Shine using the STAR method during Interviews!

Congratulations, you secured an interview! Now what? It's time to prepare!

Interviews can be scary but they don't have to be. Think of it as a conversation to get to know each other. And think of what you want to know, in a way be sure to interview the company/opportunity to ensure it's the right fit for you as much as the company is interviewing you to see if you are a fit for them!

Answering behavioral based questions with the STAR method will help for an engaging experience. You might be thinking what are behavioral based questions? They often go something like this: Give me an example or Tell me about a time... It provides a real life example of what you have done. This gives the hiring manager an idea of what your skills are and how you handle what you might do on the job.

You might have no sales experience but that doesn't mean you can't answer the question such as "Give me an example of a time you sold a product, service or idea" I bet you do it all the time and don't realize it!

What is STAR? Situation; the scenario, Task; what did steps were involved, Action; what did you do and Result; what was the outcome.

You could answer using the STAR method with something like this: Working with four others on a group project for a big project in class. The group was split on what company they should go with although I was thinking something completely different. As I knew this was the company, I needed to get my teammates on board. So to prepare I listed out the pro's and con's of the two companies they suggested and then did so with the one I wanted. Once I reviewed with them, although there had been resistance, we agreed to go with it. The project moved along and in the end we nailed it getting an A on the project.

Another way to answer using the STAR method goes like this: Working at a small retail shop, there was a special of the week on one of the products. We had regular customers that came in for the same thing all the time. I had one that never tried anything else. I saw this customer often and made a game with myself to get them to try the weekly special. We got to talking and I asked about giving it a shot. Of course the customer said no, it was expected. I went on to give some pro's about it. Got the customer thinking and they wound up getting it. Upon the customer's return the following week, the customer was thankful as they started getting it more often.

As you prepare for the interview, preparation is just that, key. It helps you feel more at ease, taking the nerves out. And something to keep in mind... who is more nervous, you or the person trying to fill the job?!