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17.5 Behavioral Event Interviews

In a Behavioral Event Interview (BEI), you will be asked about challenges that you have faced in the past, and the steps that you took to overcome them.  The BEI concept has an interesting parallel with machine learning.  In machine learning models, we use past data to predict future outcomes.  Companies use the BEI with the premise that a person’s past actions are the best way to predict the way that they will solve future problems and handle future decisions.  

A tried-and-true approach for handling BEI questions is to use the STAR framework.  STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.  Here is a breakdown:

  • Situation – What was the setting?  What job were you doing, and what was your role?  (Note:  You could also use an academic setting.  If you’re referencing a research project or even a group project for a class, just explain that as part of the situation).  
  • Task – What were you asked to do?  What were the associated challenges?
  • Action – How did you respond to any challenges?  What was your strategy – and how did you implement it?  
  • Result – What happened?  Did you/your team succeed or fail?  Either way, what did you learn from the situation?  

A quick Google search will yield  several lists of common BEI questions, which often include things like “Describe a time that you had to convince a supervisor to change his or her mind”, “Talk about a time that you had to work with difficult co-workers”, “Tell me about a time when you failed” or “Describe a time when you had to develop an innovative approach for solving a problem.”  

To be ready for BEI questions, it’s essential that you practice.  Build a repository of stories, so that you can avoid using the same experience twice, should you receive similar questions during the interview.  Remember that you do not need to frame every story as if you are the “hero” while others around you are incompetent, greedy, or lazy.  Be genuine, and remember that you can demonstrate maturity, humility, and self-awareness when you can honestly point back to past experiences and identify instances in which you could have done better.