Sample Behavioral Interview Questions

Judgment/problem-solving

Recall a time when your education and experiences did not prepare you for a task. What did you do?
Describe a problem you’ve recently been asked to solve.
Give me an example of a good decision you have made recently.

Teamwork/collaboration

Interacting with others can be challenging at times. Describe a situation when you wished you had acted differently with someone.
Describe a situation when you were able to help a team member of peer.
Describe the best/worst team of which you have been a member.

Initiative

Have you found any ways to make your job easier?
Give me an example of doing more than is required in your current job/class.
Can you think of some projects or ideas (not necessarily your own) that were sold, implemented, or carried out successfully because of your efforts?

Adjustment/flexibility

Tell me about a difficult situation you recently had to manage.
Jobs differ in the extent to which unexpected changes can disrupt daily responsibilities. How do you feel when this happens? Why? Tell me about a time when this happened recently.
Describe a situation that required several things to be done at the same time.

Leadership

Tell me about a time when you were a leader.
Describe a situation in which your efforts influence the actions of others.

Planning & organizing/work management

Walk me through yesterday (or last week) and tell me how you planned the day’s (or week’s) activities.
Tell me about a time when your course load was heaviest. How did you get all of your work done?
How were you able to balance your school work with extracurricular activities/work?

Technical/professional knowledge

Sometimes complex projects require additional expertise. Describe a situation when you had to request help or assistance with one of your projects or assignments.
Describe how you’ve gone about learning a new technical skill.
Describe a time when you solved a technical problem.

Customer facts

When you think of companies who serve their customers well, which companies do you think of? Why?
Can you describe a situation in which you were able to “win over” a “difficult” customer?
What is good customer service? How have you given good customer service?

Motivational fit

When were you most satisfied/dissatisfied in your work (school)? What was most satisfying and dissatisfying about that?
(Achievement) Tell me about a time when you had a lot of challenge in your work. How satisfied were you with that and why?
Jobs differ in the extent to which people work independently or as part of a team. Which do you prefer? Why? Tell me about a time when you enjoyed working this way.