Don't Go to the Job Interview Without This
The #1 thing to bring to your behavioral interview isn't a memorized framework — it's a story bank. Here is why STAR alone falls short and how to build stories that win you the offer.
DON’T GO TO THE JOB INTERVIEW WITHOUT THIS.
The #1 thing to bring to the interview is, is, IS…
Hang on, some context first.
Why behavioral questions matter more than you think
Interviewers usually ask about your experience to assess competencies important to the team and role. Typically these are behavioral questions: “tell me about a time…”
Sometimes people describe these as “culture fit” questions. Ugh.
This is the part of the interview where too many candidates stumble. They don’t know what a good answer looks like, or if these questions are important to landing the job.
Don’t think about them as “culture fit” questions.
Think about them as “are you the best candidate we’ve seen” questions.
Think about them as “should we hire you at the level you’re aiming for” questions.
Important, right?
STAR is not enough
Oh — and if I hear “use the STAR method” for these questions one more time I’m going to do something drastic.
Seriously: if you say “just use STAR, or CAR, or CARL, or SAIL, whatever,” I’m liable to fill my next 10 posts with dad jokes and puns. Don’t tempt me.
These methods give you a template, but they won’t serve you well if you use them the way most people do. Not if you’re winging it — once an interviewer asks a question, you’re in the moment trying to decide which story to talk about, trying to remember what you did, thinking how to explain the context, all the results, all your decisions, separating the important from the trivial.
With that approach, most of us would be lucky to eke out a COHERENT story in 3-5 minutes, let alone an IMPRESSIVE one.
The nice thing: this is EXACTLY what your competition will do. So let’s do better.
Interviewers are moved by a great story, just like every human ever. Knowing this, focus your prep on crafting concise, compelling stories. It’s easier than you think.
The #1 thing to bring
So, THIS is the #1 thing you need to bring to the interview:
A story bank.
You can build a great story bank in advance. It will demonstrate why you’re the best candidate for the job.
- ✅ Identify the top 6-8 accomplishments you’re most proud of
- ✅ Write them down as stories
- ✅ Practice them out loud, then practice with others
If you have meaty stories, at least one will fit just about any interview question. Instead of winging it, you’ll pick the best one from your story bank and tell it like you practiced it.
How to take each story from good to great
Ask yourself:
- ✅ Is it clear to someone who wasn’t there?
- ✅ Is the problem challenging and of large enough scope?
- ✅ Am I acting at the level that I’m targeting?
- ✅ Does it demonstrate why I’m great at my job, or would anyone else have done the same?
- ✅ Does the outcome include solid impact?
- ✅ Do I seem like someone people want to work with — or for?
For the broader 1-2 day prep plan the story bank fits into, see how to prep for the behavioral interview. In my course I go deeper still — walking you step-by-step from a blank page to a great story bank. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, use this post as a solid foundation for your prep.
Now — prepare well and have a great interview.
