Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…

As a PhD, you have a diverse portfolio of skills and experience – things that look great on a resume. The question is, are you able to speak to these skills and experiences – out loud, and in an engaging way?

Like anything, the key to interviewing well is to understand the right methodology behind it.

When it comes to the right methodology for interviewing, use the STAR method.

It stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Let’s start with S – situation.

This is where you provide context. Say you’re asked, “What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and how did you overcome it?”

For example, “In my second year of grad school, I began…” and so on.

Next, we have T for task.

Explain the goal you were trying to accomplish or the problem that you encountered.

This isn’t the time to portray yourself as the unflawed superhero. This will only make you sound phony.

Sharing an honest problem you’ve had will only make you more relatable.

Now to A for action.

In academia, you’re taught to think in terms of “we.” But now is the time to focus on the “I”.

Take credit for the things that you’ve accomplished.

R is for result.

What was the outcome and how did you get there?

Think of this as your punchline. It should be clear and powerful. Employers want to know that you can achieve results.

For example, you could say, “In my second year of grad school, I began working on a project that hadn’t made much headway. To move the project forward, I set up a weekly check-in where we shared updates, resolved issues, and set future timelines. As a result, we were able to identify some of the pain points. We worked through them, and ultimately, completed the project successfully.”

Overall, the STAR method helps highlight your skills in a way that’s relatable, inviting the employer into problems you’ve had and solved, which shows them that you can solve the problems they have waiting for you in the new role.

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.

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