The Last Word on the PAR Method (With Examples)
When getting ready for an interview, a lot of professionals get nervous. Some people are getting ready by answering questions using the PAR method. If you know what the PAR method is and how to use it, you can answer questions about your behavior in an interview in a clear and detailed way. In this article, we explain what the PAR method is, what its benefits are, how to use it in three steps, and look at an answer to a common interview question that uses the PAR method.The Last Word on the PAR Method
What is PAR’s method?
The PAR method is a way to answer interview questions in a short amount of time. The letters in PAR stand for problem or project (P), action (A), and results (R) (R). In an interview, you can talk about how you behaved at a previous job by using the response method. For instance, you can answer the interview question “Can you tell me about the hardest problem you’ve solved in the last year?” because it asks about your behavior.
Another way to make your resume more interesting is to use the PAR method. You can list a specific problem you solved in a small table like the one below:
Problem/ProjectActionResults
If you put this section on your resume, it may catch the eye of hiring managers and be a point of interest for people who look at it.
What’s good about the PAR method
The PAR method can help you in a few different ways during an interview. Here are a few things that will go well:
It’s easy to keep in mind.
You might get nervous or flustered during an interview. Having something like “PAR” that is easy to remember can help you answer questions well. Follow these three steps to quickly explain the problem you faced, what you did to solve it, and how others helped you. This can also help you remember the main parts of the situation you want to describe without going into too much detail, which can help you keep your answer short.
It can help you organize your ideas.
You can put your ideas in order with the PAR method, which makes it easier to talk about your experience. This can help you get over bad feelings like nerves or anxiety and give the interviewer a clear answer. This shows that you are well-organized because you answered their question in a short, complete way.
It can show the person interviewing you how you handle problems at work.
The PAR method helps you tell the interviewer about a whole situation in a way that is short, focused, and full of details. These things give the interviewer a better idea of who you are as a worker, which could help you get the job. Using this method can also show the interviewer that you’re ready for the interview because you’re sure of your answers to their questions.
PAR method vs. STAR method
You can use both the PAR method and the STAR method to answer behavioral questions in an interview. They both have tools you can use to practice answering interview questions, remember an acronym in a stressful situation, and organize your thoughts. With the STAR method, the first two letters, “Situation” and “Task,” can mean the same thing if you give enough information in the first part of your answer. The PAR method is an easier, shorter acronym that can be used to describe a project or a problem in a lot of detail.
How to use the PAR method
Using the PAR method, here are the steps you can take to get ready for an interview and answer interview questions:
1. Describe a problem you had that had something to do with the question.
When getting ready for an interview, look at some common questions about how you act on the job and practice PAR answers. You may not know what an interviewer will ask, but you can find lists of questions online. You can look at different questions and think about the best problems you’ve had to solve at work and how you did it. Choose an event from your past that shows how you deal with problems and stress. To finish the “P” part of the PAR method, you need to explain what happened that led to the problem.
2. Tell us what you did to figure out how to solve your problem.
During your practice sessions and questions, explain what you did. Include if your job told you how to solve the problem or if you made it up as you went along. Explain why you made those choices and how they led you to do what you did. This can show the interviewer that you’ve thought about the situation and help you think of work experiences you’re comfortable talking about. By trying out these answers, you can find the ones that work best for you when problems come up at work.
3. Explain how what you did made the challenge better.
After you say what you did, say how other people felt about it. This includes any problems that other people brought up and how you handled them, as well as any good things that happened because of what you did and what you would do differently if that problem came up again at work. This can help you practice your answers until you feel sure of them. This can also show the interviewer how you feel about work you’ve done in the past.
How the PAR method works
Here’s an example of a PAR answer to the question, “Tell me about a time when you helped a coworker improve their job skills:”
P
“**When I was Team Lead, I asked my manager to put me in charge of a group of less experienced writers. I wanted the job so I could help each member of my team improve as a professional writer and deal with problems I had when I was just starting out. My boss was happy to do what I asked, and when the company hired more writers, they all joined my team.”
A
“I started by putting all the tools, resources, and knowledge I had learned as a writer in one place so that everyone on my team could use them. I also made sure that the people on my team could always reach me through email and direct messages. I also met with the whole team once a month, as well as with each person. Lastly, I told them to contact me if they had any questions so I could help.”
R
“Over time, my team grew to be one of the smartest in the company. I started to see members of my team answer questions from newer writers at some point. Some of them even became team leads, which gave the company a better group of writers. I’m sad to leave that job, but I’m looking forward to my new position as Head of Professional Development.”
