How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

Have you ever gone to an interview feeling totally prepared, only to be caught completely off-guard with types of questions you had never considered? You may have unwittingly entered into a behavior-based interview. A behavior-based interview is one in which an interviewer tries to assess your past performances to get an indication of your future success. The questions usually begin with, "Describe a time when you..." or, "Tell me about a situation where you..." The interviewer is seeking specific examples that demonstrate that you have the skills needed for this job.

It's important to be prepared for these types of questions. An interviewer can usually easily tell if you're not—and he'll assume you haven't done your homework. To best prepare for behavior-based questions, you need to think about those of your experiences that most closely match the skills you'll need to succeed at this job. It helps to understand exactly what the interviewer is looking for in this position. Spend time researching the company, and learn as much as you can about it. Review the job description, and then come up with relevant examples before the interview and practice relating them as stories. You can also use stories to demonstrate personal character traits in addition to skills and experience.

To turn your examples into organized stories, one common methodology is called the PAR formula. PAR stands for problem-action-result. Begin by explaining the problem or situation you faced. Next, describe the actions you took to solve the problem. Finally, outline the successful results.

Take your time describing the problem. This shows you understand the bigger picture and realize the actions you take can affect the company's goals and strategies. When talking about your actions, explain why the situation was challenging—it makes your accomplishments more significant. Be sure to include your most important contributions. Remember that actions speak louder than words. Instead of simply saying you know how to handle a challenging situation, use your story to illustrate how you successfully dealt with one.

Remember that your delivery is as important as the subject matter of your story. You should be comfortable telling the story—it shows that you're also comfortable with the actions you're conveying. You want to portray yourself as confident about your abilities and your successful actions. Naturally, use only examples that show you in a positive light and have a successful outcome. And make sure the interviewer recognizes the results of your actions so that he can understand and appreciate your value to an employer.

After telling a story, make sure you gave the interviewer the information he was looking for. Ask for feedback. Ask him whether your example addressed his question or whether he would like you to give another example.

Of course, it's impossible to anticipate every imaginable interview question. But if you spend enough time thinking about relevant examples and rehearsing your delivery, it will make it much easier for you to think on your feet, adapt your examples to whatever questions the interviewer throws at you, and sound confident in your story-telling.

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