PAR – Good For Golf – And Good For Interviews Too

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One of the challenges Job Candidates face during an interview is how much information to provide to the Interviewer’s questions.  You want to impress the Interviewer with the depth of your knowledge and therefore you are tempted to jump up on a soap box and tell them everything you know about the topic.

But that is usually not a good idea….

You don’t want to do a “data” dump.  You risk overwhelming – and possibly boring – the Interviewer.

On the other hand you don’t want to be so brief that you simply respond to their questions with one word answers.

So how do you formulate responses that provide the level of detail the Interviewer needs without overwhelming them with information?

Actually -it’s pretty easy – just use the P.A.R. Method of answering interview questions.

While Par is a commonly used term in Golf – most people don’t associate the term with interviewing.  But it is actually a helpful acronym to remember during your interview.

P.A.R. stands for:

Problem – state the problem or challenge you were faced with

Action – describe for the Interviewer the action or actions you took to address the problem

Result – let the Interviewer know what the end result of your actions were.  (And make sure to use data or specific details in your answers whenever possible.)

Again – using the P.A.R. method of answering interview questions will help you to structure your answers so that you can provide the information that the Interviewer needs in a detailed yet concise manner.

Answer a Question with a Question

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Years ago, I was discussing with a fellow recruiter about the best way to handle typical interview questions.

One of his bits of advice was priceless.

Image Courtesy of Creative Commons by © Maryland GovPics http://ow.ly/JNkT2
Image Courtesy of Creative Commons by © Maryland GovPics
http://ow.ly/JNkT2

He said that sometimes it is best to answer a question with a question.

I asked him what he meant, and he replied:

“Sometimes on an interview you will be asked a question that catches you “off-guard”.  You are either not sure exactly what the interviewer is asking, or you are just simply not sure how best to answer the question.  By using the technique of answering a question with a question, you do two things.

The first thing you do is buy yourself some time to think.  The worst thing for you to do when faced with a situation like this is to just start rambling and saying things off the top of your head.  By answering a question with a question – you buy yourself more time to formulate a concise answer.

The second thing that you do is obtain more information about what exactly the interviewer is looking for.  And once you know what the interviewer is looking for, you can give them a better answer.”

He went on to give an example.

“For example, if the interviewer simply says to you, ‘Tell me about yourself’, instead of simply launching into your answer, you might say to the interviewer, ‘Let me ask you – do you want me to start with my college experience or are you just looking for me to discuss my professional experience?’ By questioning the interviewer, you can get a better idea of the type of information they are looking for, and that way you can formulate a more targeted response.”

I thought his suggestion was brilliant.

And his advice is not only good for interviews, but his technique can be used in all types of business situations.

So the next time you are asked a question that you can’t answer immediately, instead of responding immediately, the more prudent thing to do may be to answer that question with a question.

PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING

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A couple of years ago I read an article by attorney Lori E. Iwan.

One of the topics she addressed was the importance of preparation for an attorney.

In her article she quotes Louis Nizer, “Preparation is the be-all of good trial work. Everything else – felicity of expression, improvisational brilliance – is a satellite around the sun. Thorough preparation is that sun.”

Then Lori goes on to add, “There is no substitute for preparation. Regardless of the number of associates and amount of technology surrounding you in the courtroom, ultimately you alone must stand in front of the jury to present the case,…”.

That very same principle [i.e. the importance of preparation] applies during the Interview process. When we are being interviewed, we find ourselves in a situation that is analogous to the one an attorney finds his or her self in. We stand alone before the interviewer – there is no where to run – no where to hide – And that is the wrong time to realize that you should have done your homework – That you just can’t rely on your ‘improvisational brilliance’ – That you should have prepared for the interview. Preparation really is that important.

In future posts, I will discuss the specific things a Candidate can do to prepare for their interview.