Blog

The STAR Interview Method

The STAR interview technique allows the candidate to tell a linear story while answering a question in an interview. This technique is becoming a standardised way for candidates to answer question. But what does ‘STAR’ stand for? Its stands for situation, task, action and result.

What does ‘STAR’ stand for:

Situation:

This describes the situation that you are in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from previous jobs either from a volunteer role or relevant event. For example, reaching a deadline for a task that needs to be completed.

Task:

What goal were you working towards? ‘Task’ and ‘Situation’ are easily confused. The main difference is that here you should state the work expected of you because of the situation. Such as ‘my goal was to generate …”

Action:

”What specific steps did you take and what particular contributions?” Describe the action you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail. The key focus should be on you. Be careful that you do not describe what the team or group did when talking about projects, but when you actually did.

Result:

”What happened? How did the event end?” Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Always be truthful.

Make sure that you follow all parts of the STAR method. Be specific as possible at all times without rambling or including too much information. Therefore, candidates have to be prompted to include their results, so try to include that without having to be asked.

Sample STAR responses:

Here are some sample answers that you could give at an interview:

Situation: ”advertising revenue was falling off for my college newspaper and large numbers of long term advertisers were not renewing contracts”

Task: ”My target was to approach new ideas, materials and incentives that would result in…”

Action: ” I designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits with other media areas”

Result: ”We signed contracts with 15 former advertisers for daily ads…”

 

How to prepare for a behavioural interview:

Behavioural interview questions are asked to assess whether a candidate is the right fit. Here are some examples:

• Recall recent situations that show favourable behaviours or actions involving the course.
• Prepare short descriptions of each situation.
• Be ready to give details when asked.
• Make sure the outcome or result reflects positively on you.
• Honesty is key – the interviewer will find out if the story is built on a weak foundation.

Sample behavioural interview questions:

Practice using the Star Method on these common behavioural interviewing questions:

• ”Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritise your tasks?”
• ”Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split-second decision?”
• ”Give me a time when you had to motivate others?”
• ”Tell me about a time when you had to delegate a project effectively?”
• ”Please discuss an important written document you were required to complete?”

Here are more behavioural interviews to try out.

Interview tips for you:

Want to make a good impression on your job interview? By researching and practising your answers, you can make the right impression.

To find out more about interview tips, please click on the link below.

 

At Carrington Blake Recruitment, we like to help our candidates prepare for their interviews so that they are ready to go.

If you are nervous or not sure how to answer questions, contact us today on 0207 537 6607 or emails visit our contact page and we can help you with your interview preparation.

Read more

Interview Tips

From researching the company to deciding what to wear, spending time on interview preparation is essential if you’re going to put in a good performance and secure the job. In some cases, you’ll only need to succeed at one of these to land the role.

Your performance in an interview depends, to a significant extent, on how well you prepare. Don’t leave this until the last minute.

Interviews are very intimidating and you may not be ready. Here are a few tips in order to help you.

10 tips for great job interviews

1. Research the industry and company:

An interviewer may ask how you perceive the company’s position in its industry, what its competitive advantages are, and how it should best go forward. For this reason, avoid trying to thoroughly research a dozen different industries. Focus your job search on the company and what they are all about.

2. Clarify your “selling points” and the reasons you want the job:

Prepare to go into every interview with three to five key selling points in mind, such as what makes you the best candidate for the position. Have an example of each selling point prepared. For example, if you say ”I persuaded an entire group to …” make sure you are prepared to tell the interviewer the full story of your point and why it is relevant. This allows them to see why you want that job and see what you can bring to the team.

3. Prepare for common interview questions:

Every “how to interview” book has a list of a hundred or more “common interview questions that will be asked in an interview. So how do you prepare? Think about which questions you’re most likely to encounter, given your age and status (about to graduate, looking for a summer internship) and what type of role it is. Once you have a list drawn up, prepare your answers so you won’t have to fumble for them during the actual interview.

4. ‘STAR’ Techniques:

The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioural-based interview question’s. This is by
discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing. Impressing at a competency-based interview is all about the way you tell your story, so it’s particularly important to prepare for this sort of interview. Put some concrete, quantifiable details down on paper, which could fit a range of situations.

5. Line up your questions for the interviewer:

Your interviewer is prepared for your interview, so why don’t you become prepared?
Come to the interview with some intelligent questions for the interviewer that demonstrate your knowledge of the company as well as your serious intent. Interviewers always ask if you have any questions, and no matter what, you should have one or two ready. These can either be about the job role itself or talk about things you could potentially learn during the role.

6. Practice, practice, practice:

Always practice your answers. You do not want to forget what the interview was about and need to be clear about what you want. It’s the one thing to come prepared with a mental answer to a question like, “Why should we hire you?” It’s another challenge entirely to say it out loud in a confident and convincing way. The first time you try it, you’ll sound garbled and confused, no matter how clear your thoughts are in your own mind! Do it another 10 times, and you’ll sound a lot smoother and more articulate.

7. Score a success in the first five minutes:

Some studies indicate that interviewers make up their minds about candidates in the first five minutes of the interview – and then spend the rest of the interview looking for things to confirm that decision! So what can you do in those five minutes to get through the gate? Come in with energy and enthusiasm, and express your appreciation for the interviewer’s time.

Remember: the interviewer may be seeing a lot of other candidates that day and maybe tired from the flight in. So bring in that energy!

8. Make your selling points clear:

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, did it make a sound? More important, if you communicate your selling points during a job interview and the interviewer doesn’t get it, did you score? On this question, the answer is clear: No! So don’t bury your selling points in long-winded stories. Instead, tell the interviewer what your selling point is first, then give the example.

9. Think positive:

No one likes a complainer, so don’t dwell on negative experiences during an interview. Even if the interviewer asks you point-blank, “what courses have you liked least?” or “what did you like least about that previous job?” don’t answer the question. Or more specifically, don’t answer it as it’s been asked. Instead, say something like, “well, actually I’ve found something about all of my classes that I’ve liked.”

10. Speak the right body language:

Dress appropriately, make eye contact, give a firm handshake, have good posture, speak clearly, and don’t wear perfume or cologne! Sometimes interview locations are small rooms that may lack good air circulation.

Don’t give up!

If you’ve had a bad interview for a job that you truly think would be a great fit for you (not just something you want badly), don’t give up! Write a note, send an email, or call the interviewer to let him or her know that you think you did a poor job of communicating. Reiterate what you have to offer the company, and say that you’d like an opportunity to contribute. Whether this strategy will get you a job offer depends on the company and on you.

Why Choose Us

Choose us as your recruitment agency, we want to help you find the job that you are looking for and prepare you an interview. If you need someone to prepare your interview with you, speak to one of our consultants today at Carrington Blake Recruitment.

Contact us on 0207 537 6607 or leave us an email at recruitment@carringtonblake.com

Read more

Job Searching Tips

Job searching or just keeping an eye on available roles, these tips will help you to have an efficient job-hunting strategy. Looking for a new job can be so time-consuming that it can become a job in itself.  A job search can feel so overwhelming with everyone you know throwing different advice your way.

Tips for job searching:

Get clear on what you want:

Before starting your job search, take the time to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. The better you know yourself, the more likely you’ll find a new role that provides you with greater satisfaction.

Research your target companies:

Once you know what you want, it’s time to look for what the companies you’re applying for require. A great tip for finding a new job is to investigate a company’s Glassdoor page. It will help you get a feel for their company culture, figure out what questions they commonly ask in interviews, and even discover what salary you’re likely to be paid.

Tailor your resume to each job:

our resume is still one of the most critical tools of a job search. A lot of resumes that are seen are full of responsibilities. Make yourself an obvious fit. Study the words and phrases that are used in the job description.

Get Organised:

Before you start applying for jobs or interviewing with employers, take a moment to develop a system. A simple spreadsheet works best for many to keep a track of the jobs you’ve applied for, where you have been invited to interview and more.

Do not limit yourself on applying for these roles:

If you rely only on submitting online applications, you could be looking for a job for a very long time. By the time you apply, the company might be in the final interview stage, or the job might have even been filled. Contact companies that interest you directly – you might get in contact with an internal recruiter.

Prepare for all job interviews:

Before you get called for your first interview, develop responses for common interview questions. Practice them — ideally using the mock-interviewing technique with a friend, network contact, or your consultant. The more prepared you are for the interview, the more comfortable you’ll be – and the more likely you’ll succeed.

 

 

Final thoughts on finding a new role

Have a positive attitude and outlook as these are extremely important. Employers can sense desperation and despair; organizations want competent and positive people.

Always remember you may need additional experience or training when entering a new field.

How We Can Help

You may need to consider temping or volunteering for a short period to gain experience. At Carrington Blake Recruitment, we have jobs come through every minute for temp work or contract work.

Contact us today at 0207 537 6607 or leave us an email with your CV attached at recruitment@carringtonblake.com. At Carrington Blake Recruitment we are here to help you find what you are looking for.

Read more

Most Common Interview Questions

Common interview questions are questions that are asked at an interview which are similar to most interviews. If you’re preparing for a temporary position interview, have you considered how you might tailor your answers? This is heavily focused on the skills that you can immediately bring to the table, filling whatever skills gap necessary.

Some interview questions are easier to answer than others. But whilst you can’t predict exactly what you’ll be asked, any question has the potential to make you stumble – unless, of course, you’ve prepared in advance.

Interview questions that are asked

To help give you an idea of what could come up, here’s our list of common interview questions for temporary workers:

Tell me about yourself?

A common opening question, partly because your interviewers want to know more about you, but mostly because they want to put you on the spot and see how you react.

Remember, they’ve given you complete control here. You should take full advantage of what to say and how much in detail you can go in. This is the first step in making your interviewer know what you can bring to the job.

What are your weaknesses?

The first part of this question is realising that you actually have some. Even though everyone loves the idea of being a perfectionist, you know what weaknesses you have.

Everyone has weaknesses or things that they can improve about themselves. Being honest with yourself here will save you a lot of time in the long run.

Why should you get this job?

As there will probably be a number of other candidates having interviews, this is your chance to demonstrate why you want the job, and why you would be a perfect fit for the company.

Even though no one likes the idea of being stuck up, this is your opportunity to it. Make sure you make and leave an impression so the interviewer will remember you when looking at other candidates.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

What the interviewer really wants is to see that you’ve thought about your future, and gauge your ambition. They also want to verify that this isn’t just a stop-gap position. Always broaden your ideas and tell them what you want to be. Always be honest even if it’s, not a temp job.

How to answer interview questions

Whatever your answers are, don’t be tempted to improvise or answer on the spur of the moment. It’ll never come out as well as you’d hoped. It doesn’t need to be scripted, but knowing why you want the job and what your strengths and weaknesses are should be a standard part of your preparation process and just as important as your pre-interview research.

A cup of water: Ideally, you’ll take sips of water at appropriate times during the interview such as before or after being asked a question by the interviewer. Drink a cup of water and think about what you are going to say next rather than saying something that might not be relevant to the question.

What we can do to help

At Carrington Blake Recruitment we want to help you prepare for these common questions and your interview prep.

Contact us today on 0207 537 6607 or leave us an email at recruitment@carringtonblake.com

Read more