Student Athletes; Think All-'STAR' When Preparing For Behavioral Interviewing

Traditional ‘behavioral’ interviewing is performed by some employers with the goal of anticipating how a candidate may perform in a job based on their prior results. As student-athletes often don't have the work experiences of others dedicating their time to activities other than sports, this process can prove very challenging. However, I can assure you that the obstacles you face on the field may have actually allowed you to develop great skills that you can showcase during this interaction.

Aside from your motivational fit for the job and company, you will definitely need to create your game plan for success. Once you have determined that this style of interviewing will be used, you will need to begin thinking about structuring your accomplishment examples into a ‘STAR’ format. This acronym is simply a reminder of the design which you are to follow when providing your example;

‘S/T’ - The specific Situation or Task that you are challenged with

‘A’- The Action you take to confront this issue

‘R’- The Result or outcome of the example

As the interviewer will be assessing the value you may add to their organization, you will clearly want to place the most emphasis and provide significant detail on the role you played in the outcome of your example. Additionally, while we are all limited to the authority we may have in situations, your ability to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving before going to a decision maker will be key.

 With this in mind, here are a few themes you may find relevant in highlighting your role as a leader on the field when you don’t have the work background:

 - Mentorship/Menteeship

o The majority of work places require a good deal of team work and partnership to be successful. Athletics provides a setting where you can take the opportunity to help make others around you become the best they can be.

- Accountability/Coach-ability

o We all make mistakes. Being able to own up to your failures and learn from your mistakes will provide proof to the interviewer that you are able to take and incorporate feedback.

- Responsibility

o Taking a full course-load of classes while in season can prove to be a rigorous schedule. Your ability to prioritize and manage time would appeal to any employer.

- Integrity/character

o As athletics is an environment where we often have to endure failures, it allows for a unique opportunity to show your fortitude and commitment to the team when things are down.

- Attention to Detail

o Doing the little things and taking the time to hone your trade will let the interviewer know you take pride in the work you do.

As a Talent Advisor for a Fortune 500 company, I can tell you that those who simply pursued collegiate athletics because they were good at a sport will struggle with this process. However, those that took full advantage of the opportunity to use their experience to develop themselves personally will have the greatest likelihood to succeed professionally. Your next team may be looking for you, are you ready?

Alex Steele

Talent Advisor | Progressive Insurance

www.progressive.com/jobs