The Ultimate Cheat Sheet to creating your Master Interview Script
Interview preparation for the aspirationally slightly-above-average of us.
In a recent career coaching session, a client confessed,
“But I’ll feel like I’m cheating! Which is silly. It’s not cheating. But it feels like it.”
It was an Aha! moment after I had encouraged him to document common interview Q&A and then rehearse, a lot. It wasn’t difficult to see that when he was nervous, he rambled a bit. He would bring great experience and a strong skillset to his next gig; he just needed to structure his thinking more and “land the plane” faster.
All the world’s a stage
I think of interviewing in a similar way as auditioning for a play.
During the casting phase, you’re provided with audition instructions and the character descriptions, specifying age range, gender, other physical characteristics, accent, etc. for each role. You’re also told to be prepared to give a 1-2 minute monologue and/or read from the script.
In job hunting land, why wouldn’t you have these things as well?
If . . .
Audition » Interview
Then . . .
Character description » Job description
Monologue/Script » Master Interview Script
And . . .
Rehearsals until you’re off-script » Practice until you don’t need notes
Perform in front of an audience » Answer and converse with interviewer(s) naturally*
So let’s break down the steps needed to create your Master Interview Script (MIS). And in the next post, I share how to ace the standard questions—with tips on how to craft your answers from my own personal script that I’ve honed over the past two decades.
* Side note #1: When I say “script” I mean it in the same way you would use a script in rehearsing to perform in a play. When you are interviewing (especially over video), you absolutely need to be off-script. The primary goal of an interview is to connect with the interviewer. Close second is determining if it’s a mutual fit. The interviewer will know if you’re reading your answers and find it distracting and disingenuous.
Side note #2: I say this is “interview preparation for the aspirationally slightly-above-average of us” because I’ve seen coaches online who want their clients to do 10+ hours of prep for each job application. If you have the time and patience for that, go for it. If you don’t, you’re in the right place. The MIS is something you can create once, use as space for capturing continuous inspiration, and then quickly refresh each time you go into “job search mode.” Your overall preparation should become more and more streamlined as you refine your MIS and then have it to review and rehearse with prior to an interview.
Steps to create your Master Interview Script
There are five steps to creating your very own Master Interview Script.
When you’re finished, your document will have the sections shown below.
1. Create and answer “Job-specific Questions”
Choose three job descriptions (JDs) that are most representative of your next dream role. These can be from LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, etc.
At least one JD should scare you a little.
Copy them into your new document under the first section and edit them down. Mostly you’ll save the bullet points.
Combine duplicate requirements across the JDs.
Now take each of the JD bullets and turn them into role-specific questions.
Example:
JD requirement: Drive scalable processes and innovation around the product development cycle
MIS question: Describe how you rolled out a new or transformed an existing PDLC. What was the result?
You may want to add a few different questions for more complex JD bullet points.
Even if you don’t anticipate the exact questions, you’ll be more prepared to answer whatever “Can you fulfill this part of the JD?” question the interviewers throw at you.
Begin writing answers to the questions.
This can be in bullet form (talking points) or paragraph form.
Aim for 2-3 minute answers (if you’re writing full paragraphs, 300-400 words max)
Absolutely use ChatGPT or Bard to help you write!
One-and-done approach. Yes, you can do this step for each new job opportunity but assuming you’re interviewing for generally the same role, you really only need to do this once. You can always quickly check the specific JD you’re applying for to see if there’s anything unique you should prepare for.
2. Add and answer the “Standard Questions”
There are only about 10-12 standard interview questions. Here are the ones from my personal MIS.
*** READ THE NEXT POST FOR ALL THE DETAILS! ***In the next post, I detail out variations of these questions, what the interviewers are looking for in your answer, and exactly how to answer each question. I also include specific examples from my own, personal Master Interview Script.
Tell me about yourself.
Why did you leave your last company?
What are you looking for in your next company / role?
What are your long-term career goals?
What is your greatest strength / weakness?
Describe your management style.
Tell me about a recent success.
Tell me about a recent failure and what you learned.
What would X say about you regarding Y?
Tell me about a time you dealt with conflict.
How do you stay up-to-date in your field?
What are your compensation requirements?
After you write your answers to these, you can definitely add more standard interview questions to your MIS. But throughout my career, I’ve answered these ones >100 times, so start here. After all . . .
3. Document your “S.T.A.R.R. Stories”
When you hear “S.T.A.R.R. Stories,” don’t overthink them and . . . yes, they are hard to write. Hard because they require you to tell stories about yourself where YOU are the star. You’re the lead in the play. You’re the center of attention. You’re a big deal.
So write this section of your MIS when you’re feeling confident and content.
What it means
S.T.A.R.R. stands for
Situation
Task
Action
Results
Reflection
You want to answer the following questions, succinctly, when you use this format:
What general context does the interviewer need to understand?
Set the stage briefly, including any results baselines.What problem needed to be solved and why?
Frame it in the positive. “I saw an opportunity to increase user adoption on a product line that was <75% N$R.”What did you do to solve the problem?
Be specific about your role in the solution. This isn’t the time for a lot of “We . . .” or “The team . . . .” Include any significant failures or pivots along the way.What were the results?
Be as specific as possible. Numbers are great for business outcomes and think about the customer outcomes and impact as well, even if it’s not quantifiable.What did you learn?
“If I could do it all again, I would do one thing differently . . .”
How to write them
I prefer to back into these by first asking myself . . .
What are my biggest career achievements?
What are the critical learning opportunities I’ve had?
What are the major inflection points of my career?
So instead of working off of a list, like, I need a story for this type of question, for that type of question, and this one, I like to think about what I want to share. This is also called “controlling the narrative.”
Document at least 7 meaty, recent S.T.A.R.R. stories. With these, I promise you’ll be able to answer any flavor of, “Tell me about a time” questions. For the next section, you’ll want to number them.
*** In the next post, you’ll notice that many of the Standard Questions can be answered with a S.T.A.R.R. story.
How to use them
No matter what someone asks me, whether it’s a job description-specific question, a standard interview question, or a values-based question, I have my stories at the ready.
In addition, most interviewers prefer conducting interviews that feel more like a conversation than an interrogation. One way you can create this as an interviewee is to organically pivot to your S.T.A.R.R. stories. This takes practice and you always want to cue off of the interviewer. (I.e., Don’t speed ahead or interrupt.) If you’re given a softball question, end by stating, “That’s a fairly straightforward example. I’d like to share a more complex example that highlights my ability to influence across departments.”
Here’s another tactic:
Interviewer: “From your resume, it looks like you have some great experience in B2B enterprise SaaS product management. I’d like to dive in on that, um, where to begin?” (trails off, searching for the right question)
Interviewee: “I can start us off by sharing the product launch I’m most proud of—which was also the most difficult one!”
Interviewer: “Great! Yes, I’d love to hear about it.”
Interviewee: “I was a Director of Product Management with a team of 10, and I was responsible for . . .”
4. Refresh the “Values Matrix” (per company)
Your S.T.A.R.R. stories are going to serve you well for this one, too.
Why you need it
During the interview process, a “Values fit” assessment will either be done throughout the process or as a separate, dedicated interview. For the latter, you may meet with one or more ERG or DEI leaders. In order to do well with either approach, you need to know the Company Values and if they are something you believe in or want to work to align with.
How to create it
Here’s how to create a “Values Matrix:”
For each job opportunity, find the “Company Values” on the Careers page of their website. If you can’t find the list, ask the recruiter.
Now list out in a table the Company Value (e.g., “Win Together”); the Description or behaviors; and then your relevant S.T.A.R.R. Story # (e.g., “Story #3”).
If you don’t have one that fits well, add a placeholder to the section above and work on crafting another story.
Note: I like to create this matrix in a separate document that’s specific to that job opportunity.
How to approach “Values fit” interviews
A dedicated “Values fit” interview is a great opportunity to really show your human side. I show emotion pretty easily so it’s not uncommon for me to tear up when I start talking about my family or the most difficult experience I’ve had as a people leader. You can leverage professional stories but also consider personal stories and sharing your core beliefs.
5. Capture your “Questions to Ask”
*** DO NOT SKIP THIS SECTION ***
One of the biggest misses I see in interviews is the part at the end where, as the Hiring Manager, I ask, “What questions do you have for me?” and the candidate says,
“I don’t have any questions. What’s next in the interview process?”
Don’t throw away this standard question! Because it’s not just about whether you have questions. (And you can come across as too eager / desperate.) How you respond and the quality of your questions are still being judged as part of the interview process.
Instead of hearing, “What questions do you have for me?” at the end of an interview, translate it to
“What do you care about deeply? How do you make informed decisions aligned with what you care about?”
Tips for writing your “Questions to Ask”
Create a master list of your crucial questions. While there are many question lists online and I could share all of mine, these should be rooted in what you care about.
Start with your dealbreakers. Your time for questions will be limited. This isn’t about open, unlimited curiosity. What do you need to know to make the best decision?
Ask the recruiter who you’ll be meeting with during the process. Begin dividing up your master list under each person. Aim for 2-3 questions per person or panel.
I always ask each person some version of the question, “What do you need most from this role?”
Pro move (after you’ve gotten further along in the interview) is to ask to meet with 1-2 more people than the recruiter initially states. Especially if you have questions that will be difficult for the current list to answer.
For Product people, always ask for a product demo!
During each interview, make note of 1-2 additional questions for the end based on what the interviewer shares.
My favorite question for interviewers is, “Fill in the blank: Don’t take this job if ________.” I’ve gotten some of the best answers to my dealbreakers from this open-ended “Convince me not to join you” prompt.
You asked, they answered, now what?
Write down notes about their responses. These will be important if you end up getting the job. Everything starts to blend together when you’re interviewing. You will forget.
Cap your questions to 4 or 5 per person.
Keep an eye on the clock. Leave a few minutes for wrapping up and next steps. You can always ask if the person has a few more minutes for questions (or fully take advantage if it’s clear they want to keep the conversation going past the end time).
If the interviewer says, “If you think of any more questions, please feel free to email me,” email them! Ask 1-2 more questions in writing. I do this every time someone makes this offer and I get a response maybe 50% of the time. But it’s still worth it.
I have my MIS, now what?
Congratulations! You now have your very own Master Interview Script. You have five beautifully crafted sections:
Job-specific Questions (Start with 3 representative JDs)
Standard Questions (See the next post to learn how to ace these questions)
S.T.A.R.R. Stories (At least 7 stories where you’re the star!)
Values Matrix (May be in separate doc per job opp)
Questions to Ask (Master list, then divided up by interviewer in separate doc per job opp)
Now what?
Rehearse-Refine-Repeat
Rehearsing your script can be done in a few different ways:
By yourself, either out loud or reading it repeatedly.
With someone you trust who will give you constructive feedback.
With recruiters for jobs you’re on the fence about or know you don’t care about as much. (Try different approaches and make note of how they react.)
The goal is to be completely off-script (not reliant on your MIS or any notes) by the time you are interviewing for real.
Now keep refining your answers and updating your MIS regularly! Ways to do this:
Lean on LinkedIn. Follow the top voices in your field and industry on LinkedIn. Note posts, articles, or podcasts that inspire you. Add keywords, phrases, concepts to your MIS. If they are a well-known authority, reference the author in your answers. “I really like so-and-so’s perspective on this topic. Here’s how I applied what I learned from them when solving X problem at my last company. . . .”
Self-taught takeaways. After you take a new course or training, or read a book, add the source and a few key takeaways to your MIS. This ensures you won’t forget how they’ve influenced you when you are refreshing your answers.
Capture what you hear. Notice any “spark” you feel when you hear a new phrase or framework at work that simplifies something that’s been difficult for you to communicate succinctly. Document it and in the future you may have a way to apply it to a S.T.A.R.R. story or other answer.
Inspo from interviewing. When you’re hiring or on an interview panel, pay attention to particularly interesting or unique ways someone answers a question and make a note in your MIS to apply it to relevant sections. (Same goes for interesting and unique questions you’re asked as you interview with various companies. Write down any questions that you didn’t feel as prepared for.)
Keep going until you have your script down pat!
I always say that . . .
“Every interview for a job you don’t get will feel like a grueling rehearsal until the job you get. Those interviews will feel like an easy performance in front of a standing-ovation audience!”
