Engineering Interview Storytelling Techniques

I've ran 50+ graduate interviews / assessment centres. The difference between those who get offers vs rejections is clear... Most candidates blend together: - Their answers sound the same - They list responsibilities and tasks - They lack enthusiasm They don't stand out (or score highly). Those who get hired tell great stories. Only 2% of applicants make it to interview stage. And you'll compete against 5 - 10 other candidates with similar qualifications. You need to be memorable. Storytelling is your hidden advantage. Last week, Ximena in our cohort secured a job offer and final stage interview for top companies in healthcare and AI. And negotiated a 20% increase in salary from the offer. She used to get rejected constantly.  But we worked on her storytelling approach. The framework that changed everything: 1️⃣ Build Your Story Collection ↳ Prepare 5-7 real experiences that showcase different skills. ↳ Match each story to common interview questions. ↳ Keep them under 90 seconds each. 2️⃣ Structure For Impact ↳ Situation: Brief context (10 seconds max). ↳ Task/Challenge: What made it difficult? ↳ Action: What YOU specifically did. Detailed. Use keywords. ↳ Results: Quantify your impact. ↳ Learning: What it taught you (this is to keep in the back pocket). 3️⃣ Make It Impossible To Forget ↳ Use specific numbers and details. ↳ Name the exact tools or methods you used. ↳ Include one unexpected element that makes you memorable. 4️⃣ Practice Until It Feels Natural ↳ Record yourself telling each story. ↳ Cut anything that doesn't add value. ↳ Practice with different phrasing until it flows. Generic answers don't work. Stories create connections. Connections = Job Offers. In our UK graduate mentoring program, storytelling techniques have helped hundreds of students land their dream jobs. Even when competing against candidates with better grades or more experience. Your CV gets you to the interview. Your stories get you the job. Are you a UK student or graduate struggling with interviews? ⬇️ Comment "STORY" below for access to my free Job Search Masterclass. ♻️ Repost to help job seekers in your network 👋 Follow Dan Mian for more career tips

I've spent 1000s of hours listing, observing and studying the top 0.1 % tech candidates who have mastered storytelling. People who came from big tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Atlassian, Okta you name it. Here is what I've learned: // Start with the end in mind. Decide what you want the listener to do or feel. • Recruiter: “Shortlist them.” • Panel: “Safe hands under pressure.” • Hiring manager: “I can picture week-4 impact.” →When the outcome is clear, your opening and middle funnel toward it. // Shape your story. Use a simple frame so your skill shines through. • STARL (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Learning) • SOARL (Situation, Objective, Action, Result, Learning) • CARL (Context, Action, Result, Learning) →Pick one and stick to it. Consistency beats flair. You see there is always a lesson at the end. // Lead with action. Skip the origin story. Start at the point of risk. “Prod outage hit Friday 4:12 pm. I led the incident bridge…” → Then add only the backstory needed to make the result land. // Make it emotional (the professional kind). You don’t need drama. You need stakes. Choose 1–2 feelings to anchor: relief, safety, momentum, trust. → Aim your story at them. // Build the world (fast) Let us “see” the constraints in two lines: - Team and scope: “8 engineers across Sydney/Welly.” - Rules: “Change freeze; 2-hour SLA.” - Shared language: “P1 incident, 99.95% target.” →Constraints make your result believable and tangible. // Sell the transformation Great stories show change. Use the delta: “From 83% to 99.97% uptime in 6 weeks, while cutting cloud spend 22%.” → Formula: From X → Y, because Z (your actions) + proof (metric). // Slow down before the close After you land the result, pause. Let it breathe. →Count to three. Then add the lesson that makes you memorable. // Build to one moment Design every line to amplify your headline win. “I once handled incidents. Now I run the playbook others follow.” // Develop your process Top candidates don’t wing it; they bank stories. All Careersy Coaching client have one. Keep a “Story Bank” of 12 wins and a few fails with a strong lesson gained. - Tag each by competency (leadership, ambiguity, stakeholder mgmt). - Prepare 90-sec, 3-min, and 6-min versions. - Rehearse out loud; trim fillers. - Refresh with fresh numbers before each interview. // Mini-example (how this sounds) “Traffic spiked 3× during a release. Error rate hit 12%. I led the incident bridge, rolled back within 8 minutes, added circuit breakers, and tuned connection pools. By Monday we cut peak errors to 0.4% and raised weekly uptime from 99.6% to 99.96%. The change was adding autoscaling rules tied to queue depth, not CPU. Lesson: measure the real bottleneck, not the noisy one.”

"You don’t need the ‘right’ answer to impress an interviewer. You need the real one.” Most candidates spend days memorizing “perfect” answers. But guess what? Interviewers aren’t looking for scripted perfection. They’re looking for real people - people who know how to communicate their story clearly, confidently, and authentically. After conducting 100+ behavioral interviews, here’s what I’ve learned: The candidates who stand out don’t memorize lines , they connect through stories. That’s why I teach my clients the STAT Method, a simple and powerful way to structure your answers: 🔑 The STAT Framework S – Situation: Set the context clearly. T – Task: Define your specific responsibility. A – Action: Explain the exact steps you took. T – Takeaway: Share the result or lesson (with measurable outcomes). 💬 Example: Instead of saying, “I handled the project well,” say, ✅ “When our client project was delayed (Situation), I took charge of realigning the team (Task), implemented agile sprints (Action), and delivered it 10 days early (Takeaway).” That’s not just storytelling , that’s clarity in action Most candidates try to impress. The smart ones express. They focus on presence over perfection, structure over fluff, and authenticity over memorized lines. Here are 7 quick reminders before your next interview: 1️⃣ Prepare daily, know your stories. 2️⃣ Keep responses structured, short and focused. 3️⃣ Speak calmly, confidence beats speed. 4️⃣ Stay relevant, tailor every story to the job. 5️⃣ Use data, numbers make impact tangible. 6️⃣ Be self-aware, reflect, don’t ramble. 7️⃣ Show personality, it’s your secret differentiator. Because in 2025, interviewers don’t want a perfect answer, they want your authentic presence. 👉 If you’re ready to stop over-rehearsing and start mastering your interview storytelling using frameworks like STAT, connect with me on DM if interested. I’ll help you prepare to speak with confidence, structure, and authenticity, so you don’t just answer questions, you own the room. #CareerSpotlight #InterviewTips #STATMethod #CareerGrowth #PersonalBranding #JobSearch2025 #SnehaSharmaTheCoach

The most powerful interview stories aren’t polished. They’re honest. The stories that get remembered in interviews? - They’re not perfectly rehearsed. - They’re not buzzword-heavy. - They’re not safe. They’re real. 👉 A moment where something broke 👉 A decision made under pressure 👉 A win that was hard-earned, not picture-perfect What makes those answers stand out isn’t just the result - it’s the emotion. Words like: “Clashing.” “Conviction.” “High stakes.” “Regret.” “Proud.” Because humans don’t remember frameworks. We remember feelings. Here’s what standout sounds like: 💬 “I was terrified to challenge our VP’s plan in that meeting, but I’d seen what was happening on the ground. I spoke up-and we changed course. That taught me to trust my voice, even when it’s uncomfortable.” 💬 “That was the moment I realized delegation isn’t just about trust-it’s about letting go of control. I stepped back, my team stepped up, and we hit the deadline without me micromanaging.” 💬 “It wasn’t a success in the traditional sense-we lost the client. But how I handled that call, how I owned the mistake and protected the team, that was leadership.” Want to make your answer unforgettable? ✅ Show what was at stake. ✅ Let us feel the pressure. ✅ Share what it taught you. Interviewing isn’t about proving you’re flawless. It’s about proving you’re real - and ready. 💬 What’s a story you’re proud of - even if it wasn’t perfect? Let’s normalize the kind of answers that actually stick. 👇

Do you struggle to tell your career story? Do you find yourself flopping in interviews, because you don't know what to say and/or talk too long? I have two formulas that will help. Before we begin, let me repeat my job search mantra: 👏 THE JOB SEARCH IS NOT ABOUT YOU. IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THEM.👏 This means that your interview answers and career story must be tailored to the person you are speaking to, highlighting the SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE they are looking for. Now here are my two formulas for sharing your career story in a short, compelling way in job interviews: 1) PRESENT-PAST-FUTURE FORMULA My favorite way to answer, "So, Emily, tell me about yourself" or "So, Emily, walk me through your resume." ✅ PRESENT: 1-3 sentences about what you're currently doing. ✅ PAST: 1-3 sentences about what you did before that. ✅ FUTURE: 1-3 sentences about what you want to do in the future. This should be said in 30-45 seconds. Keep your answer succinct, they'll ask follow-up questions if they want more information. And remember, you're highlighting the skills and experience that your target employer is looking for. So when you describe your "PRESENT" and "PAST" experience, do it through the lens of the job you're interviewing for. Use the keywords that are important to them. As for the "FUTURE" - well, wouldn't you know it, what you want do to in the future happens to sound a lot like the job you're interviewing for. 😉 2) RSAR STORIES' This is my spin on STAR stories. Most of you know about the STAR format - Situation, Task, Action, Result. ✅ I flip that - remove the "Task" - it makes answers too long. ✅ Then start with the punchline - the "Result" - to grab their attention. ✅ Then go into the Situation, then the Action, and bookend it with the Result. Here's an example: Q: "So, Emily, tell me about a time when you made a mistake a work and how did you fix it?" A: "Let me tell you about the time our company almost spent an extra $5,000 in printer fees. Don't worry, I caught it. Here's what happened..." You lead with the RESULT (you caught a $5,000 error), then outline the SITUATION and ACTION you took to solve the situation. Then bookend it with the RESULT: "... And that's how I caught a $5,000 mistake." And remember, use your answer to highlight the skills / experience / results they are looking for. I encourage my clients to keep their interview answers to less than three minutes. (Unless it's a technical interview, then you can go into more detail.) The RSAR format helps you do that. I'm rooting for you. 👊 ♻ Please repost if you think this advice will help others. ***** Hi, have we met? I'm Emily and I'm on a mission to get the #greenbannergang back to work, one actionable step at a time. #jobsearch #jobhunt #jobseekers

One of the biggest challenges candidates face in interviews? Coming up with specific examples on the spot. Even people with great experience can freeze when asked something like: “Tell me about a time you handled conflict on a team” or “Give me an example of a time you made a process more efficient.” And while many people know the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), they still struggle with the first part - finding the story. Here’s something I recommend to every candidate: Build your “story bank.” But I also know that’s easier said than done. Not everyone walks around with a highlight reel of their accomplishments. Some of the best employees are the ones who just… quietly get things done. And if you’ve been heads down doing the work for years, it might not feel natural to talk about it. So here’s how to start: ✔️ Think in categories. You don’t need one perfect story — start with moments tied to: • Solving a tough problem • Learning something new • Collaborating across teams • Receiving or applying feedback • Dealing with change or ambiguity • Helping someone else succeed • Fixing a mistake and recovering from it ✔️ Reflect on results. Ask yourself: What got better because I was involved? Was something faster, smoother, clearer, less stressful, more successful? ✔️ Talk it out. Sometimes you won’t see your accomplishments clearly until you say them out loud to someone else. Grab a friend, a colleague, or even a mirror and say it like you would in an interview. ✔️ Keep it simple. You don’t need the most dramatic story. Just something honest that shows how you think, how you problem-solve, and how you show up. I’ve seen fantastic candidates get passed over not because they didn’t have the experience but because they didn’t know how to talk about it. Build your story bank. Practice saying things out loud. Don’t wait until you’re on the spot to try to remember what makes you great. #InterviewTips #STARMethod #CareerGrowth #RecruiterAdvice #BehavioralInterviewing #WorkplaceWisdom

🚀 Amazon Interviews: Keys to Success ✨ After sitting on both sides of the table—going through Amazon’s interviews and serving as a Bar Raiser—I learned something important: To stand out and ace the interview, you have to engineer your stories strategically. Here are four lessons that can help anyone—whether you’re applying internally or externally—ace the challenge. 1️⃣ Go Beyond the Basic STAR (Situation–Task–Action–Result) Stories: Surface-level answers won’t cut it. Amazon interviewers dig deep—so layer in details, metrics, and reflection. Share what you did, what you learned, and HOW you were able to achieve results. 2️⃣ Anchor Everything in Metrics & Mechanisms: Every story should have a measurable impact. How did you know you succeeded? What mechanism or process ensured it lasted? Amazon values scalable, data-driven results. 3️⃣ Map Your Stories Across the Amazon Leadership Principles: Build a story bank. Each example should connect to multiple Leadership principles (e.g., a cost-saving project exhibiting Deliver Results, could also demonstrate Invent & Simplify). This keeps your answers versatile and engaging. 4️⃣ Demonstrate That You’ll Raise the Bar: Amazon isn’t just hiring for today— Amazon is hiring people who elevate the standard. Share moments where you didn’t just deliver, but created lasting change for your team, customers, or the business. 💡 Pro tip: Reflection is a secret weapon! Reflection shows maturity and leadership. Turning experience into insight makes your story memorable—and transforms good candidates into great ones. 🔥 So, if you’re preparing for an interview: practice discussing your experiences and dive deep in the STAR format. Quantify your impact, connect the experiences back to the principles, and close with reflection. Here’s to raising the bar! Fight On, Together! ✌🏾❤️ #Leadership #Amazon #CareerGrowth #InterviewTips #HireandDevelopTheBest #BarRaiser

Rejections taught me what lectures didn't. Interviewers don't hire credentials. They hire the person wearing them. Recently, I watched a brilliant graduate from a top B-school struggle with interviews. It reminded me of my own early mistakes. I was one of the few who did not get placed in summers and Finals was also not that easy. And here's what I learned after years of hiring and being hired: Your degree gets you shortlisted. Your story gets you hired. Most fresh graduates recite their resume instead of presenting themselves as a person with potential. As someone who's hired thousands during me career, I can tell you this: We hire potential, not perfection. So here's how you can stand out: Craft your 180-second pitch. Write your personal story. Record it. Practice until it flows from your heart, not your head. It has to be authentic, no thing you should add which is not correct. Create curiosity points. Include 3 compelling elements that make interviewers want to dig deeper. Guide them toward your strengths. Get them to your playing field. Own your strength zone. Once you're discussing what you're good at, your confidence becomes unmistakable. Let confidence do the talking. Authentic confidence often tips the scale in your favour. This isn't a guaranteed formula. Rejections are part of the journey. Every interview has both subjective and objective elements. But shifting from credential-focused to person-focused storytelling? That significantly improves your odds. Make your day Xtraordinary. 😊

Being great at your job doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the job. Interviewing has become just as important a skill as actually doing the work. Most of us were never taught how to do it well. And yet, we’re expected to distill years of experience into a few polished answers, all while trying to make a strong impression on someone who we've never met and might not even be trained to assess us. “Just be yourself.” “Use STAR.” “Ask good questions.” Nice sentiments. Not all that useful. When interviewers are rushed, untrained, or unclear on what they’re evaluating, how you show up in that 45-minute window might be all they really remember. Here’s how to make that time count with strategies that actually work: ✅ Translate experience into outcomes Don’t just say, “I owned onboarding.” Say, “I rebuilt onboarding, which cut ramp time by 30% and boosted new hire retention by 20%.” → Use the “So what?” test after every example. ✅ Structure your stories with ACI Action. Context. Impact. What you did, why it mattered, and what changed. → Prep 3–5 stories in this format. You’ll use them everywhere. ✅ Share how you think Don’t just list steps. Show your decision-making. → “We had to choose between building in-house or buying. I mapped out long-term cost, bandwidth, and complexity…” ✅ Speak to high performance There’s a growing focus on hiring top performers. Show what that means in your context. → What did you take ownership of? Where did you go beyond your role? How did you raise the bar for others or level up your team? ✅ Connect your story to their business Loop back to something they said. → “This reminds me of a similar scaling challenge I tackled. Here’s how I approached it…” ✅ Refine how you talk about yourself You don’t need a TED Talk. Just a clear story. → “I’m a product marketer who thrives in early-stage teams. I love building from scratch and clarifying messy problems.” I’ve seen great candidates get passed on. Not because they weren’t qualified, but because they couldn’t clearly communicate what they’d done or how they think. It sucks. But it happens all the time. The gap isn’t always ability. It’s clarity. Framing. Relevance. Interviews aren’t just about what you’ve done. They’re about how well you help others see it. And that’s the part you can actually practice. What’s one interview tip or strategy that’s made a difference for you? Would love to hear what’s actually working. 👇