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The SAR format is a simple, effective way to respond to behavioral interview questions. It helps you structure your answer so that you clearly demonstrate how you approach and solve problems.
SAR stands for: Situation Action Results Situation: Briefly present a challenge you encountered at work that relates to the employer’s question. Actions: What did you do to resolve the problem? Results: What was the outcome of your actions? Here’s an example of how to use the SAR format: Interviewer: “Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager.” Interviewee: “My manager and I disagreed about how many times a month I should call on Dr. Smith to promote Product X. My manager thought I should call on Dr. Smith twice a month, while I believed I should call on him four times a month. (Situation) Here is how I approached the situation. I analyzed my sales data for the last six months. The data showed that as long as I was calling on Dr. Smith four times a month, his sales were increasing by 3 percent monthly. At a meeting with my manager, I showed him my findings. He acknowledged that calling on Dr. Smith four times a month resulted in a 3 percent increase in sales and agreed that I should call on Dr. Smith four times a month. (Actions) The result of my conversation with my manager was that I continued to call on Dr. Smith four times a month and have achieved 3 percent increases in sales over time.” (Results) So, you can see how the SAR format helps you structure your answers and demonstrate how you approach and solve problems. Practice using the SAR format, and you’ll feel confident that you can respond successfully to all behavioral interview questions.
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“What is one of your weaknesses?” is a traditional interview question that makes jobseekers feel uncomfortable and defensive. It also provides little useful information to the employer, because most people answer with a strength spun as a weakness: “I’m a perfectionist, so I stay up late making my work perfect and don’t get enough sleep.”
Savvy employers no longer inquire about your weaknesses and instead ask: “What area of professional development are you working on?” “What skills are you trying to improve?” “Tell me about a time you took steps to improve your professional skills.” Since you may still be asked about your weaknesses in an interview, it’s best to prepare an answer that shows one of the following: 1. You actively strive to identify and strengthen your weaker skills or lack of knowledge. 2. You accept and respond well to constructive criticism. How to Choose an Example Choose an example that:
Three Easy Ways to Answer Here are three formulas you can use to answer “Tell me about one of your weaknesses.” 1. Talk about how you improved a process or procedure: I used to do _____, but I realized it was inefficient/ineffective. Here are the steps I took to resolve this problem: _____. As a result, _____. Example: “I’ve always been a very organized person. However, in my current position, I’m managing large-scale projects for the first time, and I realized fairly quickly that it was taking too long for me to find emails and files. So, I set aside a half day to develop a new organizational system, which included creating email and desktop filing systems. The result is that I can now find emails and files quickly, and I’m more organized than ever before.” 2. Discuss how you responded well to your manager’s suggestion for improvement. In my last performance review, my manager said I should _____. Here are the steps I took to resolve the problem: _____. As a result, _____. Example: “In my last mid-year review, my manager said that she would like me to improve my presentation skills. So, I joined Toastmasters and have been practicing my presentations weekly. I also watched YouTube videos on how to make great presentations. The result is that the quality of my presentations has improved dramatically, and my manager gave me an “exceeds expectations” for presentation skills on my year-end review.” 3. Talk about knowledge or a skill set you needed to gain in order to be successful in your job. I discovered that I didn’t know enough about _____to do my job as well as I could. So, I took these steps to gain this knowledge/skill set: _____. As a result, _____. Example: “In my current job, I handle a large amount of data. I realized that my Excel skills weren’t strong enough to manage it all, so I took two advanced Excel courses and completed some online tutorials. As a result, my Excel skills are now quite advanced, and I can easily handle the large volume of data.” The Next Time You’re Asked this Question Before your next interview, prepare an example using one of the three formulas and practice saying it out loud a few times. You’ll be pleased to find that when an employer asks you “What is one of your weaknesses?” you’ll feel strong and confident when you respond. “Tell me about yourself” is the most important interview question and the one that strikes the greatest fear into the hearts of jobseekers. When I coach my clients on interviewing, I start each session by asking which interview questions they need help with. Almost everyone answers, “Tell me about yourself.”
What is the purpose of “Tell me about yourself”? The purpose of "Tell me about yourself" is to understand who you are professionally, to learn whether you’re qualified for the job, and to get a sense of how interested you are in the position. How should you respond? Here’s the secret to responding: Answer as if your entire interview is one or two minutes long. Imagine that you’re invited for a job interview that will be no more than two minutes long. How are you going to convince the employer in this short time to hire you? You can do this by discussing the most important things about you as related to the position. These are: 1. How you meet the core job requirements (such as number of years of experience, critical technical skills, and education) 2. One or two key accomplishments 3. Why you’re interested in this position and/or how you may be able to contribute to the department or company An example Let’s say you’re interviewing for a position as a content writer at a healthcare startup. Here is the job description: Responsibilities and Requirements
Here’s an example of how you can respond to “Tell me about yourself.” “I’m excited to be here because this position seems like a great fit with my background, skills, and career goals. I graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s in English and a minor in journalism. Since then, I’ve worked as a content writer for four years. Two of those years I worked in the marketing department of a hospital and two of those years I worked for a tech startup. I have extensive experience writing blogs, press releases, ads, and social media content. One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is developing a 75-page style guide for the hospital. This style guide was implemented by all communications departments in the hospital and resulted in a uniform style and voice across our media. The VP of Communications was so pleased with the improvements in our marketing materials that she recognized me in our hospitalwide newsletter. I’ve really enjoyed both working in healthcare and working for a startup, so this position would be an exciting opportunity to do both! I also look forward to applying my writing expertise to create content that brings awareness of your products to thousands of potential customers.” Ace your answer When you’re preparing for your next interview, jot down how you meet the core job requirements, one or two relevant accomplishments, and why you’re interested in this position or how you hope to contribute. Practice your response a few times, until it feels smooth and natural. Then you’ll feel well prepared and confident the next time an interviewer says, “Tell me about yourself. When you’re asked “What are your strengths?” in an interview, it’s your opportunity to shine a light on your skills. Here is the Secret Formula for responding to this question:
“Two of my strengths are ___________ (hard skill relevant to the job you’re applying for) + ___________ (soft skill relevant to the job you’re applying for). An example of my hard skill is___________. An example of my soft skill is___________.” What are hard and soft skills? A hard skill is a concrete, teachable skill, such as programming, teaching, counseling, and supervising. A soft skill is an interpersonal skill or personal quality that helps you do your job well, such as being diplomatic, flexible, organized, or detail oriented. Example of how to use the Secret Formula Let’s take a look at a job description, followed by an example of how to use the formula. Here’s the job description: Position Title: Senior Editor * Copyedit market research reports on the laptop computer industry. * Research and write engaging articles on laptops for our monthly newsletter. * Edit website content and marketing materials. * Develop and maintain a corporate style guide, and ensure consistent branding across all publications. Desired qualifications: * Bachelor’s degree. * Four+ years of copyediting experience. * Highly detail oriented, excellent oral communications skills, and strong time-management abilities. Now, here’s a response to “What are your strengths?” using the Secret Formula: “Two of my strengths are style guide development and time management. When I worked at XTREME Software, for example, I developed a 50-page corporate style guide that I used to ensure consistency across all our marketing materials and website. Not only did this result in consistent branding but it also enabled us to reinforce the use of our trademarks. In fact, the legal department commended me for contributing to the company’s trademark protection. My time-management skills have come in handy throughout my career. When I was working as an editor at XTREME, the webmaster took a leave of absence for six months. While she was gone, I managed both the website and my own job. As you can imagine, this was quite a juggling act, but because I’ve developed a scalable time-management system, I was able to successfully perform both jobs. And when it came time for my annual review, my manager recognized my efforts by giving me a five-percent raise.” The power of the Secret Formula The Secret Formula is powerful because it gives you the opportunity to highlight your accomplishments and achievements. Your examples prove your claims, and demonstrating your strengths is much more interesting than describing them. Before your next interview, make a list of your relevant strengths (use the job description as a guide) and examples of each one. Plug them into the Secret Formula, and practice answering “What are your strengths?” a few times. You’ll have a compelling answer that gives you confidence. The summary of qualifications is the most important part of a resume, yet 90% of the resumes I see don’t have one. The reason you need to have a summary is that it makes it easy for recruiters and managers to see that you are qualified for the job and are a good candidate.
Rather than force employers to hunt through your resume to determine whether you are qualified for the position, the summary tells them immediately what they want to know. What Is a Summary of Qualifications? A summary of qualifications contains three to seven bullet points that summarize your key skills, experiences, strengths, and achievements as they relate to the position you are applying for. The summary of qualifications should contain the most important keywords used in the job description. The summary should be customized for each position. It is placed immediately after your contact information at the beginning of your resume. How Do I Write a Summary? The summary of qualifications is surprisingly easy to write. I’ll demonstrate how to do it by showing you a sample job description followed by a corresponding summary. (So you can see how the key job qualifications are represented in the summary, I have matched them with corresponding numbers. Your resume, of course, will not contain these numbers.) Don’t worry if you do not meet all the qualifications—few people do—just include your relevant experience. Job Description The Specialty (1) Pharmaceutical Sales Representative will promote cardiovascular medications to cardiologists, nephrologists, and endocrinologists (2) in the San Francisco Bay Area (3). Desired Qualifications:
Summary of Qualifications
Do you notice how the summary makes it easy for the recruiter and manager to see that this is an ideal candidate? Do you see how easy the summary is to compose? Invest a little time in crafting a summary for each job you apply for and you’ll increase your chances of being invited for interviews. John is preparing to attend a pharmaceutical sales career fair. He wants to advance from a position calling on primary care physicians to a specialty position in which he’ll sell to cardiologists.
John sees that Zybergene, a hot biotech company, will have a booth at the fair. He reviews the company’s website and learns that it has just received FDA approval for an antihypertensive, Lowrenin, that lowers blood pressure in people with diabetes. Assuming that Zybergene will need to hire a salesforce to promote this product, John crafts an elevator pitch that will capture the interest of the recruiter. “Hi, Sarah, my name is John Jacobs. I’ve been selling antihypertensives for three years to internists in San Francisco, and I was the top salesperson in the district for two of those years. I’m excited to talk with you about Lowrenin, because it’s sorely needed by diabetic patients who suffer from resistant hypertension. Can we chat briefly about how I can help make Lowrenin a blockbuster for Zybergene?” What is an elevator pitch? An elevator pitch is a very brief (20- to 30-second) professional summary that is customized to the situation in which you’re networking, such as a conference, a Meetup, or an informational interview. An elevator pitch includes four parts: 1. Who you are 2. What you’re doing 3. An achievement or example of your work, or what you’re hoping to accomplish in this situation 4. A request for an action step, or a question to learn about the other person Elevator pitch templates These templates can help you craft your elevator pitches. Be creative, and write elevator pitches that feel natural to you. For a conference or professional association meeting “Hello! I’m ___________. I’m a ___________ at ___________. Dr. Jones, I found your presentation on ___________ fascinating. I’ve also been studying ___________. I know you’re very busy during the conference, but perhaps I can buy you a coffee between sessions and we can chat for a bit?” For casual settings (like Meetups and Starbucks) “Hi! My name is ___________. I do ___________ at ___________. I’m ready to move into a management position, so I’m currently exploring my career options. How about you? What do you see yourself doing next?” For an informational interview “Hi! Thanks very much for taking time to talk with me about your work and your company. I’ve been doing ___________ for the last ___________ years in the ___________ industry. I’m interested in doing similar work but in your industry. What’s your experience been like doing ___________ at ___________?” For a career fair “Hi! My name is ___________. I work for ___________ doing ___________. I recently developed the ___________ (name of product), which ___________ (what it does/benefits). The ___________ position on your website looks like a great fit with my experience and career goals. Can I tell you briefly about how I could contribute to ___________ (company name) as a ___________ (position title)?” Give your elevator pitches a spin As you can see, elevator pitches are easy to craft, and once you practice them a few times, you’ll feel confident about introducing yourself to new people in any situation. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for growing and maintaining your network. Having both a deep network (people you’ve met) and a broad network (people you don’t know) increases your visibility to employers and recruiters and your ability to talk directly with folks in target companies.
Here are nine tips for expanding your LinkedIn network. 1. Post a photo. I’ll accept connection requests from many people I don’t know as long as they have a photo. A good LinkedIn picture makes you seem more trustworthy and competent, so people are more likely to accept your connection requests, and recruiters are more apt to contact you. 2. Craft a complete profile. Recruiters look for a complete profile, because it makes it easier for them to assess whether you may be a good fit for a position. A complete LinkedIn profile is the online equivalent of a complete resume, and it allows readers to understand who you are professionally. 3. Ask your LinkedIn connections to introduce you. One of the best ways to make a LinkedIn connection is to ask a connection to introduce you, because most people feel comfortable connecting with a friend of a friend. To give back, offer to introduce your LinkedIn connections to others. 4. Accept all reasonable invitations. There are two philosophies about connecting on LinkedIn. One philosophy is that you should only connect with people you’ve met in person, online, or through friends. The other is that you should accept connection requests from just about everyone who asks. I’m in the second camp—if you have a photo, a complete profile, and something in common with me (same industry, type of work, geographical location, or friends), I’ll accept your request. The larger your network, the easier it is to find a connection at a company of interest. 5. If there’s no obvious connection, send a quick, clear introductory note about why you want to connect. For example, “Hi Mr. Johnson. I’m a senior majoring in psychology at Zen College. I’m trying to learn if psychotherapy would be a good career for me. I see that you’ve had a private practice for 15 years. Would you be open to talking briefly about your experience in your practice? Thank you for your consideration, Maya.” 6. Join alumni and interest groups. People in your LinkedIn alumni and interest groups are “warm connections.” Warm connections are people you have something in common with, and they’re more likely to connect with you than cold connections. So, be sure to join your alumni groups and professional groups. 7. Don’t look like a stalker. Checking out a person’s profile multiple times over consecutive days or weeks will make you seem like a stalker. If you need to refer back to information on a person’s profile (let’s say you’re interviewing with that person next week), copy key information from her profile and paste it into a Word document. 8. Don’t send unsolicited information about your business. I’m amazed at how often people ask to connect with me, then immediately send me spam on their business. Just because someone accepts your connection request, it doesn’t mean that they want to become your customer. If you don’t want to annoy your connections, only send them information about your business if they request it. 9. Blog. LinkedIn offers a blog platform that can bring you tremendous visibility. After I write a blog on my website, I post it on LinkedIn and share it with my groups. You can write a unique blog on your area of expertise, click “Write an article” on your LinkedIn homepage, add an image--and post. Then, share your blog with select LinkedIn connections and your groups. Building a LinkedIn Network for Your Career Now that you know how to expand your LinkedIn network, start making a few new connections each day. Soon you’ll have a deep and broad network that will increase your visibility to employers and recruiters and make it easy for you to find connections with people at a wide range of organizations. It’s common knowledge that your resume should be packed with accomplishments and achievements, yet most of the resumes I review have few or none. Why is this so? My clients tell me that they struggle to identify their successes.
Why is it so hard to recognize my accomplishments? There are six common reasons why people have trouble identifying their accomplishments and achievements: 1. Their accomplishments are difficult to quantify. 2. They don’t give themselves credit for what they do, or they underestimate their contributions. 3. Their parents taught them that it's inappropriate to boast. 4. Their managers didn't recognize their achievements. 5. They hesitate to take credit for their contribution to a team project. 6. They feel guilty that they didn't go "above and beyond" the job requirements. Accomplishments and Achievements Tool Use this simple tool to free you from your resume-writer’s block and uncover your accomplishments and achievements. Thinking about your jobs, volunteer experience, and education, complete as many of these sentences as possible: 1. At my job/college, I was most proud of __________ (action or action that led to a positive result). 2. My manager complimented me on __________ (something I did or how I did it). 3. My colleague complimented me on __________ (something I did or how I did it). 4. At my job, I was the only person who __________ (action). 5. On my team, I was the only one who __________ (action). 6. If they didn’t hire me, __________ (positive outcome) would not have happened. 7. I received an award or formal recognition for __________. 8. I received a raise for or was promoted for __________. 9. On my annual review, my manager recognized me for __________. 10. If I didn’t __________ (action), __________ (project) could not have been completed. 11. If I didn’t __________ (action), __________ (positive outcome) wouldn’t have happened. 12. My __________ (personality trait) made it possible for me to __________ (achieve a result). 13. The most important thing I did at my job was __________ (action or action that led to a result). 14. I __________ (action) better than everyone else on my team/in my company. 15. I volunteered to __________. 16. I was asked to head up a __________ (special team, task force, study, project, board). 17. I wrote or published __________. 18. I led __________. 19. I designed, developed, created, or initiated __________. 20. My manager or colleague liked me because of my __________ (personality trait or something I did). I hope you found this exercise to be fairly painless. Most people who use this tool discover a half-dozen accomplishments or achievements that they hadn’t thought about. Savor Your Successes Before you add your accomplishments to your resume, take a moment to look them over and savor them. Notice how it feels to acknowledge your successes, and take credit for each one—you earned them! These accomplishments will also be your key talking points when you interview. Not only do they serve as specific examples of how you contributed to your company but they also capture the interviewer's attention. Keep Track of Your Career Accomplishments and Achievements Every few months, use the Accomplishments and Achievements Tool to discover your new successes and keep your resume up to date. Networking is a key part of a job search, but it can quickly begin to feel like a chore, even for extroverts. That’s because networking is a process and the only way to benefit from a process is to be fully present and let go of your expectations of an outcome.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “What is she talking about? I need a job ASAP. It’s the only reason I’m networking!” The problem with this outcome-oriented thinking is that it doesn’t work with a process such as networking, because networking entails building mutually beneficial relationships. And the best way to foster business relationships is the same way you develop personal relationships: Focus on the other person rather than yourself. So, here are six easy steps that make networking more effective and fun by focusing on others: 1. Listen and Be Present One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is not listening. Not long ago, I was at an event where I networked with a man who talked nonstop about himself for 10 minutes. He didn’t try to get to know me; he only asked questions to get free career advice. I knew that his lack of listening skills would hamper his job search. The next time you're networking, listen carefully to the person you’re chatting with, whether or not he can help you with your job search. Instead of worrying about what he can do for you, simply be present, and hear what he has to say. You’ll notice how relaxing it is to turn your attention away from yourself and focus on the other person. After your networking partner finishes talking, use active listening to reflect back what you heard. 2. Ask a Question to Learn More After your partner introduces herself, ask her a meaningful question to learn more about her job search and career goals, such as: “What do you enjoy most about your line of work?” “What type of company do you see yourself joining next?” “What do you hope to accomplish at this networking event?” “What types of job-search activities have you found to be most effective?” “Where types of challenges do you need help overcoming in your job search?” These types of questions show her that you're interested in knowing more about her, and they also help you learn what you have in common with each other. 3. Be Generous If you can help your networking partner in any way, offer to do so. For example, if you know someone who works at your partner's top targeted company, offer to introduce them to each other. If you’re not sure how you can help, say, “I’m wondering how I can help you in your job search,” or ask, “What types of challenges are you experiencing in your job search that you can use help with?” You'll be surprised how good it feels to help a fellow job seeker, and your partner will appreciate your efforts. 4. Follow Up Immediately Networking rule number one is that when you offer to do something for someone, do it right away. If you told your partner that you would forward his resume to your manager, for example, do it as soon as you receive the resume. Not only is this good networking etiquette but it also demonstrates your sincerity and integrity. Fast followup also includes checking your LinkedIn account at least once a day and accepting invitations to connect right away. 5. Thank Everyone If your networking partner tries to help you, whether or not it aids your job search, thank her. It's surprising how often the people I offer to assist (by forwarding job postings or other leads) don’t acknowledge my efforts at all. Remember that you're thanking them for their generosity, and be flattered that they're keeping you in mind. 6. Be Open to Making Friends One of the side benefits of networking is that it can be a great way to make friends. I've made several close pals through networking, supporting each other through our job searches and remaining friends afterward. Your unemployment will be temporary, but your friends will be there for you for a long time. Focus on Others at Your Next Networking Event The next time you network, practice focusing on your networking partner rather than yourself. You’ll feel less stressed and more at ease, and networking won't seem like a chore. You’ll be doing something beneficial for someone else, and that will make you feel good, too. And when you land that job, it will be that much sweeter for having enjoyed the process of getting there. Half of one of my closets is filled with items I’ve collected throughout my career—such as heartfelt thank-you notes from clients and sales awards that I won. Yet, I wish I had kept track of many other things, like the exact dates that I worked at a job 15 years ago and my manager's contact information.
I regret not keeping all my key documents, details, and deliverables, because over the years, employers have asked me to provide this information on job applications (for background checks) and in interviews (to prove a claim that I’ve made). And having your career information handy makes it easier and faster to complete long, detailed job applications. It's also easy to forget all your accomplishments and achievements, which you can use to spice up your resume and interviews. Most important, looking through your collection of accomplishments is the best way to recover your confidence when you're struggling with your career. So, whether you’re just beginning your career or you’re most of the way through it, I encourage you to start keeping track of these documents and data. Previous Positions and Employers
Now you have a good excuse to clean out one of your closets and make some space to keep the most important items of your career. |
AuthorDebra Rosenfeld, LMFT ArchivesCategories |
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