Mastering the action element of the STAR technique

Mastering the interview: Elevating the Action element of STAR

When it comes to interview preparation, there’s a critical factor that can make or break your success – the ‘Action’ component of the STAR technique. If the mere thought of an interview triggers a flurry of butterflies in your stomach, don’t worry. This blog will arm you with the essential tools that will transform you into that standout candidate.

The STAR technique

Chances are, you’re familiar with the STAR technique – Situation, Task, Action, Result. However, let’s unveil a hidden gem within this methodology: the true magic resides in the “how” and “why” – the Action and Result elements of STAR. We will cover the R section in the next blog but for now, let’s focus on A for action. This is where your success story takes centre stage, where your skills and experiences shine brightly, positioning you as an exceptional candidate.

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Personal development in a VUCA world

The term VUCA has been used for a while now to describe the modern business world. Originally coined in the US Military to describe the uncertainty of the post 9/11 world, futurist Bob Johansen adapted the term for the business world in his 2009 book Leaders Make The Future.

There are many forces at work which lead to the instability and turbulent nature of the business world: the downturn in the economy, the Covid-19 pandemic, the current energy crisis, changes in legislation and politics, the innovations in technology, rising costs, changing customer demands and the climate crisis – all factors that help create a VUCA world – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous – an ever-changing, complicated, unclear world. Continue reading “Personal development in a VUCA world”

Getting the most out of semi-retirement

More people than ever before in the UK are making the decision to retire early. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a significant uptick in the number of 50 to 64 year olds choosing to retire – a trend which has been noted by the House of Lords, prompting a report into the subsequent effect of shortages in the labour market.

Although state pensions cannot be taken until the age of 66 (rising to 68 depending on a person’s date of birth), private pensions can be drawn from the age of 55. However, many people choose to ‘unretire’ – to retire from their career, but not to stop working altogether. Sometimes this is a purely financially driven decision; sometimes it’s because the person wants to carry on working in some capacity for other reasons. But whatever the motivating factor, semi-retirement is a growing trend amongst the older working population – and one that requires careful thought and consideration.

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How to plan for retirement

It’s never too early to think about retirement plans, but I’m not talking about your pension (you’ll need to see someone qualified to do that). I recommend people have a plan about what to do with their life as well as for finances as they head towards retirement.

With life expectancy on the rise, the period we will hopefully be able to enjoy in retirement potentially grows longer. Now, more than ever, it’s essential to make plans to ensure that our retirements are as comfortable – and enjoyable – as possible. Continue reading “How to plan for retirement”

The 4 day working week – can it really work? 

The working week has started to look very different indeed. Increasingly, the traditional Monday to Friday commute to the office has been replaced by a variety of new set ups: homeworking, hybrid working, hot desking – the buzzword is ‘flexibility’. As younger generations enter the world of work, bringing with them new expectations, competition to secure the best people has meant that organisations who refuse to consider different approaches to working risk being left behind. Continue reading “The 4 day working week – can it really work? ”

How to retain your talent through career coaching

If you, like many other businesses, you are struggling to retain your talent right now, then career coaching could be the answer.

Why is it important to retain your people?

According to news reports, job vacancies have hit a record high as employers continue to struggle to fill roles. In such a fast-changing job market, it’s no wonder organisations are focusing on why employee retention is important. Continue reading “How to retain your talent through career coaching”

How to build a career in a new industry

The interview process is done and dusted, references all taken up and the contract’s been signed – now you need to know how to build a career in a new industry. Your new job might be a familiar role, but if you’re moving sector, there may well be a lot to learn and assimilate. In this previous blog I gave tips for switching industries, but now you’ve landed the job, how do you establish yourself in a new sector? Continue reading “How to build a career in a new industry”

How to get noticed in a new industry

With the job market more buoyant than ever, if you’re looking for a new challenge, now is a great time to look at changing industries. Many roles are directly transferable across different industries – and plenty mean you’ve developed transferable skills. Changing industries can directly benefit your career, but might seem like a daunting prospect. There are, however, steps you can take pre-application to help put you in the frame in a new industry, without feeling inauthentic. Continue reading “How to get noticed in a new industry”

Quiet quitting – shortcut to work-life integration or fast-track to career suicide?

If you’ve been anywhere near the internet, especially LinkedIn, recently, you will have seen plenty of content about quiet quitting – but is it a shortcut to work-life integration or a fast-track to career suicide?

The answer, as you can imagine, is not straight-forward. Continue reading “Quiet quitting – shortcut to work-life integration or fast-track to career suicide?”

Why employee retention is important

In a fast-changing job market with roles harder to fill than ever, it’s no wonder organisations are focusing on why employee retention is important.

With estimates of the cost of recruiting a new person into a role ranging from £7,000 to more than £22,000, being able to hold on to your people, even for a little bit longer, makes financial sense.

From a cultural point of view, having a stable group of employees gives you more chance of having an embedded and secure culture than if there’s a constantly revolving door.

And recent research publicised by the World Economic Forum links employee turnover to decreases in product reliability in the manufacturing sector. Continue reading “Why employee retention is important”

Returning to an organisation – is it ever a good idea?

The job market is incredibly buoyant right now, which gives candidates a great many options. But any change of job comes with the risk that you might not like something about the new role, organisation, or people you work with.

A safer option might be to stick with what you know and go back to a company you previously worked for. But there will have been reasons that you left, so is returning to an organisation ever a good idea?

I’ve written before about what to do when a new job doesn’t work out. Having had such high hopes for a new role, it can be difficult to manage the situation if it’s clear you’ve not made the right choice. Continue reading “Returning to an organisation – is it ever a good idea?”

Using an interview to find out more about company culture

Many people consider an interview a one-way process. You’re there to be grilled by the organisation; your role is reactive. The onus is on you to show what you can do for the prospective new employer, how you might fit into their setup. In your preparation, you might think about questions the interviewer may ask you and draft some thoughts about your replies.

But interviews can – and should – be more of a two-way deal. It’s not just about successfully returning answers to questions served at you across the metaphorical tennis net; an interview can also provide a golden opportunity to take control and discover more about the company’s culture – and whether it’s going to give you what you need. Continue reading “Using an interview to find out more about company culture”