Say What You Actually Did
I've sat in countless interviews, and one thing always stands out: when someone can clearly and concisely communicate their experience. Why does it stand out? Because this is RARE.
I was in an interview recently where no matter how many different ways I asked the same question, I couldn't get a clear answer. And let me be specific about what that means, because it's not that they went silent. They gave me answers. They just weren't answering the question. They talked around it, circled back to the same few phrases, and left me piecing together the actual situation myself (I even fell into the trap of trying to answer it for them, which is what I call “leading the witness”… this is a big ‘no-no’ in recruitment!).
What I used to assume, and what I actually learned
Earlier in my recruitment career, I'll admit where my mind went in moments like that. I assumed the person was making it up. Or that the story wasn't really theirs, that they were borrowing a result from someone else on the team and presenting it as their own. Sometimes, honestly, that's exactly what's happening.
But over the years, I've learned that's the exception, not the rule. Far more often, the person in front of me isn't faking anything. They're nervous and just not a clear communicator, and nobody ever taught them that interviewing is its own skill, separate from the work itself. You can be excellent at your job and still be vague under pressure when someone asks you to explain it out loud.
That distinction changed how I interview. Instead of writing someone off after one soft answer, I ask a follow-up. Then sometimes another. In most interviews, I'll prompt one or two extra times per question, and it's rarely because I'm not interested. It's because I still don't have a full picture of the situation, the task, the action, or the result. I'd rather ask than assume, and I'd encourage anyone on the hiring side to do the same. But as a candidate, you shouldn't want to rely on me asking. You want to answer it clearly the first time.
The simplest fix: STAR… and a clock
I’ve talked about STAR before, and I’m sure I’ll talk about it again…. but here's a hot tip most candidates don't know: recruiters are trained to interview using the STAR method. So you might as well learn to answer that way too.
Situation: Set the stage. What was going on?
Task: What did you specifically need to do?
Action: What did you actually do?
Result: What happened because of it? This is the part people rush past, and it's the part that matters most.
Here's the hot take that goes with it: aim to get through all four within five minutes. Not thirty seconds, not fifteen minutes. Clear communication in an interview isn't just proving you know your own examples. It's a preview of what it'll be like to work with you. If you can walk someone through a complex project in a few clear minutes, that tells me you'll be able to do the same thing in a status update or a client meeting.
Watch the filler
Alongside "force multiplier," here's a short list of phrases that sound impressive and say almost nothing: "we made it happen," "move the needle," "wear a lot of hats," "hit the ground running," "think outside the box." None of these are wrong to feel. They're just not answers. If a phrase could sit comfortably in almost any interview for almost any role, it isn't doing any work for you specifically.
The goal in every answer, every time, is relational, clear, and outcome focused. Relational means I understand your actual role, not just the team's. Clear means I'm not asking three follow-ups to find the story underneath the sentence. Outcome focused means you land on the result, with a number or a concrete change attached to it wherever you can.
"I haven't experienced that, but here's how I'd approach it"
One more thing worth saying plainly. If a question lands on something you genuinely haven't done, don't reach for filler to cover the gap. Say so, and then tell me how you'd think it through. "I haven't run into that exact situation, but based on something similar I handled, here's how I'd approach it" is a far stronger answer than a vague, generic response that leaves me wondering if you're making it up as you go. Honesty about a gap, paired with a clear line of reasoning, tells me more about how you'll perform on the job than a manufactured example ever could.
Why this matters more than people think
This is part of why communicators like Vanessa Van Edwards, Jefferson Fisher, and Vinh Giang have built such large followings. Verbal and non-verbal communication isn't a soft skill sitting off to the side, it's a huge part of how people judge competence, trust, and fit in a matter of minutes. An interview is one of the highest-stakes conversations most people will have in a given year, and very few of us were ever taught how to have it well.
Practice, and a shortcut worth trying
Interviewing is a skill, and like any skill, it gets better with repetition. Recording yourself answering "tell me about a time you..." out loud and listening back is still one of the fastest ways to catch filler before an interviewer does. Another pro tip: you may want to have a glass of wine reasy as you watch this back (it’s uncomfortable at first!).
If you want a head start, here's a practical use for AI: upload your resume and the job posting to your AI of choice, and ask it to generate five to seven questions the company is likely to ask to assess your fit and whether your background matches what they're looking for. Then practice your STAR answers against those specific questions, out loud, with a timer running. You'll walk in already having said the hard part once.
Jody Bomhof is the Founder of Momentum Talent Solutions Inc., a boutique Canadian contract talent placement firm specializing in strategic placements for HR, Marketing, and AI professionals. When she is not writing about the interview moments that stay with her longer than she would like, she is out on the golf course or spending time with her daughter, where knowing when to stop talking is also, it turns out, a useful skill.
Ready to find a role where your communication style is actually an asset? Reach out at info@momentumtalent.ca. We would love to be in your corner..
