Ever leave an interview replaying one answer over and over—realizing too late that you undersold yourself?
Your mind starts spinning. Your heart sinks. You really need the job, and you know the interview didn’t go the way you hoped.
I’ve been there.
Early in my career, I noticed a clear pattern:
Answering questions without anchoring them to the role
Expecting the interviewer to connect the dots
Preparing on experience, but not on my narrative
Ten years ago, a partner at Goldman Sachs gave me the most powerful interview advice that changed how I prepare for every interview.
He asked me:
“Do you know the biggest mistake people make during interviews?”
Then he answered it himself:
“People don’t sell themselves. Go in with one goal in mind: tell the interviewer exactly why you’re the best person for the role.”
I saw this play out clearly during a final-round interview with the CEO of an Fortune 500 investment firm. By that point, I had already completed nine interviews and felt the role was mine to lose.
We spoke for over an hour. He asked just one question: “Tell me about yourself.”
That wasn’t by accident. It happened because I took the interview in the direction I wanted it to go.
At that stage, it wasn’t about listing experiences. It was about showing who I was.
I shared a story about my upbringing, my values, and how they shape my work ethic and career decisions. The conversation shifted. He began sharing his own experiences. A few days later, I landed the offer.
It stopped feeling like an interview and started feeling like a conversation.
Here’s the thing about interviews: The best ones don’t feel like interviews at all. The best interviews are conversations where you speak about your capabilities with clarity, confidence, and control over the story you’re telling.
So how do you get there?
To truly own the narrative, you must be crystal clear on three things:
Your lane → your industry or functional focus
Your value → the problems you solve and core strengths
Your direction → where you’re headed and what you want next
This Sunday, I’m continuing my Career Strategy Course Series with an interactive, small-group session on interviewing. This is a working session where you’ll actively refine your interview narrative:
This course is for you if:
You’re job searching and want to stand out without sounding generic
You’re tired of “good interviews” that don’t turn into offers
You’re interviewing while employed and want to move up, not laterally
Interviewing with Influence: How to Control the Narrative
📅 Sunday, February 15 at 4pm - 5:30pm EST
With intention,
Oyin Bayode
—
Intentional Moves Newsletter — Insights to inspire your next intentional move
For those who joined Part 1 of the series on Networking, the feedback was consistent.
“I enjoyed how actionable the content was. The networking pitch framework helped me better articulate my story, my value, and what I’m working toward, both in person and virtually.”
“I appreciated the emphasis on staying in touch authentically, reinforcing relationships through relevance, and adapting messaging based on context rather than using generic follow-ups.”
“I really appreciate the roadmap and toolkits to effective networking that the course provides, such as intentionally preparing before networking events, actually going to the networking events, staying in touch, practicing gratitude, and adding value.”
The Networking Playbook we used in that session is available here if helpful:
A High-Performer’s Networking Playbook
Part 2 builds directly on that Networking foundation. This time focusing on how to clearly articulate your value and control the interview conversation.