Behavioral Interview Flashcards
- Tell me about one of your favorite projects that you’ve worked on.
Animal Shelter Project
You’ll answer by describing the event or project (situation), explaining what you had to deliver (task), saying what steps you took to complete the project (action), and what the outcome was result).
- Tell me about a specific thing you did that positively impacted a program or project you worked on.
Adding the functionality to send money in TEnmo
When you answer, make sure you show how you’ve learned from projects that failed and been able to take that learning with you to another project in a positive way.
- Tell me about a person you’ve worked with who’s had a great impact on you.
About Trevor, former teacher of Java at High School I met at Tech Elevator
Try to strike a balance between talking about someone who inspires you while still relating your answer back to your approach to the role for which you are interviewing.
- Tell me what a productive day at work looks like to you.
S: At Tech Elevator, we went through a grueling daily schedule
T: I felt responsible to do the best of my abilities to learn everything I can and achieve what was asked fo me
A: I would wake up in the morning, get in 20 minutes of HIIT workout, take shower, eat breakfast, attend the lecture with pencil and paper to note what I didn’t know from the reading, make sure to meditate during the breaks for at least 5 minutes, eat lunch at noon, start doing the coding assignments around 12:15 and stay until i finish them that day whilst following the pomodoro technique (25 minute break with 5 minute rest), go home and make sure to go to sleep by 10,
R: I achieved all of the objectives of the bootcamp, retained a lot of information, and didn’t burn out
- What’s been the most challenging problem you have faced and how did you solve it?
S: For a practice planner project, I was trying to adopt a database migration for the amount of pieces you can practice at once. At the start, a practiceSession object held a piece (which is a fancy name for a work) attribute which was one object. I wanted to make this into a pieces array of objects, so one can use this given practiceSession object to include multiple pieces one can work on alongside a workspace page (which included a metronome, and counter)
T: I felt responsible to make this more user friendly so one can work on multiple pieces at a time without leaving the page
A: I set about making a test database which was a copy of development database, so I can try the database migration there. I worked on this feature for two weeks. I made sure that since I deployed this project, that it was possible for previous users to still have their previous practiceSessions that they can still use, but at the same time, being able to add pieces to a given practiceSession as well. Within those two weeks I encountered a final bug before being able to do the migration successfully, which involved a missing comma in the code. It took multiple of days of looking at the code repetitively, and with trial and error, I found the area with the missing comma.
R: I learned the value of persistence at a bug, learned why I would like to avoid database migrations as much as possible by making sure my planning process for a feature is well thought out. Making this change did make the application more user friendly.
- Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a coworker
S: I never had a conflict with a coworker, however during a stint of three months in 2022, I was working a Japanese customer service job where I helped clients install google ad tags and analytics tags. I was assigned to help a particular client install google ad tags for their website
T: I felt responsible to do the best job I can, which meant successfully helping the client to install it themselves in Japanese (which is my second language)
A: In order to do the best I can despite lacking in Japanese skills, I was told by a mentor that only on very rare occasions do clients actually know when we test things on their website. In order to be extra prepared for the meeting with him the next day, I started registering for the client’s website to be able to make sure I can even install the tags onto the website a day before. I had to do this late at 2 o’clock in the morning because of the nature of this work. I was eventually blocked by the website. At the meeting t, but I was blocked from the website about 15 minutes into testing it. The next day, I was yelled at by the client for testing on his website before getting his express permission to do so. I profusely apologized to the client, I understood his frustration, and I explained to him that I felt it was paramount that I saved his time by testing the website beforehand to make sure the website was even capable of having the tags installed. Regardless, I guided him through the process of adding the tags, only to find that it was not possible to add the tags. I told him during the call, that I was sorry that installing the tag was not possible during the call and promised to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible and give him updates within the day.
R: In the end, I learned to be more empathetic towards clients. The website ended up not having the ability for installing google ad tags, but I did not receive a scathing review as I was very thorough in explaining the situation to him, and apologized multiple times to him.
- What are your hobbies
S: One of my hobbies is cooking, so yesterday, I wanted to make a soup for my gf
T: I felt responsible to make a good comfort soup that wouldn’t cause her stomach issues later in the day or the next
A: I found a recipe for a gumbo online and decided to take out the sausage that is usually used. We did add garlic butter shrimp to give it more depth
R: We ended up with very little left overs, we ended up playing some Luigi’s Mansion 3 (another one of my hobbies). Coincidentally we were on the basement 2 level which was essentially the sewar level, and we laughed about how I had the interview today for it.
- Your questions
What does a typical workday look like?
What does the onboarding process look like?
Are you looking for a backend dev? a frontend dev? a fullstack dev?
How big is the team or teams?
- Why do you want to work here
I am deeply interested in doing meaningful work that has a tangible impact on businesses, and Xngage stands out as a leader in this field.
My experience and skills in C#/.NET and React align well with the kind of work Xngage does. I am excited about the possibility of applying these skills to help your clients achieve their goals. Additionally, the culture at Xngage, especially [specific cultural aspect], resonates with me, and I see myself thriving in an environment that values [values/aspects].
Working at Xngage aligns perfectly with my career aspirations of [specific career goals]. I am eager to contribute to your team and believe I can make a significant impact by [specific contributions you can make]. I see this opportunity as a place where I can grow professionally while contributing to the company’s and its clients’ success.”
