7. Tell me about a time when you . . .
Yes, this is the most obvious wording of a behavioral interview question. The most important aspect of this question to pay attention to is the phrase “a time.”
Your answer must address one specific instance in your past with the right level of detail and include the three critical components during your telling of the story.
Your ability to craft and share a compelling story about yourself that shows them what you did before (and perhaps what you’ve learned and would do differently today) in the situation they suggest to you is a critical interviewing skill. Your ability to tell a powerful story that provides proof and evidence of the benefits other organizations have seen because you were there is worth your preparation time.
In fact, you can even use the same story format as seen in your favorite Movie Moments to powerfully answer questions that don’t require the behavioral interview response. Learn from the following samples of situations across multiple industries and requesting different situation details.
See 12 unique answers to this question below. Just follow each link to see what real people said. Review the rating for each answer. These real-life examples are a powerful short-cut to help you write your own answer to this frequently asked job interview question, “tell me about a time when you . . .”
Or if you would prefer a PDF document, just order Guide #3 and get all the samples pulled together into one document for easy reference. Since with the pdf version you will not only be able to read on the screen, you will also have a printer-friendly version. You’ll have the chance to highlight powerful tips for your situation and write your notes and draft answers.
Access Job Interview Tips Immediately in Guide #3
Get immediate access to the “TELL ME A STORY” Guide in the Hollywood Movie Method Job Winning Series. This Guide will give you 12 updated sample answers provided by real people with ratings for the “tell me about a time when you . . . ” question. And this guide includes an additional how to respond to this question training section.
Also, for the question, “what would you do if . . . ” this pdf gives you 12 sample answers with ratings plus an added training section
And as a bonus, this guide includes two additional articles based on more than 10,000 hours coaching candidates to win their jobs. Discover interview mistake to avoid #5: the two-letter word you must stop using. Then benefit from learning about interview mistake #7: the missing ingredients in job-winning stories. Click the button to order your guide and get immediate access.
See Sample Answers with Ratings for Tell Me About a Time When You
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Dana’s answer
(Who is Dana? Dana – Media Planner and Buyer with 4 years experience seeking Marketing PR Specialist role)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Jessica’s answer
(Who is Jessica? Jessica – Over 2 years experience in insurance industry seeking Customer Service Representative job)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Amy’s answer
(Who is Amy? Amy – Administrative Assistant seeking Project Manager position in Marketing Services)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Fabian’s answer
(Who is Fabian? Fabian – IT professional with 10 years experience seeking SQL Analyst Programmer job)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Don’s answer
(Who is Don? Don – MBA and International Communications Manager seeking Manager of Corporate Communications role)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Denise’s answer
(Who is Denise? Denise – Global Integrated Marketing Executive seeking Director of Strategy position)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Steven’s answer
(Who is Steven? Steven – Human Resources Professional seeking Senior Human Resources Generalist role)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Wendy’s answer
(Who is Wendy? Wendy – Executive and recent Chief Operating Officer seeking Controller position)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Leonard’s answer
(Who is Leonard? Leonard – Non-Profit Leader with 25 years experience seeking Executive Director role)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Allen’s answer
(Who is Allen? Allen – QA Analyst and Programmer since 1985 seeking Quality Assurance Tester job)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Bonnie’s answer
(Who is Bonnie? Bonnie – CPA with over 6 years experience seeking Accounting Manager position)
- Tell me about a time when you . . . Margaret’s answer
(Who is Margaret? Margaret – Senior Level Marketing Communications Professional seeking position with University)
