I have a third-round interview with Sterling Associates tomorrow, a boutique firm in Cleveland, OH. It’s mostly going to be behavioral questions, and I’m wondering—can I reuse the stories I’ve already shared in earlier rounds? Do you think they keep track of that, and could it hurt my chances if I do? Those are my best examples, and I’m not sure if switching them out would work as well.
Thank you!
Hi there,
Congratulations on making it to the third round! It’s perfectly fine to reuse the stories you’ve shared in earlier rounds, especially if they’re your strongest examples. Interviewers at boutique firms like Sterling Associates often focus on consistency and depth in your answers, so repeating a strong story isn’t inherently a problem.
That said, there are a few ways to approach this strategically:
1. Add Depth or New Angles: If you reuse a story, consider adding additional details or emphasizing a different aspect of the experience. This shows you can reflect on your experiences in multiple ways.
2. Check for Overlap in Interviewers: If you’re meeting someone you’ve spoken to before, try to use a mix of familiar and new examples to keep your responses engaging and fresh. If the panel is entirely new, repeating stories is less of a concern.
3. Prepare Backup Examples: Even if you stick with your best stories, have a couple of backups ready in case you’re asked for additional examples. This flexibility demonstrates preparation and depth.
Ultimately, your delivery and ability to connect your examples to the questions at hand are more important than whether the story is new or repeated. Good luck—you’ve got this!
Best,
Evelina
Hey!
Usually, interviewers will ask different behavioral questions in each round to get a deeper understanding of your experience, so don’t worry too much. If they do ask a similar question, it’s totally fine to reuse your best stories—just make sure to highlight different aspects or insights to keep it fresh and engaging.
Also, consider having a few backup examples ready in case they probe further. The key is to stay consistent while showing growth and adaptability.
Good luck with your interview—feel free to reach out if you need any last-minute tips!
Alessa
Hi there,
Play it transparently. I would always have backup stories ready but highlight: "I have told your colleague a story about X before. Would you be interested to hear this one? If not I have another one where I did Y."
Cheers,
Florian
Hey there,
It is possible to have one story that touches on multiple dimensions - so from that point of view having the same story may be fine. (For example, a story about when you managed to persuade someone may also be the same story as when you managed to achieve something outside your comfort zone). Just make sure you know how to put the different emphasis on the relevant sections of each question
Interviewers don't necessarily ask what story was told when they evaluate you, but tend to ask more about if you ticked off the required dimensions.
Having said that, strategically - It may be more advantageous to you to have different stories and thereby showing more width and breadth in your experience
All the best
Hi there,
I hope the interview with Sterling Associates went well?
Best,
Hagen
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