Hi there,
First, congratulations on getting the interview!
Now, 1-2 minutes is what you should aim for. However, ultimately quality not quantity matters! So, if you can tell the same story in 60 seconds (i.e. demonstrate your skills / thinking, do the story justice, etc.), aim for the faster time!
In terms of interviewer-adjustments, read the room! If they're getting fidgety, speed things up (i.e. cut) or adjust the pace!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
How do you create the answers for these questions?
Resume walkthrough
- Needs to be chronological
- Only keep important details that make you look good (i.e. I worked across 7 industries and rose up the ranks twice in the course of that role)
- Keep a theme of "why consulting"
- I.e. at each step you need to show that you both got exposure to aspects of consulting AND thrived + enjoyed them
- Finish with: And that's why I'm here today looking for consulting with your company
Why Consulting
- You need to summarize what you did before along the theme of consulting aspects you liked and consulting aspects that were missing
- You then combine those two - i.e. I know I like + am good at x, y, and z which is required for consulting, and I really am excited to get a, b, and c
- You finish with a "mini" why x company
Why x company
- Start with a "mini" why consulting
- Then have 2-3 reasons why x company is your target
- Every "reason" needs to incorporate 1) That you know they value x 2) That you not only value x but have exhibited it and done it in the past
- Be very very mindful of what they want you to want
Personal Stories
Step 1 - Categorize the main stories
There are 5-10 "themes" you need to prepare for. i.e. Leadership, teamwork, challenge, etc. Figure out this list and make sure your stories cover this range (PM me and I can provide you with a template for this list)
Step 2 - Create FLEXIBLE stories that cover a range of categories
You need to create 4-6 stories that each cover a range of topics. They need to be powerful stories that can be adjusted and adapted based on the question asked.
One of my "core" or "killer" stories was usable for Initiative, Achievement, Leadership, Challenge, Change of direction, AND Persuasion.
Write down these stories along STAR or similar format...use bullet points
Step 3 - Organize these stories so you know which ones can be used for what and PRACTICE
Make sure you cover the whole gambit. Then, practice getting asked a question and thinking of which stories apply. I can assure you, no-one is coming up with full stories in a few seconds. Rather, they have practiced how to adapt an existing story to the question asked.