Behavioral Interviews and Leveraging STAR Stories

A behavioral interview is a type of interview where the interviewer asks you questions about your past behavior. They are trying to assess your skills and abilities by asking you to provide specific examples of times when you have used those skills in the past.

📺 Watch the video below for an introduction to behavioral interviews and the STAR method

Practice is key!

The rest of this lesson walks you through tips for practicing. In particular, we will be using the STAR method.

The STAR method is a helpful way to structure your answers to behavioral interview questions. STAR stands for:

  • Situation: Describe the situation you were in.
  • Task: What was your role in the situation?
  • Action: What steps did you take to address the situation?
  • Result: What was the outcome of your actions?

Acing the Behavioral Interview

Research the company

Like all interviews, the first step is to research the company. Take some time to research the company and the position you are interviewing for. This will help you to identify the skills and abilities that are important for the job.

Gather anecdotes

Think about your past experiences, and create some anecdotes. While each job is unique, there are certain skills and traits that employers will look for. You will want to reflect on your past experiences and find experiences that demonstrate these skills, including communication, teamwork, conflict management, decision-making, and self-improvement.

Fill out the document with example situations for each scenario. This document is yours to keep, so feel free to include additional scenarios or questions.

Practice Answers

Once you have a list of experiences, practice answering common interview questions. This will help you to feel more confident and prepared when you are asked these questions in your interview. You can find many lists of interview questions on the internet. Focus on the ones below.

Below are some common interview questions that you should have an answer to. You can practice answering each one to yourself.

  • Start a Zoom call and record.
  • For each question, look into the camera and practice answering.

Practice answering these 10 questions:

  1. Tell me about a time when you experienced a conflict with a coworker or teammate. What strategies did you use to resolve the situation?
  2. Describe a time when you had to work under pressure to meet a deadline. How did you manage your time and prioritize?
  3. Give me an example of a project you worked on that required you to collaborate with others. What was your role in the project, and how did you contribute to its success?
  4. Describe a time when you had to give constructive feedback to a coworker or team member. How did you approach the conversation, and what was the outcome?
  5. Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a challenge.
  6. Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision.
  7. Give me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond your job duties.
  8. Tell me about a time when you made a bad decision. What did you learn from the situation?
  9. Give me an example of a time when you had to learn something new.
  10. Tell me about a time when you had to improve your performance.

The questions above point to common skills for professional success: communication, teamwork, conflict management, decision-making, and self-improvement.