Don't Get Caught Off Guard by this Common Interview Question

So you landed an interview with your dream company - hooray! But now what?! How do actually prepare to ace it?

Today we're tackling how to answer the behavioral interview question. You know the one, it starts with "Tell me about a time when..." While you likely have the experience, conjuring up the perfect example on the spot can be nerve-wracking.

In this article, I'm going to outline how to prepare and how to answer one of the more difficult interview questions.

Before the interview, take some time and write down your career successes. Don’t filter them too much right now, just get them on paper. 

These can be things like:

• Technical challenges you solved (Techs & Engineers)

•  How you closed a complicated deal (Sales)

•  When your proactivity saved a project (PMs) 

• How you navigated working as a team   

• Your adaptability to big company changes  

• How you delivered under a tight timeline

After the brainstorm, use what you know about the company and the position you are interviewing for to figure out what stories to highlight. Most likely now you won’t be dreading the question, but will be excited because you will have stories that you want to share! 

And secondly, (plus an added bonus!) the chances are good that one of your success stories will align with several behavioral questions, as long as you look at it from different angles. 

For example, if your success story is:

"I led a BAS retrofit for a 200,000 sq. ft. hospital wing that had to stay fully operational. Due to permitting delays, we had only six weeks instead of eight. I restructured the schedule, added weekend shifts, and coordinated with the facilities team to minimize disruption. When we ran into legacy equipment issues, I worked with the manufacturer to find a cost-effective workaround. We finished on time, passed commissioning on the first attempt, and the client gave us three more wings to upgrade."

Then...

It can answer at least five common behavioral questions: 

“Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem.”

 → Talk about the compatibility issue and creative workaround.

“Tell me about a time you led a project.”

→ Focus on how you restructured the schedule and kept stakeholders aligned.

“Tell me about a time you worked under pressure.”

→ Highlight the compressed timeline and coordination needed to avoid disruption.

“Tell me about a time you dealt with conflict or differing priorities.”

→ Bring in the collaboration with facilities staff and managing competing needs.

“Tell me about a time you went above and beyond.”

→ Weekend work, hands-on coordination, and a smooth outcome show commitment.

When it comes time to answer, pause if you need to collect your thoughts, and then share your story with confidence and clarity. Remember to give important context and rephrase any company-specific jargon so the interviewer can easily understand (and be impressed with you). You’ve got this!

If you’re prepping for interviews and want help finding the right role or getting more confident in the process, that's what I'm here for! I’d be glad to help you in your job search, or even simply make a new connection for when that time comes. Feel free to reach out to me and we'll brainstorm how it makes sense to proceed.