Interview preparation remains the busiest part of my business. My advice to clients is often: “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Interview preparation remains the busiest part of my business. My advice to clients is often: “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Most people do not wake up on interview day excited to talk about their achievements in front of a panel. Selling your skills can feel awkward and daunting, even when you know you can do the job.

Feeling nervous is normal. Preparation helps you show the panel what you can offer. For a competency-based interview, I suggest:

🔑 Choose examples that closely match the role. Use STAR to give each answer a clear structure: Situation, Task, Action and Result. Spend most of your time on what you did and the difference it made.

🔑 Practice telling your story aloud. I often hear strong examples buried in long answers that go down rabbit holes. Find the thread of the story and bring the panel with you.

🔑 Get in the zone. Give yourself a few quiet minutes beforehand. Put your phone away, take a breath and focus on the conversation ahead.

🔑 Bring some life to your answer. Let your voice reflect the challenge, the decisions you made and the outcome. Make eye contact, use natural gestures and pause when a point needs a moment to land.

You do not need to perform. You do need to let the panel hear the person behind the example. An interview panel may be listening to answers all day.

A clear, honest story told with energy is easier to follow and remember. You can feel uncomfortable and still give an excellent interview.

If you have an interview coming up and would like help preparing, get in touch:
📧 [email protected]