1-What to look for in an answer that uses the STAR format
With the STAR format, a candidate creates a story with a conflict and resolution. You can tell if a
candidate is prepared by how easy their story is to follow and understand.
Here is what each part of the STAR format includes:
Situation: The candidate describes the scene and provides relevant details of their example. Look for
an answer that explains the context of the situation and why it connects to your question.
Task: Next, the candidate describes their role in the situation. This can help you determine what level
of responsibility they had in their previous roles.
Action: They explain how they addressed the situation and what steps they took to overcome the
challenge. A good answer shows how the candidate added value to the situation and made logical
decisions.
Result: At the end of their answer, the candidate explains the outcome of the situation. A quality
answer includes concrete examples and quantifiable achievements. They should explain the direct
effects of their efforts in their answer
Chapter 11: Writing and Interviewing for Employment
Respond to the four interview questions using the STAR format. Identify each of the four parts in your response: Situation, Task, Action, & Response
Question 1: Tell me about a time when you overcame a difficult situation.
Question 2: Have you ever had to work with someone difficult? Tell me about that.
Question 3: Give me an example of a time when you failed.
Question 4: Working under a lot of pressure is difficult. Tell me about a time when you experienced that.
2- Congratulations!
Your application has been accepted and an in-person appointment will be scheduled with one of our human resources officials for:
Thursday, Nov 4th.
Your interview will be held in the Old Bookstore area in the Dugan Library and Student Center
Your interview time will be set between 9:25-10:40 a.m. and your interview will last for approximately 15-20 minutes. Please watch your Canvas email to see when your interview will begin.
Please arrive a minimum of five minutes prior to your appointment time and wait outside the interview area until you are called into the room.
Scenario:
You are applying for an entry-level telemarketing customer service position with Southwest Airlines. Your interview is a first round interview to determine your interest in the company, general skill set, and company culture fit. The job entails answering customer questions, handling complaints, and overall, providing excellent customer service by being a problem-solver. This is a paid, full-time, 18 month, company orientation training position to learn about the organization. Upon successful completion, you will be re-evaluated by Human Resources for permanent placement within the company.
Instructions:
This is a two-part assignment which will include a peer evaluation (50 pts) and a self-analysis report by the student (50 pts).
Part I: The Interview (50 points)
Applicants will be peer-evaluated on a 0-5 scale using the following criteria. (5 being best) An evaluation form will be provided to the peer evaluator by the course instructor and will be collected by the course instructor after the interviews.
- Applicant arrives on time (0-5)
- Facial expressions (0-5)
- Eye contact (0-5)
- Vocal clarity, expressiveness, and projection (0-5)
- Professional appearance and dress (0-5)
- Enthusiasm, personality, and attitude (0-5)
- Preparation and ability to answer questions (0-5)
- Confidence and poise (0-5)
- Did the student have a question for interviewer (0-5)
- Student concludes interview by thanking interviewer (0-5)
Part II: The Self-Analysis Report (50 points) p.m.
Prepare a self-evaluation report using the interview criteria listed above. (Yes, it is the same evaluation criteria that your peer evaluator used.) In your evaluation, rate your performance for each of the categories and explain why you rated yourself as you did. Use the evaluator’s rubric and criteria to help you better explain your assessment. I expect 3-5 sentences for each of the 10 categories explaining why you rated yourself as you did. I want more than a sentence. This evaluation paper will be submitted .
PEER EVALUATOR INSTRUCTIONS
In addition to being interviewed, each of you will also play the role of the interviewer. Watch for your scheduled time to be emailed to you in Canvas for when you will be participating in this role. Your job is to review the candidate based on the ten listed skills. To better guide you, the form below (download) provides a rubric for evaluating the interviewee. Think that you are not prepared to evaluate? You are. It is common for students to be invited to be interview evaluators for administrative positions even here on campus. So, download the evaluation form, read through the criteria, and then be prepared to evaluate your candidate. You will complete this form after the interview and will have 5-10 minutes to do so and turn it in to your instructor. Afterwards, you will then step outside of the interview area to prepare for your personal interview or, if you have already interviewed, be free to leave class.
Name: _______________________________________________ Evaluator: _______________________________
Facial expressions
0 1 2 3 4 5 Total: ___ Comments:
Eye contact
0 1 2 3 4 5 Total: ___ Comments:
Vocal clarity, expressiveness, and projection
0 1 2 3 4 5 Total: ___ Comments:
Professional appearance and dress
0 1 2 3 4 5 Total: ___ Comments:
Enthusiasm, personality, and attitude
0 1 2 3 4 5 Total: ___ Comments:
Preparation and ability to answer questions
0 1 2 3 4 5 Total: ___ Comments:
Confidence and poise
0 1 2 3 4 5 Total: ___ Comments:
Student has a prepared question for interviewer (none/ok/yes)
0 3 5 Total: ___ Comments:
Student concludes interview by thanking interviewer (none/ok/yes)
0 3 5 Total: ___ Comments:
Student sends interviewer follow-up thank you email (none/ok/excellent)
0 5 15 Total: ___ Comments:
Final Total: ____________/ 60 points
Student was Late to Appointment: Yes / No
1. What was the student’s best strength in the interview?
2. If you could coach the student on one particular area that would strengthen his/her presentation, what would that be?
3. What other coaching tips (if any) would you like to share with the student?
Rubric Criteria Descriptions:
Facial expressions: How would you describe the student’s facial expressions and engagement?
None Student was expressionless
Average Student had some expression.
Excellent Student smiled and showed enthusiasm
Eye contact: How would you describe the student’s eye contact?
None Student made little to no eye contact with interviewer
Average Student made some eye contact but could be strengthened
Excellent Student made strong eye contact throughout the interview
Vocal clarity, expressiveness, and projection: How would you describe the student’s vocal delivery?
Poor Student exhibited poor articulation, mumbled, monotone, and used poor projection
Average Student exhibited some issues with articulation, mumbled, was monotone, and or used poor projection.
Excellent Student exhibited clear articulation, had vocal pitch variation, expressive, and was easily hear.
Professional appearance and dress: How would you describe the student’s style?
Poor Student was not dressed professionally for an interview
Average Student was dressed somewhat professionally
Excellent Student was dressed appropriately for an interview
Enthusiasm, personality, and attitude: How would you describe the student’s self-presentation?
Poor Student was shy, sullen, negative and /or showed lack of interest
Average Student exhibited interest but the level of energy could be strengthened
Excellent Student exhibited tremendous interest, energy, personality and positive attitude
Preparation & ability to answer questions: How would you describe the student’s responses?
Poor Student was unprepared, unresponsive, lacked substance, or unable to answer
Average Student was prepared to answer but showed some lack of poise or substance
Excellent Student was fully prepared, engaged, well-poised, and very responsive
Confidence and poise: How would you describe the student’s demeanor?
Poor Student appeared extremely nervous which distracted from the interview
Average Student showed some nervousness but did not distract from the interview
Excellent Student showed little to no nervousness, was well poised, and professional
Did the student have a question for interviewer?
None Student did not come prepared to ask any questions
OK Student asked a question but it was awkward, weak, or somewhat inappropriate
Yes Student asked a valid question appropriate to the interview
Student concludes interview by thanking interviewer
None Student did not thank the interviewer
OK Student thanked the interviewer but was awkward, weak, or somehow inappropriate
Yes Student thanked the interviewer in a professional manner
Student sends interviewer follow-up thank you email
None Student did not send a follow-up thank you email
OK Student sent a follow-up thank you email but included grammar, style, or tone errors
Yes Student sent a follow-up thank you email with no errors in grammar, style, or tone
3. 8 reply with discussion
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