With graduation coming up soon, as well as internship and job searching going on, it is a good time to brush up on interviewing skills. Have you ever been in an interview where you were asked a question about yourself or behavior that was difficult to answer? What is a Behavior Based Interview (BBI) and How can you prepare for one? An example of this type of question is “tell me about a time when…” and it can be difficult to come up with specific examples on the spot. Don’t worry - We have some tips to help you!
Why do interviewers ask this kind of question?
Interviewers ask this question to get some insight into how you use certain skills to navigate specific situations.
It gives them a more realistic and nuanced view of how you function at work and tackle problems.
Interviewers can use this type of question to learn more about your skills in many different areas: teamwork, communication, customer service, adaptability, time management, and motivation.
How should I answer this question?
Start off by identifying the skill or quality the interviewer is inquiring about.
Choose the story of a time you demonstrated this skill.
Share the story in a concise way that focuses on details pertaining to the skill you are trying to highlight.
Conclude your answer by noting how you generally approach these types of situations that the interviewer presented.
How can I practice?
At the Career Center, we have many resources available to students to assist with interviewing and interview prep.
Big Interview
Big Interview is a FREE interview training platform with a video curriculum and question library to help you prepare and practice with crafting answers to interview questions and receiving feedback. You can videotape your responses and review them yourself or share with others for feedback.
At the Career Center, we have an email inbox (interviews@umbc.edu) that you can send your recorded questions to and receive feedback on your answers. Go to our website for more information! https://careers.umbc.edu/tools/big-interview/
Big Interview has a designated BBI section as well to help you craft your STAR answers. To access this, go to your dashboard → practice → answer builder → build an answer.
Practice Interview
Once you have practiced on the Big Interview platform, we offer two different types of interview appointments. We have general interview preparation appointments, and we also have mock interview appointments.
Hopefully with this insight, you feel more equipped to tackle these tough questions during an interview. As with any skill, practice makes the best kind of progress. The Career Center is equipped to help you handle any questions you may have about interviews and other aspects of professional development. Consider taking advantage of our resources to get some tips and feedback on your interviewing skills before the real thing!
Visit our website for more information regarding our services and events and check out Handshake to make an appointment with us!
Best Regards,
Faith Martin
Career Peer
Reference:
Zhang, Lily. “Everything You Need to Know About Answering Behavioral Interview Questions” The Muse. April 13th, 2023. https://go.themuse.com/u/nrd.php?p=V8qE5youbp_63543_3592444_1_11&ems_l=4923991&i=1&d=MzYzNTQ3ODk0%7CVjhxRTV5b3VicA%3D%3D%7CY2VmODI4YzFhNzM0OGUyMTE%3D%7CZGFpbHlfMjAyMzA0MTlfY2xlYXJsaW5rX3Nwb25fOTBEYXk%3D%7Cc3BvbnNvcmVk%7CQWR2aWNlKy0rRmluZGluZythK0pvYg%3D%3D%7C%7CNzA4MDkwMTU1%7C&_esuh=_11_9821743865030aebf98d344e135d7d2fef00eccb1304a292c1596fc4335a38c2