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Behavioral question

Tell me about a time you persuaded someone

Persuasion is a change of plan you can point to. They want the other person’s starting position, the evidence you used, and the decision that followed. Charm, a slide title, and “they loved it” are not persuasion.

Check this example, then replace it

The box starts with one STAR answer. Read the scores, then delete it and paste a story from your own work. Scoring stays in the browser.

Question (optional) Your answer In June 2024 the security reviewer wanted to block a launch until we encrypted a column that held no secrets, and the launch was 10 days out. I was responsible for getting a yes that did not create fake work. I pulled a sample of 200 rows, showed him the column was a public status enum, and proposed encrypting the two columns that actually held emails. I then updated the threat note and asked him to sign that narrower scope. He did. The result was the launch on day 10, the email columns encrypted before then, and the status column left alone. The review checklist gained a line so the next team did not encrypt enums by default. I attached the 200-row sample to the threat note so the next reviewer could see the enum without asking for another pull.

Check answer Tighten with AI

85/100

Strong

About 56 seconds spoken · 141 words. Spoken time uses 150 words per minute.

Situation78

Task74

Action94

Result84

Feedback

• This has a clear STAR shape. Only keep numbers you can defend out loud.

Which sentence is which

In June 2024 the security reviewer wanted to block a launch until we encrypted a column that held no secrets, and the launch was 10 days out. Situation I was responsible for getting a yes that did not create fake work. Task I pulled a sample of 200 rows, showed him the column was a public status enum, and proposed encrypting the two columns that actually held emails. Action I then updated the threat note and asked him to sign that narrower scope. Action He did. Unclear The result was the launch on day 10, the email columns encrypted before then, and the status column left alone. Result The review checklist gained a line so the next team did not encrypt enums by default. Unclear I attached the 200-row sample to the threat note so the next reviewer could see the enum without asking for another pull. Action

Tightened draft

Copy

In June 2024 the security reviewer wanted to block a launch until we encrypted a column that held no secrets, and the launch was 10 days out. I was responsible for getting a yes that did not create fake work. I pulled a sample of 200 rows, showed him the column was a public status enum, and proposed encrypting the two columns that actually held emails. I then updated the threat note and asked him to sign that narrower scope. I attached the 200-row sample to the threat note so the next reviewer could see the enum without asking for another pull. The result was the launch on day 10, the email columns encrypted before then, and the status column left alone. He did. The review checklist gained a line so the next team did not encrypt enums by default.

Why this example holds up

You argue with a sample, not with seniority. The other person changes a written decision. That is the whole question.

How to answer “Tell me about a time you persuaded someone” with STAR

1. Situation. Set the scene in one or two sentences: when it was and what was already wrong. For example: In June 2024 the security reviewer wanted to block a launch until we encrypted a column that held no secrets, and the launch was 10 days out.
2. Task. Say what you personally owned. For example: I was responsible for getting a yes that did not create fake work.
3. Action. Say what you did, in order, with I. For example: I pulled a sample of 200 rows, showed him the column was a public status enum, and proposed encrypting the two columns that actually held emails.
4. Result. End on the change, with a number you can defend. For example: The result was the launch on day 10, the email columns encrypted before then, and the status column left alone.

Mistakes on this question

• Persuading someone who already agreed with you.
• A debate you won in the hallway with no decision recorded.
• Hiding the concession you made. The email columns are what made the yes possible.

How to practice it

State their position in one sentence you would be willing to say in front of them. If it sounds like a caricature, rewrite it.

FAQ

Is persuasion the same as influence without authority?

They overlap. Persuasion can include your manager. Influence without authority means you had no formal say at all.

What if they only partly agreed?

A partial yes is a better story than a total one, as long as you say which part moved.

Related questions

• Tell me about a time you influenced without authority
• Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager
• Tell me about a time you handled a difficult stakeholder

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