Nov 2012 - Nassau Journals

20 THE JOURNAL NOVEMBER 2012
By Marjorie Kavanagh
Owner & President of Panoramic Resumes, LLC
ACING STAR INTERVIEWS
Ever wonder how employers develop their
questions/approach to job interviews? Today it
has become very common for employers to conduct
behavioral-based interviews. This approach
focuses on understanding individual experiences,
prior actions, knowledge, skills, and job-related
abilities as a predictor of future job performance.
The STAR Approach • STAR (Situation. Task.
Actions. Results.) is the format by which job candidates
should respond to behavioral-based questions.
Building a STAR Response • Let’s take a sample behavioral-based
interview question and work through STAR together.
Question: “Can you tell me of a time when you had to deal with a
difficult person?”
Situation: Describe the initial situation that you were challenged
with. Be concise and informative and offer context.
Sample Situation Response: “As team leader, I observed that a team
member was consistently argumentative during meetings and was disruptive
of the group’s progress.”
Task: Define the task you were charged with or self-motivated to
accomplish.
Sample Task Response: “I decided that I needed to have a conversation
with him to determine what, if any, were underlying factors of
his behavior and to see how we can make notable consistent improvements.
My thinking was that, based on our meeting, I would develop
helpful communication strategies for him to practice and employ.”
Action: This component of STAR is the most critical, as you must
demonstrate and highlight the skills and personal abilities that the interview
question is testing. In the context of your response, the focus
must be on what YOU did. No need to get too technical or into the
weeds of the story unless requested by the interviewer. Convey what
you did, how you did it, and why you did it.
Sample Action Response: “I met with him in private and asked him
gently to describe for me what he felt the problem was. By allowing
him to vent, I gave him the opportunity to calm down. I then explained
to him my perspective, emphasizing the need to find a solution
that would work for both of us and our team.
Results: Make sure that you respond to questions with examples
that have positive results! Think of putting results in context. If you
increased sales 15 percent, what does that really mean? What was your
sales goal? Did you achieve it? Exceed it? A 15 percent increase is only
good if you are able to provide context around it.
Sample Results Response: “After our conversation, he thanked me
for listening to him and helping him to better understand the repercussions
of his actions. He learned different strategies to employ when he
is upset, and today he is a productive and collaborative team member.”
To succeed with STAR requires practice. Start by writing down responses
to sample questions in STAR format as above, and then advance
to speaking your answer as one full response. Practice being a STAR!
Marjorie Kavanagh is owner and president of Panoramic Resumes, LLC, a professional
resume writing and job search consulting firm in Colts Neck, New
Jersey. You can e-mail questions to her at Marjorie@PanoramicResumes.com
(USE or visit USUAL www.PanoramicResumes.com.
PHOTO, HEADING, AND BIO AT END)
We Will Never Forget
HICKORY CORNER LIBRARY
NOVEMBER ADULT PROGRAMS
Caring for the Caregiver
Every Thursday at 11:00 a.m.
Barbara Stender, Caregiver
Specialist with Trenton
Behavioral Healthcare, will
lead a weekly, educational
support group for caregivers
of seniors with chronic health problems. Registration required.
Meditation for Stress-Free Living
Thursday, November 1 and 8, 10:30 a.m.
Umesh Bhatia will discuss the extraordinary effect meditation
can have on your total well-being. You will learn a simple, effective
meditation technique, and will have a chance to practice it during
the program. This is a two-part program. You can come to both or
just one. Registration required.
Life Tools: How to Manage Stress Instead of Stress Managing
You
Wednesday, November 7, 7:00 p.m.
Carol Rickard, LCSW, will demonstrate tools that will help you
deal with difficult people, manage your emotions, turn failure into
success and recognize when you are under too much stress. Registration
required.
Friends of the Hickory Corner Library Book Sale
Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 15, 17 & 18
Thursday 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Members only
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Open to the public
Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bag sale
Sports-Related Head Injuries in Children
Monday, November 19, 7:00 p.m.
Dr. Alicia Brennan, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Newborn and Pediatric Care Unit at the University Medical Center
of Princeton at Plainsboro, will discuss symptoms and treatments
of external and internal sports-related head injuries, signs of a possible
concussion, and prevention. Registration required.
Mystery Book Club
Monday, November 19, 7:00 p.m.
The group will be discussing Eight Million Ways to Die by
Lawrence Block. Contact hclmysterybookclub@comcast.net to
register.
Solar Power for Homeowners
Thursday, November 29, 7:00 p.m.
This 45-minute seminar will help you understand the benefits
of renewable energy, provides an overview of the different system
solutions, and explains the federal and state incentives. Presented
by Solar & More. Registration required.
Afternoon Movie: The Help
Friday, November 30 2:00 p.m.
Skeeter, a southern society girl, returns from college determined
to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives, and a small Mississippi
town, upside down when she decides to interview the black
women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern
families. PG-13. No registration required.
All programs are open to the public and free of charge. Register
in person, call (609) 448-1330, or register online at www.mcl.org.