Let me start with a confession: I once showed up to a Starbucks interview wearing a full suit (complete with a paisley tie I borrowed from my dad) while the manager wore flip-flops. I spent 20 minutes robotically reciting memorized answers about being a "team player" until she gently asked, "You know we’re just hiring baristas, right?" Spoiler: I didn’t get the job.
But after a decade of fumbling through interviews (and later hiring folks myself for my small tech startup), I’ve learned it’s less about perfect answers and more about connection. Here’s what finally clicked for me:
1. The “STAR Method” isn’t just corporate jargon — but don’t sound like a TED Talk
I used to roll my eyes at this advice. Then I bombed a project manager interview by rambling for 7 minutes about a “challenging situation” without ever mentioning the actual result. My wife (bless her) made me practice stories like I was explaining a movie plot to a 12-year-old. Example:
- Situation: “When I coordinated our food drive during COVID…”
- Task: “…we had 24 hours to reroute donations after our freezer truck broke down.”
- Action: “I called 3 local U-Haul shops, promised to feature them on our Instagram, and got a van donated.”
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Result: “We fed 200 families that weekend — and U-Haul still sponsors us.”
Short, human, specific.
2. Research the company like you’re stalking their Instagram
Not just their “About Us” page. Find the vibe. For a startup interview last year, I noticed their CEO kept posting about pickleball. I casually mentioned my obsession with the local rec center’s tournaments mid-interview — the CTO lit up and spent 10 minutes talking paddles. Got the offer. Tools I use:
- LinkedIn “Alumni” filter to find shared connections
- Glassdoor reviews (sort by “cons” to avoid rose-colored glasses)
- Their competitors’ TikTok accounts (yes, seriously)
3. Your “weakness” isn’t “being a perfectionist” — get uncomfortably real
My go-to used to be “I work too hard” until a hiring manager deadpanned, “So… burnout risk?” Now I say: “I default to solving things alone. When I missed a deadline redesigning our volunteer portal solo, my team taught me to flag blockers sooner. Now I send Slack check-ins every Tuesday.” It’s vulnerable, shows growth, and — bonus — secretly compliments their culture.
4. Ask questions that make them sweat (politely)
Interviews are a first date. You’re sizing them up too. My favorites:
- “What’s something your team disagreed on last month, and how was it resolved?”
- “How do you celebrate wins here? (Besides the generic pizza parties…)”
- “What’s one thing you’d change about working here if you could?”
At my current job, the director laughed and said, “Our office coffee tastes like burnt rubber. We’re working on it.” Instant rapport.
Oh — and that flip-flop Starbucks manager?
We laughed about it years later when I stopped by for coffee. Turns out she’d wanted someone who’d geek out about latte art, not recite mission statements. Lesson learned: Interviews are just conversations with stakes. Prep like crazy, then talk like a human.
Your homework tonight:
- Record yourself answering “Why this role?” on your phone. Watch it once. Cringe. Try again.
- Find one niche thing about the company (their ESG report, a weird holiday party photo) to reference.
- Practice your handshake in the parking lot (10/10 managers notice dead fish grips).
You’ve got this. And if you blank mid-interview? Channel my post-suit shame and just say, “Can I take a breath and restart that?” Spoiler: They always say yes.