30 Behavioral Interview Questions You Should Be Ready to Answer

Interview prep 101 dictates that you should have your elevator pitch ready, a few stories polished, and a good sense of what you have to offer. So, how do you get there? Lots of practice, ideally aloud.

To help you better prepare for your next interview, here are 30 behavioral interview questions sorted by topic that you can practice.

Teamwork

For questions like these, you want a story that illustrates your ability to work with others under challenging circumstances. Think team conflict, difficult project constraints, or clashing personalities.

1. Talk 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 while working on a team. How did you handle that?
3. Describe a time when you struggled to build a relationship with someone important. How did you eventually overcome that?
4. We all make mistakes we wish we could take back. Tell me about a time you wish you’d handled a situation differently with a colleague.
5. Tell me about a time you needed to get information from someone who wasn’t very responsive. What did you do?

Client-Facing Skills

If the role you’re interviewing for works with clients, definitely be ready for one of these. Find an example of a time where 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 did not meet a client’s expectation. What 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. 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?

Ability to Adapt

Times of turmoil are finally good for something! Think of a recent work crisis you successfully navigated. Even if your navigation didn’t feel successful at the time, find a lesson or silver lining you took from the situation.

11. Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. 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 the first job you’ve ever had. What did you do to learn the ropes?
14. Give me an example of a time when you had to think on your feet in order to delicately extricate yourself from a difficult or awkward situation.
15. Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with this situation?

Time Management Skills

In other words, get ready to talk about a time you juggled multiple responsibilities, organized it all (perfectly), and completed everything before the deadline.

16. Tell me about a time you had to be very strategic in order to meet all your top priorities.
17. Describe a long-term project that you managed. How did you keep everything moving along in a timely manner?
18. Sometimes it’s just not possible to get everything on your to-do list done. 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. Give me an example of a time you managed numerous responsibilities. How did you handle that?

Communication Skills

You probably won’t have any trouble thinking of a story for communication questions, since it’s not only part of most jobs; it’s part of everyday life. However, the thing to remember here is to also talk about your thought process or preparation.

21. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully persuade someone to see things your way at work.
22. Describe a time when you were the resident technical expert. What did you do to make sure everyone was able to understand you?
23. Tell me about a time when you had to rely on written communication to get your ideas across to your team.
24. Give me an example of a time when you had to explain something fairly complex to a frustrated client. How did you handle this delicate situation?
25. Tell me about a successful presentation you gave and why you think it was a hit.

Motivation and Values

A lot of seemingly random questions are actually attempts to learn more about what motivates you. Your response would ideally address this directly even if the question wasn’t explicit about it.

26. Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment.
27. Describe a time when you saw some problem and took the initiative to correct it rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
28. Tell me about a time when you worked under close supervision or extremely loose supervision. How did you handle that?
29. Give me an example of a time you were able to be creative with your work. What was exciting or difficult about it?
30. Tell me about a time you were dissatisfied in your work. What could have been done to make it better?

By Lily Zhang ( Courtesy: themuse.com)

About The Author

Lily Zhang serves as a Career Development Specialist at MIT where she works with a range of students from undergraduates to PhDs on how to reach their career aspirations. When she's not indulging in a new book or video game, she's thinking about, talking about, or writing about careers. Follow her musings on Twitter @lzhng.

Breaking Into The Aviation Industry: What Does the Employer Expect?

Since childhood you’ve dreamt about making your dreams fly high and securing employment in one of the most happening industry, true that!

With the world having reduced to the size of a mere modicum, globalization has flapped its wings in every corner of the world. So is the case with the industry indicated above- the aviation industry. Apart from getting yourself trained and certified from the best institute, there still are ample things you need to heed to, to get employed.

Yes, securing an aviation job in any corner of the world will become a cakewalk, if you start considering the things that an employer expects from you. Hence, mentioned below are a few tips that will help you regarding the same and make the process simpler.

·         You Need To Be An Initiator

No employer in the aviation sphere wants to list down things you have to do. They want to hire someone, who is a ‘self-starter’ and takes up things at his own initiative. For instance, if there are no customers to serve at a moment, an ideal candidate should utilize the time in catching up with other chores like emptying the trash cans, refilling the printer with paper, cleaning the equipment and catching up on some residual paperwork. Inculcating this habit over a period of time would surely boost your chances of getting shortlisted in any corner of the world.

·         Having High Ethical Standards With The Ability to Communicate

You will be in a business, wherein customers have to be dealt with on a regular basis. So, the most essential thing is for the recruiter to trust you with the customers. There might be instances during a purchase when it’s just you and the customer. The employer needs to believe that there’ll be no discrepancy on your part to harm the reputation of the company or put forth a negative image.

In addition to this, having secured a worthwhile offer in the aviation industry, it is also expected for you to be impeccable with your communication skills. Just to clear the air, communication here majorly comprises of you to listen willingly. Shutting up your boss and speaking up incessantly, might actually put things off. So, watch your steps carefully!

·         Being Docile Might Just Help

Aviation jobs all around the globe majorly entail the ability to obey and follow instructions accurately. Obeying all norms in this sector is crucial for the customers’ and your safety as well. Instead of ‘going around the boss’, you need to be an assistant to him. Recognize orders and execute them within the assigned time-frame.

·         Realize The Importance of ‘Team-Effort’

There’s nothing in the aviation field that can be achieved without the synchronized efforts of a team. Employers hunt candidates who work well with others for higher customer satisfaction and increased level of performance efficiency. Checking ego at the door, is the first thing to be ensured!

·         Impeccable Analytical Skills

Spotting and solving problems is a dire essential that every aviation professional deals with on a daily basis. Having critical thinking capabilities shows that you have a state of mind to map problems and are willing to design a solution for the same. Situations in the field arise out of suddenness, hence efficient reflexes are indispensable. 

·         Staying Within The Confines

A multitude of aviation jobs require a ‘scope of expertise’ or ‘special licensing requirements’. This entails the specific tasks that a person within a particular space in aviation industry can perform. Hence, it’s imperative for you to know your scope and perform all actions within the legal boundations. In case there’s a doubt, consulting the applicable FAR's might be a worthwhile idea.

To summarize-it’s just the above tips you need to keep in mind and scoring a job would become a child’s play. Patience and hard work sure do pay-off!

Author Bio: Anshuman Kukreti is a professional writer and a keen follower of the emirates job market. An engineer by qualification and an artist at heart, he writes on various topics related to employment across the globe. Reach him @ LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+.