How to Choose the Right Examples for Your Job Interview. Job Interview Stories (Part 2)

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 In Part 1 of this series, we focused on clarity before confidence - why being clear about your role and value matters more than sounding impressive.



If you prefer to listen rather than read, this topic is also discussed in the Business English Talks podcast, where we break down real interview answers and explain why some of them work better than others.

In this article, we move to the next step: choosing the right examples.

Even professionals with strong experience often struggle in interviews because they talk about the wrong situations - or they choose examples that are too complex, too vague, or not clearly connected to the question.

This article will help you choose examples that are:

  • easy to explain,
  • relevant to the role,
  • and effective in real interview situations.

Along the way, you’ll find ready-to-use Business English phrases you can apply immediately.

Why examples matter more than job titles

Interviewers don’t hire job titles.

They hire people who can solve problems and communicate clearly.

That’s why so many interview questions are framed like this:

“Can you give me an example of…”

“Tell me about a time when…”

“How have you handled…”

“Describe a situation where…”

Your example is your evidence.

This is a topic we return to often on the Business English Talks podcast, because unclear examples are one of the most common reasons candidates with good CVs get rejected.

What makes a good interview example?

A strong interview example is:

  • focused,
  • easy to follow,
  • clearly linked to the question.

It does not need to be:

  • your biggest project,
  • your most technical task,
  • or the most impressive item on your CV.

In fact, smaller, clearer examples often make a stronger impact — especially in international interviews, where simplicity is a strength.

Rule 1: One example = one main message

A common mistake is trying to demonstrate too many skills at once.

❌ Unclear

“I worked on several projects, coordinated different teams, managed deadlines, handled stakeholders, and supported communication across departments.”

This sounds busy, but the message is unclear.

✅ Clear

Choose one situation and one core skill.

“Let me give you a specific example that shows how I handle cross-team communication.”

Useful phrases to introduce examples

These phrases sound natural and professional in interviews:

“Let me give you a specific example.”

“One situation that comes to mind is…”

“A good example of this is from my previous role.”

“I can illustrate this with a situation I experienced at work.”

You’ll find more phrases like these collected in our free eBook “Job Interview Success”, which many listeners of the podcast use as a practical reference before interviews.

Rule 2: Choose examples that are easy to explain

If an example requires a long technical explanation, it’s usually not the best choice.

Interviewers value clarity over complexity.

Compare:

❌ Too complex

“This was part of a multi-year transformation programme involving several systems and regulatory frameworks…”

✅ Clear

“This happened during a period of rapid growth, when communication between teams became unclear.”

Simple language to describe context

Clear context does not require complicated vocabulary.

Useful phrases include:

“At that time, the company was…”

“The main challenge we were facing was…”

“There was an issue with…”

“The situation required quick action because…”

These are the kinds of phrases we regularly practise and analyse on the Business English Talks podcast, because they work across roles, industries, and cultures.

Rule 3: Adapt the same experience to different questions

One experience can be used in different ways — depending on the skill you want to highlight.

Example: international teamwork

Communication focus

“I worked closely with international teams, and my role was to ensure information was clear and consistent.”

Problem-solving focus

“When misunderstandings started causing delays, I identified the communication gaps and proposed a simpler process.”

Teamwork focus

“I collaborated with colleagues across departments to align priorities and expectations.”

The situation stays the same — the emphasis changes.

Useful phrases to describe your role (Action)

These phrases are particularly effective in Business English interviews:

“My role was to…”

“I was responsible for…”

“I focused mainly on…”

“I supported the team by…”

“I took the initiative to…”

Examples:

“I was responsible for coordinating communication between teams.”

“I focused mainly on clarifying priorities and deadlines.”

“I supported stakeholders by preparing clear summaries.”

Rule 4: Always mention the result

Many candidates explain what they did — and stop there.

Always add what changed, even if the result seems small.

Natural result phrases:

“As a result,…”

“This led to…”

“Thanks to this,…”

“Because of this approach,…”

Examples:

“As a result, meetings became shorter and more focused.”

“This led to fewer misunderstandings.”

“Thanks to this change, deadlines were met more consistently.”

A complete example answer

“In my previous role, I worked in an international company where communication between departments was often unclear.

My role was to coordinate projects and make sure everyone had the same information.

I introduced short weekly summaries and clarified responsibilities.

As a result, delays were reduced and cooperation improved.”

Clear. Structured. Professional.

A common pitfall: oversharing

❌ Too much detail

“First we had several meetings, then multiple email exchanges, and later further discussions…”

✅ Better

“I identified the main communication issue and focused on resolving it.”

A useful rule:

If a detail does not support your main message, remove it.

A short self-practice exercise

Before your next interview:

Choose one role from your CV.

Identify two situations from that role.

For each situation, answer:

  • What was the problem?
  • What did I do?
  • What changed?

Practise answering using:

“Let me give you an example…”

“My role was to…”

“As a result…”

This exercise is also included in the free “Job Interview Success” eBook, together with additional examples and model answers.



What’s next in this series

In Part 3, we’ll focus on:

adapting your story to different interview questions,

knowing when to stop talking,

and sounding confident without oversharing.

Because even the best example only works when it is delivered clearly and at the right moment.

You can explore related topics in earlier episodes of the Business English Talks podcast, where we analyse real interview language and explain what recruiters actually listen for.

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