Step-by-step guide to a job interview: Competencies
Now when we roughly know what to expect from an interview, it is easier to prepare ourselves. Let’s go over the three basic objectives of an interview again and figure out what you can do to prepare for each one.
First and foremost, it is always important to find out what competences are required. As we showed in the previous chapter, the best way to do that is by reading the advertisement.
Task
Consider the position you are applying for. Mark all the required competences. For each competency, write down one or two questions that the recruiter could use to evaluate them.
STAR Method
The key is to be able to talk well about your competences and that’s what The STAR Method is here for. This framework will help you capture your ideas and ensure structured narrative.
The key is to be able to talk well about your competences and that’s what The STAR Method is here for. This framework will help you capture your ideas and ensure structured narrative.
S (SITUATION): Set the scene of the situation in which you presented your competency. When was it and where? On what occasion? What were the conditions? Who did you work with?
T (TASK): Next, explain what the task was. What was the goal? What were you supposed to achieve? What was the assignment?
A (ACTION): In the main part, describe what you have done. What steps did you gone through? What was your role? What actions did you take?
R (RESULT): The conclusion should include the result. What was the outcome? Would you do anything differently? What went well? What lessons have you learned?
Let’s use a concrete example:
Personalist: What are you marketing skills?
Candidate: As far as my marketing skills are concerned, I am still at the junior level, but I have already worked on a few successful projects. Let me give you an example: When I was working as a marketing specialist in a smaller IT company (SITUATION) a year ago, I was tasked with arranging the printing of materials for a presentation and an article about our new product. The goal was to raise awareness of the product and gain new costumers (TASK). To achieve this, I talked to the product manager and wrote down all the information. I then created a list of all available online magazines that might be interested in our product and wrote an outreach email and a phone call script summarizing all the benefits of the product. Over the next month, I arranged several meetings and met in person with a total of fifteen representatives from the media (ACTION). As a result, an article about the new product was published in six online magazines. We were able to get several new clients because of these articles. If I could change anything, next time I would rather call the newsrooms directly instead of emailing them (RESULT).
For more information about The STAR Method, listen to our podcast.
Task
Now try the STAR method on yourselves!
Procedure:
- Choose one competency from a job advert you find interesting. If you are not actively applying for a specific job right now, try to apply The STAR Method on one of the following general competencies: teamwork, organisational skills, independency, flexibility, or detail orientation.
- Think of a situation in your work or personal life in which this competency was demonstrated.
- Recount the situation using the STAR method.
Skills verification
Some interviews test specific knowledge and skills through test questions, tasks or model situations. This type of preparation is very individual and depends mainly on the nature of the profession. Again, base your preparation on the job advertisement, which may give you a hint as to which knowledge or skills may be tested during the interview.
For example, if the ad states advanced Excel skills as a requirement, then it is likely that there will be several questions during the interview that will test the actual depth of your Excel knowledge. You might also be assigned a short practical task or given a test.