how to explain projects in a job interview.
A few days ago, I collaborated with a client to prepare them for an upcoming interview. The aim was to make them feel at ease and confident when discussing their past projects, aligning with the requirements for the new role.
As a recruiter, I’ve been having these conversations with candidates for years, and somewhere along the way, my approach to how to best support them has been upgraded with ChatGPT. While there are a lot of bits and pieces that AI can not help with when it comes to finding a new job, it’s a great tool for the practical elements of interview prepping.
Below is a quick blueprint of what this could look like for anyone with a looming job interview. It works for different interviewing stages and industries.
step 1: formulate a prompt for ChatGPT (specific enough but not leading). Something like: “What questions would you expect to be asked in a [mention interviewing stage in process] with [mention the role of the interviewer(s)—is it a recruiter or maybe team members?] for this role: [copy paste the link of the job ad you are being interviewed for]." It’s important to feed ChatGPT with the job ad so it can consider the requirements for the role when formulating questions.
step 2: Are the proposed questions relevant? Quick check: Questions in a recruiter interview usually focus on your experience and your interest in the company. Questions in an interview with a team member are likely to be more in-depth about your approach to challenges and topics. Interviews with stakeholders are often focused on collaboration and sharing insights across teams. Feel free to ask ChatGPT to refine its answer.
step 3: You should now be left with an extensive list of relevant questions. While it's not necessary to prepare for all of them, familiarizing yourself with the questions and collecting some thoughts can eliminate the element of surprise during the interview. I recommend focusing on questions that involve storytelling and projects to share. Double-check the requirements for the role and select a few projects from your experiences that align with those.
step 4: Prepare to discuss the context, goals, process, and outcome (including the impact on the company’s goals). Make sure to highlight your contributions and those of others involved. Most companies prioritize similar soft skills like problem-solving, adaptability, communication, and collaboration. Feel free to share any challenges you stumbled upon and what you learned from the experience—this shows how resourceful and adaptable you are.
Extra tip: During the interview, it's important to keep your replies concise and structured. This will reassure the interviewers about your ability to communicate impactfully. You can always offer to delve deeper into any points mentioned (like this, for example: “If you'd like to explore any of these topics further, let me know. I'm happy to provide as much detail as needed”).
about the author:
Hi there! I'm Silja, the founder of the wholesome growth club, an inclusive hub for career coaching with a soft spot for introverts and perfectionists. I’m an Amsterdam-based expat, but I love connecting with people worldwide. With a background in recruiting, I know the struggle of crafting a career path that feels truly yours. At the wholesome growth club, we're all about fostering sustainable growth, meaningful engagement, and authentic connections. Our blog is dedicated to making coaching accessible and sharing insights to approach work and life with an extra dose of confidence, slow productivity, and self-compassion. If you are curious to make things happen for yourself, get in touch—we offer personalized coaching journeys that will get you closer to your (dreamy) goals in no time.
