The Best Way To Answer "What Is Your Work Experience" In An Interview

How to Answer "What Is Your Work Experience?" Without Sounding Like a Robot (Or a Resume)

Let’s be real for a second: "Tell me about your work experience" is the interview equivalent of "What do you want for dinner?" It sounds like the easiest question in the world, but it’s actually a trap loaded with decision fatigue and potential pitfalls.

If you’re reading this, you probably feel like an underdog in the job search. Maybe you’re an international student racing against a visa clock, a career pivoter trying to explain why a former teacher makes a great Project Manager, or a recent grad staring at the "entry-level requires 3 years of experience" paradox.

You know you can do the job. The problem isn’t your skills; it’s the translation layer. When an interviewer asks about your experience, they aren't asking for a dramatic reading of your LinkedIn profile. They are asking, "Can you solve my specific problems, and can you prove it?"

Here is the no-BS guide to answering one of the most common, and most butchered, interview questions, tailored specifically for those of us who didn’t take the traditional path.

‍

The Secret: They Don’t Care About Your Job History

This might sting a little, but it’s crucial: Recruiters do not care about your biography. They care about their own headaches.

When a Hiring Manager asks, "What is your work experience?", they are actually asking three hidden questions:

• Relevance: Have you done this specific type of work before?
• Impact: Did you actually move the needle, or did you just occupy a seat?
• Risk: If I hire you, will you make my life easier or harder?

Most candidates fail this question because they treat it like a history lesson. They start at their first internship in 2015 and chronologically bore the interviewer to tears.

Don’t be that person.

Instead of a timeline, you need to provide a highlight reel. Your answer should be a trailer for the movie of your career, featuring only the explosive scenes that make the audience want to buy a ticket.

‍

The "Underdog" Advantage

If you come from a non-traditional background, like a bootcamp grad or a career changer, you actually have a secret weapon here. Traditional candidates often give cookie-cutter answers. You have a unique narrative. The key is shifting your mindset from "I hope they don't notice my gap/pivot/visa status" to "Here is why my unique path makes me more valuable."

‍

The Framework: Structure Your Story Like a Pro

To answer this effectively, you need structure. Without it, you’re just rambling. At Wonsulting, we love frameworks because they turn chaos into clarity.

While many people know the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), we like to remix it for maximum impact. When answering "What is your work experience?", focus heavily on the Action and Result.

Here is the blueprint for a perfect answer:

1. The "Hook" (The High-Level Summary)

Start with a one-sentence summary of who you are professionally. This sets the stage.

• Example: "I’ve spent the last four years in digital marketing, specifically focusing on organic growth for SaaS startups."

2. The "Meat" (Relevant Roles Only)

Pick 2-3 specific roles or projects that directly relate to the job you are interviewing for. If you’re applying for a data analyst role, nobody needs to hear about your summer lifeguarding gig unless you built a spreadsheet to track swimmer attendance.

• The Pivot: If you are changing careers, focus on transferable skills.
• The phrasing: Use strong action verbs. You didn’t "help with" a project; you "spearheaded," "executed," or "optimized" it.

3. The "Proof" (The XYZ Formula)

This is where the magic happens. You need to prove your impact with data. We use the XYZ Formula (popularized by Google recruiters): "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]."

• Bad: "I wrote blog posts for the company website."
• Good: "I drove a 40% increase in organic traffic (X) as measured by Google Analytics unique visitors (Y), by optimizing 20+ blog posts for high-intent keywords (Z)."

4. The "Bridge" (Why You Are Here)

End your answer by connecting your past to their future. Why does this experience matter for this specific role?

• Example: "I loved that challenge, and that’s why I’m excited about this role. I see you’re looking to scale your content team, and I’m ready to apply that same framework here."

‍

Tailoring Your Answer: The Persona Playbook

One size does not fit all. Depending on your background, your strategy for answering "What is your experience?" needs to shift. Find your archetype below and follow the tailored advice.

For The "Career Pivot-er" (e.g., Teacher to Tech)

You are Jessica Rodriguez from our examples. You feel like an outsider, worried that your past experience in a different industry is a liability.

The Strategy: Translation is everything. You need to translate your "Old World" skills into "New World" language.

• Don't Say: "I was a teacher for 5 years, so I know how to handle kids."
• Do Say: "In my 5 years in education, I specialized in breaking down complex concepts for diverse audiences and managing stakeholder relationships with over 100 parents annually. I’m now pivoting to Customer Success because I want to use those same communication frameworks to help your clients navigate your software."

Why this works: You aren’t hiding your past; you are reframing it. You’re showing that "teaching" is actually "public speaking," "data management," and "conflict resolution." Those are high-value corporate skills.

For The "Visa-Dependent Achiever" (International Students/OPT)

You are an F-1 student racing against the clock. You might feel like your international background is a hurdle.

The Strategy: Position your adaptability as an asset. You have navigated complex immigration systems, adapted to new cultures, and likely speak multiple languages. That screams "grit" and "intelligence."

• Don't Say: "I just graduated and I need a job for my OPT." (This reeks of desperation).
• Do Say: "I recently graduated with my Master’s in Computer Science, where I specialized in backend architecture. Prior to that, I worked with global teams in [Home Country] to ship products under tight deadlines. I’m looking to bring that technical rigor and global perspective to an engineering team here in the US."

Why this works: It focuses on the work, not the visa. It subtly reminds them that you have a global mindset, which is crucial for modern tech companies.

For The "Hopeful New Grad" (The No-Experience Paradox)

You are Emily Carter. You have a degree but no "real" job history. You feel like an imposter.

The Strategy: Treat internships, volunteer work, and class projects as "Work Experience." They absolutely count.

• Don't Say: "I haven't really worked yet, but I have a degree."
• Do Say: "During my time at university, I acted as a Lead Developer for a capstone project where we built a fully functional mobile app. I managed the sprint timelines and coded the front-end in React. That experience taught me how to collaborate in an agile environment, which is why I’m excited to join a fast-paced engineering team."

Why this works: It removes the "student" label and replaces it with "junior professional." You are highlighting skills, tools, and methodologies that the employer actually uses.

For The "Stalled Professional" (The Mid-Career Value Seeker)

You’ve been at the same company for 7 years. You’re worried you look stagnant or "too expensive."

The Strategy: Frame longevity as "Loyalty + Evolution." Show that you didn’t just do the same year 7 times; you grew every year.

• Don't Say: "I’ve been at Company X for 7 years doing accounting."
• Do Say: "Over the last 7 years at Company X, I’ve progressed from a Junior Analyst to a Senior Lead. I’ve survived three different mergers and helped modernize our entire reporting stack. I’m proud of that tenure, but I’ve hit a ceiling where I’ve automated most of my role, and I’m hungry for a new challenge where I can build a department from scratch."

Why this works: It shows ambition. It tells the recruiter you aren't leaving because you failed, but because you succeeded too much and ran out of runway.

‍

4 Common Mistakes That Kill Your Answer

Even smart people mess this up. Here are the bear traps to avoid.

1. The "Resume Recitation"

The Mistake: "Well, in 2018 I worked at Starbucks, then in 2019 I was a receptionist, then in 2020..." 

The Fix: Group your experience. "Early in my career, I worked in customer-facing roles where I learned conflict resolution. For the last three years, however, I’ve focused entirely on..." Why: The interviewer has your resume. They can read. They want the narrative, not the list.

2. The "We" Trap

The Mistake: "We launched a new product. We increased sales. We built a website." 

The Fix: "My team launched the product, and my specific role was managing the QA process to ensure zero bugs at launch." Why: Companies hire individuals, not teams. If you only say "we," the interviewer assumes you were just grabbing coffee while someone else did the work. Be selfish with your credit (while remaining humble).

3. The "Generic Fluff"

The Mistake: "I’m a hard worker with great communication skills." 

The Fix: Show, don’t tell. "I managed communication for a $2M account, acting as the primary point of contact for the client executive team." 

Why: "Hard worker" is an opinion. "$2M account" is a fact. Facts win interviews.

4. TMI (Too Much Information)

The Mistake: Explaining why you left every single job, or badmouthing a toxic ex-boss. 

The Fix: Keep it positive and forward-looking. 

Why: Negativity is a red flag. Even if your last boss was a nightmare, frame your departure as "seeking new growth opportunities."

‍

Actionable Steps to Build Your Answer Today

You can’t just wing this. You need to prep. Here is your checklist:

• Audit Your Resume: Look at your own resume. Highlight the 3 bullet points that are most relevant to the job description you are applying for. These are the anchors of your answer.
• Quantify Everything: Go back to your "experience" stories. Can you add a number? Did you save time? Save money? Make money? If you don't have exact numbers, estimate. "Improved efficiency significantly" is weak. "Reduced processing time by roughly 20%" is strong.
• Practice Out Loud: Writing it down isn't enough. You need to say it. Record yourself on your phone. Do you sound bored? Do you say "um" every three words?
• Use Tools: If you’re struggling to make your experience sound impressive, tools like ResumAI can help you rewrite your bullet points into the XYZ format. Once you see it written down professionally, it becomes much easier to speak to it confidently.

‍

Sample Answer: Putting It All Together

Let’s look at a full example for a Customer Success Manager role from someone with a Retail Background (The Underdog Pivot).

Interviewer: "So, tell me about your work experience."

Candidate: "Absolutely. I’ve spent the last six years specializing in high-volume customer relations and conflict resolution. Most recently, I was a Store Manager at [Retail Brand], where I managed a team of 15 associates.

While the industry was retail, my day-to-day was actually focused on retention and operations. I implemented a new customer feedback loop that reduced return rates by 15% (Result) by identifying a recurring product defect and flagging it to corporate (Action). I also trained my staff on de-escalation techniques, which helped our store achieve the highest customer satisfaction score in the district for three quarters straight.

I’ve loved the fast pace of retail, but I’ve realized my favorite part of the job is the strategic side of relationship management—solving problems before they happen. That’s why I’m looking to pivot into SaaS Customer Success. I want to take those same skills of empathy, rapid problem-solving, and data-driven feedback and apply them to helping your enterprise clients succeed with your platform."

Breakdown:

• Hook: "Specializing in high-volume customer relations."
• Relevance: Connects retail work to "retention and operations."
• Impact: Reduced return rates by 15% (XYZ Formula).
• Bridge: Explains the pivot clearly—moving from reactive retail to strategic SaaS.

‍

Own Your Story

At Wonsulting, our mission is to turn underdogs into winners. We know that the job search system is often broken. It filters out great people because they don't have the "right" keywords or the Ivy League degree.

But when you are in the room (or on the Zoom), the algorithm is gone. It’s just you and another human.

Answering "What is your work experience?" is your moment to control the narrative. Don't apologize for your background. Don't gloss over your non-traditional path. Own it. Your experience—whether it’s waiting tables, coding in a bootcamp, or navigating the F-1 visa lottery—has given you resilience and perspective that a cookie-cutter candidate doesn't have.

If you’re still feeling stuck or want to practice your answer with an AI that gives real-time feedback, check out InterviewAI. It can simulate this exact question and grade your response on confidence, keywords, and clarity.

You’ve done the work. Now go tell the story.