next level interview stories

By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

EP 3115 Advanced Interview Stories shows you how to ditch the boring STAR answers and turn your experience into a memorable, high-impact story that actually gets you hired. In just a few minutes, you can learn three powerful frameworks—The Impact Formula, Classic Narrative Plot, and the Hollywood Method—to prove your worth in any interview. Perfect for those who are tired of sounding like everyone else and are ready to be stand out The story in the room.

• 01:06 – Why the STAR approach is not enough.

• 01:47 – Critical Thinking Shift: Sales Results.

• 02:51 – The impact formula for data-driven stories.

• 03:45 ——Use classic narrative plots to show the characters’ personalities.

• 04:47 – The Hollywood Method: Building Emotional Bonds.

• 05:42 – Choose the right framework for your specific role.

Waiting to be fired is career suicide. Prepare.

Welcome to the explainer. Listen, let’s get down to business today. We’re talking about interview stories, not the basic stuff you’ve heard a million times.

We’re talking about the stories that actually get you hired. So, let’s start with a question I bet you’ve already thought about. You’re in a tough job market and competition is fierce, how do you make sure your story is one they’re still talking about at the end of the day? Especially when it feels like everyone is telling the same old story.

I love this quote from Steve Robbins. Although it was a bit harsh, what he said made sense. He said you’re basically a hamburger in better clothes.

You have to show them why you are a premium gourmet burger and not a burger on the dollar menu. What’s your story? This is your secret weapon. This is how you prove that you are the best choice.

So, to help you do that, here’s what we’re going to cover. First, let’s talk about the STAR method. Then, the mentality quickly changed.

After that, we’ll dive into three great frameworks. Shock formula, classic narrative plot and Hollywood techniques. Finally, we’ll figure out how to choose the perfect story for any situation.

Okay, let’s get started. We’ll start with what everyone calls the gold standard of interviews, and then, we’ll poke some holes in it. Well, you must have heard of the STAR method, right? Situation, task, action, result.

Yes, it’s okay. This is a solid way to structure your ideas, especially for entry-level positions. Then there’s the slightly more complex SOAR, which sets goals or obstacles and is generally more suited to a manager role.

Of course, they are a great place to start. But this is a big problem. Because everyone has been taught this, it becomes a trap.

It can completely suck the life and personality out of your story. You end up sounding like a robot, just ticking a box. When you sound exactly like the last five people they interviewed, you blend into the background.

The interview is a performance: Did your script fail?

This is the last thing you want to do. But you know what’s really fun? The problem isn’t just the formula itself. This is something deeper.

This is the fundamental error in the focus that most of us have accepted. It’s all about mindset. Many of us fall into this trap.

I call it a resume reading. You basically just read your resume out loud, listing your skills and qualifications. But here’s the thing.

They’ve already read your resume. Doing a live show, it adds absolutely zero new value. Honestly, this can be very boring for the interviewer.

This brings us to the most important mindset shift you can make. Stop selling what you own. Your experience, your skills.

Instead, start selling what you can do. Your impact, your results. You need to demonstrate the value you will create for them.

Because it’s a secret, right? This is what it all boils down to. Behind all their questions, hiring managers are really just asking one thing over and over again. What can you actually do for me and my team? They have a problem and are hiring someone to fix it.

Your whole job in that interview is to provide evidence, cold hard evidence that you are the solution. Okay, with that in mind, let’s get into our first alternative framework. This is very simple, very straightforward, and it is definitely a powerful motivator for a character where data is king.

It’s called the Impact Formula, and it’s just three easy steps. First, start with your achievements. What did you accomplish? Second, explain your actions.

Specifically, how do you do it? Then comes the third, most important part, the knockout punch, the impact. What are the measurable, quantifiable results? That last piece is everything. It turns what you have done in the past into a promise of what you will do for them.

That’s why it’s perfect for any type of analytical, technical or financial position. It goes right through the fuzz. You don’t just say, oh, I’m good at data.

You provide them with a small case study to demonstrate this. I did this and this is the result. This is just undeniable data-backed proof that you solved the problem.

Okay, second frame. Now we’re moving from pure data to something more human. We’ll harness the power of classic storytelling to demonstrate character, leadership and more.

So cultural anthropologist Dr. Adrian MacIntyre points out that our brains are indeed wired to like certain types of stories. Think about it. The story of conquering the underdog, exploring.

You can use these same diagrams to structure your employment history. So you solved a huge, messy, systemic problem? Boom, that’s your story of conquering monsters. Have you been slaving away for months on a long-term project? That’s what we’re after.

You’re not being overly dramatic. You just give them a familiar, compelling story that sticks with them. Let’s look at the loser plot.

Use this 15-minute strategy to land a job (even before posting)

I mean, who doesn’t love a good underdog story? When you tell the story of how your small team took on a powerful competitor and won, you’re not just providing a project update. never. You’re telling a story about perseverance, about fighting spirit, about inspiring a team to accomplish the impossible.

This stuff, it reveals more about you than any bullet point on your resume. Okay, our final framework. And this one, this one is my favorite.

We took a page straight from the Hollywood playbook to create a real emotional connection. Hollywood writer Justin Sternberg said something that hits the mark. Writers can only write what they feel.

That’s the key. The best stories are based on emotion, not just facts. In an interview, this means you don’t just list the steps.

You let them feel the pressure you’re under, the challenges you’re facing, and the satisfaction of a big win. You take them with you on your journey. Neuroscientists talk about the brain downstairs.

This is the emotional, intuitive part of us. This Hollywood approach is designed to speak directly to that part of the interviewer. When you tell a story that makes them feel passionate and capable about you, you create a bond that logic can’t break.

Not only will they remember what you did, but how you made them feel. Trust me, that’s why you got the job. Okay, we’ve got three amazing new frameworks in our toolkit.

So the big question is, which one do you use and when? Here’s a super simple guide to help you decide. If you’re in a data-driven or technical role, adopt the Impact Formula. Clear, quantifiable evidence.

Perfect. For leadership or team-based roles, use those classic narrative plot points to really express your character. As with any high-stakes sales or mission-driven company, this is where you take the Hollywood approach to creating memorable emotional connections.

It’s all about matching the frame to the character. So, at the end of the day, every interview is an opportunity. This is an opportunity to tell a story about the value you will bring.

The only question is, what story do you want to tell?

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