3 Ways To Answer “Tell Me About A Time When” Behavioural Interview Questions

One of the most common interview questions is the inquiry that starts with ‘Tell me about a time when’. During an interview, it is common for an employer to ask about specific situations you experienced or overcame in the workplace.

This kind of interviewing is called Behavioral Interviewing.

How do you prepare yourself for behavioral questions?

Here are some of the most common behavioral interview questions you’re likely to hear on a job interview:

• Tell me about a time when you learned from a mistake.
• Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult person.
• Tell me about a time when you had to change course in an instant.
• Tell me about a time when you worked on a team.
• Tell me about a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone.

How to answer “Tell Me About A Time When…” Interview Questions

The employer basically wants to see if you can handle the role based on past experiences. Here’s how to handle these behavioral interview questions;

1. Relate to key skills

Go through the job description highlighting the soft skills required in the role you are interviewing for. You can then answer this question relating to how you used these skills to solve a particular problem. For instance, if it was a conflict in a team you can talk about how you applied your leadership skills to solve that particular problem.

2. Make a strong statement

Before you answer this type of question, it is important to understand why the employer is asking you that. They probably want to find out your way of doing things.

Take your time to figure out what exactly the interviewer wants to hear from you. Make a good introductory sentence that will serve as the moral of the story. Chances are that the interviewer is looking to learn a thing or two from you.

For example, you can tell about the time you disagreed with the supervisor about a certain campaign but your suggestions were never implemented. You would then talk about how they realized you were right when the number came in.

3. Make a strong finishing statement

When it comes to these behavioral interview questions, the goal is to show how your experience will be beneficial if given an opportunity to work there.

Try to make a connection between the story and the company of position. For instance, you can say something like, “I am a good multi-tasker since I am able to set my priorities and work towards that.”

In conclusion

People often assume that in the “tell me about a time when…” interview questions are all about giving a story. However, the goal at the end of the day is to get the job by demonstrating how you are the best candidate. Give the interviewer something to learn from your story and you will actually end up making a good impression that might just give you the job.

Do you have an upcoming interview and you are struggling with how to go about carrying yourself or answering interview questions? Book a mock interview coaching session and be better prepared.