Interviewing:
Behavioral Interviews
Many companies today rely on behavioral interviewing to identify candidates that are the best fit for the company. Behavioral interviews are based on the premise that how you behaved in the past in specific situations is a predictor of how you will behave in the future, and require that you provide examples from past experience. It is especially important that you prepare for behavioral types of questions.
- Practice the actual interview by articulating your answers OUT LOUD!
- Identify strong examples from your background (academic, work experience, extracurricular activities, etc.) that highlight your relevant skills and allow you to present yourself as the ideal candidate for the position.
- Be honest.
- When answering behavioral questions, it can be helpful to remember the STAR format. Address the Situation you faced, the Task you were responsible for, the Action you took, and, most importantly, the Results of your action.
If you have thought ahead about the skills that you want to highlight during your interview, and have examples that demonstrate your capabilities, you will be able to come up with a positive example for any behavioral question asked.
