A Computer Science Behavioral Interview is usually the initial interview where a hiring manager or HR representative asks you questions that tells them about your professional history.
In my experience, Behavioral Interviews are an AMAZING way to get ahead of other applicants by showing your personality and work ethic.
Also, showing that you are more mature in the workforce will give positive connotations to your interviewers.
These questions represent how well you can fit in their team or company. Showing you can work in a team is almost as important as the technical interviews and programming challenges.
Here are the 15 questions most common behavioral interview that I have seen. I provided basic example answers to each of these questions, but tailor your answers to your own background and experiences.
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult team member. How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome?
Situation: During a software development project, one of our team members needed to be more communicative and willing to collaborate effectively.
Task: My responsibility was to address this issue and improve teamwork.
Action: I approached the team member privately, listened to their concerns, and suggested ways to improve communication and collaboration.
Result: The team member became more engaged, and our team’s overall performance and cohesiveness improved.
Working under tight deadlines:
Can you provide an example of a project where you had to work under tight deadlines? How did you prioritize tasks and ensure the project was completed on time?
Situation: Our team was given a high-priority project with a challenging deadline.
Task: My role was to manage the project and ensure it was completed on time.
Action: I created a detailed plan, prioritized tasks, set milestones, and communicated progress regularly with the team.
Result: Despite the challenges, we successfully completed the project on time and met the client’s expectations.
Learning a new technology quickly:
Describe a situation where you had to learn a new technology or programming language quickly. How did you go about learning it, and how did you apply it to your work?
Situation: Our team needed to adopt React for an upcoming project.
Task: I was responsible for learning React quickly and implementing it in our project.
Action: I took online courses, read documentation, practiced by building small projects, and shared my knowledge with the team.
Result: Our team successfully implemented React, improving the project’s performance and maintainability.
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflicting requirements from stakeholders. How did you manage their expectations and find a solution?
Situation: Two stakeholders had conflicting priorities for a project I was leading.
Task: I needed to resolve the conflict and find a solution that satisfied both stakeholders.
Action: I organized a meeting to discuss and clarify their requirements and helped the stakeholders reach a consensus on the project’s direction.
Result: By keeping everyone informed and involved, we successfully met both stakeholders’ expectations and delivered the project on time.
Describe a challenging problem you faced during a software development project. How did you approach the problem, and what steps did you take to solve it?
Situation: I was working on a web application with performance issues.
Task: My goal was to identify and resolve the bottleneck to improve the application’s performance.
Action: I profiled the application, identified the root cause, researched possible solutions, and implemented performance optimizations.
Result: The application’s speed and user experience significantly improved, leading to positive user feedback.
Can you share an example of a time when you received critical feedback from a manager or peer? How did you respond to the feedback, and what did you learn from it?
Situation: During a code review, a peer pointed out a flaw in my code.
Task: I needed to address the issue and learn from the feedback to improve my skills.
Action: I thanked my peer, analyzed the issue, learned how to avoid it in the future, and corrected the mistake.
Result: My code quality improved, and I became more open to feedback, fostering a positive learning environment.
Tell me about a time when you had to collaborate with a cross-functional team to achieve a project goal. What was your role, and how did you ensure effective communication?
Situation: I was part of a project that required collaboration with a cross-functional team to develop a new feature.
Task: As the lead developer, my responsibility was to ensure effective communication and coordination among team members.
Action: I organized regular meetings, set clear goals, and shared progress updates to keep everyone informed and aligned.
Result: Our collaboration resulted in a successful feature launch and positive feedback from stakeholders.
Describe an instance when you took the initiative to improve a process or implement a new idea within your team. What was the outcome?
Situation: Our team’s code review process was time-consuming and inefficient.
Task: My goal was to streamline the process and improve our team’s overall development speed.
Action: I proposed a new approach with clear guidelines and checklists, and the team adopted the changes.
Result: Our code reviews became more efficient, improving the team’s productivity and overall development speed.
How do you handle stress and prioritize tasks during times of high workload? Can you provide an example from your past experience?
Situation: During a critical project with overlapping deadlines, the workload on our team was exceptionally high.
Task: I needed to manage my stress and prioritize tasks effectively to meet the deadlines.
Action: I used time management techniques to prioritize tasks, set realistic deadlines, break tasks into smaller pieces, and practice self-care to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Result: By efficiently managing my workload and stress, I contributed significantly to the project’s success, meeting the deadlines and delivering a high-quality product.
Have you ever had to handle a disagreement within your team about a technical solution or approach? How did you resolve the conflict?
Situation: Our team disagreed on which framework to use for a new project.
Task: I needed to facilitate a resolution that would lead to the best decision for the project.
Action: I organized a meeting to discuss the pros and cons of each option and guided the team to reach a consensus based on the project’s requirements.
Result: The team agreed on a suitable framework, and we successfully completed the project, achieving the desired outcomes.
Can you share a time when you had to adapt to a significant change in project requirements or priorities? How did you handle it and what was the result?
Situation: A high-priority project I was working on experienced a significant shift in requirements midway through the development.
Task: I was responsible for adapting to the new requirements and ensuring the project’s success.
Action: I quickly assessed the situation, updated our project plan, and communicated the changes to the team.
Result: We adapted to the new requirements, adjusted our work accordingly, and delivered a successful product that met the updated objectives.
Tell me about a time when you had to explain a complex technical concept to a non-technical stakeholder. How did you approach the communication, and what was the outcome?
Situation: I presented a technical solution to non-technical stakeholders for a project I led.
Task: I needed to explain the concept in a way that was easy for the stakeholders to understand and appreciate the benefits.
Action: I used analogies, visual aids, and simplified language to break down the complex concept.
Result: The stakeholders understood the benefits of the proposed solution, approved the project, and provided the necessary resources for implementation.
Describe a situation where you had to make a decision with limited information. How did you approach the decision-making process, and what was the result?
Situation: I faced an urgent decision on whether to incorporate a new feature into our project, but I had limited information on its potential impact.
Task: My responsibility was to make an informed decision while considering the risks and benefits.
Action: I gathered available data, analyzed potential risks and benefits, consulted with team members, and decided based on the information at hand.
Result: The project ultimately succeeded, and the new feature was well-received. We remained flexible and ready to adjust our course if needed based on the decision made.
Have you ever had to work on a project where the requirements were not clear? How did you clarify them and ensure the project stayed on track?
Situation: I was assigned a project with unclear and ambiguous requirements.
Task: I aimed to clarify the requirements and ensure the project progressed smoothly.
Action: I proactively communicated with stakeholders to gather more information, establish clear objectives, and create a detailed project plan.
Result: By clarifying the requirements and aligning the project’s goals, we successfully delivered the project on time and met the client’s expectations.
Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond your job responsibilities to ensure the success of a project. What motivated you, and what was the outcome?
Situation: I worked on a project facing resource constraints and tight deadlines.
Task: I needed to contribute beyond my regular responsibilities to ensure the project’s success.
Action: I volunteered to work additional hours, mentored junior team members, and helped coordinate tasks to keep the project on track.
Result: My dedication motivated others, and we successfully completed the project on time and within budget.
Remember, behavioral interviews are just one of several factors in getting a job. Make sure you can pass technical and coding interviews.
Relevant experience is very important too!
Build a portfolio and resume to get these jobs.
– Camdyn