Mastering Behavioral Interviews

Mastering Behavioral Interviews: Framework IN PROGRESS

Here is my framework that I start successfully using during my time when I was storming interviews. Keep in mind this is work in progress and it can be changed time to time into more better version.

🧵Let’s start!

TL:DR be likeable and don’t be a jerk. (I think this should be a mantra for our newsletter)

Behavioral interviews are designed to delve into your work experience beyond technical skills. They assess your soft skills, your ability to navigate challenges, resolve conflicts, and effectively communicate and advocate within a team.

🤷‍♂️Your Introduction

Begin with a concise introduction about yourself, ideally no longer than one A4 page, covering:

• Who you are and your current role: Briefly describe your current position and responsibilities.

• Career highlights: Summarize your career journey and key projects.

• Motivation and inception: Explain why and when you chose your career path.

• Current focus: Detail your current job functions and projects.

• Technological expertise: List the technologies you've worked with.

• Passion points: Share what you enjoy most about your field.

• Alignment with the company: Discuss how your interests and goals align with the company you're applying to.

✨Responding to Interview Questions

The interviewer will ask questions that you should answer using the STAR method:

P.S. I’m saying should but that’s not true. It’s just common pattern and can be really helpful to master it for future.

• Situation: Describe the context and your role.

• Task: Outline the problem or challenge.

• Action: Explain the steps you took to address it.

• Result: Share the outcome and lessons learned.

🤐Common Behavioral Interview Questions:

1. Advocacy: Describe a time when you successfully advocated for your point of view.

2. Mistakes: Share a significant technical mistake you made and how you handled it.

3. Team Decisions: Provide an example of working with a team decision you disagreed with.

4. Achievements: What is your proudest professional achievement?

5. Technology Preference: Which technologies do you enjoy working with the most?

6. Difficult Colleagues: Describe your experience working with a challenging team member.

7. Conflict Resolution: Give an example of resolving a conflict with management.

✈Structured Preparation

To effectively prepare for the behavioral interview, follow these steps:

1. Craft Your Story: Develop a compelling personal narrative.

2. Prepare Responses: Write 30+ answers to common behavioral questions. We cover few of them here → How to Ace Challenging Behavioral Interview Questions: Top Strategies (beehiiv.com)

3. Understand the Company: Research and familiarize yourself with the company's principles and values.

4. Align Your Preparation: Tailor your story and responses to reflect the company's culture and expectations.

By thoroughly preparing, you'll create a comprehensive document of your experiences and responses, equipping you to confidently handle any question without needing to reference it during the interview. Mastering Behavioral Interviews: A Comprehensive Guide

Behavioral interviews are designed to delve into your work experience beyond technical skills. They assess your soft skills, your ability to navigate challenges, resolve conflicts, and effectively communicate and advocate within a team.