each task and coordinate with my group for our senior project.
• R - Result: As a result of my planning and communication with my group, I was able to complete my project and terms papers early, leaving extra time to prep for finals.  In the end I successfully completed the term and was able to graduate

Please keep in mind that this is in no way the only correct answer and responses to the question will vary.  However, each response should touch upon the skills that the question is looking for.  This particular question is trying to see how the individual performs under pressure and if they are able to prioritize.

More Examples of Behavioral Questions

• Give an example of a risk that you took.  Why did you decide to take the risk?  What was the outcome?
• Describe a situation when you had to convince others.  What was the outcome?
• Describe a time where you had to deal with an angry customer.  What steps did you take?  What was the outcome?
• Have you had a situation where you had to make a difficult decision between your personal and professional life.  What was the outcome?  What did you learn from the situation?

Please let us know if you have any questions concerning behavioral interviewing, we would be more than happy to discuss in the comments section.