This may perhaps be one of my most timely posts.  I don’t have to tell any reader about the rising unemployment rates, the job shortages, and the state of the global economy.  What is more useful is not a declaration of the state of business but  a map or tactic to navigate the turbulent waters of our time.  This post will focus on getting you the job.

Fear not!  I do realize that most of my posts are focused on helping managers build solid performance models.  Therefor, why would I give away secrets to the mystery of the interview, allowing hoards of unqualified workers to breach the hallowed gates of your business?  I am confident that if those reading this post would follow the recommendations, not only will they improve their chances of getting the job but will also be doing the interviewing manager a favor.

Bear with me on this analogy.  When you were a child, you probably played with that toy where you place the shaped blocks through the template that correlates to that specific shape.  If you didn’t own one, you probably played with one in the pediatrician’s office.  Interviewing is sort of like that toy.  The interviewer has an idea of the perfect candidate.  That idea is the template.  The interviewer is looking for the shaped blocks which represent your qualifications.  He or she will probably be using one of many interviewing systems.  These systems are heavily utilized in larger organizations.  One style of interviewing is the “Behavioral Interview”.  One of the popular brands is the STAR method.  If you click the hyperlink, you can read Drexel University’s description which may give you a little more detail than follows.

The Star Method is a four step guide to help the interviewee provide relevant information that represents their experience.  It is useful in that if both the interviewer and the interviewee understand it, they will likely communicate in the same language.  Following are the four steps of the dialogue:

S – Situation: During this step you set up the story.  You explain the background information for your response.  For example,  ”Sales were down and I was working in a new territory with a new team of 3 people.  I was the most senior.”  This sets up the dialogue.  The more detail you provide, the more your experience will surface to the interviewer.

T – Task: During this step, you explain what you were trying to accomplish.  Building on the “S” part of the story, you may explain, “I had to move my market share by 3% in 6 months to prepare for a new product launch that was anticipated at that point”.

A – Actions:  What actions did you take to accomplish your task or solve the problem.  Chapter 3 of our saga might sound like this. “I looked at my call stats, identified areas that were lagging, point of strength and then developed a detailed action plan to bridge the performance gaps.”

R – Results: What was the outcome of your actions.  This is where your story climaxes.  ”After 5 months I was able to meet my goals.  By the sixth month, I had actually increased my market share by 5% and moved to the top sales position on my team”.

So, are you ready to hire me?  Know your STARs before the interview.  This needs to be part of your preparation.  Think of as many success stories that you can and format them into the STAR structure before the interview.  I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have interviewed someone who couldn’t tell me what they accomplished.  Needless to say, I never saw them again.  You can stand out if you can communicate your accomplishments to the interviewer.

There are many dynamics to an interview.  Dress, presentation, communication skills, and so many others are skills you must master to stand out in the crowd.  In latter post I will give you guidance on perfecting these and others.  Be sure to put your best foot forward.  One way you can shine is to become a STAR (pun intended).

You can follow me on Twitter @terrencewing and @liquidlearn.