Ready to r.e.v. UP YOUR INTERVIEW SKILLS?
I was browsing LinkedIn recently and encountered a survey ranking the interview stage of job searching is the most stressful part of the process—in my experience, I would agree with that. More than resume writing, networking or salary negotiations, going on most interviews tests so many things that often have nothing to do with a person’s ability to do the job. And especially for historically excluded or marginalized groups, it can feel like an unfair game you have to play without knowing all the rules and no clear winning strategy. Well, I’m going to share a strategy I just learned about for job interviewing with you.
You may be familiar with the S.T.A.R. framework for answering behavioral or situational interview questions, right? Those are the questions that often start with, “Tell me about a time…” or “Describe what you would do during X situation…”and the job seeker would need to draw upon their experience to respond showing how they would approach the proposed scenario. The S.T.A.R. method is an acronym that helps the person interviewing to answer these types of questions by talking about the Situation, explaining a Task that they were assigned to address that situation, pinpointing some targeted Action they took to address the task assigned and finally landing on the Results the came from those actions.
What can be challenging for some is choosing which illustrations from their backgrounds are best suited for a particular interview opportunity. Or sometimes, outstanding non-traditional candidates may have stellar backgrounds but don’t have the direct experience that the interviewer is asking you about---how do you answer then? Enter the R.E.V. method, an acronym standing for Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiable --which I love mostly because there are less letters to remember, lol! But also because it forces job seekers to focus on the facts of their story and less on the feeling that they might have given a “good answer.”
Rarely will a recruiter or hiring manager interview a candidate who is truly a perfect fit for an opening and instead we find ourselves having to decide how to interpret a person’s background, skillset, experience or interests into what’s required for a particular role. But answering behavioral questions using the R.E.V. model positions those responses within a framework that prioritizes what matters most to the decision-makers. This is because if you cannot demonstrate that something in your work history or background is Relevant to the industry you are entering, or if you don’t have examples of how you displayed Exceptional competence in a key task area or something you’ve done in your past or if you have trouble Verifying what you say you can do with facts and stats to back up those statements, then you’re just hoping to give a good answer and hoping that they like your personality.
If you are serious about your job search and know you need to brush up on your interviewing strategy, please reach out to us today. There’s no need to be nervous because we can help you prepare a compelling story showcasing you have the right competence and character for the role during your next interview. Your future career opportunity may be right in front of you; let us help you visualize it!
