Most people know the STAR method. Most people also know it doesn't work as well as it should. The format is fine. The problem is the stories — they're too vague, too compressed, or they end without making a real point.
Behavioral interviews are about demonstrating, through specific evidence, that you think and operate the way the organisation needs you to. That requires choosing the right stories, building them with enough detail to be credible, and delivering them without reading from a script.
That's what this coaching works on.
There's a common mistake experienced professionals make in behavioral interviews: over-preparation on the answer, under-preparation on the story.
When you memorise a response, it comes across as memorised. Experienced interviewers notice. They probe. And if your answer isn't built on a real, well-understood story, you'll lose the thread under pressure.
James's approach is to work on the underlying stories first — helping you understand exactly what happened, why it matters, and what it demonstrates about how you work. The answer follows from that. It's more flexible, more genuine, and much harder to derail with follow-up questions.
Most people have more relevant experience than they think. James helps you identify the stories that are actually worth telling — and the ones that sound good but don't land. For senior roles this usually involves going deeper than the obvious examples.
You'll leave with a structured set of stories that cover the competencies most commonly assessed at your level.
Vague answers signal vague thinking. The coaching works on getting the right level of specificity into each story without making it too long.
Behavioral interviews are often as much about whether you'd fit the culture as whether you can do the job. You'll learn what signals matter and how to demonstrate them without sounding calculated.
The real test of a behavioral answer is what happens when the interviewer probes. Mock interviews are structured to include this — so you've been through it before the real thing.
"I thought I was good at behavioral interviews. James showed me I was giving technically correct answers that weren't actually convincing anyone. It was uncomfortable to hear, but it made a real difference."
Individual results vary based on each person's starting point and effort.
A behavioral interview uses past experience as evidence of future performance. Questions typically start with "Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example of...". The interviewer is assessing specific competencies — leadership, conflict resolution, decision-making, influence.
STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a useful structure, but it's not the whole story. The coaching builds on it — particularly around making sure the Action section demonstrates leadership judgment, not just what you did, and that the Result section actually means something.
Two to four sessions covers most of what's needed. Session one identifies the gaps and builds the story bank. Sessions two and three run mock interviews and refine delivery. A fourth session is sometimes useful immediately before the interview itself.
Yes. In most cases there's more than enough. The challenge is usually identifying the right stories and presenting them in a way that demonstrates transferable leadership — not just institutional knowledge. That's exactly what this coaching helps with.
Yes. Formal competency frameworks add a layer of structure but the underlying challenge is the same: demonstrating that you have the qualities they're assessing through specific, well-built examples. James has worked with clients going through government SES processes, ASX corporate frameworks, and international assessment centres.
It's possible to make educated guesses based on the role, level, and organisation type. James will help you prepare for the most likely competency set given your specific situation, so you're not going in blind.
Start with a free 30-minute session. James will listen to one or two of your current answers and tell you honestly what's working and what isn't.
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