How many stories for a behavioral interview?

For a behavioral interview, it’s a good idea to prepare 5-7 key stories that highlight your experience across different areas. These stories should cover a range of common behavioral topics, such as:

Key Topics and Number of Stories:

1. Leadership: Have 1-2 stories where you demonstrated leadership or took initiative.
2. Teamwork: Prepare 1-2 stories that show how you worked effectively with others.
3. Problem-Solving: Be ready with 1-2 examples of when you faced a challenge and found a solution.
4. Conflict Resolution: Have at least 1 story about resolving a disagreement or conflict at work.
5. Failure or Learning Experience: Include 1 story where you made a mistake or encountered failure, focusing on what you learned from the experience.
6. Adaptability: Prepare a story showing how you adapted to change or handled an unexpected situation.

Why This Range Works:

• Flexibility: With 5-7 stories, you have enough variety to adapt to different questions while avoiding repeating the same example multiple times.
• Comprehensive Coverage: These stories should cover the main competencies employers look for: leadership, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, and teamwork.
• Structured Preparation: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure each story, ensuring your responses are clear and concise.

By having a set of well-prepared stories that demonstrate these qualities, you'll be able to handle most behavioral questions confidently.