“Can you send me a list of interview questions to practice?”

To be honest, I hate this question.

Here’s why.

There are thousands of questions that could get asked in an interview. There is NO WAY that you’ll be able to adequately prepare for every single one.

It’s a waste of your time AND it’s stress inducing.

Here’s what I recommend instead.

1. Select Your Top Career Stories

Start by defining your top 5-8 career stories that are relevant to the role.

(when I say “relevant” I mean that these stories should either be about the direct experience you have or the transferable skills you possess that will make you a top candidate).

Once you’ve identified these stories, the first step is to write them out in this format.

1. Headline (H)
2. Challenge (C)
3. Actions (A)
4. Lessons Learned - or link to the job (L)

These become your primary stories to practice and tell.

Now to take your preparation one step further.

2. Identify The Top Skills To Demonstrate

Upload the job posting to ChatGPT and query “Summarize the top 10 skills required to be successful in this job”.

Now that you’ve identified the top skills you need to demonstrate, analyze the 5-8 career stories you identified in step 1. Determine which story maps best back to each skill.

Ideally, you should be able to speak to 8-10 of the skills summarized.

Now the fun part.

3. Re-Write Your Career Stories Featuring Each Skill

Let’s use an example.

Let’s say that you identified a new market for your company’s product. You had to conduct research, build a financial model and persuade leadership to invest $3M to capture this market. The result was outstanding. The investment outperformed expectations and resulted in $7M in topline sales within 1 year.

This is your core story.

Based on Step 2, you know that you need to demonstrate analytical skills and persuasion skills in your career stories.

In this story you utilized both skillsets.

To properly demonstrate your abilities, you craft two HCARL statements; 1) Focused on your analytical prowess 2) Highlighting your persuasion skills.

Let me show you what this looks like.

Story 1 Featuring Analysis & Research Skills

Headline:
​Conducted thorough market analysis and financial modeling to secure $3M in funding for an untapped market, resulting in $7M in sales within the first year.

Challenge:
​Our company identified a potential new market opportunity, but senior leadership was hesitant to approve the $3M investment needed to develop sales infrastructure. The market was relatively untested, and there was no historical data to indicate a clear path to success. Leadership required a detailed, data-driven analysis to be convinced that this high-risk venture would generate substantial ROI and align with the company's strategic goals.

Action:
​I began by leading an exhaustive market analysis to quantify the opportunity. I researched market size, trends, and competitive landscape to assess demand. I also analyzed consumer behavior and purchasing patterns, identifying key gaps where our product could meet unmet needs. Additionally, I conducted a SWOT analysis to assess risks and opportunities in the market.

Building on this research, I developed a comprehensive financial model that projected revenue, costs, and potential ROI for various scenarios, factoring in different levels of market penetration, pricing strategies, and operational costs. The model included sensitivity analyses to demonstrate how changes in key variables (e.g., market adoption rate, competitive actions) could impact profitability.

To validate the investment thesis, I created a proof of concept (POC) by launching a limited pilot program. This allowed us to gather real-time data on customer interest, engagement, and early sales figures. The POC not only provided insight into the market’s potential but also helped me refine the financial projections to reflect more accurate growth estimates.

I prepared a presentation that distilled this analysis into actionable insights, showing both the upside potential and calculated risks. I addressed leadership’s concerns head-on, demonstrating how my analysis had accounted for uncertainties and highlighting the opportunity for a first-mover advantage.

Result:
​By providing a data-backed analysis, I was able to persuade senior leadership to move forward with the $3M investment. The market strategy proved highly successful, achieving $7M in sales within the first year—more than doubling our initial revenue projections. The investment not only delivered immediate financial results but also laid the groundwork for long-term market leadership.

Lessons Learned:
​I learned that comprehensive market research and robust financial modeling are critical to influencing high-stakes investment decisions. The ability to turn complex data into clear, compelling insights gave leadership confidence in the strategy. Additionally, running a pilot test before full-scale investment was a valuable risk mitigation strategy, as it validated the potential and adjusted projections to better reflect real-world conditions.

Story 2 Featuring Persuasion Skills

Headline:
​Persuaded senior leadership to approve a $3M investment in an unproven market by addressing key concerns and demonstrating high potential ROI.

Challenge:
​Our company identified a promising new market with high growth potential, but there was considerable skepticism among senior leadership about making the $3M investment needed to build out the sales infrastructure. Key stakeholders were concerned about the lack of historical data and market precedent, and there were competing priorities for the company’s capital. The challenge was to overcome these objections and secure alignment on this high-risk initiative.

Action:
​Recognizing the need to persuade diverse stakeholders, I took a multi-faceted approach to address their concerns. First, I conducted in-depth market research and analysis, gathering competitive intelligence and identifying growth opportunities that we could exploit. I also developed a detailed proof of concept (POC) and financial model that illustrated potential revenue forecasts, incorporating risk mitigation strategies.

To support my case, I engaged with stakeholders individually, understanding their specific concerns. For example, I met with the CFO to ensure our financial projections aligned with the company's broader objectives, and I worked closely with the product team to demonstrate how our solution could meet unmet needs in the market. I also tailored presentations to address both the financial and strategic priorities of senior leadership.

In a final presentation, I used storytelling and data visualization to paint a clear picture of how the investment could drive long-term growth, framed the potential return on investment (ROI), and positioned this as a unique window of opportunity. I also highlighted that competitors had not yet entered this market, reinforcing the urgency of acting now.

Result:
​After addressing their concerns and building confidence in the opportunity, I successfully persuaded senior leadership to approve the $3M investment. Within the first year, the new market initiative generated $7M in sales—more than double the forecasted revenue—and established a foundation for continued growth. This success also increased my credibility with the executive team, leading to additional opportunities to champion future initiatives.

Lessons Learned:
​I learned that stakeholder persuasion requires a deep understanding of individual concerns, coupled with a well-crafted business case that aligns with both financial and strategic goals. Personalizing communication, addressing objections head-on, and reinforcing the sense of urgency were key tactics in moving the decision from hesitation to a confident “yes.” This experience emphasized that persuasion is not just about the numbers but about framing the narrative in a way that resonates with the audience’s priorities.

Do you see how this SAME STORY can be hold two different ways?

This is the key to becoming a rockstar interviewer. It’s your ability to nimbly highlight the right skills to in a story format to demonstrate you’re the top candidate for the role.

Is this something you’ve tried before? If so, I’d love to hear how it went for you. Reply to this email and share your experience.

In the meantime, happy preparing for your next interview. I’m confident that you’ll nail your next interview with this approach.

Until next week,

Beckie
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