CARLA: A Better Framework for Answering Interview Questions
Upcoming job interviews frequently spike candidates' anxiety levels.
For years as a career coach, I've taught clients the STAR method to structure their answers to behavioral questions.
S - Situation
T - Task
A - Action
R - Result
Behavioral questions usually start with words like, "Tell me about a time you [performed a specific competency or task]." Or, "Can you describe a time when you [responded in a certain way to a specific situation]." Interviewers ask these kinds of questions with the assumption that learning about your past behavior will help them predict your future behavior on the job.
The STAR method does a great job of framing career highlights, but as I spoke with more recruiters and hiring managers, I sensed that it wasn't enough. It served behavioral stories on a platter to interviewers, but still leaves some work for them to connect the candidate's response to the job as they consider many factors in choosing the best person to hire.
The hiring process can be stressful for employers as they are for job seekers, albeit with somewhat lower stakes. Anytime job seekers can remove friction and simplify the process for employers gives them a greater advantage against the competition.
So I decided to create a new acronym to help job seekers prepare even more helpful answers to employers' behavioral questions that will hopefully make their candidacy more compelling by doing the work of explaining why their previous experience and behaviors are directly relevant and beneficial to the vacant job. I introduce to you - CARLA.
You'll notice that the "A" and "R" represent the same parts as the STAR method, but here are the differences:
"Context" replaces "Situation" and "Task" to allow candidates to describe moments of personal initiative. "Task" seems to imply that a person needs to be given an order or external directive to do something, thus hinting passivity. Sometimes the candidate's greatest shining moments are when they noticed something that could be improved or a problem that can be prevented, so they jump to action before being told what to do. "Context" is more neutral and simply allows the candidate to describe the scene before they took "Action".
After the "Action" and "Result" (problem solved), the "Lesson" prompts the candidate to describe what they have learned and how they have improved from the experience. This displays to the interviewer that not only have they fixed something that needed attention, they also became a better professional and person from it!
"Application" is where the candidate connects the dots for the interviewer by describing how the knowledge and skills they gained from the experience will become immediately useful to the job they're vying for. Not only does this extra step give the interviewer's brain a sigh of relief from having to perform that step themselves, it also demonstrates the candidate's deep understanding of the job requirements based on their research and deep listening skills.
The STAR method focuses on your past but employers are more interested in your potential future with their organization. CARLA ties your past career highlights to your future dream role.
Some final tips for using CARLA to get the job offer:
Study the job description and highlight the top skills/competencies stated (hint: the most important ones are often repeated).
Look through your own job history to recall the best examples of you displaying those skills/competencies and write them down - at least 5 CARLA stories. Use bullets to write main points, not a long form narrative to memorize, so they’re more adaptable to the interviewer’s questions. Write them on 5 separate sheets to use as notes during the interview. Each CARLA story will demonstrate a variety of skills so you won’t be stumped by any behavioral question if you’ve prepared adequately because at least one of your stories will answer their question.
Practice talking through each story until you can tell them conversationally and confidently without staring at your CARLA sheets. You can have them ready during the interview for quick reference glances but do not recite them like a script, which would make you appear inauthentic and stiff.
Good luck! Feel free to reach out for 1:1 coaching if you need it. Contact me.
For more self-help, see my other articles "How to Over-Prepare for Interviews" and "How to Stay Calm, Confident, and In Control During Interviews".
I also have additional articles, webinars, and podcast recordings on other career topics on my Content page.
