Build a bank of interview stories from your experience

Mine your work history for 6 to 8 strong STAR stories you can adapt to almost any behavioral question.

Change note: Initial version

Prompt

Help me build a bank of interview stories. I will paste my work history and rough notes; you will help me find the strongest stories and shape them.

Target role: {{target_role}}
Work history and notes:
{{history}}

Step 1: Identify 6 to 8 stories from my notes that cover these themes: {{themes}}. If my notes do not cover a theme, say so and ask one question to draw it out rather than inventing anything.

Step 2: For each story, write it in STAR form (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in under {{word_limit}} words, spoken style, first person, with the action portion at least half the length. Mark missing numbers with [add metric].

Step 3: Create a matrix: stories as rows, themes as columns, with a mark where a story can answer that kind of question. Highlight the two stories that are most versatile.

Step 4: For each story, list the 2 or 3 interview questions it best answers and one tough follow-up I should be ready for.

Do not embellish. Everything must be traceable to my notes.

Variables

• {{target_role}}Target roletext

  Default: project manager

• {{history}}Work history and noteslongrequired

  Roles, projects, problems, mistakes, wins. Rough is fine

• {{themes}}Themes to covertext

  Default: leadership, conflict, failure, tight deadline, influencing others, learning something new

• {{word_limit}}Words per storyselect

  Options: 120, 180, 250

  Default: 180

Example output

**Story 1: The delayed product launch (leadership, tight deadline)**
Situation: Two weeks before launch, our supplier said they would be 10 days late.
Task: I was responsible for keeping the launch date.
Action: I called the supplier, learned the delay was only for one component, and found an alternate approved part. I rewrote the schedule, asked the QA lead to test early, and briefed stakeholders daily.
Result: We launched on time; the alternate part cost [add metric] more.

**Matrix (excerpt)**
| Story | Leadership | Conflict | Failure | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delayed launch | X | | | X |
| Scope dispute with design | X | X | | |

Most versatile: Delayed launch and Scope dispute.

**Likely questions for Story 1**
Tell me about a time you handled a setback; describe a high-pressure deadline.
Tough follow-up: "What would you do differently?"

Theme missing from your notes: failure. Question: was there a project where the outcome fell short?

Notes

Doing this once gives you reusable material for most behavioral questions. The gap questions help surface stories you may have forgotten.