Interview preparation tips for using STAR?
Behavioral/Situational Questions typically require a prepared story of your success with a measurable explanation of your experience.
Using the STAR approach to answering behavioral questions, is a perfect way to ensure you are answering their question fully and succinctly.
Situation: This is the backstory, the who, what, where, when. It would start something like this: “When I was working as a [role] at [company x], there was a situation where… “
Task: What was your part to play in this situation, your assigned role, and how were you able to turn this into an opportunity.? It would start something like this: “On this project, I was assigned to be the [role]… And I saw this as an opportunity to…”
Action: What were the steps you took to solve this challenge? Did you call on the help of others? Overcome roadblocks? Anything unique about your actions/method worth mentioning?
Results: What were the tangible results of your work? How were things better off because of what you did? What lessons did you learn?
By using these four components to shape your anecdote, it’s much easier to share a focused answer, providing the interviewer with a digestible but compelling narrative of what a candidate did. The interviewer can follow along, but also determine based on your answer how well you might fit with the job.
Here's a step-by-step process to give the best STAR interview answers.
Establish a Suitable Example: The STAR interview method is only helpful if you use it to structure an answer using a relevant anecdote. That’s why the most crucial starting point is finding appropriate scenarios from your work history that you can expound on.
There’s no way to know exactly what the interviewer will ask you, however, it’s advantageous to have a few stories and examples ready to go that you can edit, tweak, and adapt for various questions.
Brainstorm a few examples of success in your previous positions, and think through how to discuss those successes using the STAR framework. Repeat this same exercise for several different types of questions.
Lay Out the SITUATION: With your anecdote selected, it’s time to set the scene. It’s tempting to include every detail — particularly when your nerves get the better of you. But if the interviewer asks you to tell them about a time you didn't meet a client's expectations, for example, they don't necessarily need to know the story of how you recruited the client three years earlier or the entire history of the project.
Your goal here is to paint a clear, succinct picture of the situation you were in and emphasize it particular complexities so that the result you mention later seems that much more profound. Keep your story concise and focus on what is undeniably relevant to your story.
The STAR method is meant to be used as a simple template. Sometimes people provide too much detail and their answers are far too long. Focus on just one or two sentences for each letter of the acronym.
Highlight the TASK: You’re telling this story for a very specific reason — because you had some sort of core involvement in it. This is the part of your answer when you make the interviewer understand exactly where you fit in.
This can sometimes get confused with the “action” portion of the response. However, this piece is dedicated to giving the specifics of what your responsibilities were in this particular scenario, as well as any objective that was set for you.
Share How You Took ACTION: Now that you’ve provided the interviewer with a sense of what your role was, it’s time to explain what action you took. What steps did you take to reach that goal or solve that problem?
- Resist the urge to give a vague answer like, “So, I worked hard on it…” or “I did some research…”
This is your chance to showcase your specific contribution, and it’s worthy of detail. Dig in deep and make sure that you give enough information about exactly what you did.
Did you work with a certain team? Use a particular piece of software? Form a detailed plan? Those are the things your interviewer wants to know.
Spell Out the RESULT: Here it is, your time to truly shine and explain how you made a positive difference. The final portion of your response should relay the results of the action you took. Of course, the result needs to be positive, otherwise, this isn’t a story you should be sharing. No interviewer will be dazzled with an answer that ends with, “And then I got fired.”
Does that mean you're prohibited from telling stories about problems or challenges? Absolutely not. However, even if you’re talking about a time you failed or made a mistake, make sure you end on a high note by talking about what you learned and/or the steps you took to improve.
Remember, interviewers don’t only care about what you did they also want to know why it mattered (what makes it relevant). Quantify the results you acheived, when you can. Numbers are always impactful.
Example: Question - "Tell me about a time you overcame a challenging situation at work."
Situation: “At my previous job, our senior graphic designer resigned without any notice. Since she led the graphic design team, we initially didn’t know what to do in her absence.”
Task: “As the junior graphic designer, I decided to take it upon myself to make sure all of her work was completed on time and to the client’s standards.”
Action: “To do this, I met with the creative director, and asked him to train me in the areas of her job I was not familiar with. Then, I worked through my lunch breaks for a week straight to get the work done. I delegated easier tasks to the interns.”
Result: “In the end, the client ended up loving the work. We were actually able to get the work done a day early. The creative director was so impressed by my efforts that he offered me a promotion as the senior graphic designer.”