Behavioral interview questions

Preparing for behavioral interview questions early is essential because these questions assess how you’ve handled real situations in the past. Employers use them to predict your future performance and check if you fit the role and company culture. Without preparation, you may struggle to recall relevant experiences or structure your answers clearly.

To prepare effectively:

1. Use the STAR method – Structure your answers by explaining the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This helps you stay focused and ensures your responses are complete.

   

2. Review the job description – Identify key skills and match them to your experiences. Prepare examples that show you’ve used those skills.

3. Practice common questions – Focus on themes like teamwork, conflict resolution, leadership, problem-solving, and time management.

4. Record and review your answers – Practicing out loud or recording yourself helps you notice unclear responses and improve delivery.

5. Get feedback – Practice with someone who can give honest input on your answers and body language. Keep your eye on CALI workshops, where you can get feedback from experienced mentors.

Here are common Behavioral interview questions: 

1. Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince

someone to see things your way.

2. Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your

coping skills.

3. Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving

a problem.

4. Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.

5. Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone’s

opinion.

6. Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to

get a job done.

7. Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to

prioritize your tasks.

8. Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when

that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).

9. Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish failed.

10. Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.

11. Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.

12. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.

13. Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive

measures.

14. Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision.

15. Describe a time when you have worked with others to complete an important task, when there was no formally appointed group leader.

16. How do you resolve conflicts on a team?

17. What role do you typically play in teams? 

18. Tell me about a time when you contributed to a team.

19. What has been your most difficult teamwork experience?  

20. Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or help others to

compromise. What was your role? What steps did you take? What was the end result?

21. Describe a team experience you found disappointing. What would you have done to

prevent this?

22. Tell us about the most difficult challenge you faced in trying to work cooperatively with

someone who did not share the same ideas? What was your role in achieving the work

objective?

23. What is the difficult part of being a member, not leader, of a team? How did you handle

this?

24. When is the last time you had a disagreement with a peer? How did you resolve the

situation?

25. Tell us about the most difficult or frustrating individual that you’ve ever had to work

with, and how you managed to work with them.

26. Have you ever been a member of a group where two of the members did not work well

together? What did you do to get them to do so?

27. What is the toughest group that you have had to get cooperation from? Describe how you

handled it. What was the outcome?

28. What was the most creative idea you implemented?

29. When was the last time your personal contribution had a lasting impact?

30. What was the most intelligent idea you realized?