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30+ Behavioral Interview Questions to Prep For

(With Sample Answers!)
by Lily Zhang
Updated 9/30/2024

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Interviews can be high stakes. However, some interview questions can actually be
fun. Not in the zany-but-realistically-kind-of-stressful “How many golf balls will fit in
a bus?” kind of way, but in a sense that interviewers are really just asking for a good
story starring you as the main character.
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Behavioral interview questions are non-technical, focused on you, and 100%

something you can prepare for in advance. You actually have the answers already.
You just need to find the right stories and polish them up a bit.

Here’s your ultimate go-to guide for answering interview questions about behavior—
including common behavioral questions you might hear and example answers.
:
Land more interviews by looking for more open jobs on The Muse »

What are behavioral interview questions?

Behavioral interview questions are questions or statements that ask candidates to
share examples of specific situations they’ve been in. Usually interviewers want to
know about an experience where you had to use certain skills—soft skills especially—
or had to navigate certain types of scenarios. (Read: It’s the “Tell me about a time
when…” genre of questions.)

Why do interviewers ask behavioral questions?

Interviewers like these questions because it can help them get a more realistic and
nuanced sense of how you work. It’s a way for them to see what you’re capable of
accomplishing based on your actual past professional performance.

Think about it: What would convince you of someone’s ability to work on a team
better—them saying they totally love working on a team or them telling a story that
shows exactly how they worked on a team of five for several months to implement a
website redesign for a major client?

33 common behavioral interview questions

There's no way to predict exactly which behavioral questions you’ll get, but this list
will give you an idea of the types of questions you might be asked. As you read
through, think of stories you can share in response to each subset of questions—they
can often be tweaked on the spot to answer any variation an interviewer might throw
at you.
:
Teamwork questions
Almost any job requires you to work with others, so be prepared to talk about your
experiences as part of a team. You’ll want a story that illustrates your ability to work
with others under challenging circumstances. Think resolving team conflicts, dealing
with project constraints, or motivating others.

1. “Tell me about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose
personality was very different from yours.”

2. “Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict with a coworker. How did you
handle that?”

3. “Describe a time when you had to step up and demonstrate leadership skills.”

4. “Tell me about a time you made a mistake and wish you’d handled a situation with
a colleague differently.”

5. “Tell me about a time you needed to get information from someone who wasn’t
very responsive. What did you do?”

Customer service questions

If you’d be working with clients, customers, or other external stakeholders in this
role, definitely be ready for customer service questions. Be prepared with at least one
story about a time you successfully represented your company or team and delivered
exceptional customer service.

6. “Describe a time when it was especially important to make a good impression on a

client. How did you go about doing so?”

7. “Give me an example of a time when you didn’t meet a client’s expectation. What
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happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?”

8. “Tell me about a time when you made sure a customer was pleased with your
service.”

9. “Describe a time when you had to interact with a difficult client or customer. What
was the situation, and how did you handle it?”

10. “When you’re working with a large number of customers, it’s tricky to deliver
excellent service to them all. How do you go about prioritizing your customers’
needs?”

Adaptability questions
Times of turmoil are finally good for something! Think of a recent work crisis you
successfully navigated. Even if the outcome wasn't ideal, find a lesson or silver lining
you took from the situation.

11. “Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure at work or at school. What
was going on, and how did you get through it?”

12. “Describe a time when your team or company was undergoing some change. How
did that impact you, and how did you adapt?”

13. “Tell me about settling into your last job. What did you do to learn the ropes?”

14. “Give me an example of a time when you had to think on your feet.”

15. “Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with the situation?”

Time management questions

When an interviewer asks about time management, get ready to talk about a specific
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instance when you had a few things in the air, prioritized, scheduled, organized, and
completed everything—preferably before the deadline.

16. “Give me an example of a time you managed numerous responsibilities. How did
you handle that?”

17. “Describe a long-term project that you kept on track. How did you keep
everything moving?”

18. “Tell me about a time your responsibilities got a little overwhelming. What did
you do?”

19. “Tell me about a time you set a goal for yourself. How did you go about ensuring
that you would meet your objective?”

20. “Tell me about a time an unexpected problem derailed your planning. How did
you recover?”

Strong organizational skills questions

When it comes to strong organizational skills, behavioral interview questions tend to
be similar to time management questions. However, they might get more into detail
of how you organize your workday and, if you're a manager or team leader, how you
delegate and prioritize tasks.

21. “Tell me about a time when you had to establish priorities for yourself.”

22. “Describe your management style. How do you successfully delegate tasks?”

23. “Describe a time when being organized has helped you with a tight deadline.”

Communication questions
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You use communication skills so regularly you’ll probably have plenty of stories to
choose from. Just remember to talk about your thought process or preparation.

24. “Tell me about a time when you had to rely on written communication to get your
ideas across.”

25. “Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully persuade
someone at work to see things your way.”

26. “Describe a time when you were the resident technical expert. What did you do to
make sure everyone was able to understand you?”

27. “Give me an example of a time when you had to have a difficult conversation with
a frustrated client or colleague. How did you handle the situation?”
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28. “Tell me about a successful presentation you gave and why you think it was a hit.”

Motivation and values questions

A lot of seemingly random interview questions are actually attempts to learn more
about what motivates you. Your response would ideally address values and
motivations directly even if the question didn’t explicitly ask about them.

29. “Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment.”

30. “Describe a time when you saw a problem and took the initiative to correct it.”

31. “Tell me about a time when you worked under either extremely close supervision
or extremely loose supervision. How did you handle that?”

32. “Give me an example of a time you were able to be creative with your work. What
was exciting or difficult about it?”

33. “Tell me about a time you were dissatisfied in your role. What could have been
done to make it better?”

How to answer behavioral based interview

questions
So, how do you go about actually answering behavioral questions? It’s actually
simpler than you might think. Here's how to structure your answer in three steps:

Quickly identify the hard or soft skill or quality the interviewer is trying to learn
more about.

Choose a relevant professional story that emphasizes the details that speak to
the relevant skills.
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 Sum up your answer with how you generally approach situations like the one
the interviewer presented.

If you have a hard time structuring your narrative, the STAR method could help. It
consists in four elements:

Situation: Start by setting the scene and giving the interviewer the necessary
context.

Task: Describe what your task (meaning your responsibilities) was in that
situation.

Action: Explain what actions you took to address to address the problem or
conflict.

Result: Wrap up your answer by sharing the outcomes of your actions.

Behavioral interview questions and answers

Check out these example questions and answers to see our advice in action and get
more specific tips on some of the top behavioral interview questions.

“Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on

a team. How did you handle that?”
Ah, the conflict question. It’s as common as it is dreaded. Interviewers ask because
they want to know how you’ll handle the inevitable: disagreements in the workplace.
You might be nervous because it’s hard to look good in a conflict even when you’re
not in the wrong. The key to getting through this one is to focus less on the problem
and more on the process of finding the solution.

Sample answer:
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“Funnily enough, last year I was part of a committee that put together a training on
conflict intervention in the workplace and the amount of pushback we got for
requiring attendance really put our training to the test. There was one senior staff
member in particular who seemed adamant. It took some careful listening on my
part to understand he felt like it wasn’t the best use of his time given the workload he
was juggling.

I made sure to acknowledge his concern. And then rather than pointing out that he
himself had voted for the entire staff to undergo this training, I focused on his direct
objection and explained how the training was meant to improve not just the culture
of the company, but also the efficiency at which we operated—and that the goal was
for the training to make everyone’s workload feel lighter.

He did eventually attend and was there when I talked to the whole staff about
identifying the root issue of a conflict and addressing that directly without bringing
in other issues, which is how I aim to handle any disagreement in the workplace.”

“Tell me about a time you needed to get information from someone

who wasn’t very responsive. What did you do?”
Hiring managers want people who can take initiative and solve problems. Many
workplace problems boil down to a communication breakdown, which is what this
question is getting at. Try not to get too bogged down in the nitty-gritty details of the
story and make sure to finish with a clear lesson learned.

Sample answer:

“Back when I was just starting out as an assistant to a more senior recruiter, I once
needed to book interview rooms for several different candidates with a few sessions
each, all on the same day. The online system the company used to schedule
conference rooms was straightforward enough, but the problem was that it allowed
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more senior people to bump me out of my reservations. I had to scramble to get
them back.

When I didn’t get responses to my emails, I literally ran around the office to find the
people who took my rooms and explain why I needed them. It was stressful at the
time, but it all worked out in the end. Most were happy to move to a different room
or time to make sure the interviews went smoothly. I also met a bunch of people and
learned early on that talking to someone in person when possible can often move
things along more quickly than an email can.”

“Describe a time when it was especially important to make a good

impression on a client. How did you go about doing so?”
A perfect answer to this question has an outstanding outcome and illustrates the
process of getting to that result. Even if you only have a decent outcome to point to
instead of a stellar one, spelling out the steps you took will get you a strong answer.

Sample answer:

“One of the most important times to make a good impression on a client is before
they’re officially a client. When the sales team pulls me into meetings with potential
clients, I know we’re close to sealing the deal and I do my best to help that along.

That’s probably why I was chosen to represent the research team when we did a
final presentation for what would become our biggest client win of the year. I spoke
with everyone on the sales team who had met with them previously to learn as much
as possible about what they might care about.

The thing I do that sets me apart is that I don’t try to treat all the clients the same. I
try to address their specific questions and concerns so that they know I did my
homework and that I care enough to not just give the cookie-cutter answers. In this
case, having the data pulled and ready for every question they had made all the
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difference in building their confidence in our company.”

“Describe a time when your team or company was undergoing some

change. How did that impact you, and how did you adapt?”
Interviewers want to know how you handle organizational change. Your story doesn’t
necessarily need to be about some massive company reorg, it could even be about a
new system for sharing files. The key is to make sure you clearly describe the steps
you took to adapt and then generalizing your experience.

Sample answer:

“This past year my manager left and the company was unable to fill her position for
several months. This completely upended the way our team operated since she’d
been the one who made sure we were all on the same page. After a couple of weeks
of missed deadlines and miscommunications on the team, I sheepishly suggested we
do a quick daily check-in.

It took no more than 10 minutes a day, but it helped us get back to working
efficiently again and really reduced the frustrations that had started brewing. It
helped me understand that adapting to change requires understanding the gaps a
change creates and thinking creatively about how to fill them.”

“Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with the
situation?”
For broad questions like this, it can be helpful to narrow the scope a bit. For a
question about failure, you can do that by defining what it means to fail in your own
words before sharing your example.

Sample answer:
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“As a team manager, I consider it a failure if I don’t know what’s going on with my
staff and their work—basically if a problem catches me by surprise then I’ve failed
somewhere along the way. Even if the outcome is ultimately fine, it means I’ve left a
team member unsupported at some point.

A recent example would be this training we do every year for new project
managers. Because it’s an event that my team has run so many times, I didn’t think
to check in and had no idea a scheduling conflict was brewing into a full-on turf war
with another team.

The resolution actually ended up being a quick and easy conversation at the
leadership team meeting, but had I just asked about it sooner it would never have
been a problem to begin with. I definitely learned my lesson about setting reminders
to check in about major projects or events even if they’ve been done dozens of times
before.”

“Give me an example of a time you managed numerous

responsibilities. How did you handle that?”
Multitasking. It’s impossible and yet we’re all expected to do it. If your job involves
more than one responsibility and the hiring manager wants to know how you plan on
juggling a number of tasks, projects, or deadlines.

Sample answer:

“This is almost a cliché, but being part of an early-stage startup meant I wore a lot
of different hats. One second I was recruiting, the next I’d be in front of potential
clients, and then I’d be meeting with the cofounders about the product. Switching
gears so quickly often felt like getting whiplash.

I realized that it wasn’t necessarily the juggling that was the problem, it was the
constant switching back and forth. I started chunking my work so I could spend
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several hours focused on similar tasks. One block for recruiting. One block for sales.
One block for products. Once I figured out the secret to multitasking was to not
multitask, it got a lot more manageable.”

“Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully

persuade someone to see things your way at work.”
No matter your role, communication skills are critical and interviewers are going to
keep asking related questions until they’re sure yours are up to snuff. When asked
about persuasion, emotional intelligence and empathetic listening can be good pieces
of your communication skill set to emphasize.

Sample answer:

“I once was tasked with pulling the plug on a project. Of course, this can be
incredibly disappointing for those affected. Done poorly it could destroy a team’s
morale. I can’t discuss the project too much, but suffice it to say that everyone on it
worked really hard and it took some serious convincing for them to agree this was
the right choice.

Rather than letting the idea take hold that months of their work was being
scrapped, I proactively shared with everyone all the ways their work would still be
utilized by different parts of the company.

It’s not what they had intended, but seeing that their work wasn’t wasted softened
the blow and allowed me to share the hard truth that we wouldn’t be able to realize
our original goals. Taking the time to consider what negative reaction they might
have and making the effort to be empathetic allowed me to directly address their
concerns and show them that this was the best way forward.”

“Tell me about a successful presentation you gave and why you

think it was a hit.”
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You can probably predict whether or not you’ll get this question based on the job
description. If the job requires frequent public speaking, be sure you have an example
ready to go. For questions like this that have an “and why” part, give evidence you did
a good job. In this case, an engaged audience is pretty good evidence you gave a
strong presentation.

Sample answer:

“Presenting is definitely something I’ve gotten better at over time. At my previous

lab, I presented pretty often at the weekly research meeting where we all kept each
other up-to-date on the progress of our work.

When I first started, I would just pick up where I left off last time and spoke like I
was talking to a room full of experts—which I was, but they weren’t necessarily
experts in my specific project. It’s obvious in hindsight. The nature of research is
that it’s inherently novel. I started doing more in my presentations to give context,
like a more compact version of a conference presentation.

It was more work, but I could tell everyone was engaged based on the questions I
got. They were more thoughtful and challenging and actually helped push my work
forward. Now, whether I’m presenting formally or informally, I try my best to
scaffold my conclusions with relevant context.”

“Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment.”

This question can sometimes make people freeze up. Proudest? Like literally the thing
you're proudest of ever? It’s a lot. A more manageable way to think about it is that it’s
essentially a freebie to talk about anything.

You can choose a story that showcases a relevant skill, passion, or experience you
haven’t been able to talk about yet or want to emphasize more and set it up as one of
your proudest accomplishments. If you’re applying to an entry-level role, feel free to
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talk about school achievements.

Sample answer:

“There’s a lot that I’ve done over the last few years at Major Telecom that I’m proud
of, but one thing we haven’t had a chance to talk too much about is my work in the
parents employee resource group. As the company has become more family
friendly, I’ve worked hard to guide the conversation as the co-lead of the parents
ERG.

This year, I spearheaded an effort to improve our flexible work policy, first writing
a letter on behalf of the ERG to the leadership team and then later drafting a
proposal which ultimately led to a better work environment and more flexible work
for everyone, not just parents.”

“Tell me about a time when you worked under either extremely

close supervision or extremely loose supervision. How did you
handle that?”
This question is getting at how you like to be managed, but it’s phrased in a way that
may tempt you to speak negatively of a previous employer. However, you should
never badmouth anyone during an interview. Instead, stay focused and keep your
response neutral to positive.

Sample answer:

“As an intern at Online Content Co., I felt like my every move required approval,
which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I really appreciated it back when I had no idea
what I was doing. I actually credit the close supervision I got for helping me pick
things up so quickly. After I officially joined the team as a staff writer though, it
started to feel a bit restrictive.
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I thought once I “proved myself” it would get better, but after a few more months
with no significant change a mentor helped me see that I wasn’t being proactive
about communicating with my manager.

Rather than going to my one-on-one meetings with nothing prepared and being
peppered with questions, I started arriving with an update of all my ongoing work.
All the same information got conveyed, but instead of feeling micromanaged, I felt
empowered and it made all the difference in my experience.”

“Give me an example of a time you were able to be creative with

your work. What was exciting or di!cult about it?”
Questions like this are made to assess your creativity, problem-solving, and critical
thinking skills. If you're applying for an analyst position or a fast-paced environment,
the recruiter wants to know if you're able to think fast, adapt, and come up with new
solutions for daily challenges.

Sample answer:

“In my last role, I was tasked with redesigning our team's content management
process. Our existing system was outdated, which caused multiple problems,
including missed deadlines and team members not knowing their priorities. Instead
of sticking to the same tools, which were Excel and Google Docs, after some research
I suggested using Trello, because it's a more visual and flexible system.

I took the initiative to create and customize the boards, adding automation rules
and personalized templates for different types of content to help the team to stay
organized. What excited me about it was being able to build something from
scratch, directly impacting the team's productivity that increased by about 18%.”

“Describe your management style. How do you successfully

delegate tasks?”
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Being a manager comes with multiple challenges. Some might say that the most
difficult of them all is being able to successfully delegate tasks and ensuring the
productivity of your team without being a tyrant or micromanager. After all, how your
team feels about you and your behavior towards them can directly impact their
satisfaction with work.

So, to answer this question, share exactly that: One of your best managerial moments
that proves you can be an organized and strong leader, but also a pleasant person to
work with.

Sample answer:

“I describe my management style as direct and hands-off, but I'm always ready and
available to offer guidance and help when needed. This means some informal check-
ins on the work being done and general team satisfaction.

To successfully delegate tasks, I focus on clear communication, not only on what

needs to be done, but what is priority and what isn't. I define the task, laying out our
goal, deadline, expected outcome. Then, I consider each team member's skills,
strengths, and workload and match the task to the person best suited for the job.

Lastly, I make myself available to provide support and any resources necessary
throughout the process. However, I always give the team autonomy to make
decisions and solve problems their own way. I find that this strategy helps people
feel more empowered and productive.”

“Describe a time when being organized has helped you with a tight
deadline.”
Strong organizational skills is a key quality for most professionals, but especially for
the ones who work with deadlines or have to juggle multiple tasks at once. When
answering this question, tell an anecdote that illustrates your ability to stay focused
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under pressure and how you use organizational skills to successfully accomplish a
goal.

Sample answer:

“In my last event graphic design position, I was tasked with developing a new visual
identity for a client in three days. It was a complex project because they needed new
visuals for their website, social media profiles, and app.

To manage it, I created a detailed action plan, breaking the briefing into smaller
tasks assigned to me and our graphic design intern. I set up a shared board on
Figma where we and our manager could collaborate and make comments in real
time, assuring we were all on the same page and every one of the client's demands
were met.

I also scheduled a brief check-in meeting on the last day of our deadline so you could
align final details of the project and our presentation. This organization helped us
deliver the new visual identity on time without compromising the quality of the
work. Our project was approved by the client, who ended up renewing their
contract with the agency that month.”

Bonus tips to prep for (and ace) a behavioral

interview
If you remember nothing else from our advice, here are some key takeaways to keep
in mind when you’re getting ready for an interview:

Prepare a few stories based on the job description

Maybe you’ll use them, maybe you won’t, but you’ll feel more prepared and less
nervous if you’ve spent some time thinking about this. Scan the job description for
:
anything that seems to be mentioned more than once or is otherwise emphasized—
say, “takes initiative,” or, “works independently.” Then come up with some stories
about those things.

Brush up on the STAR method

Stories can get big and unwieldy, especially when we’re nervous. It’s important to
keep your answer concise and relevant to the question. Using the STAR interview
method can help you to craft job-landing responses to many interview questions that
require a well-structured example story.

Wrap up your answers with a conclusion

Some stories don’t fit super neatly into the STAR method and that’s fine. In any case,
just remember to wrap up your story with a nice summation so that the interviewer
knows what they were supposed to learn from it. In other words, tell your story and
then tell them what to think about it. For example, “I did this to solve the problem, so
in general, this is the process I use for solving problems.”

Practice aloud before your real interview

Don't underestimate the power of practice. Practice answering possible interview
questions out loud, but do not memorize your answers. Just say them a few times. If
you want to be fancy, do it in front of a mirror to get a better sense of how you’re
presenting yourself. Brushing up on your interview skills in general will also help you
to answer these questions with ease and sail through to the next round

Regina Borsellino and Amanda Cardoso also contributed writing, reporting, and/or
advice to this article.
:
 Lily Zhang is a career counselor at the MIT Media Lab, where she works with a range of students
from AI experts to interaction designers on crafting their own unique career paths. When she’s
not indulging in a new book or video game, she’s thinking about, talking about, or writing about
careers. You can find her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and her website.

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