Originally shared via email. For early access to UN job search success tips and advice, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Here's a question I often get in prep sessions for competency-based interviews:

How bad is it if I reuse the same situation when answering different questions in an interview?

The quick answer: aim for variety, but using an example twice is okay — three times is too risky.

And with "reusing", we mean referencing the same specific situation, not the same role. If you’ve been in a role for several years, you will need to use different examples from that same employment period.

Here's how you can think about it:

• Recency matters: As time passes, examples lose relevance because hiring managers want to know where your level of competence is now. If you’re pulling from a role from many years ago, it should be one of those defining experiences that has affected how you've been applying that specific competency since.
• Relevance matters more: When you reuse an example, make sure you focus on different aspects of the situation that align with the competency being evaluated by the specific question. For instance, the same project can highlight leadership, teamwork, or a technical competency, depending on the question.

The bigger, more complex the situation, the easier it tends to be to reuse. Smaller, straightforward, or more transactional examples are trickier. They tend not to stretch as well across multiple competencies.

So, next time you’re preparing for an interview and consider reusing an example, explore how you can highlight different angles to showcase depth, complexity and a range of competencies from that one experience.

If you could use some help applying this to an upcoming interview, you're welcome to book a session at https://www.koachr.global/services

In addition to my regular 50-minute sessions, I now offer short, 25-minute sessions for quick questions or addressing matters that don't warrant a full coaching session. Check out the coaching options on my service page (click here).