How to pass a behavioral interview

Coaching and Training: bestofmany.com/
- 1. Assess how much time you have to prepare, split that 50/50 writing and practice
2. What do you prepare - theory
a. Refresh your memory: Prepare stories for your most representative projects - junior roles could get away with 5, senior roles can have as many as 20 or more of these; some like to tie them to the principles of the company they’re applying for, such as for Amazon’s 14 LPs two of each;
• Greatest successes
• Failures
b. Prepare answers to questions
• Most commonly asked questions
• Tell me about yourself
• Why do you want to work here
• Failure stories
• If it’s for the onsite, then you’ll need to go one step further,
• If you expect to get grilled on behavioral questions
• Get a more tailored list to that specific company: I have a ton of lists on my channel, but you also can find them on Google - just don’t get too excited about the lists, that is mostly a motivational win
• Get the list with all possible ones
• Prepare answers - usually in writing; some like to prepare them on cards
• Best answers
• 1.5 minutes
• STAR format
• Quantifiable
• Bad answers
• Fail to communicate the story properly - you do not understand why they ask you the question
• E.g. a time when you received negative feedback from your boss - because they want to see if you can listen and eventually regain trust;
• Hypothetical situational
• Way too long - especially for people with consulting backgrounds
• Do not memorize answers, you’ll get stuck and they sound scripted
• If it’s by phone, prep cheat sheets
3. Role-play
. If you’ve never done this before: Find someone to role-play with and that someone must have a good understanding of these things
a. If you’ve done this before:
• find someone to role-play with; or just speak the answers in the mirror until they sound great to you in the first place;
• Find someone to role-play with and to provide you with feedback too
b. Notes:
• Randomize questions
• It is not uncommon to role-play for two weeks
• If you find yourself using the same story over and over again, that’s a sign you don’t have enough of them
4. During the interview:
. How long is the interview? To keep the level of energy
a. Cautiously optimistic
b. Do not block
c. If you don’t have an answer, repeat the question, ask follow-up questions, start talking about a hypothetical situation until a precise example comes to mind
d. Put together a great show

Coaching and Training: bestofmany.com/