Sample Behavioral Interview Questions

1. Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince
someone to see things your way.
2. Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a
problem.
3. By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations
and environments.

4. Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses that tested your coping skills.
5. Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
6. Describe a time when you had to use your written communication skills to get an important
point across

7. Give me an example of an important goal, which you had set in the past and tell me about your
success in reaching it.
8. Describe the most significant or creative presentation that you have had to complete.

9. Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job
done.
10. Sometimes it's easy to get in "over your head." Describe a situation where you had to request
help or assistance on a project or assignment.

11. Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your
ideas. What did you do?
12. Describe a situation in which you found that your results were not up to your professor's or
supervisor's expectations. What happened? What action did you take?
13. Tell of a time when you worked with a colleague who was not completing his or her share of
the work. Who, if anyone, did you tell or talk to about it? Did the manager take any steps to
correct your colleague? Did you agree or disagree with the manager's actions?
14. Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or guide others to a
compromise.
15. We can sometimes identify a small problem and fix it before it becomes a major problem. Give
an example(s) of how you have done this.

16. In a supervisory or group leader role, have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee or
group member? What was the nature of the discipline? What steps did you take? How did that
make you feel? How did you prepare yourself?

17. Recall a time from your work experience when your manager or supervisor was unavailable
and a problem arose. What was the nature of the problem? How did you handle that situation?
How did that make you feel?
18. Recall a time when you were assigned what you considered to be a complex project.
Specifically, what steps did you take to prepare for and finish the project? Were you happy
with the outcome? What one step would you have done differently if given the chance?
19. Tell of some situations in which you have had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had
no control. What was the impact of the change on you?

20. Compare and contrast the times when you did work that was above the standard with times
your work was below the standard.
21. Describe some times when you were not very satisfied or pleased with your performance. What
did you do about it?
22. What are your standards of success in school? What have you done to meet those standards?
23. How have you differed from your professors in evaluating your performance? How did you
handle the situation?

24. Give examples of your experiences at school or in a job that you found satisfying. Give
examples of your experiences that you did not find satisfying.
25. What kind of supervisor do you work best for? Provide examples.

26. Describe some projects or ideas (not necessarily your own) that were implemented, or carried
out successfully primarily because of your efforts.
27. Describe a situation that required a number of things to be done at the same time. How did you
handle it? What was the result?
28. Have you found any ways to make school or a job easier or more rewarding or to make yourself
more effective?

29. How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give examples.
30. Tell of a time when your active listening skills really paid off for you - maybe a time when
other people missed the key idea being expressed.
31. What has been your experience in giving presentations? What has been your most successful
experience in speech making?
32. Tell of the most difficult customer service experience that you have ever had to handle --
perhaps an angry or irate customer. Be specific and tell what you did and what was the
outcome.
33. Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with.
Why was this person difficult? How did you handle that person?
34. Give me a specific example of something you did that helped build enthusiasm in others.
35. Tell me about a difficult situation when it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude.
What did you do?
36. Give me an example of a time you had to make an important decision. How did you make the
decision? How does it affect you today?
37. Give me an example of a time you had to persuade other people to take action. Were you
successful?
38. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult person. How did you handle the
situation?

39. Tell me about a time you had to handle multiple responsibilities. How did you organize the
work you needed to do?
40. Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision, but didn't have all the information you
needed.
41. What is the most significant contribution you made to the company during a past job or
internship?

42. What is the biggest mistake you've made?

43. Describe a situation in which you had to use reference materials to write a research paper. What
was the topic? What journals did you read?
44. Give me a specific example of a time when a co-worker or classmate criticized your work in
front of others. How did you respond? How has that event shaped the way you communicate
with others?

45. Give me a specific example of a time when you sold your supervisor or professor on an idea or
concept. How did you proceed? What was the result?
46. Describe the system you use for keeping track of multiple projects. How do you track your
progress so that you can meet deadlines? How do you stay focused?
47. Tell me about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a challenge your
company/class/organization was facing. What was the challenge? What role did others play?

48. Describe a specific problem you solved for your employer or professor. How did you approach
the problem? What role did others play? What was the outcome?
49. Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you fail to do? What
were the repercussions? What did you learn?
50. Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker or classmate understand a
task. How did you assist him or her? What was the result?