Interview Skills
This skill provides frameworks for excelling in technical interviews and negotiating job offers effectively.
When to Use This Skill
- Preparing for behavioral interview questions
- Practicing the STAR method for storytelling
- Planning how to communicate during technical interviews
- Evaluating a job offer
- Preparing to negotiate salary or compensation
- Deciding whether to accept or counter an offer
Core Frameworks
STAR Method for Behavioral Questions
Structure answers to behavioral questions ("Tell me about a time when...") using STAR:
| Component | % of Answer | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Situation | 10% | Set the context |
| Task | 10% | Your specific responsibility |
| Action | 60% | What you did (the meat) |
| Result | 20% | Outcomes with metrics |
Example Structure:
"Tell me about a time you resolved a conflict on your team."
SITUATION (10%): "On my last project, two senior engineers disagreed
about the database architecture - one wanted PostgreSQL, the other MongoDB."
TASK (10%): "As the tech lead, I needed to help them reach a decision
that the whole team could support without damaging their relationship."
ACTION (60%): "First, I scheduled a meeting where each could present
their case with specific criteria: performance requirements, team expertise,
and maintenance burden. Then I created a decision matrix we could score together.
When scores were close, I facilitated a discussion about what mattered most
for THIS project specifically. I made sure both felt heard by summarizing
their key points before moving on."
RESULT (20%): "We chose PostgreSQL based on the team's existing expertise.
Both engineers felt the process was fair - one even said it was the best
technical decision process he'd experienced. The project launched on time
and we haven't had database issues in 18 months."Full reference with 5 example stories: references/star-method.md
Technical Interview Communication
Beyond coding ability, how you communicate matters:
Think Aloud
- Verbalize your thought process constantly
- "I'm thinking about using a hash map here because..."
- "Let me consider the edge cases..."
- Silence is your enemy - interviewers can't evaluate what they can't hear
Ask Clarifying Questions (First 5-10 Minutes)
- Input format and constraints
- Expected output
- Edge cases and error handling
- Performance requirements
- Example inputs/outputs
Drive the Conversation
- Don't wait to be led
- Propose your approach before coding
- Explain trade-offs proactively
- Check in: "Does this approach make sense before I implement?"
Handle "I Don't Know" Honestly
- "I haven't worked with that technology, but here's how I'd approach learning it..."
- "I'm not sure about the exact syntax, but the concept is..."
- Never pretend to know something you don't
Salary Negotiation Framework
Negotiation is expected and professional. Most offers have room to negotiate.
Before Negotiating
- Research market rates
- levels.fyi for tech companies - Glassdoor for ranges - Blind for crowdsourced data - Talk to people in similar roles
- Know your BATNA
- Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement - Your leverage depends on alternatives - Never negotiate from desperation
- Wait for the formal offer
- Don't discuss numbers until you have a written offer - "I'd prefer to discuss compensation once we're both sure about fit"
Negotiation Tactics
| Tactic | Example |
|---|---|
| Use email | Written negotiation is documented and thoughtful |
| State a range | "$150K-$160K based on my research" |
| Cite specifics | "Based on levels.fyi data for this role..." |
| Negotiate holistically | Salary, equity, sign-on, PTO, remote work |
| Express enthusiasm | "I'm excited about this role" + negotiation |
Full reference with scripts and tactics: references/salary-negotiation.md
Handling Lowball Offers
When an offer is below expectations:
- Don't react emotionally - Stay professional
- Defer response - "Let me think about that and get back to you"
- Gather data - Research what the role should pay
- Counter with evidence - Not just "I want more"
- Be willing to walk - Sometimes offers can't be fixed
Story Bank Strategy
Prepare 3-5 versatile stories that can answer multiple question types:
| Story Theme | Can Answer Questions About |
|---|---|
| Technical challenge | Problem-solving, learning, complexity |
| Team conflict | Conflict resolution, communication, leadership |
| Project under pressure | Stress, prioritization, delivery |
| Mistake/failure | Learning, humility, growth |
| Cross-team collaboration | Influence, stakeholder management |
Each story should include:
- Quantified results where possible
- Your specific actions (not team actions)
- What you learned
- What you'd do differently
Related Resources
references/star-method.md- Full STAR examples for common questionsreferences/salary-negotiation.md- Detailed negotiation tactics and scripts/soft-skills:interview-skillsskill - Structure your interview storiesprofessional-communicationskill - General communication frameworks
User-Facing Interface
When invoked directly by the user, this skill helps prepare interview stories using the STAR method.
Execution Workflow
- Parse Arguments - Extract the experience or accomplishment description from
$ARGUMENTS. If no arguments provided, ask the user what experience they want to prepare. - Identify the Story Type - Determine which behavioral question categories the story fits (conflict resolution, leadership, failure/learning, technical challenge, collaboration).
- Structure with STAR - Transform the raw description into a STAR-formatted story with proper time allocation (Situation 10%, Task 10%, Action 60%, Result 20%).
- Generate Variations - Create 2-3 variations emphasizing different aspects (technical depth, leadership, business impact).
- Suggest Improvements - Identify missing quantification, weak action verbs, or areas where more specificity would strengthen the story.
- Map to Question Bank - List common interview questions this story could answer.
Version History
- v1.0.0 (2025-12-26): Initial release
Last Updated
Date: 2025-12-26 Model: claude-opus-4-5-20251101