

Behavioral Interviews


Behavioral Interview Introduction:

Behavioral interviewing is a technique used by employers based on the theory that past behavior in professional and educational environments will predict future behavior.  Employers are looking to find out specific examples of times in your past when you have faced challenges, successes and even failures, and how you reacted to them.  If you worked on a team project where things didn't go as smoothly as expected, what happened and how did you attempt to solve the situation.

The most important thing to recognize in a question that asks for specific experience is that the interviewer is evaluating what you've done in the past and how it might indicate future tendencies.  In order to answer these questions take a three step approach.  Give a situation relevant to the question.  Explain your actions and how you worked through it.  State the result of the situation, for better or worse, and what you took away from it for similar events in the future.

Examples of behavioral questions and typical answers (PDF)