Behavioral Interview Tips For Entry-Level Candidates

I've interviewed nearly 100 people over the last few months for openings at CNN. Here's what the most successful candidates did well: 1. They told a clear story. Every answer had a beginning, middle and end (or a conflict, action & solution). They didn't repeat themselves and didn't include a lot of extraneous information. For example, to answer the common question "What's a mistake you've made recently?" the strongest candidates started with a BRIEF summary of where & when the mistake happened, walked through the actions that led to the mistake, explained clearly how they handled the error and then ended with what they learned from the incident. The worst candidates monologued; I had one who spoke for 16 minutes straight after the first question. If you find yourself rambling, stop yourself, take a deep breath and apologize. Then try to summarize your answer to the question again in a few sentences. 2. They had examples ready to share. Every question is an opportunity to let the interviewer know about a great story you produced, or a time when you shined. Have a list of your best moments handy so you can weave those concrete examples into your answers in an authentic way. 3. They showed their passion. Employers want to know that you're excited about the opportunities this job presents. Find a chance to share what motivates you and/or your career origin story (aka why you became a journalist/video editor/writer/etc.) One of my favorite candidates ended the interview by thanking us for our time and expressing how much they were interested in tackling the challenges the job would bring. 4. They acknowledged what they don't know. For example, when asked what they would do differently if they were on the team, one candidate explained what they would do but caveated it with the fact that they are viewing our content as a single user, not knowing our strategy and how data informs it. That showed me they understand audiences are diverse, and would lean into data to inform their strategy as a leader. Another smart candidate said they haven't had the opportunity to use our content management system but "couldn't wait" to get their hands on it and learn quickly. I'd rather have a fast learner than someone who knows the current system but can't pick up the next one.

In the last eight years, I have interviewed 500+ Software Engineers for various roles. Here are the most actionable tips I can give you on how to do better during your behavioral round. 1/ Set the Stage Clearly - Describe the Situation or Task that needed solving. Focus on the challenge. - Example: "The API response times were too slow, affecting user experience, and I was tasked with optimizing it within a sprint." - Keep it short. If the interviewer wants more details, they’ll ask. 2/ Focus on Key Actions - Highlight 3 core actions you took to solve the problem. - Example: "I profiled the API calls, implemented caching for frequent queries, and reduced payload size by 30%." - Stick to impactful actions. Each action should take under 2 minutes to explain. 3/ Use “I” to Show Ownership - Make it clear what you did to demonstrate leadership and initiative. - Example: "I spearheaded the migration from monolithic architecture to microservices, improving scalability by 40%." - Avoid saying "we" too much. The interviewer needs to know if you led the effort or just contributed. 4/ Stick to Facts, Avoid Emotions - Keep your answers factual, even when discussing challenges. - Example: Instead of "I was frustrated with a teammate’s slow progress," say, "I scheduled a pair programming session to help them meet the deadline." 5/ Understand the Purpose of the Question - Think about what the interviewer is trying to assess—teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, or technical expertise. - Example: If asked about handling conflict, they want to see how you navigate disagreements productively. Frame your response accordingly. 6/ Use Data to Back Your Results - Quantify your impact wherever possible. - Example: "After optimizing the query logic, I reduced database read times by 40%, cutting down page load times by 2 seconds." - Data shows real impact and demonstrates the value you bring. 7/ Keep It Interactive - Make your responses concise to encourage follow-up questions from the interviewer. - Example: "I automated the deployment pipeline, cutting release times from 2 hours to 15 minutes. If you'd like, I can explain the challenges I faced setting up the CI/CD tools." 8/ Maintain good eye contact -Eye contact showcases confidence -In the era of online interviewing, it’s even more critical to showcase your focus via eye contact. And one thing you should never do in the behavioral interview is makeup details. It’s visible how shallow a story is if someone grills you on the details. I hope these tips will help you achieve great results. – P.S: Follow me for more insights on Software engineering.

“I have only one hour to prep. Where do I start?” It depends on your experience. Let me break it down for each level. 1) Entry-level The candidates in this category don’t have much experience with interviewing; therefore, they should focus mostly on answering commonly asked interview questions and preparing STAR stories. Aiming to outline answers to 3 commonly asked questions and 2 detailed stories is realistic in one hour. In addition to always taking some time to practice, my biggest tip for entry-level candidates is to accept their current career stage and not let lack of experience affect their confidence Recruiters and interviewers are aware that you’re new to the workforce, and if they call you in, it means they see potential in the education and experience that you DO have. It’s not a dealbreaker for them. Why should it be for you? 2) Mid-level These candidates have more experience with interviewing, but I would still advise them to practice answering common questions and work on their STAR stories, especially if they haven’t interviewed in a while. Make sure that you are presenting ALL of your current experience and aren’t using the same answers you used when you were less accomplished. Additionally, allocate some time in that one-hour time frame to researching the company—not extensive research, just a few minutes of searching to understand the company and why they would fit in there. 3) Senior level The candidates at this level have refined their interview answers over the years and know what to expect during the process. However, I would still advise taking some time for prep. Senior jobs are more competitive and you have to be able to show you have that executive presence in addition to the skills and experience. This means it’s even more important to present your best self during the interview. I also advise prepping a thoughtful response to “Why this opportunity?” You need to show you want the job and would be motivated to succeed. Is one hour enough time? More time will make you better, but one hour of prep is infinitely better than no prep at all. It can make a huge difference in your confidence, your presentation, and the outcome of the interview.