In this article, I share some common behavioral interview questions for software engineers.

The best way to use this article is to try answering these questions in English.

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult client and coworker.

請跟我分享一次你曾經需要應對困難客戶和同事的經驗。

Example answer:

In one project, our team collaborated with another team in the same company to build a system. The core functionalities were analyzing input data and displaying the results in information diagrams. Our team was responsible for developing the system, while the partner team would provide the analysis data.

The partner team assigned a representative to discuss the details of the functionalities. He mentioned many features he wanted, and our designer created mockups based on his requirements. After gathering all the requirements, our team lead assigned front-end and back-end engineers to develop the system.

However, after finishing the system, a big issue came up. Most of the partner team members were not clear about the system’s functionalities. This meant they had not fully discussed internally before proposing the requirements to us. Although the representative had listed many features, they couldn’t provide exact data to match the system.

Finally, our team lead revisited all the functionalities with the entire partner team and adjusted many features again. I learned from this collaboration that before entering the development process, we must confirm the project functionalities and understand why they are needed. If the requirements cannot be explained clearly, I would suggest postponing those features and focusing on what is truly important for the first release.

How would you describe the ideal boss?

你如何描述理想的老闆?

Example answer:

In my opinion, my ideal team leader is someone who doesn’t micromanage but trusts the team members to take ownership of their work. In addition, I value a leader who encourages open communication and keeps an open mind to team members’ questions and suggestions. I also appreciate a leader who gives constructive feedback and supports the team’s professional growth.

micromanage 微觀管理、連小事都要插手管
take ownership 採取負責、承擔責任

What motivated you to explore new opportunities outside your current role?

是什麼促使你尋找現職以外的新機會？

Example answer:

I felt that I had reached a plateau in my career growth in my current role because I always build internal systems for my company. These projects often share similar features and tech stacks as well. As a result, I’m looking for new opportunities where I can take on more challenging and different kinds of projects.

reach a plateau 達到瓶頸

How do you learn new technologies?

你是如何學習新技術的？

Example answer:

I always read the official documentation and tutorials first when learning a new technology, because they usually provide the latest and most accurate information. I try to understand the concepts and fundamentals, including why this technology exists and the problems it’s designed to solve. After that, I read articles or watch YouTube tutorials to check whether I missed any important concepts.

Learning by doing, I apply the new technology by building a side project, solving a problem, writing a technical article, or completing a configuration to gain hands-on experience.

hands-on 親身實踐的、事事過問的，事必躬親的
Learning by doing 做中學

Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it?

你有犯過錯嗎？怎麼處理錯誤？

Example answer:

One time, I participated in a project and had to merge the release branch into the master branch to publish the latest version. However, I unintentionally merged the master branch into the release branch instead. After doing the merge, I left work, so the production environment was not updated that day. The next day, our QA engineer asked why the staging environment looked strange, and that’s when I realized I had made a mistake. I immediately reverted the merge and updated the production environment.

After this incident, I made it a habit to always double-check the target branch before merging and to confirm that the correct environment has been updated.

make a habit 養成習慣

How do you deal with vague/unclear instructions?

你怎麼應對模糊、不清楚的指示？

Example answer:

Ambiguous requirements sometimes happen in software development. My approach is to ask more questions to help clarify the requirements. I always ask why we need these functionalities and what goals we want to achieve. I think it's important because these questions can help us clarify what we are doing. I also ask more questions about the requirements and document the clarified requirements in the tracking system, such as Jira. The documentation can serve as a reference and reduce the chances of scope creep.

scope creep 指在專案進行過程中，原訂的專案範疇在未經正式審核與批准的情況下，逐漸地或不受控制地擴大或增加新的需求與功能。

Tell me about a time you failed.

跟我說說你一次失敗的經驗。

Example answer:

One failure I experienced was during a project where I underestimated the time needed to implement a complex feature. I thought I could finish it within a few days, but unexpected technical challenges caused significant delays. As a result, I missed the initial deadline and the team had to adjust the release plan.

What I learned from this experience is the importance of breaking down tasks into smaller parts and estimating more conservatively. Now, I always communicate potential risks early with my team and add buffer time in my estimations. This way, we can avoid unnecessary pressure and deliver more reliably.

conservatively 傳統地，不趕潮流地、保守地，守舊地