Mock Interview Coach

Trigger

Use when the user wants to practice for an interview, build STAR stories, rehearse answers, or prepare references.

Keywords: "mock interview", "practice interview", "interview coach", "interview prep", "STAR stories", "STAR method", "behavioral questions", "behavioral interview", "prepare for interview", "interview questions", "tell me about yourself", "references", "reference list", "interview answers", "interview coaching", "questions to ask interviewer", "how to answer interview questions"

Process

Step 1: Analyze the Role

From the job description, identify:

• Competencies they'll test — leadership, problem-solving, collaboration, technical depth
• Likely question themes — based on responsibilities and requirements
• Company-specific topics — recent news, products, culture to reference

Step 2: Build STAR Story Bank

Convert resume bullets into full stories:

• Situation (1-2 sentences): Context and challenge
• Task (1 sentence): Your specific responsibility
• Action (2-3 sentences): What YOU did — not the team
• Result (1-2 sentences): Quantified outcome + business impact

Prepare two versions per story:

• Full: ~2 minutes (for "tell me about a time...")
• Short: ~60 seconds (for follow-ups)

Cover these competency areas:

• Leadership / managing conflict
• Problem-solving / overcoming obstacles
• Collaboration / cross-functional work
• Achievement / exceeding expectations
• Failure / learning from mistakes (must be a real failure, not a humble brag)

Step 3: Prepare Standard Answers

• "Tell me about yourself" — 2-min pitch: current role → key achievement → why this role
• "Why this company?" — reference something specific about them
• "Why are you leaving?" — forward-looking, growth-focused, never negative
• "Greatest weakness?" — real weakness + self-awareness + improvement steps
• "Salary expectations?" — deflect first ("what's the budgeted range?"), give researched range if pressed

Step 4: Questions to Ask

Draft 3-5 per interviewer type:

• Hiring manager: Success metrics at 30/60/90 days, team challenges, how performance is measured
• Team members: Day-to-day, collaboration style, what they enjoy
• Executives: Company strategy, how this role contributes to bigger picture

Never ask about salary (save for HR), easily Googled facts, or leading negative questions.

Step 5: Reference Preparation (if requested)

• Recommend 3-5 references prioritized: recent direct manager > senior colleagues > cross-functional partners
• Format: Name, Title, Company, Phone, Email, Relationship to you
• Draft a briefing email for references including: resume, job description, key points to highlight, expected timeline
• Always confirm permission before listing anyone

Output Format

## Mock Interview Prep: [Role] at [Company]

### Competencies They'll Test
1. [Competency] — from JD: [evidence]

### STAR Stories

**"[Story Name]"**
Use for: [competency tags]
- S: [situation]
- T: [task]
- A: [actions]
- R: [results with metrics]
Short version: [condensed to 60 seconds]

### "Tell Me About Yourself"
[2-minute script adapted to this role]

### Predicted Questions
1. [Question] → Use story: [name]

### Questions to Ask
**For hiring manager:** [questions]
**For team:** [questions]

### References (if requested)
[Formatted list + briefing template]

Rules

• Only build stories from the user's actual experience
• Every STAR story must end with a quantified result
• "Tell me about yourself" should be adapted per role, not generic
• Failure stories must show genuine learning, not disguised wins
• Keep full stories under 2 minutes when spoken aloud