Here are this week’s Life Pro Tips.
1. Use “C.A.R” or “S.T.A.R” in Job applications & interviews.
When applying for jobs, or in interviews they want examples, not just “I can do X”, prove to them you can do X.
It’s ok to say “I can code, deal with angry customers, I can manage employees”. Anyone can say anything, but that’s just empty words without backing up your statement/argument.
CAR is brief and to the point. Problem with that though is when you apply for more senior jobs, they want a more in-depth application/interview that’s where S.T.A.R comes in.
S.T.A.R breaks down a scenario into many pieces, creating a very detailed answer. You should always try to use STAR over CAR.
S.T.A.R = Situation Task Action Result
CAR
Context
“I deal with angry customers” becomes
Context: Working as a receptionist I signpost customers. One day a customer came to the reception very aggressive and demanding for X to be sorted out.
Action: Using my customer service training, I managed to calm down the customer and look into his complaint.
Result: I managed to resolve the complaint, and the customer left happy.
STAR
Situation: Working as a receptionist I signpost customers and assist with their queries. One day a customer came to the reception very aggressive and demanding for X to be sorted out.
Task: As the first point of contact, it is my responsibility to assist with inquiries as efficiently as possible, avoiding escalation where possible.
Action: Using my customer service training, I calmed down the customer and listened to his complaint. After verifying his details,
I looked up his details on the system and noticed an anomaly which was affecting this customer. After liaising with another colleague, I managed to rectify this problem for the customer.
Result: The customer was very happy the problem was resolved, and left happy.
Hope this helps some.
2. If someone is getting worked up and overexcited and frustrated about a topic, they’re probably just venting and not asking for advice. Be there to listen, not to lecture.
3. Instead of excessively worrying about a decision, decide what you’re going to do, then do things to make it the right decision afterward.
4. After you’ve finished writing a paper, put dictation on and have your computer read it out to you. By having it read to you, you’ll pick up spelling and grammatical mistakes you didn’t notice before.
5. If you get someone to talk about themselves, they’ll think you’re incredibly interesting.
People have a tendency to have a better impression of those that engaged them in a topic that really interests them. If you can figure out a topic that they seem keen to talk about, roll with it, and they’ll like you more in the future.
