I have this template in two formats, and with example questions. Feel free to copy this page to your own spreadsheet or Notion page to get started. You can write out full sentences to answer the question now, or simply bullet points to get your thoughts going as a reference for the future. 💻
Either of the below formats is common for talking through a situation where you proved your expertise and ownership in a particular situation that an interviewer is asking you about. The columns help you break down the situation into talking points that you talk through from left to right.
| Category | Question/Project | Background | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Management | Tell me about a project that you worked on that had multiple moving parts - people, deadlines? | |||
| Requirements Gathering | When you begin a new project, which types of requirements do you gather? Use a specific example from your experience. |
| Category | Question/Project | Situation | Task | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication | Describe a time when you had to deliver a presentation. How did you explain technical details to a non-technical audience? | ||||
| Design | Describe a test procedure which you developed or revised. How did your development/revision benefit your company? |
Both are common and helpful. Use whichever one feels right for you.
💫 Jen Tips ✨: I added in the Category column to help with sorting across a variety of questions, as I like to keep them in a larger sheet for reference. Feel free to add more columns or detail as it makes sense for you. My own sheet has added columns for Timeframe (as in, what year did it happen as I have a tough time remembering dates, so this helps for me) and Story Summary, to create a final overall and more succinct summary to avoid going into too much of the weeds. Another column with details about the job, project, or company could also help. You can make this as custom to you as you like, so please do!