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New storytelling tool helps students in job interviews

Camosun is launching a new interactive storytelling tool that helps students better articulate their skills to help nail that all important job interview.

CamSTAR, developed by 唬硃鳥棗莽喝紳s Applied Learning, Co-op Education and Career Services department, is an interactive, online learning tool that teaches students how to use structured storytelling to weave together their skills, behaviours, and competencies in a way that resonates with potential employers. STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result that students use as a framework when answering behavioural interview questions.

We know that Camosun students gain the required skills to enter the workforce, but we also know they can find it challenging to tease out and frame pertinent information when it comes time to sell themselves to employers, says Claudia Sperling, Director of Applied Learning, Co-op Education and Career Services. The job market is fierce, and the rapidly advancing competitive skills economy requires that students not only have the credentials employers are looking for but that they can articulate their competencies - such as the capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems - in a meaningful way.

What I like about CamSTAR is that its a well-laid out road map to professional development, says Liam OBrien, a Post-degree Diploma Marketing student. It helps you set goals to develop new skills and it helps you identify your current skills and articulate them to employers.

"Interviews can be super stressful, and CamSTAR helps you have the knowledge that relates to a specific skill or something the interviewer is asking, says, Bachelor of Business Administration student 泭Ayla Yazganoglu. It helps you feel more comfortable and confident.

After completing CamSTAR, students will have an ongoing log of curated stories on how they developed and demonstrated professional skills such as leadership, problem-solving, or communications. These story artifacts can then be used for interviews, resumes, or digital portfolios.

CamSTAR helps you prepare for those really hard behaviour-based questions like tell me about a time you showed leadership, says University Transfer student Sofia Devlin. 泭Even if you dont necessarily have a sense about how to go about developing your STAR stories it offers helpful examples.

Along with positive responses from students, Camosun faculty are also finding CamSTAR valuable.

I've seen growth in my students who use CamSTAR, says School of Access Instructor Diane Gilliland. Being able to articulate their stories succinctly - to see their skills and strengths mirrored back to them in their stories - builds confidence.

The CamSTAR framework allowed my students to feel they were well-prepared for interviews, adds Marketing and Management Instructor Marina Jaffey. 泭They learned to present themselves in a way that would make them more competitive in a very tough job market."

唬硃鳥棗莽喝紳s Career Services will be offering a series of webinars and one-on-one support to orient students to the online resource in October and November.

CamSTAR will also become one of the integrating elements within select programs and 唬硃鳥棗莽喝紳s Career Development course, providing students an advantage heading into interviews for work terms, employment or further education.

Hear what Camosun students say about CamSTAR

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Contact information

Corrine Michel

Applied Learning, Co-op Education & Career Services

窪蹋勛圖厙

250-370-3833

michel@camosun.ca