What should you not do in a behavioral interview?

In a behavioral interview, there are several pitfalls you should avoid to ensure you present yourself in the best possible light. Here’s a list of what not to do during a behavioral interview:

1. Don’t Be Vague or General

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is giving vague or general answers without providing specific examples. Behavioral interviews are designed to assess how you've handled situations in the past, so you need to be specific.

• What to Avoid: Saying, "I usually work well under pressure."
• What to Do Instead: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to clearly explain your role and the specific steps you took.

2. Don’t Focus Only on Team Success

While teamwork is important, behavioral interviews aim to assess your contributions. Don’t focus solely on what the team did or what was achieved collectively. Interviewers want to know your role and actions in the situation.

• What to Avoid: "My team and I worked together to meet the deadline."
• What to Do Instead: "I took the initiative to reorganize the tasks and set milestones that ensured we met the deadline."

3. Don’t Badmouth Former Employers or Colleagues

Even if you had difficult experiences with previous employers or coworkers, avoid speaking negatively about them. This could make you seem unprofessional or difficult to work with.

• What to Avoid: "My last boss was unreasonable and didn't support the team."
• What to Do Instead: Focus on the situation and how you handled it professionally, such as, "There were communication challenges, so I made an effort to keep the team aligned and focused."

4. Don’t Avoid Answering Questions About Mistakes or Failures

Many candidates try to avoid discussing failures or mistakes, but these questions are important to assess how you handle setbacks. Avoid sugarcoating or dodging these questions.

• What to Avoid: "I can't think of a time when I made a mistake."
• What to Do Instead: Acknowledge a failure, explain what you learned, and emphasize how you improved afterward.

5. Don’t Give Long-Winded Answers

Rambling or giving excessively long answers can make you seem unfocused. Keep your answers concise, and avoid getting lost in unnecessary details.

• What to Avoid: Going off on tangents or providing too much irrelevant information.
• What to Do Instead: Stick to the STAR method and focus on the most relevant details of the situation.

6. Don’t Be Unprepared for Common Behavioral Questions

Going into a behavioral interview without preparing for common questions can lead to stumbling or unstructured answers. Failing to prepare specific examples can hurt your chances.

• What to Avoid: Being caught off-guard by questions like, "Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a challenge."
• What to Do Instead: Prepare answers for common behavioral questions in advance, using real-life examples that highlight your skills and competencies.

7. Don’t Give Hypothetical Responses

Behavioral interviews are designed to evaluate how you’ve responded in real situations, not how you would respond. Avoid using hypotheticals or talking about what you would do in a scenario.

• What to Avoid: "If I were in that situation, I would..."
• What to Do Instead: "When I faced this situation in my last role, I..."

8. Don’t Fail to Connect Your Actions to Results

Providing examples without showing the results or impact of your actions can make your answer feel incomplete. The interviewer wants to know what happened after you took action.

• What to Avoid: "I led the team through a challenging project."
• What to Do Instead: "I led the team through a challenging project, and as a result, we completed it two days ahead of schedule and reduced costs by 10%."

9. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Self-Awareness

Interviewers want candidates who can reflect on their experiences. Failing to discuss what you learned from a situation or how you improved can be seen as a lack of self-awareness.

• What to Avoid: Only focusing on what happened without reflecting on the experience.
• What to Do Instead: After describing a situation, mention what you learned or how you grew professionally as a result.

10. Don’t Let Nerves Take Over

It’s natural to be nervous, but letting nerves take control can result in unclear or disorganized answers. This can also make you come across as lacking confidence.

• What to Avoid: Speaking too quickly or forgetting to structure your answers.
• What to Do Instead: Take a deep breath, pause if necessary, and organize your thoughts before answering. It’s okay to take a moment to gather yourself.

Summary of What Not to Do in a Behavioral Interview:

1. Don’t Be Vague: Provide specific examples using the STAR method.
2. Don’t Focus Solely on Team Success: Highlight your individual contributions.
3. Don’t Badmouth Former Employers: Stay professional when discussing challenges.
4. Don’t Avoid Mistakes: Be honest about failures and focus on what you learned.
5. Don’t Ramble: Keep your answers concise and relevant.
6. Don’t Be Unprepared: Prepare answers for common behavioral questions.
7. Don’t Give Hypothetical Responses: Focus on real past experiences, not what you would do.
8. Don’t Skip Results: Connect your actions to measurable outcomes.
9. Don’t Skip Reflection: Discuss what you learned from your experiences.
10. Don’t Let Nerves Take Over: Stay calm, take your time, and organize your thoughts.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can significantly improve your chances of success in a behavioral interview. If you want additional help with preparing for behavioral questions, Grokking Modern Behavioral Interview provides detailed strategies for tackling tough behavioral questions effectively.