1. How to Have a Successful
Behavioral Interview
By Nikki Rennalls
wece@ece.gatech.edu

2. Today‟s Agenda
Introduction
5 Quick Ways to Improve Your Interview
Traditional vs Behavioral Interviews
How to Answer Behavior Based Questions
Role Playing
Do‟s and Don'ts of Interviews
WECE Reminders

3. Introduction
Why host a behavioral interview workshop
for the Women of ECE?
• Because your first job IS important
• Because of the economy
• Because you deserve the job of your
dreams
• Because giving a good interview is easy
with practice

4. 5 Quick Ways to Improve Your
Interview
• Give a Good Handshake
• Make Eye Contact
• Sit up Straight
• Speak up, speak clearly
• Smile!

5. Traditional Interviews
• Hypothetical Situations
• Interviewers may probe, they may not
• Interviewees may generalize or provide theoretical
answers
• Straight questions with straight forward answers
– Ex. “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

6. Behavioral Interviews
• Past Situations
• Interviewers WILL probe
• Interviewers will ask for details
• Questions with story anwers
– Ex. “Describe a time you had to work on a
team?”

7. How to Answer Behavior Based
Questions
Describe Explain
Share the
Think the Your
Outcome
Situation Actions

8. Think
• What experience is most relevant to the
question?
• Does this story show me in a good light?
• Did my actions directly impact the result?
• Is this story appropriate to share with an
interviewer?
– Does this hurt anyone else?

9. Describe the Situation
• Give a brief back story
– Sometimes Unnecessary
– “Do not begin with „When dinosaurs roamed
the Earth‟” -Michael Laughter
• The Problem/Challenge

10. Explain Your Actions
• Be clear about what YOU did
• Be honest!
– Go ahead, brag about yourself
– Watch out for embellishments and untruths
– Never lie in an interview

11. Share the Outcome
• Be Honest
• Measurements of Success
– Rankings, Money, Grades, Stats, etc.
• What did you learn?
• How would you do things differently?

12. Role Playing
Question 1: Have you had to convince a
team to work on a project they weren't
thrilled about? How did you do it?
Question 2: Give me an example of when you
took a risk to achieve a goal. What was
the outcome?

13. Interview Do‟s and Don‟ts
Do talk about yourself
Do take advantages of silences
Do be honest
Do express your interest
Do write a thank-you
Don‟t leave without asking questions
Don‟t be too casual
Don‟t bad-mouth past bosses or colleagues
Don‟t bring anything but you‟re A game

14. Any Questions?
Thank You

15. WECE Reminders
• FIRST Robotics Competition
• Career Fair next week
• Harris Dinner Tuesday @ 6pm
• Northrup-Grunman Lunch Thurs. @ 11
• New Service Projects
– Local Women‟s Shelter
– Relay for Life
• Free Donut Fridays