Interview Glossary
Key terms used in interview coaching and feedback. Click any term to see its definition and a real example.
Core Concepts
— terms every candidate should knowSituation, Task, Action, Result — a framework for answering behavioral interview questions. Walk through the context, what you were responsible for, what you personally did, and what the outcome was.
In practice
Q: 'Tell me about a challenge you overcame.' → Set the scene (S), state your role (T), describe exactly what you did (A), share the measurable result (R).
A question asking you to describe a past experience — usually starting with 'Tell me about a time…' or 'Give me an example of…' Requires a specific story, not a general statement.
In practice
'Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager.' Needs a real story: what happened, what you said, what changed.
An answer that describes a real past experience — what happened, what you did, and what resulted. Far more credible than a hypothetical or general response.
In practice
Don't say 'I would prioritize communication.' Say 'When two teammates clashed before our deadline, I set up a 20-minute sync and we shipped on time.'
An interview style based on the idea that past behavior predicts future performance. Every question expects a concrete example — not a philosophy, not a plan.
In practice
Amazon, Google, and most consulting firms use behavioral interviews for the majority of their rounds.
Add a number to show the scale of what you did. Numbers make your contribution concrete, credible, and memorable.
In practice
'I improved team efficiency' becomes 'I cut our weekly planning meeting from 90 minutes to 30 — saving the team 3 hours every week.'
The competing options you had to weigh before deciding. Naming trade-offs signals strategic thinking — you considered costs and benefits, not just what to do.
In practice
'We could auto-approve or add a human review step. I chose human review to prevent fraud, accepting a 2-day processing delay.'
Additional Terms
— good to know as you improveTaking full responsibility for the outcome — not just your slice of the work. Shows you drove results end-to-end, not just completed tasks assigned to you.
In practice
Don't say 'we built a new feature.' Say 'I led a 3-person team to design, build, and ship the feature in 4 weeks.'
Using concrete details — names, numbers, timelines, and outcomes — instead of vague generalities. The more specific your answer, the more credible and memorable it is.
In practice
'I led a team' → 'I led a 4-person team over 6 weeks to rebuild the onboarding flow, increasing completion by 22%.'
Words like 'um,' 'uh,' 'like,' or 'you know' that add no meaning to your answer. Frequent use can signal nervousness or lack of preparation to interviewers.
In practice
A 60-second answer with 15 'um's or 'like's will undermine even a strong response. Record yourself and listen back — it's usually more than you think.