“Tell me about a time when you faced a challenging situation at work.”
That interview question used to send me into a mental scramble, searching for examples while simultaneously trying to figure out what the interviewer really wanted to know. My answers were rambling, unfocused, and forgettable.
Then I discovered Pixar’s storytelling formula, and everything changed.
For the unfamiliar, Pixar’s basic story structure goes like this: Once upon a time, there was ______. Every day, ______. Until one day ______. Because of that, ______. Because of that, ______. Until finally ______.
I adapted this for job interviews, and suddenly my examples became compelling narratives rather than disjointed facts. Here’s how it works in practice:
Traditional (forgettable) answer: “Yes, I’ve handled difficult clients. There was this one client who was unhappy with our deliverables. I talked to them, figured out what they wanted, and fixed the issues. They ended up being satisfied with our work.”
Pixar-method answer: “I was managing our largest e-commerce account worth $2M annually. Every month, we’d deliver analytics reports without issues. Until one day, the client’s new CMO called me directly, saying our reports were ‘useless’ and threatening to cancel the contract within 30 days.
Because of that, I scheduled an emergency meeting to understand their specific concerns. I discovered the CMO needed different metrics that aligned with their new business objectives.
Because of that, I rebuilt our reporting dashboard over the weekend, incorporating their KPIs while maintaining data integrity.
Until finally, not only did they renew the contract, but the CMO specifically requested me for two additional projects, increasing our revenue by 40%.”
See the difference? The structure forces you to include the context, challenge, actions, and results in a natural flow that humans are wired to follow and remember.
After adopting this method, I received offers from 6 out of 7 companies I interviewed with. The hiring manager at one tech firm specifically mentioned that my examples were “unusually clear and compelling.”
Some quick tips for using this in your next interview:
- Prepare 5-7 stories covering common competencies (leadership, conflict resolution, failure, innovation, etc.)
- Keep each story under 90 seconds (practice with a timer!)
- Vary your examples across different jobs and situations
- End with quantifiable results whenever possible
Remember: Interviewers might forget your credentials, but they’ll remember your stories. Make them count!
What’s your go-to interview storytelling technique? Share below!