23.2 Behavioral Interview
By the end of this checkpoint, you should be able to master the behavioral components of interviews.
Overview​
Some things are universal to all interviews. You're always going to be asked about your background. You're always going to be asked about your salary requirements. And employers are always going to want you to be prepared and poised. Accordingly, there are some best practices that you should apply to all of your interviews.
This checkpoint covers how to prepare for an interview, answer common interview questions, and follow up after an interview.
Preparing for interviews​
Making a good impression at an interview starts with preparing for the interview before it happens. Some things you should do well in advance, and other things you should do on the day of the interview.
Before the interview​
Before the interview, get prepared by conducting some research, rehearsing your answers to common interview questions, and making a list of questions that you want to ask the interviewers.
Researching the company​
Employers appreciate candidates who are familiar with their company and work. Take some time to review the company's website and blog, as well as any recent articles about the company that you can find online. You should be able to explain the work that they do and why you're interested in working for them.
Researching your interviewers​
Try to find out who's interviewing you and then check them out on LinkedIn. Look at their backgrounds and figure out how long they've been at the company and in their job. Look for things that you have in common or that you find interesting about them. Knowing a little about your interviewers can give you clues about the types of questions that you can expect them to ask, and help you know what questions you should ask them. It can even provide some conversation topics to bond over during the informal, in-between moments of an interview.
Reviewing the job listing​
It might be a while between the time that you apply to a job and the time that you interview for that job. Always review the job listing so that you know exactly what the job is and what skills the employer is interested in. This will help you determine which relevant skills and projects you should highlight during the interview.
Preparing your answers to common interview questions​
Although it's impossible to know the specific questions that you're going to be asked during an interview, there are common types of questions that arise in most interviews. For example, you're going to be asked about your past work experience, your projects, and your salary expectations. Think about how you want to answer these questions before the interview, so that you're ready to provide effective answers during the interview. Many of these common interview questions, plus strategies for answering them, are described below.
Preparing questions to ask during the interview​
Interviews should be two-sided. While the employers are deciding if you're a good fit for their company, you're also trying to decide if the company and employers are a good fit for your life. This means that you should also come prepared with questions to ask the interviewers. Writing them down ahead of time and bringing them to the interview makes you look prepared. It also ensures that you won't forget to ask about anything that's important to you.
The day of the interview​
On the day of the interview, there are some final considerations to keep in mind, from dressing appropriately to using nonverbal cues to your advantage.
Dressing the part​
These days, many companies allow their employees to dress casually at work—although this differs by industry, company, and location. But as the person being interviewed, you want to make a good first impression and appear clean, polished, and professional. Here are a few guidelines to follow:
- Be the best-dressed person in the room: Aim to dress one step more formal than the interviewers. For example, if they're wearing jeans and a t-shirt, you should be wearing jeans and a button-up shirt. Your goal is to fit in, so you look like a culture match, but also to show professionalism and convey that you take the interview seriously.
- Be tidy: Whatever you wear, make sure that you and your outfit are clean. Your hair and teeth should be brushed, and your clothes should be pressed and without holes or stains.
- Be comfortable: You should look professional and you should be physically comfortable so that your clothing doesn't distract you. So make sure to wear clothing that's easy to move in and doesn't require frequent adjustments.
- Be fabulous: Wear something that you like. When you feel good about the way that you look, you have more confidence. This makes you appear more competent and sets you up for a better interview.
Arriving on time​
Be on time for the interview. Punctuality shows employers that you take the job, their time, and yourself seriously. It also gives you time to steady your nerves. Here are good rules to follow:
- For phone screens: Pick up the phone after the first or second ring.
- For virtual interviews: Join the meeting room five minutes before the interview. Ensure that all of your technology is functioning correctly.
- For onsite interviews: Arrive at the site of the interview 10 minutes early, and plan for traffic and parking. Don't arrive more than 15 minutes early, because the interviewer is probably busy and this can be annoying for the person who then needs to accommodate you.
Being present​
Before your interview, make sure that your mobile phone and other gadgets are silenced or powered off. A buzzing phone during an interview can be distracting and can make you appear careless.
Monitoring your nonverbal behavior​
In addition to your verbal answers, interviews are also paying attention to your nonverbal behavior during interviews. Here are a few things to keep in mind during your interview:
- Maintain upright posture. Sit up straight and roll your shoulders back. This communicates confidence and competence.
- Face the interviewer with your body. This communicates that you're interested in the interviewer and invested in the conversation.
- Uncross your arms. Open posture communicates that you're friendly and trustworthy.
- Be still. Try not to fidget, swivel, or tap your fingers or feet. This communicates nervousness and can distract the interviewer.
- Maintain eye contact. It's okay to blink, but you should look at your interviewers when you're answering questions, and especially when they're talking. This communicates that you're listening and engaged.
Keeping calm​
Interviewing can be stressful. It's important to know some techniques that can help you stay calm in a stressful environment. For example, you could try striking a power pose, listening to a fun playlist, or practicing breathing exercises before your interview. And, ultimately, remember that some interviews are meant to test your knowledge—so it's okay if you don't know the answer to every question.
Asking questions​
In most interviews, you are asked if you have any questions for your interviewers. Your answer should always be yes. Asking thoughtful questions is a good way for you to learn more about the company, and it's also a way for you to show your interest in the company and connect with your interviewers. In general, it's good to ask a couple of questions about the job, a couple of questions about the team that you'd be working with, and a couple of questions about the company's work culture. Here's a list of questions that you can ask your interviewers; of course, it's okay to write your own too.
Answering common questions​
Even though every interview is different, there are some questions that you should always be prepared to answer. These are covered below.
Tell me about yourself​
This is often the logical first question that you're asked during an interview. It helps the interviewer get to know you and establishes what follow-up questions they should ask you during the rest of the interview.
Your response should always include these components:
- Your desired profession.
- How your background connects you to your desired profession. Most employers want to know why you're changing careers, so it helps to briefly explain how your background led you to where you are today. This also gives you an opportunity to highlight relevant experience that the employer may have not realized.
- How you're qualified for your desired profession. Highlight all of your relevant education and experience (like PMcademy!) and transferrable skills. Make it clear that you have the skills that you need to do the job. Include any skills that you have that are on the job listing.
For example:
My name is Emet and I'm a project manager. I started out as an instructional designer, which includes a lot of project management. In addition to developing curriculum, I was responsible for making sure that my projects were delivered on time, and I was managing subject matter experts' tasks and schedules. The project management part of the work has always been my favorite part of the job, so I decided that it was time to transition fully to project management. To make sure that I have all of the skills that I need, I recently completed a certificate program in project management. In this program, I learned how to plan, schedule, and budget for business projects; use project management tools; and create project summary reports. I also learned how to handle the less technical aspects of the job, like resolving conflicts and motivating people to complete work on time.
Everything in your answer should be relevant to the job that you're applying to; there's no need to tell your life story. Additionally, aim to keep your answer concise, about one to two minutes long.
How many years of experience do you have?​
This question comes up a lot during phone screens. Employers try to get quick facts that help them decide if they should keep you in—or filter you out of—the interview process.
In you response, be honest and provide a specific length of time, but don’t diminish the time that you spent studying or using relevant skills in past jobs. That counts! For example:
Collectively, I have 2 years of experience in web development. Most recently I completed a program at PMcademy where I worked alongside engineers in a fast-paced educational setting. During this 6 month intensive, I built web applications from the ground up and really honed my skills in pair programming, trouble-shooting and quality assurance. Additionally, in my previous role as a Data Analyst, I built various tools using HTML and CSS to improve team operations.
Why do you want to work here?​
Employers like to hire people who are excited about their company and work, as opposed to people who just want a paycheck and will take any job. So, to gauge your level of interest and check if you've done your homework, they might ask why you want to work at their company or what you know about their company.
From your research before the interview, you should have an answer ready. Identify something specific that you like about the company's values, projects, or people. Show genuine interest without being salesy. Here's an example:
While I understand the need to make a profit, it's important to me to work for a company that's also a benefit to society. Being able to see is clearly a benefit to society, and I like that you're going above and beyond with charitable work by donating a pair of prescription lenses for every pair of glasses that you sell. Also, everyone who I've chatted with so far seems happy to work here.
What are you looking for?​
At some point, you're probably going to be asked about the type of job that you want now or in the future. Like the question above, this helps employers gauge if their company and job opening are right for you. Your answer should include the specific titles that interest you, the industries that interest you, and the locations that interest you. Ideally, your stated interests will match the title, industry, and location of the job that you're interviewing for. For example, you could tell them that you're interested in a social media marketing role at a tech company in Portland.
If you're asked about your long-term career goals, the employer might be trying to find out how long you plan to stay in the job if you get hired. Is it a job that you're excited about having for a while, or is it just a way to make money until you can find something that you truly want? Of course, the employer wants to hire someone who wants to stay awhile, so that they don't need to rehire for the job in a few months. When answering this question, you should emphasize that, although you're open to opportunities for growth or mentorship in the future, you're currently happy learning as much as you can in the type of job that you're interviewing for.
Tell me about your past projects​
Employers often ask you questions about your past work or projects. This helps them gauge how transferable your experience is and assess your ability to communicate concepts and processes.
This is an opportunity for you to bring up facts that show off your skills. Start with an overview of your project, then get into specifics. Focus on your specific contributions, how you solved problems, and your results. Here's an example:
At PMcademy, I completed a variety of projects. Some were group projects so that we could mimic a team workplace environment, some involved pair programming with senior engineers, and some were individual projects. For my capstone project, I developed a web app that helps users plan road trips with scheduled stops. Whatever route the user chooses, the app provides weather forecasts and suggests food and lodging options. This was built using JavaScript, Angular, Node, Express, HTML, CSS, and the Google Directions and Places APIs. Most of that, I learned at PMcademy, but I actually taught myself Angular while I was developing the app.
What are your weaknesses?​
When interviewers ask you about your weaknesses, it's probably for two reasons: They want to know what your weaknesses are in case they disqualify you from the job. And they want to know if you're self aware and able to turn your weaknesses into strengths.
In your answer, you should provide a real weakness, but you should make sure to choose a weakness that won't disqualify you from the job. You should also say what you're doing to improve upon that weakness. Here's an example:
Though I've never missed a deadline, in the past, I've struggled with staying organized. I recently started adding every single thing on my to-do list to a Google calendar, which has made a huge difference. I'm also teaching myself how to use Kanban boards and project management software, like Asana.
What are your salary requirements?​
Employers don't want to commit to a candidate who they can't afford. By asking you about your salary requirements, they can avoid getting excited about you if you're out of their range. Your goal, on the other hand, is to set yourself up for the best possible offer and continue the conversation. To make sure that you're not overselling or underselling yourself, try to have the interviewer be the first person to provide a number or range. You can do this by redirecting the question. You'll learn more about how to navigate this process later in this module, but for now, here are a couple of examples:
Good question. I think I need to learn a bit more about this job before I'm able to give you a specific number. Is there a range that you have in mind?
I haven't yet had a chance to dig into the market rate and general salary for other folks at Netflix with my experience, but if you have a range that you can share, I'll be happy to compare that to my research. Otherwise, I trust that if I'm a fit, the salary will be aligned with my experience.
Alternatively, you can say that you're flexible as long as the offer is fair. Here's an example:
I'm open to any compensation that's externally competitive and internally fair.
In case you're required to provide a number, do some research before your interview. You can talk to others in your field, ask your career coach, and check out sites like Glassdoor to learn about average salaries for similar jobs. This allows you to provide a number that's backed up by data, rather than personal interest. Even so, you should still appear flexible. Here's an example:
Based on my research, it looks like the average base salary for data scientists in Seattle is $110K. Is that higher or lower than what you have in mind?
Answering behavioral questions​
In addition to the questions described above, there's also a common type of interview question that you should be aware of: behavioral questions. These questions are asked to determine how you might behave in a particular situation (hence behavioral questions).
To determine how you might behave, interviewers ask you either about your past experience in a given situation or how you would respond in a hypothetical situation. Here are some examples:
- Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss.
- What do you do when you disagree with your boss?
- What would you do if you disagreed with your boss?
No matter the question or phrasing, you should answer all behavioral questions using the STAR method.
Using the STAR method​
The STAR method is a straightforward and systematic way to answer behavioral questions. It follows the acronym STAR, which stands for situation-task-action-result. Here's how the method works:
- Situation: First, provide context by describing a similar situation that you were in; this usually involves a problem or conflict.
- Task: Describe your specific tasks or role in the situation.
- Action: Describe the action that you took to move the situation toward a result.
- Result: Describe the result of your actions and how the situation resolved. This should be positive and, ideally, quantifiable. You can also share any lessons that you learned, in case you would do something differently the next time that you're in a similar situation.
Here's an example:
As part of a team of five people in a marketing firm, I was working with a new client who wanted to improve their online presence and get more website traffic. I was tasked with collaborating with the contracted designer to help with the designs and make sure that we were reaching a wider audience. Together with the designer, I was able to get their website updated with better UX/UI. I also updated their mobile site on iOS and Android to reach a wider market of users. Within the first month, we increased their overall user traffic by 33%, and it increased week-over-week by 5% for the remainder of the quarter.
Talking about your projects​
There is an infinite number of behavioral questions that interviewers can ask, but they tend to fall within one of these categories:
- How you work in stressful situations
- How you respond when you fail
- How you handle conflict with other people
- How you motivate yourself and others
- How you make decisions
- How your work has made a positive impact
- How you build relationships with or manage stakeholders
Before the interview, think of situations from your past that you can refer to for each category. Ideally, think about the ways that you can answer these questions with your PMcademy education; consider your projects, group assignments, or interactions with your mentor and classmates. This allows you to answer the interviewer's questions and remind them of your relevant skills and experience. This is particularly important if you don't have prior experience in the field or are struggling to think of transferable examples.
Take a moment to reflect on one of your recent PMcademy projects and answer these questions:
- What was the hardest thing about your project, and what did you do to overcome it?
- How did you exceed the project requirements, and what impact did that have on the project or your overall growth in the field?
- What was the biggest mistake that you made while working on your project? What did you learn, and what would you do differently next time?
- What aspect of your project are you most proud of and why?
Take that information and use the STAR format to answer the following prompt: Tell me about a challenging project that you worked on.
Following up after interviews​
You might assume that the interview is over once you hang up or leave, but that's incorrect. After every interview, you should follow up—both to thank the interviewer and to stay updated about next steps.
Following up to thank the interviewers​
Send a follow-up thank-you email within 24 hours of your interview.
Your thank-you message should include the following:
- Gratitude
- Excitement about the job
- Something specific about the conversation that you had that pertains to the job and your experience
- An invitation to contact you if the interviewer has additional questions
- Enthusiasm about the next step in the interview process
Here's an example:
Riley,
Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to interview me. I had a great time talking to you and was especially excited to hear about your team's mentorship opportunities.
I'm looking forward to chatting with the rest of your team next week. Until then, if you have additional questions, don't hesitate to reach out!
Cheers,
Will
If you don't have the interviewer's contact information, you can ask the person who organized your interview if they're willing to forward your message. In the case that multiple people interview you, you can either send individual messages or one group message.
Following up when you don't get a response​
Sometimes employers get busy and forget to follow up with you. Don't take it personally. Instead, be proactive and follow up with them. At the end of an interview or in your follow-up thank-you email, you should always ask what and when the next step of the interview process is. That way, if you don't hear from the employer by the date and time that they stated, you can follow up.
Allow yourself two check-ins for every step of the interview process. And leave about five business days between each of those check-ins. If the employer doesn't respond after the second check-in, move on to the next opportunity.
It's generally best practice to follow up via email with your recruiting contact or the last person who you interviewed with. Keep your follow-up short and professional. Don't make assumptions and don't indicate any anger or frustration; there's probably a good reason why they haven't gotten back to you. Here's an example of an appropriate follow-up email:
Hello, Reagan!
I hope that this message finds you well. I wanted to touch base about the cybersecurity role that I interviewed for last week—both to express my continued excitement about the opportunity and to ask if you've made a decision about next steps.
Thanks again for your time and consideration.
Regards,
Malia
Follow all of the tips in this checkpoint, and you're sure to make a good impression—one that may even lead to a job offer.