Become a star with this killer interview technique

·  Use this technique to frame your interview answers

·  This is a way to sort out your preparation 

·  Situation-based questions can often be asked, so it’s good to be prepared

·  Gives you a bit of a framework to answer the question more effectively

·  Use this technique, not as a template but more as a guide

·  You don’t want to sound robotic 

S.T.A.R. stands for:

·  Situation

·  Task

·  Action

·  Result

Situation:Part of the interviewing process is a bit like storytelling (truthful stories!), so you want to be engaging as possible when explaining the situation. 

Task: What were you asked to do? What was the objective? What did you need to achieve to get the desired result?

Action:What did you actually do?

Result:Talk about tangible results

Remember to keep it engaging and succinct. Keep it as relevant to the question

It is really beneficial to try this out with your friends using this technique or write it out or speak it out, for practice. Muscle memory, it goes in a bit more and you will much more prepared for your interview!

Here are some examples to help you:

Example 1- Question: Tell me about the time you had to resolve conflict?

Let’s use the frame work for this question:

·  Situation: During this time I was working for (company), this was the size of the team, we had a tricky client with super high expectations. They made a complaint. 

·  Task: I was involved in smoothing out the relationship.

·  Action: I conducted a phone call with the client, listened and worked through their concerns to come to a resolution

·  Result: Due to inefficiency in the team,  further training was provided. I took over the next 3 months to manage the account and our sales went up etc. 

Using this format demonstrates, good communication and leadership skills.

Example 2 

·  Situation: We provided a weekly magazine, which had a strict timeline. The printer let us down and this threw everything out and we risked missing the deadline. 

·  Task: I had to ensure the magazine was printed on time. 

·  Action: I spoke to three new printers and negotiated new rates and managed to secure a better rate overall.

·  Result: We now have a back-up printer for future situations like this. I made sure this, doesn’t happen again.

It’s more for you to get this in your mind. You should practise this at home, it’s a muscle memory. Say it out loud, so it is much easier to recall.

Go through the job description, see what they’re looking for and come up with an example and think of why you’re right for the role and why they should hire you. 

Keep it engaging and get enough detail so you can really paint the picture. 

Visit us at: www.becomerecuitment.com/podcast 

This is a great resource to see examples of situational based questions you may be asked: https://insightsresources.seek.com.au/page/interview-building-tool

Hope this podcast has been useful and makes a difference for when you’re interviewing. Good luck!J