Can You RAP Like a STAR?

Attend almost any networking event, and you'll sooner or later hear the same strategy when it comes to answering interview questions.  "You need to follow the STAR method:  Situation - Task - Action - Result."  Others use the SAR method, which is the same without the "Task" action.  Still others use "PAR" for "Problem - Action - Result." 

But whatever it's called, each method aims to accomplish the same objective:  To use a structured format for relating an experience that outlines how you addressed and solved a particular problem.

Recently, however, this approach has been turned upside down, and prospective job seekers are now expected to learn how to RAP. 

You read that right; but it's not what you think.  Prospective employers - the ones that are actually looking to hire as opposed to some of the others we've examined on this blog - have now seen and heard so many formulaic stories along the traditional S-T-A-R / S-A-R / P-A-R format that to distinguish yourself, you need to invert the process. 

In other words, rather than follow the standard 1-2-3 process, some recruiters and job placement experts are recommending you "flip" the P-A-R process and instead use R-A-P:  Tell them the RESULT, then tell them the ACTION that you took, and then indicate the PROBLEM that it solved.  In a time-conscious society, this helps you get right to the result and then provide the necessary background to explain.  It also helps you catch the interviewer's attention more quickly.

A brief illustration might help clarify.  Here's the traditional approach:

Interviewer:  "Tell me about a problem you faced and how you overcame it."

Candidate:  "We had a problem at my last job with controlling our costs.  Basically, we were losing money.  I formed a project team to evaluate every stage of our supply chain process and identify areas of redundancy or where we were spending more than we needed.  After that, I compiled the recommendations into a single plan for our senior management and submitted the proposal.  As a result, we saved nearly $100,000 in just three months by eliminating wasteful and unnecessary practices." 

Now the RAP approach:

Interviewer:  "Tell me a little about yourself."

Candidate:  "Let me tell you how I saved my last company $100,000.  I felt we were spending more than we needed to in several areas, so I formed a project team to examine our supply chain process and identify redundant or unnecessary areas.  As a result, we not only saved a good deal of money, but I helped eliminate a lot of waste that was clogging our operational efforts."

In this newer method, you lead with your best shot to capture the interviewer's attention, and then expand on your answer to provide the necessary detail.  As a result, you've not only followed the traditional 3-stage process for answering the question, but you've done so in a way that highlights your skills and abilities to achieve results. 

And if/when you're successful in landing that job someday?  You'll have something to tell your friends at the next cocktail party when they ask you how you did it. 

"I learned how to RAP."