Interview Preparation

Turn experience into compelling interview performance.

Interview Types

Type	Focus	Preparation
Behavioral	Past experiences, soft skills	Story bank, STAR method
Technical	Skills assessment, problem-solving	Practice problems, fundamentals
Portfolio/Case	Work samples, process	Presentation prep, talking points
Culture Fit	Values alignment, team dynamics	Company research, questions
Executive	Leadership, vision	Strategic narratives

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Story Banking

The STAR Method

Situation: Set the context (brief)
Task: Your specific responsibility
Action: What YOU did (detailed)
Result: Quantified outcome + learning

The CAR Variant

Challenge: Problem faced
Action: Steps taken
Result: Outcome achieved

Story Bank Template

Build 8-12 stories covering:

Category	Example Prompts
Leadership	Led team, made tough call, influenced without authority
Conflict	Disagreement with colleague, difficult stakeholder
Failure	Mistake made, project that failed, lesson learned
Achievement	Proudest accomplishment, exceeded expectations
Initiative	Self-started project, identified opportunity
Collaboration	Cross-functional work, built relationships
Problem-solving	Ambiguous situation, creative solution
Growth	Learned new skill, received feedback, adapted

Story Format

## [Story Title]

**Tags**: #leadership #conflict #technical

**STAR**:
- **Situation**: [2-3 sentences of context]
- **Task**: [Your specific role/responsibility]
- **Action**: [Detailed steps YOU took—use "I" not "we"]
- **Result**: [Quantified outcome + what you learned]

**Variations**: Can adapt for questions about [X], [Y], [Z]

**Duration**: ~2 minutes when told aloud

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Common Question Patterns

Opening Questions

Question	What They Want	Strategy
"Tell me about yourself"	Relevant narrative	Present → Past → Future (2 min)
"Walk me through your resume"	Career logic	Transitions + growth + why here
"Why this role/company?"	Genuine interest	Specific research + fit

Behavioral Questions

Pattern	Example	Story Category
"Tell me about a time when..."	...you led a team	Leadership
"Describe a situation where..."	...you faced conflict	Conflict
"Give an example of..."	...a difficult decision	Problem-solving
"What would you do if..."	...deadline was impossible	Hypothetical (use real example)

Challenging Questions

Question	Strategy
"What's your greatest weakness?"	Real weakness + mitigation steps
"Why did you leave X?"	Positive framing, growth focus
"Why the gap in employment?"	Honest + productive use of time
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"	Ambitious but realistic, aligned with role

Questions to Ask Them

Role Understanding:

• "What does success look like in the first 90 days?"
• "What are the biggest challenges facing the team?"
• "How is performance measured?"

Team/Culture:

• "Can you describe the team I'd be working with?"
• "What's the collaboration style here?"
• "How does the team handle disagreements?"

Growth:

• "What growth opportunities exist?"
• "How do people typically advance?"
• "What learning resources are available?"

Closer:

• "Is there anything about my background that gives you pause?"
• "What are the next steps in the process?"

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Technical Interview Prep

Coding Interviews

1. Clarify the problem (ask questions)
2. Work through examples
3. Explain your approach before coding
4. Write clean code, talk through it
5. Test with edge cases
6. Analyze complexity (time/space)

System Design

1. Clarify requirements (functional + non-functional)
2. Estimate scale (users, data, QPS)
3. High-level design (components, data flow)
4. Deep dive on key components
5. Address bottlenecks, trade-offs
6. Discuss monitoring, failure modes

Technical Discussion

• Know your resume deeply—anything listed is fair game
• Prepare to explain past projects in detail
• Have opinions on tools/technologies (with reasoning)
• Admit what you don't know, show how you'd learn

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Portfolio Review Prep

Presentation Structure

1. Brief intro (30 sec)
2. Project 1: Deep dive (5-7 min)
   - Context + challenge
   - Your role + process
   - Key decisions + rationale
   - Results + learnings
3. Project 2: Medium depth (3-5 min)
4. Project 3: Overview (2-3 min)
5. Q&A (remaining time)

Talking Points Per Project

• Why you chose this project to show
• What made it challenging
• Decisions you made and why
• What you'd do differently
• How it relates to their needs

Common Portfolio Questions

• "Walk me through your process"
• "What was the biggest challenge?"
• "How did you handle feedback/pushback?"
• "What would you do differently?"
• "How did you measure success?"

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Company Research

Before the Interview

Research	Where to Find
Company mission/values	About page, annual report
Recent news	Google News, press releases
Products/services	Website, product pages
Competitors	Industry analysis
Interviewer background	LinkedIn
Glassdoor reviews	Interview questions, culture
Company challenges	News, earnings calls

Synthesis Questions

• How does this role contribute to their mission?
• What challenges might they be facing?
• Why might they be hiring for this role now?
• What unique value can I bring?

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Salary Negotiation

Research Phase

• Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Payscale for ranges
• Consider: location, company stage, your experience
• Know your minimum, target, and stretch numbers

Negotiation Principles

1. Don't give a number first (if possible)
2. Anchor high (within reason)
3. Negotiate the whole package (base, equity, bonus, benefits, start date)
4. Get it in writing
5. Be gracious regardless of outcome

Scripts

When asked for expectations early:

"I'm focused on finding the right fit. I'm confident we can find something that works if we're aligned on the role. What's the range budgeted for this position?"

Responding to an offer:

"Thank you, I'm excited about this opportunity. I'd like to take some time to review the full package. When do you need a response?"

Counter-offering:

"I'm very excited about joining [Company]. Based on my research and the value I'll bring, I was hoping for [X]. Is there flexibility there?"

If they can't move on salary:

"I understand the constraints. Are there other elements we could discuss—signing bonus, equity, PTO, start date, or title?"

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Day-of Checklist

Before

• Review company research notes
• Review your story bank
• Prepare questions to ask
• Test tech setup (if virtual)
• Prepare materials (resume, portfolio, notes)
• Plan arrival (15 min early)
• Dress appropriately

During

• Listen fully before answering
• Ask for clarification if needed
• Use specific examples
• Show enthusiasm
• Take notes
• Ask your prepared questions

After

• Send thank-you within 24 hours
• Note what went well/poorly
• Follow up on timeline given

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References

• references/story-bank-template.md

  - Full story bank format

• references/question-bank.md

  - 100+ common questions

• references/follow-up-templates.md

  - Thank you and follow-up emails