Comments on: How Prepare for and Rock a Behavioral Job Interview

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:37:02 +0000

Thank you for the information. Hearing all of your experiences has made me feel much more prepared.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:49:26 +0000

Hi.. the list of questions no longer exists.. too bad.. i was hoping to get some practice in. I’d also like to say that I’m finding alot of companies do a pre-screen over the phone now, in order to qualify for a one on one or panel interview. This initially threw me but I certainly understand the reasoning, as I used to wonder how the interviewees got in front of me when I was hiring.

By: Josh Holden

Josh Holden — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 21:02:43 +0000

As a engineer and one who has friends in the sciences field (mainly chemists), I have to say behavioral interview questions are alive and well. Probably worse than they have ever been. It seems that employers in the public sector only use behavioral questions.

By: Randy Smith

Randy Smith — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:43:53 +0000

Tried to print your questions off but the link did not work. I realize it has been a couple of years but behavioral interviewing is still taking place. I have one next week. I would love for my wife to ask me some questions but I would really like to have a good sample. Do you think you could repair the link or email an updated link that works.

By: Vee

Vee — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:34:12 +0000

I’ve been to a few of these types of interviews. I managed to get a couple of jobs, however, recentlt, due to the nature of my current job (which is an individual contributor to the business), I have failed three interviews in a row. I believe I have been triying to use sample examples only from my current job which do not quite cut through the bone, rather than using the previous jobs and life expriences. My advice is to collect as many examples as possible – from previous jobs and general life experiences.

By: Carl

Carl — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:35:58 +0000

it easy to bullshit these questions… if you are a good bullshitter

By: Allerien

Allerien — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:22:34 +0000

I’ve had a few of these here, in the UK. Once I even got a job :) My advice is: confidence. If the position isn’t that high, chances are there won’t be too many follow-up questions. There won’t be time for them. I wouldn’t consider that a good thing. Sometimes it’s better if your potential future boss has the time to ask them. There might be some things unclear in the situation you describe and he may not get the right picture initially. So make sure you are precise enough. Make it short and simple. Not too short and too simple. The example given by Brett sounds like a perfect one. So be confident in the way you speak (not too many “buts” or “on one hand…”). Yet, make sure you don’t sound like a “I know everything” type of guy. Managers don’t like that too much.
I hope these aren’t too obvious. :)

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:47:23 +0000

I did hiring at a company that specialized in providing behavioral therapy, so of course we utilized behavioral interviewing techniques! I found that you learn a lot about the applicant not even based solely upon the experience they are telling you about, but in how they tell it to you (I would usually tell the person, “I’m going to give you a scenario, and I want you to give me a concrete example of that kind of scenario from your past, the action you took in that situation, and the end result of your action”. You’d be surprised at how many people would tell you only one or two of those three things I asked for. It was a good way to gauge people quickly!) So make sure you listen closely to what they are asking you, and then try to find an example that fits that as closely as possible!

By: Cliff Porter

Cliff Porter — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:06:17 +0000

I think it is also important to have some skill in accurately accessing the primary personality type and primary sense of perception of the person conducting the interview. This allows for specifically designed phraseology designed to appeal to the typology and sense of perception.

By: Zach

Zach — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 03:22:48 +0000

Great post! I see this technique being employed quite often, esp. in government hiring. I’d underscore the importance of 1) being honest (canned, rehearsed, b.s.’d or made up answers are easy to spot) and 2) using all of your life experiences to answer these questions. Some of the more interesting answers often come from non-work related experiences interviewees have given. It’s ok to say, “I don’t get to use that skill much in my current job (this may be a good reason you’re giving to switch) but I have had experience making decisions under tight deadlines while volunteering as a paramedic…” You can typically use the “that’s a skill I’d like to develop more in this job” once during an interview. I also think it is more important to nail the first two or three serious questions. A strong first impression can carry you a good distance. Employers, in my experience, are likely to maybe open with one soft question and then get to the things that are most important to them. We tend to front load the skills or experiences that are most important to us.