If there’s one prompt you’re guaranteed to hear in a job interview, it’s “So, tell me about yourself...”

And it’s a tough one to answer without sounding contrived or a teensy bit awkward.

Author and leadership expert Simon Sinek has a novel solution to the quandary. As he explains to Business Insider, it involves a bit of prep (and bravery) but the investment will be worth it to help map out a genuine response.

According to Sinek, we need to call on our friends to nail down our “why”: the principle-led purpose that drives us at work, and in life overall. And the way to do this is via his “friends test”. Here’s how it works:

Step One: Pick out a friend who truly loves and trusts you. This can’t be a spouse, partner or family member.

Step two: Ask them, “why are we friends?”

Why we all need to do the ‘friends test’ before every job interview