You walk into the room, or log onto the Zoom, and suddenly, your personality disappears.
You’ve got your suit on. Your "professional" voice is ready. You’ve memorized your bullet points. You are prepared to give the most structured, logical, and incredibly boring interview of your life.
Why? Because you’ve been told to use the STAR method.
Situation. Task. Action. Result.
It sounds like a safe bet. It sounds like the "correct" way to answer. But here is the truth: The STAR method is turning you into a robot.
When you focus on hitting those four letters, you stop focusing on the human across from you. You start performing instead of connecting. You’re checking boxes while they’re checking their watch.
At Less Prep, More Pep, we do things differently. We don’t want you to be a polished performer. We want you to be a memorable human.
It’s time to trade the rigid STAR structure for something that actually works: Guess What Energy™.
The Problem with STAR: Why It Makes You Sound Rehearsed
The STAR method was designed by recruiters, for recruiters. It helps them sort data. It does not help you stand out.
When you use STAR, you’re trying to fit your life into a four-step filing cabinet. You end up spending 40% of your time on the "Situation" (the boring context) and not enough time on the "Action" (your actual magic).
The result? You sound like you’re reading from a teleprompter.
- You’re stiff.
- You’re scripted.
- You’re forgettable.
Think about the last time you told a great story to a friend over coffee. Did you use the STAR method? Did you say, "The situation was that I had no caffeine. The task was to find a Starbucks. The action was walking three blocks..."?
Of course not. Your friend would fall asleep.
You told that story with energy. You started with the punchline or the chaos. You were retrieving a memory, not rehearsing a script.
What is Guess What Energy™?
Guess What Energy™ (GWE™) is the natural, conversational confidence you have when you’re telling a story to someone you trust.
It’s the shift from "Please Pick Me Energy" to "Peer-to-Peer Energy."
When you use GWE™, you don't need to memorize a single word. You just need to know your stories.
Think about it this way: If you walked up to a friend and said, "Guess what happened at work today?" how would you finish that sentence?
You wouldn't start with a corporate preamble. You’d start with the moment the fire started, literally or figuratively. You’d describe the chaos, your quick thinking, and the win.
Specific. Engaging. Real.
The Translation: From Robotic to Real
Let's look at how this actually sounds in an interview. Imagine you’re asked about your organization skills.
The Robotic STAR Version:
"I coordinated calendars for multiple executives. The task was to ensure no overlaps occurred. I used Outlook to manage their schedules and communicated daily. The result was a 100% success rate in meeting attendance."
The Energy: Flat. Corporate. Forgettable. You sound like every other person who has ever used Outlook.
The Guess What Energy Version:
"I fixed a scheduling nightmare. I was managing three different time zones and six executives who all needed to be in the same room at once. It was total chaos, but I moved the pieces like a chess match. We didn't just make the meeting happen; we saved the deal because everyone showed up ready to go."
The Energy: Confident. High-impact. Memorable. You aren't just "organized", you are a problem solver.
You Don’t Need to Practice "Being Natural"
One of the biggest myths in career coaching is that you need to practice your "natural" delivery.
You don’t. You are already natural. You’ve been telling stories your entire life. You don’t need to learn a new skill; you just need to stop suppressing the one you already have.
Less Prep, More Pep is about retrieval, not rehearsal.
When you rehearse, you’re memorizing lines. If you forget one word, the whole house of cards falls down. You get nervous. You panic. You lose your "pep."
When you focus on retrieval, you’re just reaching into your Brag Bank and pulling out a story you already know by heart.
How to Sound Confident in an Interview (Without Memorizing)
If you want to know how to sound confident in an interview, you have to change your goal.
Stop trying to be "the best candidate." Start trying to be the person they’d actually want to grab a coffee with.
- Drop the Jargon: If you wouldn't say "leverage" or "synergy" to a friend, don't say it in the interview.
- Focus on the "Why": Don't just say what you did. Say why it mattered. Tell them why you were excited about it.
- Own Your Stories: Use the Pep Kit to find your 5-10 core stories. These are your anchors. Once you know them, you can adapt them to any question.
- Listen More, Perform Less: An interview is a conversation, not a monologue. When you stop worrying about your next "STAR" bullet point, you can actually listen to what the recruiter is asking.
Move Away From "Please Pick Me Energy"
The biggest benefit of storytelling in interviews using Guess What Energy™ is that it changes the power dynamic.
When you use the STAR method, you’re often in a "subordinate" mindset. You’re waiting for permission to speak. You’re trying to give the "right" answer.
When you use GWE™, you’re showing up as a peer. You’re sharing your experience with authority. You aren't asking for a job; you’re showing them why you’re the solution to their problems.
Less prep. More pep. ⚡
Ready to Find Your Guess What Energy™?
If you’re tired of sounding like a corporate manual and ready to start sounding like yourself, we’ve got the tools to help you get there.
- The Pep Kit: Our flagship digital download with 20 worksheets to help you build your story library and master the three pillars of interview confidence. Get the Pep Kit here.
- Audio Confidence Series: Need to get in the right headspace on your way to the interview? Listen to these 5 audio sessions designed to shift your energy from "nervous" to "ready." Check out the series.
Stop over-preparing. Start showing up. You already have the experience( now let’s make sure they actually see it.)