Behavioral Interviewing: Telling Your Story with Confidence

Question: "What do you find hardest about answering behavioral questions?"

• Knowing which story to pick
• Keeping answers concise but complete
• Sounding natural, not rehearsed
• Handling follow-up questions

Reality Check: Interviewers want to see how you think, work with others, and handle real situations—your stories are the proof!

The STAR Method for Compelling Stories

STAR Framework:

• Situation: Set the context and background
• Task: Describe your responsibility or challenge
• Action: Explain what you did specifically
• Result: Share the outcome and what you learned

Common Behavioral Questions:

• "Tell me about a time you faced a significant challenge"
• "Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member"
• "Give me an example of when you showed leadership"
• "Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned"
• "Describe a project you're particularly proud of"
• "How do you handle tight deadlines and pressure?"
• "Tell me about a time you had to learn something new quickly"
• "Describe a situation where you disagreed with your manager"

Story Bank Categories:

• Leadership: Times you took charge or influenced others
• Problem-Solving: Complex challenges you overcame
• Teamwork: Successful collaboration experiences
• Conflict Resolution: Disagreements you handled well
• Learning: New skills or technologies you mastered
• Failure: Mistakes you made and lessons learned
• Innovation: Creative solutions you developed
• Impact: Results you delivered or improvements you made

Crafting Compelling Stories:

• Choose stories that highlight different skills
• Include specific metrics and outcomes when possible
• Show growth and learning from experiences
• Keep stories concise (2-3 minutes max)
• Practice until they feel natural

Performing Under Pressure

Pre-Interview Preparation:

• Company Research: Recent news, products, culture, values
• Question Preparation: Have 3-5 thoughtful questions ready
• Story Review: Rehearse your STAR stories for common themes
• Materials Ready: Resume copies, notebook
• Logistics Confirmed: Location, time, interviewer names

During the Interview:

• Listen Fully: Answer the question asked, don't go off on tangents
• Use STAR: Structure your answers so they're easy to follow
• Stay Calm: It's okay to pause and think before answering
• Be Collaborative: Treat it as a conversation
• Show Enthusiasm: Genuine interest in the role and company

Handling Follow-Up Questions:

• Go Deeper: Add detail on action or result if they ask
• Stay Honest: If you don't have a perfect example, say so and use a related one
• Learn and Iterate: Use feedback from practice to improve

Practice Your Behavioral Stories

• Write 5–7 STAR stories covering leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, failure/learning, and conflict
• Practice each story out loud in under 2–3 minutes
• Do 2–3 mock behavioral interviews with a peer or mentor

Submit Your Story Bank & Practice Summary

After building your STAR stories and completing mock behavioral practice, submit your homework through the Homework tab.

Submission Deadline: Two weeks from today's meeting