Let’s face it: job interviews are intimidating. A stranger peppers you with questions while you try to win them over with with stories of responsibility, ingenuity, and some good ole’ manners.

Good news. We recently learned of a simple acronym that can come in quite handy in your next interview. Well, two actually. CAR and STAR.

car-star

Here’s what they mean:

CAR stands for Context, Action, and Result.

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

The idea is to answer every question with a description of the moment (Context or Situation) followed by what you did about it (Task and Action), and how it turned out (Result).

So next time you’re interviewing for that ice cream parlor job or lawn mowing service, think CAR and STAR. Then blow them away with your thoughtful answers.

Do you have any job searching tips, Biz Kid? Share them with us in the comments below.

Looking for more job searching tips? Watch our episode, “It’s a Job Getting a Job.” Here’s a clip from the episode for your viewing pleasure: