When you’re preparing for a high-stakes interviews—like a loop at Amazon—it’s easy to slip into over-preparation mode. You write out every word of every story. You memorize scripts. Try to match each story to specific questions that related to each leadership principle. You start second-guessing everything. You start to worry that in the moment, you’ll freeze or ramble on for minutes and lose the interviewer’s attention.
Sound familiar?
I’ve coached dozens, if not hundreds of students who find themselves in this situation. They are smart, motivated, and have the experience to do the job—but get stuck in their heads in the days before their interviews. Here’s the advice I often give them.
Minimum Viable Answers
If your problem is long winded and rambling answers crammed with details, aim for tight, focused responses—1 to 2 minutes max. Think: “minimum viable answer.” You want to share just enough to show value and invite follow-up. A minimum viable answer will address the key components of a story called for by the question. For example, “Tell me about a time you delivered an important project on a tight timeline?” The answer will include:
- High level, what was the project
- Why was it important
- What was the deadline?
Save the details for when they ask.
Ditch the Script
Writing out a story can be helpful, but only to a point. Once your stories are drafted, move off the page. Turn each story into 3–5 bullet points. Know the beats. Speak from experience, not from memory. Generative AI can be super helpful here. Sure, you could spend time wordsmithing what you think is the perfect answer, but chances are, it will sound like an essay.
Try recording yourself telling the story a few times, take the transcripts, give them to chat GPT, along with a sample question, and ask the bot to develop a clear story in the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) frameworks. Then ask for just the key bullet points. Workshop the story with the bot, ask it to tailor the story to a few different but related questions, ask what follow up questions an interviewer might have.
Use the “RTFM” prompt framework:
- Role: tell the bot what role you want it to play, i.e. Career or Job Interview Coach, Challenging Interviewer, Hiring Manager
- Task: tell the bot what you want it to do, identify the key points in the story; come up with 5 follow up questions; make the story shorter; put the story into an answer framework.
- Format: tell the bot what format you want the output in, i.e. bulleted list, outline, script
- Meta: ask the bot what additional information would be helpful before it runs the prompt.
Practice in Chunks
It’s better to practice one question three times in a row than three questions once. Use tools like Yoodli.aito rehearse, record, and refine. Then get up, go for a walk, and repeat.
Take your prep outside. Put in headphones (people will think you are on the phone) and talk through your stories aloud. Write some behavioral interview questions on index cards and pull one at random as you walk. The goal? Get comfortable thinking and speaking without a “net” of your notes or scripts.
Manage Your Mindset
Think of your interviews as conversations, not an interrogation or a test. You’ve done the work. You have the experience. Show up with presence and confidence. Don’t stress about saying the “perfect” thing—focus on being authentic, brief and clear.
Game Day Strategy
Before the interview: eat, move, breathe. Between interviews: quick self-debrief, note which stories you used, what questions you were asked, and how you can improve for the next interview in the loop. Then, get up, walk around, go outside quickly if you can, and reset—no scrolling. Use that third or fourth conversation to show poise. “Let me check my notes to avoid repeating myself” is not a red flag. It’s a sign of preparation.
Ask Smart Questions
Come with thoughtful questions. Ask questions that get the interviewer talking about themselves, their experience, insights and opinions—and use the answers as a springboard to connect back to your own experience. That turns the interview into a dialogue. If you are looking for inspiration, check out 38 Smart Questions To Ask In A Job Interview (HBR). Remember, you should be able to easily Google for the answer to your question. Never ask about compensation or benefits.
Final Thought:
If you feel like your performance is getting worse before it gets better—you’re probably in the uncanny valley of preparation. Keep going. That’s where real progress happens.