If you want to find a job, you first need to write a job application that gets you noticed - but just because you've got an interview doesn't mean you'll get the job, even if you're better qualified than all the other candidates. To win, you need to get your talents across to the interviewer. Just saying you're good isn't enough: you need to convince the interviewer, and the STAR method is a very effective way to do that.

The STAR method was invented to help managers interview more effectively, but you can turn it around and use it to your advantage - even if the person interviewing isn't using the STAR technique.

STAR stands for "Situation or Task, Action, Result". From the manager's viewpoint, it means that instead of asking a question like, "How do you deal with angry customers?", he would say, "Tell me about a time when you dealt with an angry customer".

For the first question, "How do you deal with angry customers?" most people would say something like, "If a customer was angry, I would keep calm, and if I couldn't resolve it straight away, I would promise to get back to them quickly."

For the STAR version of the question, that's not enough. The interviewer is looking for a concrete example of a situation where the candidate dealt successfully with an angry customer. By doing this, he's hoping to catch out people who don't have genuine experience. This is the kind of answer he's looking for:

"I remember a customer last year, he was threatening to go to one of our competitors because his delivery hadn't arrived. I said I could understand why he was upset, then I repeated his complaint back to him, to make sure I had all the details. I promised to get back to him within the hour. He didn't want to hang up, so I gave him my name and direct line. Actually I didn't manage to fix the problem within the time, but I rang him back anyway to let him know what was happening. We were able to get the delivery out next day. He thanked me, and he has not only stayed a customer but has increased his business with us."

As you can see, this answer describes a real SITUATION, explains the ACTION the person took, and then gives the RESULT.  I'm sure you'll agree it sounds far more convincing than the general answer. So not surprisingly, a candidate who can give a complete STAR answer, like the one above, will be rated far ahead of someone who can only give an incomplete or vague response.

Can you see how you could use this method to demonstrate your skills and experience? Even if the interviewer only asks a general question about angry customers, you could still offer a STAR reply. Most candidates would only give the general answer, so you'll look great by comparison - and voila, you've got the job!

It takes practice to put good STAR answers together. Before the interview, look at the kind of abilities and experience your interviewer will be looking for.  Note down some incidents at work where you resolved a problem, averted a crisis or suggested a good idea.  Then try putting them into the STAR format.

Remember what STAR stands for, and make sure you have all three sections: a situation or task, an action that you took, and a result. Make sure the result was due to your action, not due to someone else: for instance, if your "action" was that you referred the situation to your supervisor, it doesn't count - palming your problem on to someone else isn't a good Action.

The more you use the STAR method, the easier it will become, and your interview performance will soar!