How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions [+ Dos & Don’ts]

Q: Being a nurse means you have to look after a lot of patients at the same time. What have you done to deal with stress at work?

A: As a registered nurse having almost 9 years of experience, I totally understand the high-stress nature of my work. I make sure I get enough sleep, eat healthy food, and exercise regularly to maintain my physical and mental health. That way, I can ensure I’ll be there to help patients and families for years to come. 

There was a time when 30 victims who got severe food poisoning were rushed to the ER ward late at night. The hospital was not running at full capacity, and I had to rally everybody who knew how to manage such inflammation. It was a tough time for all of us, but we pulled through smoothly.

Q: Explain a situation when you disagreed with a coworker.  

A: In my last role at MasTech, one of my team members suggested a method of coding for our new project. After checking it out, I found it a bit risky and inefficient. In that situation, I had a meeting with him where we each laid out our plans for the project and the coding method we found most practical and effective. After the discussion, we both understood each other’s concerns and decided to bring our suggestions to the rest of the team, asking for their opinions. That experience has taught me well how to come to a mutual decision as a group.

Q: Please share a time when you had to work with multiple clients at the same time. Could you manage this situation well? 

A: Last summer, I had to work with four different clients at the same time. In this situation, I not only assured them that they were a priority, but also managed their expectations about my availability due to other job responsibilities. To organize and prioritize my task for each client efficiently, I used a project management tool for both my computer and cellphone. I also set up a regular online meeting with each of them to reassure them that their projects were all on track. These allowed me to track my progress and any deadlines I need to meet, ensuring that I fulfill my clients' needs.

Q: Have you ever had a project that did not meet the deadline? How did you deal with it?

A: Earlier this year, I was working on a software development project with a client. As they suddenly requested to add a certain feature to their customized software, we might have missed the deadline. As the project manager, I met with my team to estimate how much time we would need to add the feature and complete the software. After that, I presented my client with the new plan. They agreed on a later deadline and were happy with the outcome in the end.

Q: Give me an example of a time when you successfully resolved a problem in the call center. 

A: Last Christmas, when I was working as a call center representative at Vile Hotels & Resorts, I had to deal with a difficult customer on the phone. She was a guest at our resort and did not feel happy with her stay. 

The very first thing I did is make a sincere apology for her unsatisfactory experience and tell her that I would report all the issues to the higher-ups. Next, I gave her a discount for her next stay and asked for her home address to send her a gift basket. I was told by the receptionist that she likes our hotel's sweets. 

After 30 minutes of talking, she felt better and decided to delete the bad review she had written on our Facebook page. 

Q: Tell me about the most difficult data analysis project that you’ve ever handled. How did you get over it? 

A: The most difficult project was on traffic fatalities. My tasks were to estimate how many traffic facilities would be built in the next 10 years and figure out what factors would influence them. 

This project was very challenging because I couldn’t access the state-level crash fatality records for each year within the last decade. So, I researched the current situation and any relevant data that I could find, and did my predictions. 

Q: Have you ever failed to do a sales report accurately? 

A: During the 5 years of working as a financial analyst, that never happened to me. I would say I have found the best way to produce accurate financial reports, which is to enlist the help of industry-designed software tools. I'm most familiar with Qvinci and Balanced Scorecard to evaluate a company's current financial situation before analyzing more specific areas.

Q: What's the biggest mistake you've ever made at work? 

A: That happened when I had to prepare a client's tax return but I didn’t include his tax-exempt interest. As a result, he earned more than we had estimated. According to federal law, we needed to file an amended tax return otherwise we would risk being audited or penalized. As soon as I realized it, I immediately corrected this oversight by preparing an amended tax return reflecting tax-exempt interest. My client understood the situation and was still satisfied with the service eventually. 

Q: Can you tell me about a time you had to work with someone completely different from you?

A: I always enjoy working with new people even though there might be some differences or conflicts sometimes. At Vietcetera, I once worked with a particularly young graphic designer on a new podcast channel. 

I was in charge of ideation and content creation, as well as ensuring the quality of social media graphics. As he never worked in the creative industry before, he didn’t know a lot about the strategies we used.

Every day I tried to teach him something about the industry and the company in general, and we also spent some time going over the top popular podcast channels at the moment together. In the end, he surprised me by how much of a fast learner he was and our project was well-received by both the company and the audience. 

Q: Describe an instance where you had to perform a task that you had no previous experience with before.

A: In my previous position at iStyle Beauty Clinic, my manager asked for a one-month leave due to her medical condition. The director asked me to fill in as the interim manager. I was first quite uncertain and unconfident since I hadn’t been trained to be a manager yet. 

Despite that, I decided to take on a new challenge. The first thing I did was to gather the team and inform them of the situation. Especially, I was very open about my lack of experience and expected them to be open about giving feedback when possible, too. I performed managerial duties, such as delegating work, motivating employees, planning team building activities, with the help of the director in the first week. 

As a result, we managed to get through the month without any problems, and my boss commended me for doing a great job. I was then promoted to manager at the end of that year.