Interviewing for a job can be a nerve-wracking experience, leading to anxiety in even the most confident job candidates. That nervousness can temporarily prevent even the most eloquent candidates from being able to give clear, concise answers to the questions posed.
If you struggle to answer behavioral or competency-based job interview questions, like “What’s your biggest achievement to date?” or “How do you maintain a good working relationship with your co-workers?”, you may find yourself giving a five-minute dialogue, and before you know it, you’ve lost your train of thought—and your interviewers’ attention. Or, maybe you’re not comfortable talking about yourself, which can make it seem as though you are timid or lack substantial work experience. Any of these pitfalls could cost you the job.
Even if you’ve had disastrous interview moments—and frankly, who hasn’t?— you can set yourself up for success next time with the STAR interview method. It’s a simple framework for concisely and confidently answering the behavioral-based interview questions.
The STAR Method: What’s the Framework?
To understand what the STAR format is, let’s review what “STAR” stands for:
- S: Situation
- T: Task
- A: Action
- R: Result
With the STAR method, when you’re asked a question, you can respond with the Situation, explain the Task you had in that situation, describe the Actions you took, and close with the Result. Keeping this framework in mind, you can deliver comprehensive, concise answers to the questions that are thrown your way.
Breaking Down the STAR Format
Now that you know what “STAR” means, let’s break down each of these steps further so you can understand exactly how it all works.
Situation
Start by describing the context in which your answer occurred (e.g., the job you performed or a challenge you experienced). This could be a work-related experience, a volunteer position, or another relevant experience. Remember, the interviewers were not present, so be as specific as possible to help them understand exactly what you’re talking about.
Task
After you’ve set the scene, it’s time to delve into your personal responsibility. For example, you could say that you were the team leader on a project or that you were up against a tight deadline for a client. Try to avoid industry jargon unless it applies to the role you’re interviewing for.
Action
After you’ve explained the situation and the task at hand, you’ll move to the portion of the STAR format where you’re explaining the actions you took to complete the task or overcome the challenge. Be mindful to use “I” language versus “we” language. For example, “I managed a team of five employees to complete a complicated sales project for a high-value client.” Avoid focusing on what a boss, co-worker, or team did, and highlight what you did.
Result
Finally, you’ll explain the result of the situation, as well as your accomplishments or the lesson you learned from the experience.
Why Would You Use the STAR Method in Interviews?
Think back to your last job interview—regardless of whether it was an in-person or a video interview. Chances are, the interviewer asked you one or a series of behavioral- or competency-based interview questions. For example, you may have been asked, “Tell me about a time when you had…” or “Share an example of how you…” In these types of questions, interviewers are looking for you to effectively summarize how you’ve reacted to certain situations and communicate the skills you have gained.
Because behavioral or competency-based interview questions rely on you to use your experiences and performance, your answers can help interviewers determine whether you may have the skills or experiences needed to excel in the job you’re interviewing for.
STAR Method in Action
Now that you know what the STAR format is and what each step stands for, let’s explore what it looks like in action. Here’s an example.
Question 1: Tell me about a time when you were under a lot of pressure at work and how you responded to that pressure.
Situation: “In my previous role as an app developer, one of my co-workers quit one month before our newest release was due to our investors for review.”
Task: “I was asked to take on my co-worker’s tasks as well as my own. I knew that if I didn’t get it all done on time, we’d risk our ability to complete the project on time and lose our investors’ support.”
Action: “I first let my superiors know that I needed to reprioritize my task list to ensure that I could complete the work on the new app. Then, I plotted out a calendar and to-do list for the next three weeks, budgeting extra time for last-minute changes or additions and breaking down the responsibilities into smaller, more manageable pieces. I worked to ensure all aspects I was now responsible for were completed on time.”
Result: “It was gratifying to meet all of the deadlines. As a result, we were able to deliver a high-quality app release and ensure our investors’ confidence in us was strong.”
How to Use the STAR Interview Questions Prep
Although it’s impossible to know exactly what types of questions you’ll be asked in a job interview, you can try your best to be prepared by properly preparing potential answers with the STAR format. Here’s how to do that.
Review Job Qualifications
You’ll want to carefully review a job posting’s requirements or preferred qualifications, and then reflect on your experience or situations to identify potential crossovers. Make a list of the relevant skills and experiences that you believe qualify you for the role.
Brainstorm a List of Examples Using STAR
Consider the specific situations or examples in which you’ve displayed the skills that are relevant to the role you’re interested in. Then create practice answers that follow the situation, task, action, result framework.
Practice Your STAR Answers
As you practice your answers, using the STAR interview method may seem robotic or unnatural at first, but with practice, it will become second nature.
Whether you’re interviewing in person or remotely, it’s always ok to keep a notepad with you. Consider having a cheat sheet of STAR responses you’ve prepared to help stay focused and deliver the best possible answers.
STAR Interview Methods and You
Talking about yourself, especially during an already nerve-wracking situation like a job interview, can be stressful. And, when you’re stressed, it may be easy to get off track and ramble. Though you can’t predict what will happen during a job interview, you can bet that you’ll be asked to share how you’ve acted or responded in relevant situations. By using the STAR interview method, you can concisely demonstrate how your past experiences will set you up for success in the role you’re interviewing for.