A How to in Answering the Behavior Based Questions for an Interview-Answer Me This About Something

Situational or Behavioral-based questions are probably the most difficult questions during an interview. The reason for their difficulty is really because they require preparation and critical thinking. These questions cannot be treated as hypothetical situations. The employer wants to know specifically how you handled an actual experience. When preparing for this sort of question, think of is as peeling away the layers of an onion. You are carefully and specifically answering a question with detailed explanation.

First of all, what does a behavioral-based question look like? Here are a few examples:

· Tell me about a time you had been working in a group and one (or more) of the members was not doing his/her share of the work.

· Tell me about a time when you had difficulty making a decision.

· Describe a time that you showed initiative.

· Describe a situation when you found yourself challenged, and how was it resolved?

· Tell me about a time that you had to “sell” an idea to a group.

· Tell me about a decision that you made that later proved to be wrong.

· Give an example of a time when you had to work under pressure.

· Tell me about a work-related ethical dilemma that you faced and how was it handled.

· Tell me about a time when your work or idea was criticized.

· Give me an example of a time when you had to make a quick decision.

· Describe for a time when you were very busy and had to set priorities.

From the looks of this previous list, these types of questions can be overwhelming and even intimidating. Here’s the first thing to keep in mind: when you go to answer such a question think of yourself as a hero telling a ‘hero’s story.’ In a ‘hero’s story’ there is always a situation (unresolved conflict), next there’s the task (the specific task the hero needs to accomplish), then there’s the action (what does the hero have to do to complete the task), and finally the result of the situation/conflict. In simpler terms, think of it this way:

STAR

1. Situation – what is the situation?

2. Task – what task needs to be completed?

3. Action – what action needs to be taken?

4. Result – what was the result of your actions?

The only difference is with a real ‘hero’s story’ and your ‘hero’s story’ is try not to take a very long time to answer the question. Your answer should really only be at most a minute and a half. The best time frame is to stay between 30 and 90 seconds. With most behavioral-based questions, you can use similar situations to answer the question. Think of about two or three experiences that could easily be applied to most of these types of questions and practice your answers often. Practice in front of a mirror to become comfortable with your answer.

The point here is to be specific. You do not want to bore the interviewer with details, just explain what he/she needs to know in order to envision you in the position. With these types of questions, it simply comes down to the interviewer determining if you are indeed a good fit for the organization.