Do you find interviews daunting? Have you got an interview coming up in the next few days or weeks? Many people find interview questions difficult to answer and they do not know how to structure the answers. In the following article, I have cherry-picked some guidance to help you successfully prepare for your next interview and land your dream job. You will learn how to apply the STAR method at your next interview and to give structured and focused answers.
Preparation is key
Your preparation needs to cover researching the organisation and thinking about possible questions you might be asked. If there is a presentation, you would need to create it in advance and practice the delivery in front of others. The more you can prepare in advance, the more relaxed you might feel. If you are applying for a job which you are very keen to get, you might feel more anxious. You might find that putting your eggs in more than one basket helps. Applying for more than one vacancy can give you more options and help you feel calmer.
What to expect?
At the start of the interview, you might be asked some general questions about your background, education, hobbies, and any other part of your CV/ cover letter. It is a good idea to read your application materials again before the interview.
What questions should I prepare for?
Your interviewer might want to assess a range of relevant skills: your computer skills, how you cope under pressure, your organisational abilities, creativity, time management, research skills and communication. At times, there might not be a black and white answer to the questions. Here is an example of the questions you could expect:
- Can you think of a time when you have worked in a team? What worked well? What did not work well?
- Describe to me a situation when you have demonstrated excellent communication skills.
- Can you share an example when you have positively influenced a team?
- Can you give us an example of when you have handled a compliant?
- Could you talk us through a situation when you had to develop a solution to a complex challenge?
- Why should we hire you?
- Why have you applied for the role?
- If you were a car, what car would you be?
- Which celebrity or high-profile person would you like to meet?
How to answer the questions using the STAR method?
Using the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) framework to structure your answers is a brilliant way to communicate your answers.
Situation – Describe the situation or the challenge you needed to handle. You need to focus on key details and avoid going into too much unnecessary detail. E.g. ‘The department received a complaint from a key customer who felt disappointed by the service they have experienced.’
Task – Explain specifically the task you needed to accomplish. E.g. ‘My manager asked me to contact the customer as a matter of priority and resolve the complaint.’
Action – Explain what specifically you have done to improve the situation or initiate some change. Also, remember to explain why you have taken these actions. E.g. ‘Before making the call, I have taken out a few minutes to familiar myself with the nature of the compliant and to come up with possible solutions for the customer. When I talked to them on the phone, I listened carefully to their complaint without interrupting. Then, I offered them a couple of options to resolve the situation and let them decide how they wanted to progress.’
Result – Share the results of your action. E.g. ‘As a result of our conversation, I was able to clear up some communication issues. They have withdrawn their compliant and they were happy to remain with our company as customers.’
Optional: Evaluation – This part of the framework is for looking at what you would have done differently or better if you faced the same situation again. E.g. ‘If I was in the same situation again, I would jot down some of my thoughts before the call, as opposed to trying to hold everything in my head. Putting things to paper would help to be even more focused in the conversation.’
How can I stand out?
When you have researched the organisation and you have collected some examples, do try to think about 3 things which could differentiate you from other applicants. Have you got lots of experience working in a similar role? Is it your education which could help you stand out? Have you completed any relevant training which could make a real contribution to the role? What could make your application unique? You could write a list of your relevant strengths e.g. skills, experience, background, education, courses, soft skills etc.
Once you are clear about the strengths, you would need to take a few minutes reflecting on possible weaknesses within your application. Make a list of possible gaps within your application profile in terms of knowledge, skills, experience etc. Do ask yourself the below reflective question: If any of the gaps were identified in the interview, how could I respond?
What else could make a difference?
I have recently had the opportunity to chat with a colleague called Anna. She has progressed from a fairly junior to a director level higher education role remarkably quickly and easily (within just a few years). I was curious to learn about her top tips, which helped her achieve what would seem impossible for others.
Before her most recent promotion, Anna identified a number of talks, presentations and higher education conferences where she would have the opportunity to introduce herself to key decision makers. She was keen to learn about trends in higher education as well as be informed of the current challenges which influence the sector. When being invited for interviews, she was able to skilfully refer to these events and draw on the insights she gained. Her enthusiasm for her new role shone through at interview and quickly convinced the panel of her high potential. By following a few steps, she was able to get not just any promotion but her right promotion.
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