Any “Tell me about a time when…” question can be answered using the same formula called the STAR method:
Situation: briefly (in a sentence or two), set up the conflict. Task: tell what your responsibility was in the overall work environment (i.e. were you a manager?). Action: list out the steps you took to resolve the conflict. Result: give the ultimate outcome.
For instance, “tell me about a time when you had a problem with a coworker.”
Situation: At my previous job, I joined an already well-established team in my first year, and started coming into conflict with my manager over task management.
Task: As a first-year associate, I previously hadn’t had a ton of control over my own deadlines, and I assumed it would be the same on this team. However, this manager put a high priority on autonomy and was a bit more hands-off.
Action: I took the initiative to meet up with my manager and discuss what her overarching priorities for the project were, and how my pieces fit into the larger picture. From there, I set up a rough estimate of a timeline for my major tasks, and checked in with her. We were able to tweak the timeline to make sure that one piece of my project would be complete in time for the senior associate to review effectively. I then broke that timeline down even further for my own reference, and sent weekly email updates to my manager to discuss my progress and keep myself on track.
Result: Communication vastly improved, and we were able to finish the project with plenty of time to spare. I also developed a timeline template to provide to our intern, which helped her stay on track too.
[ID: Interview Questions (Translated): The interview process can be confusing because interviewers expect you to answer completely different questions than what they’ve asked. Here are a few translations for ASDers on the job hunt.
What they ask: Tell me about yourself
What they want: Give me ~3 sentences on your relevant experience, and then something complimentary about why you’re interviewing there specifically.
What they ask: Why are you interested in this company/position?
What they want: Reiterate something (not a perk) from the about us page or job description and say that it is very important or interesting to you.
What they ask: What are you looking for in a new position?
What they want: Reiterate something that the company brags about on their website (not a perk) e.g. the opportunity to work with x technology or career growth
What they ask: Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker
What they want: Tell me about a time when there was a minor, non-offensive disagreement with a co-worker that you resolved in a positive way.
What they ask: Tell me about the latest project you worked on.
What they want: Tell me about a successful project you worked on, that is relevant to the work we do here.
Job searching is frustrating! But with a little bit of practice, you too can mask your way to a position that extends your survival in this capitalist hellscape we call home. end ID]
Any “Tell me about a time when…” question can be answered using the same formula called the STAR method:
Situation: briefly (in a sentence or two), set up the conflict. Task: tell what your responsibility was in the overall work environment (i.e. were you a manager?). Action: list out the steps you took to resolve the conflict. Result: give the ultimate outcome.
For instance, “tell me about a time when you had a problem with a coworker.”
Situation: At my previous job, I joined an already well-established team in my first year, and started coming into conflict with my manager over task management.
Task: As a first-year associate, I previously hadn’t had a ton of control over my own deadlines, and I assumed it would be the same on this team. However, this manager put a high priority on autonomy and was a bit more hands-off.
Action: I took the initiative to meet up with my manager and discuss what her overarching priorities for the project were, and how my pieces fit into the larger picture. From there, I set up a rough estimate of a timeline for my major tasks, and checked in with her. We were able to tweak the timeline to make sure that one piece of my project would be complete in time for the senior associate to review effectively. I then broke that timeline down even further for my own reference, and sent weekly email updates to my manager to discuss my progress and keep myself on track.
Result: Communication vastly improved, and we were able to finish the project with plenty of time to spare. I also developed a timeline template to provide to our intern, which helped her stay on track too.
[ID: Interview Questions (Translated): The interview process can be confusing because interviewers expect you to answer completely different questions than what they’ve asked. Here are a few translations for ASDers on the job hunt.
What they ask: Tell me about yourself
What they want: Give me ~3 sentences on your relevant experience, and then something complimentary about why you’re interviewing there specifically.
What they ask: Why are you interested in this company/position?
What they want: Reiterate something (not a perk) from the about us page or job description and say that it is very important or interesting to you.
What they ask: What are you looking for in a new position?
What they want: Reiterate something that the company brags about on their website (not a perk) e.g. the opportunity to work with x technology or career growth
What they ask: Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker
What they want: Tell me about a time when there was a minor, non-offensive disagreement with a co-worker that you resolved in a positive way.
What they ask: Tell me about the latest project you worked on.
What they want: Tell me about a successful project you worked on, that is relevant to the work we do here.
Job searching is frustrating! But with a little bit of practice, you too can mask your way to a position that extends your survival in this capitalist hellscape we call home. end ID]
