How to Get the Conversation Rolling

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3. The “Experience Story”: It’s How, not What.

In my previous post, I mentioned the “experience story”. This is how you answer interview questions: by showing how your knowledge, skills, and prior experience are relevant to the role and benefit the company.

Whatever you share, give specific details. Instead of saying “I’m a fast learner”, explain how you quickly learned new skills in a concrete project. Instead of saying “I like teamwork”, describe a project where collaboration made the difference.

“Experience stories” show how you operate. Your CV tells them what you can do; now they want to hear how you do it. Demonstrate your practical approach, how you solve problems, and how you contribute as part of a team.

Interviewers often ask “what did you do when…” questions. Use past experiences to show the value you bring, even if the situation wasn’t exactly the same.

An “experience story” gives the interviewer “a future experience today”: a preview of what working with you will be like. It’s like road-testing a car.

Once you’ve shared a story, check alignment: ask if that kind of experience is valuable for their company. Example: “Do you think that having this type of experience will help me succeed in this position?”

4. Investigate the Company and Prepare Probing Questions

Here’s why you should research the company before your interview:

  • To see whether the company is right for you (industry, culture, reputation, products/services).
  • To check if you’re right for the company (skills, values, ethics fit).
  • To address the organization’s needs and align your “experience stories” with their challenges.
  • To show you’ve done your homework and can ask incisive questions, demonstrating critical thinking and competence.

Search the company’s website, financial statements, and news articles to get a broad perspective. If possible, ask the hiring manager about their biggest challenge and discuss solutions — even sketch them out to engage the interviewer.

This concludes this month’s series on interview tips. Try them out and let me know how you get on by leaving a comment or emailing me at
alexandra@coachingforinspiration.com.

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