Delivery Framework
In this chapter, we will guide you in better understanding how to prepare for and respond to behavioral interview questions effectively. A strong response hinges on two key aspects: the quality of the experiences you prepare and the effectiveness of how you articulate those experiences.
How to Prepare Your Story?
- Identify Key Competencies
- Review the job description and identify the skills and competencies required, such as teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, or adaptability. Align your experiences with these competencies at the same leveling. For example, if you are targeting to apply for Staff+ level engineers, only prepare your experience within your internal team is not enough to show your leadership and scope.
- Select Relevant Experiences
- Choose specific examples from your professional or academic background that demonstrate the desired skills. Also, adapt your examples to be relevant to the specific role or company. Highlight experiences that align with the company’s values and goals. For example, for an engineer with experiences in both data engineering and ML engineering to apply for jobs with requirement in AI development experience, you are preferred to use experience in MLE roles rather than DE roles.
- Prioritize High-Impact Stories
- Choose examples where your contribution made a clear, positive difference. Focus on experiences where you overcame challenges, solved problems, or exceeded expectations. For example, the story of an infrastructure engineer focused only in problem solving is not enough, what metrics clearly stand out your impact and success shows a good measurement on your maturity and therefore leveling.
- Prepare Backup Examples
- Have alternative stories ready in case a question requires a different angle or focus. Ensure each story can be adapted to multiple questions. For example, the story to answer the question of “Tell me about a time when a project you led failed” may also adapt to the question of “Tell me an example of improving the process”.
How to Articulate Your Story Effectively - STAR Method
Once you’ve prepared your stories, the next step is consistent practice. So, what makes for an effective response? The answer lies in the STAR method. In this section, we will delve into what the STAR method is and how to use it to prepare for your behavioral questions.
The STAR Method
The STAR method is a structured approach to answering behavioral interview questions by organizing your response into four key components:
- Situation: Describe the context or challenge you faced.
- Task: Explain your responsibility or goal in that situation.
- Action: Detail the steps you took to address the challenge.
- Result: Highlight the outcome and its impact.
In some cases, "R" stands for "Reflections," particularly when addressing negative questions such as
"Tell me about a time when you received negative feedback and how you handled it."
This component allows you to highlight key learnings and demonstrate how you used the experience
as an investment in future success through thoughtful retrospection.
The STAR method benefits both candidates and interviewers. For candidates, it provides a clear structure to present their experiences, helping them stay focused and avoid rambling when answering open-ended questions. For interviewers, it offers insight into the candidate's problem-solving abilities and thought process, emphasizing not just the outcome but also the actions and decisions that led to it. By mastering this method, you can effectively showcase your skills and experiences, making a strong impression and boosting your chances of securing your dream job. Now let’s delve into each component one by one.
Situation
When using the STAR method to answer a question, start by briefly outlining the situation or challenge you faced, keeping this part concise and to the point. Focus the majority of your response on the actions you took and the results you achieved. Choose a scenario that effectively highlights the specific skill or competency the interviewer is assessing and is relevant to the position you're applying for. For senior-level roles, select an example that reflects high stakes and demonstrates your expertise and leadership capabilities.
"Senior-level roles" do not refer solely to "Senior engineers" in tech companies,
but to high-level candidates in general.
Task
In this section of your response, you should provide a brief yet clear explanation of the task you were assigned or the problem you needed to solve, along with your specific role in addressing it. Like the "Situation" part, the "Task" should be direct and to the point. For example: "As a Senior Data Engineer, my responsibility was to lead a team of junior engineers in designing and implementing a new data platform for internal use." While it’s important to offer enough detail to convey the scope of your task, avoid assuming that the interviewer is familiar with your previous company or the specific product you worked on. Keep the explanation accessible and relevant to the context of the interview.
Action
The "action" section is where you can truly highlight your skills and abilities. This is your chance to showcase your problem-solving, technical expertise, and decision-making process. Simply stating the outcome isn’t enough—you must also explain how you achieved it. Detail the specific steps you took to overcome challenges or reach your objective, avoiding vague phrases like "I worked really hard for X weeks with teammates." Instead, provide a clear breakdown of your approach. Focus on your individual contributions and take ownership of your role in the process. By emphasizing your actions, you demonstrate your ability to work independently and take responsibility for delivering results.
Result
In this part of your answer, you have the opportunity to impress your potential employer by highlighting the positive impact of your actions. What were the results of your efforts? How did you successfully address the challenge or achieve your goal?
It’s essential to emphasize a positive outcome, even if the situation involved a mistake or setback. Employers value measurable results, so be sure to support your claims with concrete data or specific examples that demonstrate the effectiveness of your actions.
Typically, you should also highlight key takeaways or lessons learned, as this demonstrates your growth and maturity.
It shows how you embrace continuous improvement and apply those insights to future challenges.
Mock Behavior Question Interview
Now, we’ll guide you through a mock behavior question interview. During this process, we’ll first present an example of a response that does not use the STAR method, highlighting the shortcomings of this ineffective answer. Then, step by step, we’ll break down the four components of the STAR framework, culminating in a polished, high-quality response.
Even with thorough preparation and repeated practice using the STAR method,
there are several reasons why you might still struggle with behavioral questions during an interview.
If you want to learn more and avoid those red flags, please refer to the chapter Red Flags.