Hi there! 👋 In this newsletter:

✨How to SHINE like a star in interviews

✨Useful phrases for starting a story

✨Celebrating 23 INTERACT members

I know many in my network are on the job search during this time of significant change in the NGO & International Cooperation world.

I see a lot of posts on LinkedIn about how this is a time for opportunity, new ways of working, and growth. But I also know that it is super painful and stressful.

Hang in there. Don’t give up. You’ve got this! 💗

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Working on your interview skills?

If there is an interview in your future (and I hope there is!), you may have practiced the STAR method for answering behavioral or competency-based questions.

You know, the Tell Me About a Time questions:

• Tell me about a time you made a mistake
• Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge
• Tell me about a time you worked with limited resources

Answer these questions with a specific example or story, following the STAR structure:

S – SITUATION: what was the context?

T – TASK: what did you need to do?

A – ACTION: what steps did you take?

R – RESULT: what were the positive outcomes?

It's easy to remember and very effective for organizing your ideas.

So, what is the #1 problem I see with these types of questions?

I hear a lot of STAR responses that look like this:

Too much context (situation and task), not enough focus on the individual actions and results.

A strong STAR response should look like this:

Remember the interviewer wants to know what YOU did and what amazing results happened. And while it’s important to mention your team (especially on teamwork-focused questions), be sure to highlight your individual actions.

A Real-life Example 📸

Just last week, a client and I were practicing for her interview, and she mentioned an amazing solution to a classic problem: not enough money to hire professional photographers for a communications campaign.

The solution? A photography contest with a prize for the best photograph AND permission from the participants to use their photos in the organization’s publicity.

What was the problem with her STAR response?

She didn’t mention that this great idea was HER idea. So we practiced until she could explain HER actions & the great results. She told me after the interview that she was able to share this example confidently because of our work together!

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STARR for Storytelling ✨

You can also use the STAR structure when telling a story to donors or colleagues. It’s a great framework for organizing your ideas and highlighting the results.

Some people even add a final R to their STAR – REFLECTION.

This is where you can include major takeaways and lessons learned.

How to Start a Story

When we tell a story, it can be helpful to have some starting phrases. Here are a few:

• Let me tell you about a time when . . .
• I’d like to share with you the story of . . .
• This reminds me of a situation where . . .
• I’ll never forget the time. . . .
• In our work, we meet a lot of incredible people. XX is one of them.

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CELEBRATING 23 INTERACT Members 🥳

I’m so pleased that we are building a community of committed NGO & IC professionals who are working to improve their fluency, confidence, and impact with their communication skills.

Conversation times, weekly challenges, workshops, on-demand resources, and discussions on our platform are helping everyone GROW and CONNECT.

Curious? Invest in yourself for only $21 / month. (This price never goes up for you, and you can cancel at any time.)

We have a workshop this Saturday, Feb. 22, on Intonation, Pacing, and (No) Ummms.

Then, in March, we are focusing on Impactful Interview Skills.

Start INTERACTING today 🚀

Let me know if you have any questions.

I’m here to help you SHINE ✨

Best, Amy