Behavioral Questions
Below is a list of general behavioral interview questions. They aren't necessarily specific to UX, but you should still prepare for them because they'll most likely be part of every interview.
This section is still a work in progress.
For another reference on general tech behavioral interview questions and resources, I highly recommend checking out the behavioral interview section of the Tech Interview Handbook.
Table of Contents
- Tell me about yourself.*
- What is your life story? How do you connect some of your key life experiences to your professional experiences?
- Why are you interested in our company?*
- Tell me why you will be a good fit for the position.*
- What are your three biggest strengths? Weaknesses?
- How do you handle negative feedback or criticism?*
- Have you ever received professional criticism that you felt was unfair?
- What type of work environment do you feel best suits you?
- Where do you see your career in five years?
- What excites you about this position?*
- How do you think you can contribute to this company?*
- What roles do you think or expect you will have in this company?
- What would you do when you encounter communication breakdowns at work?
- Tell me about a time when you took on a significant task outside of your usual area of job responsibility.
- Tell me about a time that you did something wrong and what you learned from the process.*
- Tell me about a time where you failed to meet a deadline.*
- Tell me about a time you needed to influence others who had different opinions than you. What was the result?*
- Tell me about a challenge you faced recently in your role. How did you tackle it? What was the outcome?
- What are a few interesting things about you that you'd like to share?
Tell me about yourself.*
Many interviewers like to start off with this question. You want to make a good first impression, so practice this until you get it right.
You might structure your answer like this:
- Begin by stating your current role and educational background.
- Then you can elaborate on relevant activities, projects you've been involved in after college, at your current role, and outside of work.
- Wrap up with why you're here and what you're looking for.
There are many different ways to answer this question. Some people might talk about their hobbies to be more relatable, others prefer to be more concise. If you have another way to structure your answer that works for you, that's fine. It's just important to have a prepared answer for this question. Your answer should market yourself as best as possible without sounding arrogant.
References
- McDowell, Gayle Laakmann. Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions and Solutions. 6th ed., CareerCup, LLC, 2016.
Why are you interested in our company?*
Hopefully, you're applying to companies you actually want to work for. If you're not particularly interested in the company, try doing some deep research about their industry and you'll eventually find something interesting to get excited about.
- Interest in their industry
- Personal alignment with their company culture and values.
- Might be familiar with their products.
- Personal goals
Tell me why you will be a good fit for the position.*
Keyword is fit. People who fit in are those who can get along with their colleagues, can get their work done without too many issues, and bring value to the team.
- You might enjoy the environment and the people there.
- You feel like you belong.
- You love what you do and are enthusiastic about getting started.
- Meet qualifications defined in the job posting and feel confident you can handle those duties.
- You know some niche knowledge about the industry, potential challenges, and direction. You may have some specializations.
- You're in a new chapter of your life and looking for something new, fun, and challenging to immerse yourself in.
Remember, you're interviewing companies as much as they are interviewing you. If you don't feel like you'd make a good fit, you could just say that and share some of your concerns.
What are your three biggest strengths? Weaknesses?
For your strengths, try to frame them in a way that makes them relevant to the position.
For your weaknesses, give real answers, not thinly-guised strengths like "I'm too nice, or I'm a perfectionist". These answers may be interpreted as arrogance. Real answers show you're capable of self-reflection and won't be a pain to work with. Give real answers, but follow up with how you're overcoming them.