Behavior based interviewing is an effective tool used by many science industry recruiters and graduate/professional school admissions officers. They differ from technical or scientific interviews because they are designed to give a glimpse into how you will perform in the future on “soft skills” by having you reflect and talk aloud about behaviors that you have done in the past. The answers that you provide will inform the interviewer about your potential for succeeding in their organization or school based on your experience in such areas as being an effective team player, ethical and professional, and using your critical thinking , leadership, communication, and problem solving skills.
Often interspersed with scientific interview questions, behavioral interview inquiries will usually start with, “Tell me about a time when...,” or “Give me an example of a time when….” The best responses to require you to specifically describe actions and behaviors that you used in the past s and then describe the outcomes from this approach. The SAR technique is an excellent formula to use to create the best answer. Memorize the following acronym and then recall it when you are answering questions.
S Situation – the background to the problem that you are going to discuss
A The actions (behaviors) that you took to address the situation from this role
R The results of your actions
The more thoroughly you describe your behaviors the better the interviewer is able to visualize you fitting into their organization. You can use examples from the lab, graduate or undergraduate school, internships, work, community, and leadership roles. Industry and academic examples are welcome. Here are a few behavioral interview questions for you to try:
- Tell about a time when you had to make a difficult decision at work.
- Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure.
- Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
- Give an example of a time when you had to arrive at a compromise with members of your team.
- Describe a situation in which you had to adjust to changes over which you had no control.
- Give an example of how you set goals and achieve them.
- Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure.
- What do you do if you disagree with your boss?
- What do you do if you disagree with your co-worker?
- How you would you deal with a co-worker who wasn’t doing his or her share of the work.
Your interviewer may ask additional clarifying questions such as:
- What were you thinking at that point?
- Tell me more about what you specifically did at that time?
- Lead me through your decision-making process.
Although awkward, go ahead and answer their questions because they are attempting to understand the full spectrum of specific behaviors that you used in the situation.
To prepare for the behavioral interviews, identify several examples of past experiences in which you utilized the soft skills mentioned earlier. Select examples where you accomplished something, overcame an obstacle, or something did not go as planned.
Feel free to choose academic experiences and non-academic experiences. Next, practice answering the questions using the SAR technique.
For more practice, visit the OITE website make an appointment for a mock interview with a career counselor to receive constructive feedback on your answers to behavioral interview questions. We encourage you to visit our interviewing blogs or skills workshops.
OITE services are available to NIH intramural trainees only. Check with your home university or college and utilize the personal, career, and professional school advising resources they offer to you.
