Since behavioural interviews are now conducted by about 80% of businesses, the sooner you can learn how to achieve a good impression, the better.

If you intend to begin applying for graduate positions soon, you may be invited to a "behavioural interview."

What exactly is a behaviour interview, then?

Behavioural questions are those that test fundamental skills by requiring specific examples, such as; leadership, communication, working as a team, resiliency, accountability, and problem-solving are just a few of the many skills.

A behavioural interview typically consists of general questions like "Tell us about yourself?" and " What are your assets/shortcomings?"

But it also includes so-called "behavioural questions" in contrast to questions about what you would do in a specific situation. Behavioural questions require responses that are supported by evidence.

Because they will ask the candidate for an example of when they used a particular skill and how effective they were, behavioural questions are easy to identify. A behavioural question will begin with the following, so you can identify it:

"Remind us of a time when..."

"Give us an illustration of..." or on the other hand

"Portray what is going on when… … … ."

How do I prepare?

Understanding how to answer these questions correctly is critical if you want to succeed in a behavioural interview. These types of questions necessitate a response in accordance with a structure we refer to as the "STAR" method, which stands for:

S = Situation

T = Task

A = Actions

R = Result

Suppose you are scheduled for a behavioural interview. In that case, I recommend that you thoroughly read the job description to gain a solid understanding of the key skills—also known as critical selection criteria or key competencies—required for the position.

Next, think of paid or unpaid work examples that show these skills. If you still need to, you could use examples from team projects or when you were a member of a club or committee at your university. Then, using the STAR method, try to make your example sound as natural as possible (it takes practice!).

You will be a lot ahead of other candidates who could be better prepared if you can go into the interview with a clear idea of the examples you will use for each skill.