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?

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.