How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions in a Technical Interview

Are you preparing for a technical interview at your dream company like FANG? Do you feel confident about your technical skills, but anxious about how to answer behavioral interview questions? If yes, then you're not alone. Many top tech firms follow a behavioral interviewing approach to assess the soft skills and cultural fit of their candidates. Don't worry, though. This article will give you insights and strategies to prepare and ace the behavioral interview questions in a technical interview.

What Are Behavioral Interview Questions?

Before delving deeper, let's understand what behavioral interview questions are? These questions are hypothetical scenarios or open-ended questions that ask you to describe how you handled or would handle a particular situation. The goal of these questions is to evaluate your soft skills, personality traits, and cultural fit.

For example, a behavioral interview question might be, "Tell me about a time when you had to handle a project that had a tight deadline and how you managed it." These questions aim to understand your skills like leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, communication, adaptability, and decision-making.

Why Do Technical Interviews Include Behavioral Questions?

Why do technical interviews include behavioral questions, though? Besides your technical prowess, companies also want to gauge how well you fit into their company culture, team dynamics, and work environment. They are looking for candidates who are not only technically proficient but can also work well with others, handle challenges effectively, and align with the company's values and beliefs.

Moreover, top tech companies have a rigorous hiring process, and they receive a vast number of qualified applications from around the globe. Therefore, they use behavioral interviewing as a screening mechanism to select the most competent and suitable candidates.

How to Prepare for Behavioral Interview Questions in a Technical Interview

Now that we know what behavioral interview questions are and why companies ask them, let's dive into the strategies on how to prepare for these questions in a technical interview.

Research the Company

Before you step into the interview room, make sure you do your homework. Research the company's culture, values, mission, and vision. Know their recent projects, industry impact, and technology stack. Check their social media presence, websites, and official blogs to get a better understanding of what the company is all about.

Knowing the company's details can help you align your answers to their requirements, values, and expectations. It also shows the interviewer that you genuinely care about the company and are passionate about joining their team.

Review Your Resume and Work Experience

Behavioral questions often revolve around your past work experience or hypothetical scenarios. Therefore, it's crucial to review your resume and refresh your memory about your previous jobs' roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments.

For each job, think of challenging situations you encountered, how you handled them, and the results. Choose concrete examples that showcase your various soft skills and provide value to the company's context.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice is the key to success in any interview. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your answers. Whenever possible, try to quantify the results, like how much time, money, or effort you saved or the impact your contribution had on the project's success.

Practice telling your stories in a concise, clear, and convincing way. Record your answers on video and watch them to identify your strengths and areas of improvement. You can also ask a friend or a mentor for a mock interview to gain feedback and confidence.

Emphasize Your Technical Skills

Although behavioral questions focus on soft skills, don't forget to highlight your technical skills as well. You can weave your technical proficiency into your answers by emphasizing how you used your technical skills to solve a particular problem or add value to the project.

For example, if the interviewer asks, "Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult team member?" You can say, "In one of my previous projects, we had a challenging team member who had a different perspective on the system architecture. I used my technical expertise to explain why my approach would be more efficient and secure, and we eventually agreed on a hybrid solution that satisfied everyone's concerns."

Showing the interviewer that you are not only proficient in soft skills but also technical skills can give you an edge over other candidates.

Be Authentic and Honest

Lastly, don't try to fake or over-exaggerate your experiences or skills. Interviewers can easily spot pretentious answers, which can harm your credibility and hinder your chances of getting hired. Instead, be authentic and honest with your answers.

If you don't have an experience related to the question, don't make up stories. Admit that you don't have a direct example but provide an alternative experience that shows your relevant soft skills. If you made a mistake or failed at something, don't shy away from admitting it. Show how you learned from your mistake and used it to grow personally and professionally.

Examples of Common Behavioral Interview Questions in Technical Interviews

Now that we know how to prepare for behavioral interview questions, let's explore some common questions you can expect in a technical interview.

What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?

This question aims to evaluate your self-awareness and honesty. Describe your strengths concisely and relate them to the job requirements. For example, if the job requires project management skills, you can say, "My strength is that I can manage competing priorities effectively and deliver projects on time."

When it comes to weaknesses, don't mention one that is critical to the job role. Instead, focus on trivial weaknesses that you have worked on to improve. For example, a common answer can be, "My weakness is that I tend to be a perfectionist at times, and I have to remind myself to focus on the outcome rather than the process."

Tell Me About a Time When You Overcame a Technical Challenge?

This question aims to evaluate your problem-solving and technical skills. You can narrate an incident where you encountered a challenging technical problem, how you approached it, and the outcome. Emphasize your technical understanding and how you used it to solve the problem. For example, you can say, "In one of my previous projects, we encountered a security breach that compromised our user data. I used my knowledge of encryption algorithms to implement a robust security mechanism that prevented similar incidents in the future."

How Do You Handle a Conflict With a Co-Worker?

This question aims to evaluate your conflict resolution and communication skills. Describe a time when you had a disagreement with a co-worker or a team member, and how you resolved it. Highlight your ability to listen, empathize, and find mutual ground. For example, you can say, "In one of my previous projects, I had a difference of opinion with a team member on the user interface design. We both presented our arguments and realized that our ultimate goal was to have a user-friendly interface. We compromised and settled on a design that met both our requirements."

How Do You Prioritize Your Tasks and Manage Your Time Effectively?

This question aims to evaluate your organizational and time management skills. Provide an example of a high-pressure situation where you had to manage multiple tasks, set priorities, and meet deadlines. Emphasize your ability to plan, delegate, and execute according to the situation. For example, you can say, "In one of my previous projects, we had a tight deadline to deliver a feature. I created a project timeline, assigned tasks to team members based on their strengths, and monitored their progress. I also communicated regularly with stakeholders to ensure that we were meeting their requirements and made adjustments whenever necessary."

Tell Me About a Time When You Failed and What You Learned From That Experience?

This question aims to evaluate your resilience and learning capabilities. Describe an incident where you failed to achieve your goals or made a mistake, and how you responded to the situation. Highlight what you learned from the experience and how you used it to improve. For example, you can say, "In one of my previous projects, we missed the deadline for a crucial feature release. I realized that I didn't communicate effectively with my team members and didn't monitor their progress accurately. I learned that proper communication and monitoring can prevent such incidents, and I implemented a daily stand-up meeting and project management tool to avoid such mistakes in the future."

Conclusion

Behavioral interview questions are an essential part of technical interviews, and you need to prepare for them effectively. Research the company, review your resume and experience, practice, emphasize your technical skills, and be authentic and honest. Use the STAR method to structure your answers and focus on concrete examples that showcase your soft skills and technical knowledge. By following these strategies, you can confidently answer any behavioral interview question and land your dream job at FANG or any top tech company.

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