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The Career Development Center serves a diverse population of students and alumni as they identify, pursue, and achieve their personal, career, and educational goals. We provide developmental student-focused services, resources, and access to exploratory experiences that meet changing individual and societal needs.

Behavioral Interviewing


Behavioral interviewing is an interviewing technique that helps employers predict how a candidate will perform on the job and fit into the organization. The theory behind these questions is that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past behavior in a similar situation. By finding out what actions you took and/or how you reacted in past situations, the employer gets a sense for how you will probably respond to circumstances in the position they are considering you for.


Why do Employers use Behavioral Interviewing?

This technique provides employers with objective information that they don't get from a traditional interview question. For example, if an employer asks, "Do you work well with people from diverse cultures?" your response will most likely be "yes." If the employer says, "Tell me about a time when you had to work with people from diverse cultures," you will respond with a story about a situation where this was the case. The employer will then be able to judge for him/herself whether you actually do perform well, according to his/her standards. This also gives you the opportunity to prove by example that you can handle the task at hand.


How to Answer

  • Your answers to behavioral interview questions need to be specific and detailed.
  • Listen carefully to what the interviewer asks so that you can give an answer that's relevant to the question. If you are unsure, ask for clarification.
  • You can use examples from either school or work.
  • Tell a story about something you've done, or talk about an event you were involved in.


    Structure your answers in three parts:
    1. Begin by briefly describing the situation
    2. Detail what action you took
    3. State the result (this should be a positive one, if not, discuss what you learned from the situation)

    For examples of Behavioral Interview Questions, click here.




    Updated: 06/2007