Behavioral style interviews include questions that will provide an insight on how you've performed and behaved in the past with actual results and scenarios. Here are some tips to prepare for a behavioral style interview:
- Bring a copy of your updated & current resume to any in-person interview
- Try to use specific examples from your work or school history that relate to the question asked.
- Frame your answers using the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result
- SITUATION: Present the background and details of a challenge or situation related to the assessor's question
- TASK: What were you required to achieve? Provide details
- ACTION: What did you do? Give enough details so they can follow the steps you took...what you did and why you did it. Try to use examples that highlight what YOU did on your own or to help lead others. Try not to use examples that involve situations when you worked as a team, or had your manager or a colleague help you solve the issue. “I” statements vs. “We” statements.
- RESULT: What was the outcome of your actions? What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your objectives? What did you learn from this experience and have you used this learning since?
- Try to use as many recent work or internship related examples as possible in order to show you have real world corporate experience
- The assessors like to know that you are familiar with the company and with the position for which you are interviewing. Visit the company website to obtain information on the company and review the job description prior to your interview.
- Be prepared to answer why you are interested in this particular job opening.
- You should be prepared with a few questions to ask during the interview about the position, the team, the business, etc. to demonstrate your interest in the role.