In a previous article, I wrote about uncovering your experience. This one is about the next step: how you communicate that experience once you’ve uncovered it.
Two years ago, I introduced a Sales Manager to one of my clients.
As always, we spent time preparing for the interview. We discussed the types of questions he was likely to be asked and talked through how he might approach them.
As we worked through different questions, one thing became immediately apparent. He had a natural ability to summarize his experience in a clear and logical way. If a question wasn’t completely clear, he would occasionally clarify what was being asked before answering. His responses were concise without feeling rushed, detailed without becoming long-winded, and structured without feeling rehearsed.
In fact, I found myself offering very little feedback. There simply wasn’t much to improve.
After the interview, the client shared their impressions.
They told me that his experience was an excellent match for the role, but they also commented on something else. They were impressed by how clearly he communicated his ideas. More than once, they mentioned how well he explained his experience and appreciated that he took the time to clarify a question before answering when necessary.
Eventually, they made him an offer.
Knowing he was considering other opportunities, they worked hard to convince him to join, and after several discussions, he accepted.
That interview reinforced something I’ve noticed throughout my career.
Communication Is Part of the Evaluation
Candidates often believe they’re being evaluated solely on the content of their answers.
In reality, they’re demonstrating much more than that.
A Systems Engineer explaining a technical challenge isn’t simply describing a past project. The interviewer is imagining that engineer sitting across from a customer, walking them through a difficult technical decision.
A Project Manager describing a difficult launch is also demonstrating how they organize information, communicate under pressure, and lead discussions with different stakeholders.
A Sales Manager answering questions about customer relationships is showing how they build trust, present ideas, and respond when conversations become challenging.
The interview itself becomes a demonstration of how that person is likely to communicate once they’re hired.
From Experience to Conversation
Many candidates already have the experience they’re trying to describe. The challenge is helping them recognize it and organize it into a clear explanation.
Once you’ve uncovered your experience, you need to communicate it in a way that gives the interviewer confidence in both your experience and how you’ll work with customers, colleagues, and stakeholders.
When candidates struggle in interviews, it’s often not because they lack experience. It’s because they try to answer every possible follow-up question at once. They jump between different projects, include unnecessary detail, or answer a question the interviewer didn’t ask.
The strongest candidates usually do the opposite.
They answer the question that was asked.
They explain their role clearly.
They provide enough detail for the interviewer to understand their responsibilities and contribution, then stop.
If the interviewer wants to explore further, they’ll ask another question.
Ironically, that often leads to better conversations than trying to anticipate every possible question in advance.
After nearly twenty years in recruitment, I’ve found that the best interviews rarely feel like interviews.
They feel like conversations.
Not because the questions are easy, but because the candidate understands their own experience well enough to discuss it naturally.
In the end, interviewers aren’t simply evaluating what you’ve done.
They’re asking themselves a much broader question.
“If this is how this person communicates during an interview, is this how they’ll communicate with our customers, our colleagues, and our team?”
Every answer you give is more than an answer.
It’s a demonstration.