Job seekers often struggle to figure out what a recruiter is trying to assess, they find it difficult to provide concise answers and they are unsure of how to share their accomplishments during a job interview. The STAR interview method (situation, task, action, & result) can help you answer interview questions with concrete examples and provide proof that you possess the right skills and experiences for the job you hope to secure. This method is particularly useful in response to competency or behavioral-based interview questions.
The STAR Interview Technique: Interview Questions and Answers. One of the blog posts I shared with the students was one of my very first blog posts about an effective interview technique called the STAR method. So whether it’s for college admission interviews, internships, or job interviews, the STAR interview technique can help organize. When it comes to behavioral interviews, the STAR response technique will help you craft responses that are compelling and succinct while thoroughly answering the interviewer’s question. Just make sure your answers are honest and share only positive outcomes.
What Is the STAR Interview Response Method?
The STAR interview method offers interviewees a straightforward way in which to answer behavioral-based interview questions. Behavioral interview questions are questions that assess how you behaved or handled specific professional situations in the past. The premise is that past performance is predictive of future behavior. Employers analyze jobs to define the skills and qualities that high-level performers have exhibited and develop behavioral-based interview questions based on those competencies to evaluate candidates for fit.
Examples of behavioral interview questions include the following:
- Have you ever gone above and beyond the call of duty?
- Tell me about an occasion when you had to deal with a challenging client?
- What do you do when a team member refuses to complete his or her quota of the work?
Answering Interview Questions Using STAR
The first step is to find appropriate examples from your professional, academic, or extra-curricular experiences and avoid using totally irrelevant anecdotes. Before the interview, prepare a few stories and examples and tweak them for different questions.
Use a Specific Situation
Star Interview Technique Answers
Your next goal is to paint a clear and concise picture of the situation you were in and keep it relevant to your story. A lot of people make the mistake of providing too general of a situation – remember the employer is looking for a specific situation that you faced.
Highlight the Task
The task can easily get confused with the action part of your response, however this piece is where you demonstrate to the interviewer what your responsibilities and established objectives were in that particular situation.
Action
Star Technique Interview Questions And Answers
The action you took is the most important piece of your response as it’s where you showcase your contribution. Be sure to provide the interviewer with enough detail about what you did and avoid giving vague answers like “I worked on it”.
Result
Star Technique Answers
The final portion of your response should focus on how you made a difference and explain to the interviewer how your action(s) made an impact. You can use examples with positive results and discuss times you made a mistake. If you choose the latter, it’s important to highlight what you learned from the experience and what you would do differently if you encountered the same situation in the future.
Job seekers are often overwhelmed when faced with a behavioral-based interview, but with a little preparation and practice, you’ll find these types of interview questions as less of a challenge and burden and more of an opportunity to highlight your core strengths and qualifications to an employer.