Avoid giving a general answer regarding your initiative. For instance, stay away from vague statements like, "I always take the initiative in life; it's just who I am." Taking the initiative could mean that you take on responsibilities independently without being asked or continually coached by your manager. It could also mean that you are the type of person who jumps in and assumes the lead before others do or before you are asked.

Behavioral-based interview questions like this, where the hiring managers are looking for a story example, are best answered using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Organizing your response using this framework will help you provide an effective story-based response.

Start by telling the hiring managers about a specific time when you showed initiative at work. Outline the situation, describe the task, and explain the actions you took to take the initiative. Give as much detail as you can regarding the positive results of your actions. At the end of your response, be sure to describe your high level of initiative and how this characteristic will benefit EY when they choose to hire you.

The average HireVue interview takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. This one-way video interview typically includes 3-5 questions. Depending on the HireVue parameters set by EY, the asynchronous interview platform will generally give you 30 seconds to prepare a response and up to 2 minutes to answer each question. It's important to note that HireVue stops recording as soon as your time limit is up, so it's better to run under time than overtime.

"(Situation) In my current role, I worked with a team of five on a long-term client project. (Task) A problem that I noticed we had run into on previous client projects was that there was often a delay in putting the team's ideas into action. Sometimes, certain initiatives fell through the cracks completely, which I found frustrating as I wanted to ensure we delivered the best possible work to the client. (Action) For this long-term client project, I prioritized research and input a new project management software that allowed us to track our ideas and put measurable deadlines on them. (Result) We had great results and continued using this software for each subsequent client project. Should I be hired for this role with EY, I will be sure to embrace the firm's core values by leading projects with energy and enthusiasm."