C.A.R.-Challenge, Action, Result

Posted by Lorraine on February 27, 2017 - Unemployment - Resumes - Job Hunting
1-competency-based-interview-questions

C.A.R. Method

Have you ever struggled to write the bullet points of your resume? Are you not sure what employers want to read?  The following method is one that I teach my clients to keep their resume information concise and focused on what matters to employers: RESULTS.

C.A.R. stands for Challenge, Action, Result. This acronym is useful when you are trying to write concise but effective sentences in your resume that showcase your accomplishments. Briefly state what the situation or challenge was, what action you took to fix it and what the result was. And yes, you can explain all of that in one sentence! Also, it's actually best to start your sentence with the result first, then the challenge and action.

Here's an example of the CAR method in action:

Original Sentence: Increased sales in my assigned territory. 

C.A.R. Sentence: Added $500K in quarterly revenue in 2016 by training new sales representatives in consultative selling techniques.

The challenge was that sales needed to be increased, the action was conducting sales training and the result was an increase of $500k in one quarter. Always quantify your results whenever possible.

Here are some excellent questions to help you brainstorm your accomplishments...

  1. How is the company better off now than when they hired me?

  2. Did I increase sales, and if so by what percentage or amount?

  3. Did I generate new business or bring in new clients?

  4. Did I save the company money? If so, how much?

  5. Did I design or institute any new system or process?  If so, what were the results?

  6. Did I bring a major project in under budget, and if so, how did I make this happen?

  7. Did I suggest or help launch a new product or program?

  8. Did I take on new responsibilities (not part of my job)?  If so, did I ask for these, or were they handed to me?

Interviews

There's more good news! The C.A.R. method is also commonly used for responding to interview questions. Use the method to keep your answers on target and focused every time. This is especially helpful for those of you who are long-winded and/or nervous in interviews and tend to talk too much.

The method is best used when responding to behavioral interview questions that ask you to recall specific situations from your career history. Again, simply state the challenge or problem, what you did to fix it and what was the result. This will greatly improve the quality of your answer, keeping it focused and on the subject.

Are you currently looking for work? You can check out some recent job opportunities here at https://jooble.org/. 

 

 
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