Getting a callback from a potential employer is a huge accomplishment, but it means nothing if you don’t make a good impression in your job interview. Thankfully, there is only one interview hack that you’ll ever need to guarantee a job offer. Enter: the STAR method!

When you enter a job interview, you only have one task: leave a good impression. We partly covered this when we advised you to create a brand out of yourself in our job-hunting tips. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You actually have to walk your talk, and if your walk is boring, you can kiss your chances of getting a job goodbye.

The worst sin you could commit in any competitive environment is to be forgettable.

What some people may not realize is if there’s a time to brag about all your achievements, it’s during job interviews. But you’d have to do it properly or you’d end up looking like a pretentious know-it-all or a liar who’s full of BS.

Thankfully, with the STAR method, you wouldn’t have to worry about that.

As you may have guessed already, STAR is an acronym pertaining to the points you have to hit in answering job interview questions. Simply put, it stands for: situation-task-action-result.

It’s now time to learn what it all means. Are you ready to come out with a job offer from your interviews?

S: Situation

About 70% of all job interviews is you telling stories about yourself. The keyword being yourself. They want to get to know you!

If you’re just bragging or repeating what’s already in your resume, then the interviewer has probably written you off as a generic candidate with nothing special to offer.

Your goal in a job interview is to stand out.

And nothing says standing out like a good story that’s purely your own. They’ve already heard multiple candidates throughout the entire interview process go on and on about how they’re “hardworking” and “passionate”. When you’re asked a question, the first thing you should do is get straight to the point by telling a specific situation to demonstrate your claim. Here’s an example:

Q: In your resume, you say that you’re good at time management. Can you tell me more about that?

Like I said, you’re telling a story about yourself. Think of this step as the part where you lay out the setting and characters as you suck in the interview into your world (with one brief statement, of course).

T: Task

Now that you’ve identified the situation, it’s time to say what exactly you had to face or overcome. What was your task, and what was your responsibility in it? What are you up against? The interviewer wants to know!

You’re the main character in this story, and this is the part where you lay out your mission. Let’s go back to the above example:

This is a crucial step in the STAR method to clear out any ambiguities with your story and why you brought it up in the first place. Basically, it answers the question: what’s the point?

A: Action

Come in for the kill with a satisfying climax to your story. Like we told you earlier, you have to come out as the hero in this job interview. And what better way to do that than to tell them how you (and ideally, nobody else but you) solved the problem?

You now have the obligation to tell how exactly you addressed your adversity by giving specific and concrete examples, actions, projects, etc. The worst thing you could do is give a motherhood statement or a very broad, blanket solution.

Do you see how detailed that was? If you articulate your solution vaguely, you might end up “undercrediting” yourself or sounding like just another generic candidate. You also wouldn’t want to take too much time telling your story, or you’ll bore the interviewer to death.

As a bonus tip, it’s always good to bring up situations that you know are unique to you alone. Or if you can’t think of one, go for a situation where a creative action was done to address the task at hand.

Again, you should always strive to stand out. Making yourself memorable in a good light is how you win in these interviews. The interviewer has probably heard how a candidate more than they need to in one lifetime.

And the beauty with the STAR method is that you can tell your tale without sounding too arrogant!

R: Result

Now, it’s time to you end your narrative with a satisfying conclusion. You probably know how a badly-written ending can leave a bitter taste in your mouth. So if there’s a part that you wouldn’t want to mess up, it’s this one.

The STAR method requires you to end the situation with the result to the action you took. Did you increase sales or help increase efficiency within a team? By how much?

You should be as specific and concrete as possible when giving out results. If your success could have been measured in numbers or percentages, it’s best to tell that too. Some examples would include earned revenue, event attendees, social media numbers, and improvement in success rate, to name a few.

Be very honest with the results you give because these interviewers can smell bull from a mile away.

Perhaps most importantly, you should go back to the point you were trying to make in the first place. You wouldn’t want the interviewer to be left asking, what was the point of telling that story?

Ever have days where you beat yourself up for not fighting for the course you really want to take up in college? Going through four years of college while learning things you’re not passionate about is just pure unadulterated torture; no one should ever live a life they’re unhappy about.

Well maybe the solution is staring at you in the face: shift courses!

If this is something that’s been weighing on your mind lately, boy are you lucky. You asked from “a sign” from the universe, and a sign ya shall receive. Eight of them, actually. Here is Zoomer Corner’s list of signs that you should shift courses in college.

1. The classes you dread the most are your majors.

Sure, not every major is enjoyable. But we’re not talking about the classes you dread just because you ended up with a horrible professor, or a class that frustrated you because getting a passing grade just seemed impossible.

We’re talking about those classes where you find yourself asking, “why am I still here?”.

Operative word: classes. It’s normal to dread one or two majors, but when everything feels like a hassle, maybe it’s time to shift courses in college.

2. You spend more time doing things related to your preferred course.

Most of us have thought of shifting the moment we got our college entrance test results. Filipino parents are notorious for forcing their children to choose courses that they don’t want because they’re just more practical from a financial standpoint.

Because of this, we try to compensate by taking a minor related to our real passion or using up free electives for them. Some of us even join organizations that have projects where our heart truly lies.

When we’re passionate about a cause, then these things that eat up our “free time” may not feel like work at all.

Look back at how much energy and time you invested in the activities related to your passion, versus those related to the course you’re stuck in. You might be surprised that you’re actually spending less than 10% of your day caring about your degree program.

3. The internet is calling you.

Data privacy is a sham. We all know how smart all these websites and apps are getting with the personal data that we give them. Most of the time, they know things even before we do.

So when Youtube is recommending you videos about the things you truly care about, or Facebook is showing you posts from friends who are taking the course that you are eyeing, take it as a sign. Hell, if you found this blog post in one of your social media feed, then maybe Mark Zuckerburg God is trying to tell you something.

Trust these tech giants, they know best.

4. You habitually read up on topics related to your preferred course.

How often do you willingly read articles in the field that you’re studying? Now, compare that to how often you read stuff related to the field that you potentially want to study in.

We are unconsciously drawn to the things that we can’t have. So when you’re studying biology but really want to formally study graphic design, you may find yourself reading news about the Adobe creative suite or obsessively following famous visual artists in the local community.

The most telling sign is when you start researching about the life of someone who works in a certain field. How much money do they make? What does their typical day look like? Do they regret it? Did they also shift courses in college?

5. Failing doesn’t hit you hard anymore.

When you’re a freshman, getting a failing mark in a major can hit you deep no matter how much you play it cool to other people. But as you spend more time in college, you become numb about failing… at least for those who aren’t happy with the course they’re taking.

Yes, failure is such a common thing in college that it might seem laughable to get affected by it. But feeling a “sting” when you fail at something you care about is only normal.

If you recurringly feel nothing when you get failing grades for your majors, then that’s a huge red flag that you should be putting all your energy into a course you’ll actually cry for. As bad as it may sound, crying and doubting yourself over a failed grade shows that you are passionate about what you’re studying as opposed to feeling absolutely nothing.

6. You keep making excuses not to shift.

The most common excuses we hear about why one doesn’t want to shift courses in college are: (a) parents, and (b) it’s too late. Let’s address them both, shall we?

First, there’s the idea that your parents will just not approve of you switching gears. I want you to recall if you’ve truly sat down with them to seriously and thoroughly discuss why you want to shift. Did you tell them the whole truth about it?

Some of us are admittedly not transparent with our parents. But if there’s a time to get real, it’s when you’re trying to persuade the people who are funding your college education. To their credit, the money they invest putting us through school is no joke. So we should cut them some slack, too.

And of course, it’s only normal to get shut down the first time you bring up the idea of shifting courses. The question you should now ask yourself is, did you push hard enough? While we do not encourage you being too pushy, just make sure that you get all your points across before totally closing the chapter. If you don’t, you might spend a whole lifetime regretting it.

Now let’s get to the excuse that it’s “too late” for you to shift. You might be three years into your course right now, and you just feel like it’s not worth the jump when you’re so close to graduation.

While that’s a totally valid reason, just carefully weigh the practicality of your staying in your current course versus when you shift courses.

We live in a country where your college degree can make opening certain doors easier to open, so having a diploma in the field you want to enter is extremely helpful. For most fields in science and medicine, these diplomas are even required.

But just on an individual standpoint, I want you to ask yourself if you can still stand being in the course for longer. How happy are you with where you are… really?

Did we miss any signs that someone should shift courses in college? Share them with us in the comments below! If you loved this article, then you’ll probably love the other advice we have for you here.

Never miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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So you’ve decided to take off your toga and suit up for your first real job. You are now officially part of the workforce, and it’s just a matter of going from “unemployed” to “employed”. It’s a tough journey ahead, but it’s just a matter of knowing how to maneuver your way to success! Here are Zoomers Corner’s handy tips for fresh graduates seeking a job.

Don’t: Compare your pace with others.

Job hunting isn’t a race. I remember when I was job-hunting for the first time, the pressure to find a job kept getting higher and higher as more of my classmates got signed to a workplace. Looking back, I shouldn’t have felt that pressure because it really did nothing except increase my anxiety.

Just because all your friends are getting job interviews left and right while you aren’t, doesn’t mean that you should feel bad about yourself! Rejection is perfectly normal and an avenue for growth.

Instead of wallowing in sadness, take the time to improve your resume, brush up on interview questions, and send out feelers.

Do not let anyone else’s success dictate your pace. If your privilege permits it, take the time you need for the job hunting process. Your only motivation should be to find “the right job” ⁠— a job that makes sense for whatever your life priorities (e.g. wealth, work-life balance, skill development) may be.

Do: Compare company and job offers with trusted friends.

You are not an island in the job-hunting process. One of the most important tips for fresh graduates seeking a job is having a support system that includes your closest friends.

Creating those group chats specifically to discuss all things job hunting-related can help you practically and emotionally. One group chat I had was filled with my high school friends from different majors and colleges.

We had sent links to job openings that the others might have interest in, gave feedback on each other’s resumes and LinkedIn profiles, released our emotions after every interview, and yes, compared job offers.

Listen, I know there is still a taboo on discussing salaries and all that jazz. But as long as everyone in your group is secure with themselves and comfortable with the idea, I don’t see why you shouldn’t.

It’s extremely helpful especially if you’re applying for similar roles in the same industry. Do not cheat yourself by settling for a job that undercompensates!

Don’t: Mass-send job applications.

It’s tempting to just send out an application to numerous companies. But what you’re actually doing is reducing your chances of getting hired by not taking the time to craft out a specific and tailored application for every single one of them.

Remember, you only have one shot to make a good first impression.

These companies probably sift through numerous application forms, and if you just send out a generic resume and cover letter, you won’t get the chance to stand out. Make it feel like you are really fit for the job by addressing all the things they listed in their job opening.

Do: Personalize every job application.

You can’t be lazy with the job-hunting process. Recognize that every job opening has different priorities. Let’s say that you’re applying for the role of Social Media Assistant in two companies.

Company A might prioritize someone who can write social media posts and create visuals, while Company B might prioritize someone who can reply to customer inquires.

Having seen both job openings, you decide to send the same application for them. However, if you only focused on how proficient you are in crafting social media content in your resume, then you just lost your chance to get a job in Company B. They had specifically looked for a person who is great with interpersonal communication, which your resume does not address.

Take the extra 40 minutes to add stuff and rearrange some things in your resume. Then another 20 minutes to craft a cover letter specifically for that job position. Remember: Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Don’t: Underestimate the power of social media.

The internet is your best friend. There are numerous Facebook groups where employers constantly post job listings. Just search “Philippines jobs” under Groups and you’ll see most of them.

What’s great is that there are Facebook groups that cater to a specific industry like marketing and content writing, for example. There is also a high chance that your school has an online group dedicated to job listings. Ask alumni you know if something like that exists for your school!

If you’re looking for a job in advertising, most agencies use the hashtag #MayOpeningBa on Twitter to find potential hires.

And of course, LinkedIn is the place to be when it comes to anything job-related. Not only is it a great networking app where you could connect with people from other industries, but you can also find lots of openings here!

From my experience, it’s one of the most user-friendly job listing sites out there, so make sure to use it to the fullest.

Do: Create a strong brand for yourself.

“Who are you?”

Depending on the HR officer in charge of the hiring process, you have a limited window of opportunity to answer that question. With that, you have to create a “brand” for yourself, as cringworthy as it sounds.

If you look at my LinkedIn profile, the professional objective in my resume, and my cover letter, you’d always see the words “passionate” and “loyal” in there somewhere. Those are the qualities that I want to stress to potential employers that help them remember who I am.

So what is your “thing” ⁠— are you the proactive go-getter, the hardworking leader, or the methodical artist? Here are some powerful adjectives to help fuel your brain when determining your brand.

There are loads of online tips for fresh graduates seeking a job in listing sites like Jobstreet, Kalibrr, Linkedin, and Glassdoor.

But the most important thing I can impart is to fill out your profile cleanly and completely. Make sure you look good in your professional headshot, there are no typos in your profile, and all the pertinent information are there.

When you apply through some of these websites, they send your resume along with your profile to the employer. So make sure everything is in tip-top shape!

By the way, part of maintaining your professional image is cleaning your social media profiles.

Most companies do look you up online as part of the process. You won’t win over anyone with your drunk party photos from college or your expletive-laced rants on Twitter, so make sure to adjust your privacy settings accordingly.

Don’t: Settle for a company.

If it doesn’t feel right, then it’s not right! Settling doesn’t mean turning down every job offer that doesn’t fit all the items in your “perfect job” criteria. I retain my position that there is no such thing as a “perfect job” especially for your first one.

But I encourage you to heavily consider turning down an offer that goes against something that you consider mandatory for a job. It’d be good to breakdown and prioritize your needs and wants in a list.

If a job offer doesn’t fulfill one of your needs, ask yourself again if you think that it’s really a need for you. If the answer is still yes, then don’t go for it.

Again, this goes back to setting your own pace when it comes to the job-hunting process. As much as possible, try to keep external factors from clouding your judgement.

This may come from a family member telling you to take the job, the company setting a deadline for you to make a decision, or your insecurity from seeing your friends working already.

Do: Search only for companies that fulfill your needs.

Everyone’s priorities are different. When I had first gone job-hunting, I wanted a company with high salary but needed one with good benefits.

Even if I feel like we shouldn’t be picky about salary for an entry-level job, it is a deal-breaker for those who either want to live independently, or have a family to support. The usual trade-off would be the lack of a work-life balance, which is something that I know I needed.

Real talk: looking for a job would be easier if you had an idea where you want to be in the short and long-term.

Nevermind that it’s a common job interview question. But in this cruel world we live in, your lifestyle heavily depends on your job.

I had refused a really damn good offer for a managerial position as a fresh graduate. It had crossed everything off my list, but I knew that I couldn’t push through with it because I wanted to start something on the side (thanks, Shark Tank).

With how fast-paced the job is, I knew that I just wouldn’t have the time to do what I wanted.

So what does it mean for you?

I would have saved some effort and transportation money by not applying for that position in the first place. Even if I knew that the environment was fast-paced when I had applied, I still pushed through with it anyways.

It’s normal to be trigger-happy when it comes to sending out all these job offers. Hey, it’s excusable right now since we’re in a pandemic!

But if you’re really applying with zero, as in zero, intent of joining a company: just don’t go for it. You’d just be wasting your time, and the employer’s time.

Thankfully, you’re just one Google search away from looking at employer reviews.

With a few clicks, you can gauge whether or not a company is a great working environment, if they compensate fairly, and what benefits they offer. If the company isn’t big enough, one thing I do is look up their website and the owners’ social media profiles to get a feel of how the place is run.

But in essence, do your company research well! Make sure you’re a fit for whatever you’re applying for.

These are just some of our tips for fresh graduates seeking for a job! The whole job-hunting process is a really exciting part of every zoomer’s life, and it can even be a positive experience as long as you’re well-prepared for it. We wish you luck, and we hope to see you employed soon!

Questions? Agree or disagree? Any tips for our new zoomers entering the workforce? Shoot us a comment below!

Still on that post-graduation high? Boy, do we have some life lessons for you! For more advice and tips, don’t forget to follow us @ZoomersCornerPH on Twitter and Instagram.

Featured Image: Ketut Subiyanto

The post Honest Do’s and Don’ts for Fresh Graduates Hunting for Jobs (2020) appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Congratulations to the new batch of “gradwaiting” and graduating students! Now, it’s time for you to face the real world. The post-graduation life is both confusing and overwhelming, but the lessons you’ll learn are endless. It’s been a year since I graduated, but I’ve learned more about the world in the past months than I have in the four years that I’ve been a student. Here are some lessons and tips for graduates in the Philippines that I want to share from the experiences of both myself and my friends.

1. Rest before you find a job.

If your parents aren’t kicking you out of your house or forcing you to get a job, take a break. Not everyone has the privilege of being able to rest after college. So if you do, take the chance! You will thank yourself later.

It’s tempting to go job-hunting when you’re worried about competition, but rest doesn’t come so easily as a working adult anymore. I’ve heard many friends tell me they regret not taking a break after college because they were instantly burnt out after they landed a job.

Remember: life isn’t a race, it’s a marathon.

2. Finding a job isn’t instant.

When I was a college senior, I really thought it would be easy to secure a job. But obviously, I was wrong. There are a lot of things you’d have to do, like prepare a killer resume and/or portfolio, filter through jobs and companies, send out e-mails, and ace job interviews.

As a fresh graduate, you’d find a lot of jobs that is beyond your experience level. Reality is, there are also many companies who will not get back to your job application. These things delayed how long the job-hunting process for me. Luckily, the internet is full of tips for graduates in the Philippines that will ensure that you get that dream job.

I was lucky enough that everything only took me a month and a half. For some, it took three months or even more. If you’re going to rest after college, make sure you’re realistic with the timetable that you set when it pertains to job-hunting.

3. You will meet people who are so different from you.

This one is kind of obvious, but you won’t really realize how true it is until you’re out there. When you’re in school, you more or less grow up thinking the same as your classmates and friends.

However, once you get out of that bubble, you will inevitably meet people who have different opinions and mindsets as yours. There will be people who will make you think: what kind of messed-up environment did they grow up in?

You thought you had the patience and tolerance to deal with those people? We’ll see.

4. Finding friends isn’t easy.

My college friends and I would talk about this a lot when we first started. In school, there are many opportunities to make new friends through classes, and extracurricular activities.

However, it’s kind of tough to create new connections after college because you’d have to willingly put your foot forward. You’d have to put some effort in finding people to talk to, which may be an introvert’s worst nightmare.

On top of my head, you can meet people through Tinder, mutual friends, workout classes, or work. So there are options, but no one’s going to force you to be friends with anyone anymore except yourself.

5. Doing vices was a phase for many people.

College was a playground for experimentation. For many of us, it was the “wildest” phase of our young lives where we were into sex, drugs, smoking, and alcohol.

Now that we have bigger problems to take care, those things have taken a backseat. Most of my friends who doubled down on vices during college eventually grew out of them.

Of course some of us still do engage in them, but don’t be surprised if your lasinggero friend isn’t always up for blackout nights anymore. Oh, and just to make it clear, we don’t condone the use of any illegal drugs here. Please stop if you are.

6. College friends are forever… or not.

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Post-graduation is a great test of that.

I’ve already drifted apart from friends whom I thought I was going to be close with forever. But I’ve also forged even deeper connections with a few of the people I met in college even when we started working.

There is definitely some effort involved in maintaining the friendships that you have, so it’s up to you to decide which ones are worth fighting for.

7. Everyone has their own lives.

In college, it was easier to be there for your friends when you saw each other regularly.

But in the real world, it’s sometimes hard to find time and energy to be there for each other.

As you’re making all of these adjustments in life, it’s hard not to get caught up in your own little world. There will come a point where you’ll think you’re a crappy friend, but the guilt is perfectly normal. You can’t be there for everyone all the time, and not everyone can be there for you all the time too.

The important thing is the effort you exert in finding time for each other, because that alone speaks volumes.

8. College did not prepare you for the important stuff.

I can tell you about some communication theories and frameworks that I learned in college, but I’d be lying if I said I knew how taxes worked.

The post-graduate life has taught me that I was clueless about a lot of important, real-life stuff. For instance, knowing how to apply for SSS, PAG-IBIG, PhilHealth, TIN, and NBI Clearance was a task I needed to learn on my own. Back in August, I was involved in a car accident, but had no idea how insurance worked. Also, don’t even get me started on bills.

One of the most important tips for graduates in the Philippines is to do your research as early as now!

Looking back, I wish I had some sort of guidance on how to go about them. And I’m sure there will be more surprise life lessons to come.

9. You can’t take away the school from the graduate.

Unfortunately, you will be judged a lot by the school you graduated from, especially if it’s relatively well-known.

There are a lot of times when I’ve heard I only act a certain way because I came from UP. Which is a slap in the face, because I am more than my school. That’s why I’ve decided to always refrain from telling people where I went to college unless it’s relevant to the topic.

Whether you like it or not, you represent your school and your school represents you too.

10. Priorities change.

I remember being quite ambitious after I had just graduated from college. There were big dreams that I wanted to follow. But shit (that I’m probably gonna blog about soon) happened, and now, I just want to be happy.

When I was still in college, I always planned to work in the developmental sector through an NGO. However, when I had to go the corporate route because NGOs wouldn’t hire fresh graduates, I realized that I needed to work on myself and my hard skills first.

Truth is, most of us don’t know what the hell we want in life. Because of that, the things we find important will definitely change.

We will all go through certain events that will lead us to constantly rethink the things we hold dear and the path we ought to take.

11. People change.

It’s hard to accept, but you know it’s gonna happen.

The people around you will not be the same people they were in college. Everyone will face different obstacles and triumphs that will shape the way they think, feel, and behave. Sometimes, you won’t even recognize who they are anymore.

But it’s not just them. You will change, too. It’s human nature so don’t try to fight it.

However, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Most of the time, people change for the better.

With everything have been said, I hope I didn’t scare you too much. Because trust me, life after college can be difficult, exhausting, and downright mean. But it’s also exciting and magical. This is the beginning of your lifelong journey to becoming your own person.

Once again, congratulations to the 2020 graduates! May you show the world how beautiful zoomers can be.

Got more tips for graduates in the Philippines? Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to share the post to your graduating friends!

Make sure to find more pieces of advice for zoomers here if you enjoyed reading through our tips for graduates in the Philippines.

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