Behavior (2024)

FAQs

How to properly answer behavioral questions? ›

Effectively answering behavioral interview questions without relevant experience involves highlighting transferable skills and showcasing your ability to adapt and learn. Instead of focusing solely on past experiences, emphasize relevant qualities, such as problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.

Using the STAR (situation, task, action and result) method to structure your answers is a useful way to communicate important points clearly and concisely. For every answer you give identify the: Situation/task - describe the task that needed to be completed or the situation you were confronted with.

Behavioural questions are ones posed in an interview that showcase how you manage work situations, challenges or circ*mstances. They aim to give insight into your abilities, skills and character traits and can help interviewers determine how you might behave in future situations.

Your interview answers are too short if they're under 30 seconds for a factual question (“Do you know Java?”), under 30-90 seconds for an introductory question (“Why do you want to work here?”), or under 2 minutes for a behavioral question (“Give me an example of a risk you took.”)

Step-by-step: How to answer using the STAR method

Situation: Describe the context of the situation: Who, what, when, where, and why. Task: Explain your responsibility in the situation. What did you have to do? Action: Explain how you responded to, solved, or completed the task.

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind: Use the STAR method to answer behavioral questions, like “Can you share a time when…” STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result and is meant to help you structure your answers to those questions.

What is a good answer to what is your weakness? ›

Examples of weaknesses you might want to cite during your interview include: Getting caught up in details. Unable to let go of projects. Trouble saying “no” to others.

Some skills that you can use as weaknesses include impatience, multitasking, self-criticism, and procrastination.

Behavioral questions allow employers to gauge how you would respond to a specific workplace situation and how you solve problems to achieve a successful outcome. These questions often ask you to reflect on challenging situations, professional achievements, or examples of teamwork.

Often, behavioral questions are used to assess skills required by the position, such as time management, teamwork, initiative, organizational and communication skills.

Finding out what their thoughts and actions were in previous situations helps you to understand their reasoning, learn what motivates them, and explore their perspective on life. Asking about their behavior in specific workplace scenarios also enables you to determine how well they're likely to perform relevant tasks.

The STAR method is an interview technique that gives you a straightforward format you can use to tell a story by laying out the situation, task, action, and result.

To be more specific, practice answering possible interview questions out loud. Do not memorize your answers. Just say them a few times.