When a recruiter or hiring manager asks you a situational or behavioral question, (e.g. “How would you…,“Tell me about a time when…”), it is often framed as though they want to sit down for story time—waiting to be enthralled by grand tales of how you navigated through the treacherous Ambiguity Pass, negotiated a peace accord between the embattled Project Management Alliance and the Stakeholder Coalition for Competing Priorities, or plundered the hoarded gold of the Chief Executive Dragon.
Though spinning your skills in such epic fashion isn’t what interviewers are looking for, interviewing is about storytelling, and good storytelling is about human connection. And in an interview, that is exactly what you’re trying to do—establish a connection with someone with whom you want to work.
So, you do want to tell a good story, but to really answer the question that is being asked, make sure you answer what isn’t being asked.
What Interviewers Are Really Asking
Behavioral and situational questions are a staple in most interviews, as their intent is to surface your real-world experiences and decision-making processes. Behind every “Tell me about a time when…” is the important, unspoken question:
“What did you learn from that experience, and how will you apply it here?”
When you prepare to tell a story from your professional life, the story is merely the delivery vehicle. The insight and proactive application of your skills are what will connect with and leave a lasting impression on those interviewing you.
Tell a Story That Sticks
In grade school, we learned that classic storytelling follows a common structure – exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution. Similarly, when interviewing, your stories should also be structured. Since you only have a few minutes to answer, there are many interview answer frameworks to help you tell what is essentially a short story. Frameworks like STAR, SOAR, PAR, or PARADE, to name a few, give your answers a beginning-to-end arc that’s easy for interviewers to follow and remember.
Which Framework Should You Use to Tell Your Story?
There are many interview answer frameworks, but for our purposes here, let’s focus on the four mentioned above.
STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result
STAR is the most well-known and likely most-used framework for structuring your answers to general situational or behavioral interview questions. It’s straightforward, adaptable, and a great choice for when you’re interviewing for roles where the scope and execution are clear.
Situation – Set
the scene. Where were you, and what was happening?
Task – What were
you responsible for? What needed to be done?
Action – What
specific steps did you take?
Result – What
happened as a result of your actions?
STAR helps you showcase personal contribution in a team or project context. It's particularly useful for questions like:
“Tell me about a time you led a project.”
“Give me an example of how you met a tight deadline.”
SOAR: Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result
SOAR is a modification of the STAR framework, and is a great option for stories that highlight your problem solving skills, resilience, and/or creativity.
Situation –
Introduce the scenario.
Obstacle – What
challenge or complication arose?
Action – How did
you respond?
Result – What was
the outcome?
Use SOAR when adversity, tension, or difficulty is central to the story you want to tell, such as for questions like:
"Describe a time you faced a major challenge at work.”
“How do you handle conflict or setbacks?”
PAR: Project/Problem, Action, Result
The PAR framework is great option for giving quick and concise answers during screening or other short interviews, Use PAR for technical questions, or questions that ask about execution- or outcome-driven projects.
Project/Problem –
Describe the task or challenge.
Action – What did
you do?
Result – What
changed?
Since PAR is lean and to the point, it’s great for questions like:
“Tell me how you improved a process.”
“Walk me through a project you led.”
PARADE: Problem, Anticipated consequence, Role, Action, Decision, End result
Queue up the PARADE when complex decisions, leadership, or strategic thinking is the highlight of your story.
Problem – What
issue needed to be addressed?
Anticipated consequence – What would happen if it wasn’t resolved?
Role – What was
your position or responsibility?
Action – What did
you do?
Decision – What
key decision(s) did you make?
End result – What
was the outcome?
PARADE is an excellent option for nuanced situations where the stakes were high, your judgment was tested, and your decision-making skill are important. Ideal for questions like:
“Tell me about a time you made a difficult decision.”
“Describe a situation where you had to balance competing priorities.”
These frameworks help you avoid rambling or getting stuck in the unnecessary details. They keep the focus on what matters: what you did, how you did it, and what changed because of it.
Telling a good story is important, but it’s only the setup. Your pitch comes after.
Stories That Sell Include the Sequel
When asked a situation or behavioral interview questions, candidates tend to end their answer with the outcome of the story they’re telling. And that makes sense. Someone asks for a story, so you give them one. But to give a little Hollywood polish, to sell your story to the person who will “green light” your employment, give them a preview of the sequel—you working beside them, being amazing.
First, transition from your story to what you learned with lines like:
“What I took away from that experience was...”
“Since then, I’ve made it a habit to…”
“That challenge helped me rethink how I…”
Then, outline with what you learned, by highlighting it clearly and systemically, such as:
“...when faced with X, I evaluate three things: A, B, and C. Then, I use that information to do Y.”
This is where you demonstrate reflection, self-awareness, and adaptability that will catch the attention of your interviewers.
Bring It Back to the Role
Once you’ve reflected on what you learned, close the loop by connecting it to the role you’re interviewing for. This is your chance to prove demonstrate you’re already imagining yourself in the role, and giving them a mental image of what that looks like.
Examples:
“I see this role involving a lot of cross-functional collaboration, and I’d apply what I learned from that experience to make communication smoother across teams by...”
“Since this team values initiative, I’d draw on what I learned about navigating ambiguity through my ability to...”
The connection you make between your past and their present need is where your answer becomes powerful and memorable.
Craft, Polish, and Rehearse
Unless you’re a natural a telling a compelling story, preparation and practice is key to great storytelling in an interview. To prepare:
- Review the job description to identify the themes, competencies, and challenges the role emphasizes (e.g., leadership collaboration, initiative, technical skills, etc.).
- Based on your review, brainstorm 5–7 stories from your experience, each covering a different theme.
- Reflect on what you learned in each story.
- Write our your story using one of the frame works above, not to memorize, but to simply get the words and story structure in your short term memory.
- Rehearse out loud, either alone in a mirror, or with another person like a coach, partner, or colleague so you can get some feedback.
Your Career Is a Story. Make It Compelling
Interviewing is your chance to shape how others see your professional story. Use each story as a window into how you think, what you’ve learned, and how you’ll make their team stronger.
Your goal is to not just prove you’ve done the job before, but to show you’re ready to do it again, and this time, even better.
