What Stories You Need to Know for a Behavioral Interview

What Stories You Need to Know for a Behavioral Interview Every job may be different, but there are a surprising number of questions that seem to creep up in just about every interview. Just think about your last interview and how many times your interviewer prompted you with, Tell me about a time when These recurring prompts are called behavioral interview questions, and their entire purpose is to help an interviewer decide whether your past experiences and lessons learned indicate productive behaviors for their company. The good news â€" you can prepare for the majority of behavioral interview questions by looking up common interview themes and preparing a couple stories to tell in answer to each. To ensure your answers put you in the best light possible, frame your stories using the STARR method: Situation.  Explain the situation. Set the scene for your story. Task.  Explain the task or goal put in front of you in your story. Action.  Explain how you handled the situation. Result.  Explain what happened as a result of your actions. Reflection.  Explain what you learned from this experience, and/or what you would do differently in the future. You may have heard of the STAR method before, but that second R on STARR is my own added step. And it’s completely vital. Even if your interviewer doesnt end each question with, And what did you learn from that? you should always answer as though they did. This self-analysis shows youre interested in continuing to learn and improve. Here are nine common categories of behavioral questions that are likely to come up in your next job interview. Think all the way through the STARR method as you prepare your answers. Common Behavioral Interview Questions: Tell Me About a Time When 1. You Overcame a Challenge There isnt a job in the world that wont throw unexpected challenges at you. Your interviewer wants to know youre aware of this fact and that youre capable of recognizing, adapting to and overcoming such obstacles. After all, overcoming a challenge shows you work well under pressure, are flexible and work hard, all of which are highly desirable soft skills, according to a Career Builder survey. Possible questions/prompts: Tell me about a time when something didnt go your way. Tell me about a time when you had to solve an unforeseen problem. Discuss a time when a plan backfired. Have you ever run into a problem you couldnt solve? 2. You Failed and Learned From It Behind every story that involves a mistake is an opportunity to share an important lesson. Sometimes the moral of a failure story is that you learned when to ask for help. Sometimes its that you learned how to better manage your time or multitask. As you remember a moment of failure, dig deeper and find the lesson it taught you. Possible questions/prompts: No one can do everything right 100% of the time. Tell me about a time when you dropped the ball. Discuss a time when a colleague or project partner didnt get their part of a project done. Think of a time when you didnt get your work turned in on time. What caused you to miss your deadline and what have you done to prevent that same mistake since then? Have you ever had an idea that didnt come to fruition? 3. You Learned to Juggle No, not literally! Your future boss may not be interested in your performing arts skills, but they do want to know you know how to manage your time well and recognize when its time to delegate. Consider how youve balanced simultaneous tasks in the past. Possible questions/prompts: Talk about a time you had to strategize to meet your priorities. Tell me about a long-term project you managed. How did you move things along and remain timely? Sometimes, you just can’t finish everything on your to-do list. Describe one time you felt overwhelmed by your responsibilities. Tell me about a goal you set for yourself. How did you make sure it happened? Tell me about a time you were managing multiple responsibilities. 4. You Took the Lead Even if youre not applying for a managerial position, every boss wants to know you can step up when your team needs you. Telling a story where you took the lead shows you not only recognized that someone needed to set the pace, but also that you werent afraid to be that person. Possible questions/prompts: Tell me about a time when you were asked to lead your team on a task. Tell me about a time when you took the lead on a project without being asked. Have you ever given a formal presentation? If so, how did you prepare, and how did it go? Discuss a time when you delegated work to others. 5. You Came Through for Your Team There are many ways to come through for your team, and taking the lead is only one of them. At other times, though, being a team player means recognizing when a colleague needs help, taking on extra work to benefit everyone or knowing when its simply time to step back and learn. Possible questions/prompts: Tell me about a time when a team project wasnt going smoothly. Talk to me about a time when you saw someone struggling. What have you done in the past to help create a stronger team environment? 6. You Didnt See Eye-To-Eye With Someone Nobody makes it all the way through life without meeting a few people they simply dont work well with. Employers know this, but they also want to know you can look past those differences and find ways to keep a professional work environment. Possible questions/prompts: Tell me about a time when you had to compromise. Discuss a time when you didnt see eye-to-eye with someone. Talk about a time when two or more of your teammates had different ideas for a project. 7. You Communicated Well Many interview questions are loosely based around the concept of communicating effectively. In fact, according to Bloombergs 2016 job skills report, strong communication is one of the most desired but least common job skills employers looks for. So even if your interviewer doesnt say the words strong communication skills outright, its up to you to find an opportunity to show yours off. Possible questions/prompts: Tell me about a time when you had to explain a complex concept to someone who wasnt familiar with it. Discuss a time when you disagreed with a colleague. Tell me about a time when you had to deliver bad news. 8. You Went Above and Beyond for a Client No matter how high up you are on the corporate food chain, employers absolutely want to know you work well with their most prized asset: their clients. Any company worth working for believes the client comes first, and youll quickly ally yourself with such companies when your stories demonstrate your dedication to providing excellent service. Possible questions/prompts: Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for a client. Discuss a client you feel youve built a strong rapport with. How did you gain that clients trust? Tell me about the first time you had to handle an angry customer. 9. You Felt Motivated by a Project Bosses want to know what gets you motivated. When you put forth your best work. What kind of projects youre passionate about. With luck â€" or, if youve researched your company pre-interview â€" your answers will show that your passions overlap with the companys mission. Possible questions/prompts: Tell me about a project you felt passionately about. What has been your favorite project â€" in or out of the workplace â€" in the last few years? Discuss a time when you felt valued at work. Be a STARR Interviewee Remember, not all interview questions will be framed in exactly the same way, but many of them will fall under the same umbrella category. So, as you prepare for your next interview, do a little research about common behavioral interview categories and questions. And no matter what questions arise in your interview, make sure you answer using all five steps of the STARR method.   What do you think of the extra step in the STARR method? Have you used this before in your interviews? Share your interview insights in the comments! And don’t forget to subscribe to the Punched Clocks newsletter to stay up to date on more ways to rock your job search.