Preparing for On-the-Spot Interviews

Client just got her 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🌏 🙌 3 specific things we did to prepare (that are 10X better than free online guides or writing 'scripts') ⬇️ 1. 𝗪𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 We found the interviewer on LinkedIn and reviewed their profile together. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹? Find something in common that can build a good human connection. ✅ Around 5 years ago, this interviewer made a similar career pivot to my client! Based on what the interviewer wrote in his profile, both him and my client made the pivot for similar reasons. This similar experience (and more importantly, the similar values behind it) is something my client can mention in the interview to: • Show how prepared she is   • Build a better connection with the interviewer 2. 𝗪𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 We reviewed the job requirements line by line. We identified the 4 most important skills/actions for that job. For each skill/action, we planned 1 specific story from my client's career of them performing that action well. We organized each story so it • Will be easy for the interviewer to understand • Fully highlights the skills and value my client added This is 100X more effective than: ❌ Just saying 'I have <skill>' ❌ Explaining your entire career as one long, unorganized summary. 3. 𝗪𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 We found: ✅ Long video interviews with the CEO sharing the story behind the company/brand ✅ Clips of specific employees ✅ News related to the company's APAC growth plans in 2025 And more Thoughout all this research, my client looked for: ✅ Specific details about the company that gets her excited to potentially work there ✅ Plans, goals, and projects at the company that she would love to contribute to Effective interview preparation is not: ❌ Trying to memorize tons of general answer templates ❌ Writing a script and reading it over and over ❌ Watching Youtube videos/free online guides 𝗕𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰. 𝗕𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿. And when the hiring team is reviewing candidates after, you'll be the one that stands out 🤝. Not sure how to do this? Here's how I can help ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gShv3bvz

My process for prepping for interviews👇🏼 1️⃣the one with the job description I analyze the JD very carefully, print it often, highlight the things that are repeated throughout the posting. I formulate questions around the JD and anticipate what I could be asked based on what the HM is looking for. 2️⃣the one with the company research Researching the company’s website is a given, but going a step further and reading any recent and relevant articles that I can use in conversation during the interview. I dig deep into any blog posts and try to find anything that only someone who truly spent time reading the pages would know. 3️⃣the one researching the people I put on my detective hat and research the people that will be interviewing me, how long have they been at the company, what titles have they held, what type of trajectory have they been on, etc. 4️⃣the one connecting the story I prepare at least four career stories prior to showing up to an interview, one about a mistake I’ve made and what I learned from it, one about a project I was really proud of, one about a skill I’m currently learning about and why, and one about collaboration. All of this need to have some connection to the job at hand and I talk about those stories using the CARL method. 5️⃣the one about why am I here I really have a clear answer about why am I here, what am I looking for, why do I have the right skills to be the candidate chosen for the role. I also like to have some questions prepared BUT I mostly ask questions based on the conversation I have. If you want specific details about this method let me know, happy to elaborate 👇🏼

Let’s face it, interviews are weird. You’re asked to recall 6-year-old accomplishments under fluorescent lighting. By a stranger. Who holds your future paycheck? No pressure. If interviews make you feel like you’re on trial, welcome to the club. But here’s the thing: preparation helps—a lot. Here’s how I’d prep for an interview in 5 totally doable steps: 1. Don’t just research the company. Stalk them (kindly). Yes, check the website. But also: ➜ Read the news. ➜ Look at their core values. ➜ Find people who work there and talk to them. ➜ Scope out your interviewers on LinkedIn. (They’ll be looking at you, too.) Make a personal connection before logging onto Zoom or entering that room. 2. Prepare for the classics. They’re coming. You know the ones: ➜ “Tell me about yourself.” ➜ “What are your strengths?” ➜ “Why us?” Print the job description. Highlight the juicy parts. Match your stories to those moments. Use the STAR method. (Situation. Task. Action. Result.) Bonus points if you don’t sound like ChatGPT wrote your answer. 3. Talk to insiders. Ask the recruiter or a recent hire: ➜ “What’s the vibe of the interview process?” ➜ “Anything the hiring manager really cares about?” They’ve been there, so use their intel. 4. Have 2-3 stories locked and loaded. Not random stories. Your best ones. The ones that show how you: ➜ Solved problems. ➜ Took initiative. ➜ Didn’t light anything on fire (hopefully). You can use one solid story to answer multiple questions. 5. Don’t forget your questions. You’re interviewing them too, remember? Ask about the team. The challenges. The culture. The future. Also:, ➜ Ask about next steps. ➜ Ask when it’s okay to follow up. ➜ Ask so you’re not just refreshing your inbox for 3 weeks in emotional limbo. Bottom line? Interviews will never feel totally natural. But they get a lot easier when you show up ready. 📌 What’s your go-to prep interview trick that you would add? >> Career Coach for Tech and executive-level leaders. >> DM me or see my Featured Section to connect.

I've been helping a family friend who recently graduated college prep for her first round of job interviews—and wow, I was shocked to learn her college career services team focused heavily on creating ATS-friendly resumes (not really a thing, IMO) and barely touched on interview prep—especially the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), which is absolutely critical for telling your story clearly and effectively. Here's some things we covered: Don’t memorize answers—build stories. Think of 4–5 key experiences you’ve had (projects, challenges, leadership roles) and map them to the STAR structure. Lead with the result. Especially in fast-paced interviews, highlight the outcome upfront to grab attention before diving into the details. Keep it concise. 2–3 minutes max per story. If you’re rambling past that, you’re losing your interviewer. Check for visual cues. Align with the job. Review the job description and prep stories that demonstrate the skills and qualities they’re looking for. Practice out loud. It’s one thing to know your stories—it’s another to say them clearly and confidently. Another tip I often share with job seekers is if the interview is virtual, consider hiding your own video or putting a sticky note over your video to avoid the inclination to stare at yourself as you speak and train your eyes to the camera instead.

Many people struggle with framing and structure because it is not how we naturally converse. We don't talk in structured frameworks and without repetition. Yet this is the expectation in many interviews and leadership meetings. Here is the one exercise that helped me with on-the-spot framing more than anything else: "Talk through how to do a task from beginning to end without stopping or going back. Create a structure for it upfront, and then go into the details." The task can be of anything: how to bake a cake. how to change a car tire. how to mail an envelope. Example: How To Bake a Cake 1️⃣ Come up with an overall structure at a high level: “To bake a cake, there are three steps: find the recipe, mix the ingredients, and bake.” 2️⃣ Pause. Get any feedback on the structure. 3️⃣ Talk through the details of each step: “To find the recipe, you can search the internet, consult a cookbook, or ask your friend. Then, follow the instructions to mix the ingredients in a bowl... Finally, to bake the cake, preheat the oven and place the pan in the oven. It's a simple, fast way that forces you to structure your statements upfront before going into the details. It also allows you to practice not repeating a statement or letting go of a detail you think of "out of order". The best part? Practice anywhere, any time.