3 Job Interview Tips for Jobseekers
1. STARRR (situation, task, action, result, backward reflection, forward reflection)
2. Understand company’s mission and values
3. Be aware of the company problem in achieving company’s mission
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So now that in the previous video we talked about having a resume that will be standing
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out from the crowd. So the candidate applied and now the recruiter have five or six seconds and they're scanning
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either a yes or a no. In case of a yes, it will be either a phone interview and then after the phone it will
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be face to face. So in that sense, what tips do you have for job seekers in order to be prepared for either
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the phone interview and then if there's anything different for a face to face or via Zoom these days
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Great question. So in the previous video we talked about writing a one page resume and when it comes to telling
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our past experiences, the story of our past, on paper when we write something down, we
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use the STAR method. Stands for Situation, Task, Action and Results. Now when it comes to an interview, because you're present and you can use your language
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you can actively communicate, I take my clients through a more advanced version of STAR
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It's STAR with three R's. So it's S-T-A-R-R-R. So what the extra two R's are, are for backwards reflection and forwards reflection
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So we still talk about, start by talking about the situation. This is the company
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This is what our company does. This is what my team does. It just has nothing to do, you know, before I joined the company, before I joined that
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team, that's what that team was responsible for. Then we go to the T. This is what I was assigned
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So when we go talk about tasks that were assigned to us, we focus on whatever problem driven
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you know, we talk about the problems that we faced on the path
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So I was expected to solve these problems. Then we go to talk about the A, which is the actions
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This is how I solved that problem. Then the first R. The first R, these are the results
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This is what happened at the end. Now we don't stop there. We go through two more R's
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The second R is to reflect backwards. So what I get my clients to say, specifically this, I tell them to say, and this is what
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the outcome was. And what I learned from that experience was, so now you're reflecting backwards
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Now that I see I went through that situation, that task, that action, that result, this
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is what I learned from that experience. So you reflect backwards. Sometimes you learned positive things
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Sometimes you learn that, hey, I made a mistake. I really screwed up. I'm not going to do, you know, so we talk, think, we reflect our thoughts, our reflections
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off the past. And the third R in that star, new advanced star method is to reflect forward
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So based on that experience, now that you reflect forward, that you visualize coming
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across the similar task, a similar situation in the future, how would you do it differently
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You know, sometimes I say, how would you strengthen your skills? How would you do it differently
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How would you do it better? How would you improve your results? So that's the forward reflection or forward visualization or forward strengthening of
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the outcome. If you were to come across similar situation, you were assigned a similar task
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So that's something that allows you to, it allows you to take full control of the interviewer's
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mind, you know, because you tell a story. And then if I was a recruiter, I have to make my own mind
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It's like, well, what did he or she learn from that experience
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You're not going to let that, let me make that decision by myself. But sometimes it might be misunderstanding
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You want to tell me with full clarity, full confidence and self-awareness
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So I see that you're self-aware and you say things you learned that were good
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You say to me things that you messed up and you say, you know, wow, that's pretty courageous
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That's brave. I'm glad you learned this experience, you know, so I have no more doubts that you learned
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from that experience. And you also talked to me about how you visualize coming across similar situations
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So this just triple proofs your answer and doesn't leave anything for guesswork. Yeah
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I never heard about it. Eye opening for me even. That's good. Yeah
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I mean, it's a more advanced version of that, you know, that star. That's number one, which again, it's really important
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You need to be able to deliver powerful stories that are impactful
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The second tip I would give you is to again, understand the company's mission
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So we talked about this in the last video and we talked about the first thing on your
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resume is that it's a mission driven, it's a purpose driven objective statement that
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is, that must be aligned with the job you're applying to. So pushing this conversation forward to an interview, you need to be able to speak to
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that company's mission statement with clear understanding. Ultimately, everybody in that company is after achieving a similar mission, which is solving
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a certain problem in the society, helping a group of community and maybe a particular
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end user. Maybe they're working with other businesses. Those other businesses have problems
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They come to us for services. You need to understand how business works, ultimately how this company makes money
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So understand the company's mission. That's number two. My third and last tip for an interview would be, be aware of the problems that company
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that business will be facing on its way to accomplishing their mission
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Because every business, when the business starts and they have one owner and they start
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hiring people, they hire people to solve problems. They have a business plan
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You're not there to build a business plan. They already have it. They have departments, they have leaders, they have a clear mission
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They begin to bring people on board to help them achieve that mission. So what you want to talk about and really focus on in order to influence them to hire
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you is to talk about potential problems that they'll be facing on their path to achieving
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their success, to achieving their mission, to gaining their purpose. Because that's going to show them that you have clarity, you have foresight
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You can see what's happening in the future, what could be potentially happening. I want to help them avoid disaster and prepare for solving problems as they arise
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And that's someone who is forward thinking, that's someone who has critical thoughts
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someone who's very creative, who's a visionary. So you don't have to, when I say visionary, don't go and imagine Steve Jobs or don't imagine
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the visionary icons. Visionary means that, okay, I want to do this thing
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I want to take my dog for a walk. I see clouds outside, might be raining
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Better take an umbrella. You're a visionary. You predicted things that could potentially happen to you and you made a decision right
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now that would stop you from getting soaked wet. So make decisions based on potential up, potential futures, potential negative futures, because
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that's what you're there to avoid. Those are great tips, Ned. I really appreciate it
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And I hope the audience watching or listening will implement, especially the reflection
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and moving forward part, which I think it's an eye opening and you can tell more about
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the person when they talk about that part, will implement in their next interview
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And again, for the audience watching or listening, if you have any other tips, please leave them
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below and tune in next time for another great question with Ned
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