Most interview answers fail for one reason: they’re informative but not memorable. Hiring managers hear dozens of similar responses (“I’m a hard worker,” “I’m detail-oriented”). A simple structure can help you stand out while staying concise.
Below is a repeatable 90-second answer formula you can use for common questions like:
Use CARL to keep your answer tight and impactful:
Why it works: It shows how you think, proves you can execute, and makes it easy for the interviewer to map you to the role.
Context: “I’m a customer-focused operations analyst with 4 years in logistics, mainly supporting fast-growing e-commerce teams.”
Action: “In my last role, I led a project to redesign our returns workflow by partnering with support, warehouse, and carrier teams.”
Result: “We reduced average return processing time by 28% and lowered repeat tickets by 15% in two quarters.”
Link: “I’m excited about this role because it’s focused on cross-functional process improvement—exactly where I’ve delivered results and want to grow.”
Swap vague phrases for concrete ones:
If you can’t use metrics, quantify scope:
Long answers reduce clarity. If you have more to share, end with:
Build a small library you can reuse:
Pick one common interview question and draft a CARL answer in 5 sentences or less.
What interview question do you struggle with most—and want help turning into a strong 90-second answer?
CARL is a great framework because it solves two common interview problems at once: **rambling** and **generic claims**. One extra “memory hook” I’d ad...
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