Behavioral Interview Questions

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Answering behavioral interview questions correctly is a little about art and a little about science. A good interviewer won't let you get away with not answering the question asked. I can point to many times when I have shut a candidate down in the middle of an answer - because he was not answering the question that I asked.

The "art" part is telling a story about your experience. Good story tellers practice. The "science" part is rigorous preparation and learning. Every time you face behavioral interview questions in the real world, you're in the laboratory. Answering to the best of your ability, but then critiquing your performance. What went right, what went wrong. Could changing an example make a difference in how you sell your background to a prospective employer? Relax. But not too much! You'll get better at this as you progress in your job search.

DO YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER AT HANDLING CONFLICT THAN OTHERS? WHY?

The quick reaction to this question is "of course I'm better..." The "why" portion of the question is the tough part. People approach conflict in different ways. Some have a "bring it on" attitude, while others avoid confrontation at all costs. Think about times when you have effectively diffused situations. How did you do it? Do people naturally gravitate to you to solve problems? Your interpersonal skills will be on display in this answer.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR GREATEST BRAINSTORM.

This is a behavioral interview question about creativity, and should be answered from a business perspective. Try to avoid a broad brush answer about brainstorming all the time, so it's hard to pick something...some idea that you've come up with must stand out. You might want to answer this question in a problem solving context. Think back through the projects you've handled, the big problems you've solved, the tough customers you've cracked...all of this activity requires some level of creativity.

CONTRAST A GOOD DECISION WITH A POOR DECISION THAT YOU'VE MADE.

Good decisions are easy to talk about; poor decisions we like to forget! But, chances are that you've made both in your career. When you need to compare the decisions, you're really being asked about the elements that went into making the decision -- more than the decision itself. In making a good decision, you might have gathered input from appropriate departments, done some research to help choose a course of action, had time to test some alternatives, and in the end, came down on the correct side of the issue, making a stellar decision.

Poor decisions are usually the result of less than perfect information. We often don't have the luxury of fully vetting an issue that requires a decision. We have limited information and must make a call. Sometimes, decisions get made on an emotional level rather than a rational level.

The key to answering this behavioral interview question successfully lies in talking about what you learned from the poor decision and how you might have improved your thought process. Pick something to talk about that was not a total disaster!