Have you ever felt like your responses to an interviewer's questions were falling flat?
Well, you're not alone! This is a common problem for students and fresh grads. You know you've got great skills, but it can be tough to get them across in a way that sounds impressive and relevant.
Enter the "STAR method" – a structured way to respond to interview questions that'll help you tell your story with impact. We'll show you how to use it to turn your interview answers into awesome stories that show off what you can do.
We'll cover:
The STAR method is a popular approach to answering interview questions, designed to help you present your experiences and skills in a clear and compelling way. Let's break it down.
Now, let's apply this to the question: "Can you tell me about a time when you had to work under a tight deadline?"
Response Without STAR:
I had to finish a project really quickly once. I worked hard, stayed late, and it was done on time.
This answer is okay, but it's a bit vague. It doesn't give the interviewer a clear picture of what you did and what you achieved.
Response With STAR:
(Situation) In my last semester at university, I was assigned a major project in my marketing class, which was due in just one week.
(Task) My task was to research and present a marketing strategy for a local business.
(Action) I immediately organized my schedule to prioritize this project. I dedicated specific hours each day to research, creating the presentation, and rehearsing it. I also reached out to my professor for early feedback to ensure I was on the right track.
(Result) I completed the project two days early. The presentation was well-received, and I got a high distinction for it. My professor also praised my in-depth analysis and clear, concise delivery.
See the difference? The STAR method turns a basic response into a story that shows your skills and achievements. It's more detailed and gives the interviewer a clear picture of how you handle situations, making your answer both engaging and informative.
The STAR method is specifically for answering behavioral interview questions also known as experience-based or scenario-based questions. As the name implies, behavioral questions do not test your technical knowledge of the role. Rather, they are a way for interviewers to get a sense of who you are as a person, your work ethic and your attitude in the workplace.
By asking behavioral questions, recruiters use past behavior to predict future success. This is why the STAR method is crucial as an answering technique for these types of questions.
Typically, you can spot behavioral questions by the following prompts:
While not all behavioral questions use the same prompts, they’ll generally ask you to recount past experiences or situations to provide an answer. These questions are designed to gauge your ability to handle different work scenarios and demonstrate your behavioral patterns.
To learn more about how to answer tricky ‘Tell me about a time when…’ questions, check out this article.
In the Situation section, you're setting the stage for your story. This is where you answer the question, "What happened?"
Aim to provide just enough background in a concise manner, ideally in 2-3 sentences. This part should only be about 20% of your response. You want to establish the context quickly and then move forward.
Next, you need to clarify the task. This is about defining what needed to be done in the given situation, or what the goal was.
Keep your explanation of the task brief and to the point, preferably within 1-2 sentences. Think of it as answering, "What exactly was required in this situation?" or "What was the objective?"
The Action part is the core of the STAR method. Here, you'll spend most of your time detailing your specific role in the situation.
Focus on what YOU did. Describe the steps YOU took and the decisions YOU made. This is your chance to shine and show your individual contribution. Detail any steps you took to achieve the goal, mentioning any relevant company policies or standard operating procedures briefly before focusing on your personal implementation.
Use strong action verbs to highlight your skills. For example, say "I spearheaded the project" instead of "I helped with the project." This section is about showcasing yourself, but remember to balance detail with brevity to keep your interviewer engaged.
Finally, discuss the results of your actions. This is where you tie everything together and demonstrate the impact of your efforts.
Quantify your achievements wherever possible. For instance, rather than just stating, "The project was completed on time due to my leadership," specify, "By initiating and delegating parts of the project, we finished a week early, contributing to a 15% increase in company revenue compared to the previous year." Be precise and show how your actions led to tangible success for the company.
Situation: During my previous role as a marketing specialist, I was tasked with launching a new product. The stakes were high due to significant investment and ambitious sales targets set by our company.
Task: Believing in the potential of a digital campaign, I allocated a substantial part of our advertising budget to it, aiming to meet our sales targets.
Action: Unfortunately, the campaign didn't perform as expected, resulting in lower engagement and sales than projected. Instead of dwelling on this setback, I took responsibility and convened a team meeting to analyze our strategy. We scrutinized the campaign data to pinpoint areas for improvement.
Results: Though the campaign didn't hit our targets, it offered invaluable insights into our market and marketing tactics. This reflective process led us to develop a more effective strategy for the following quarter, enhancing our team's approach to challenges and continuous improvement.
Situation: As a team lead in marketing, I once faced a week where three equally critical and time-sensitive projects demanded attention.
Task: The projects varied from creating targeted email campaigns and designing new product packaging to updating our social media strategy. Each required timely and effective execution.
Action: I assessed the urgency and client expectations for each project, delegated tasks focusing on the most immediate ones, and communicated these priorities clearly to my team. We established a detailed schedule to ensure clarity and efficiency.
Results: This strategic approach led to the successful completion of all projects on time. The email campaign's click-through rates increased by 25%, the new packaging design enhanced product clarity for clients, and our revised social media strategy boosted conversion rates by 20%. This experience significantly improved our team's efficiency.
Situation: In university, I was part of a diverse team tasked with developing a marketing plan for a local startup.
Task: Our goal was to create a strategy that effectively promoted the startup's product and distinguished it in the market.
Action: I initiated regular meetings for open dialogue and brainstorming, leveraging our diverse perspectives. When disagreements arose, we focused on finding common ground through discussion, aiming for consensus and a positive team dynamic.
Results: Our diverse viewpoints culminated in a comprehensive marketing plan that impressed our professor and earned us top grades. This experience underscored the value of diversity in team projects.
Situation: Early in my role as a marketing team lead, a key team member resigned unexpectedly mid-project, jeopardizing our timeline.
Task: My responsibility was to quickly address this gap, ensuring the project remained on track and the team stayed motivated.
Action: I gathered the team for input, reassessed the campaign's unfinished tasks, and redistributed them among capable members. For tasks beyond our capacity, I sought external contractors to maintain quality and consistency.
Results: Despite the setback, we completed the campaign on time, met our sales targets, and maintained high-quality output, demonstrating our team's adaptability and resilience.
Situation: In my final year marketing project, I was assigned a notoriously demanding supervisor, leading to initial disagreements and communication challenges.
Task: Despite these difficulties, it was crucial to collaborate effectively with my supervisor and deliver a high-quality project.
Action: I proactively sought regular feedback, aligned our expectations, and respectfully addressed any disagreements. Regular updates and adjustments based on their feedback were key.
Results: This approach led to a successful project outcome, earning me the highest grade and positive remarks from examiners. It also transformed my supervisor into a valuable mentor and reference for future job applications.
Clear and focused answers: The STAR method helps you answer interview questions in a structured way. It guides you to think about your experiences and explain them clearly, showing off your skills and knowledge.
Boosts confidence: Preparing your answers with the STAR method can make you feel more confident. It helps you organize your thoughts and present yourself as a well-prepared and professional candidate.
Reflect on your achievements: Using the STAR method, you look back at what you've achieved in the past. This can make you feel more confident about your skills and why you're a good fit for the job.
To counter this:
Use descriptive language: Make your answers more interesting with vivid words and details. This makes your response stand out more.
Remember, the key is to use the STAR method as a guide but keep your answers natural and engaging.
It’s likely you’ll need to recall different experiences (both accomplishments and challenges faced) to answer the behavioural questions you’ll be asked. If you’re worried that you don’t have enough professional experiences to draw from, look to your university experiences. Recall volunteer roles, group projects, and positions you held and outline both your accomplishments and challenges you faced.
To increase your chances of success in interviews, use the STAR method and narrow down to your five best career stories that align with the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Attributes) required for the job.
Read the job description carefully and note the skills, responsibilities, and requirements sought by the employer. Choose the five stories that best reflect your abilities in those areas. Also, make sure your stories are aligned with the core values of the organisation you're applying to. This will demonstrate to the interviewer that you understand their company culture and are a great fit for their team.
You don’t need to prepare 100 different stories for 100 different questions. All you need are five strong stories with multiple perspectives to answer different questions. For instance, if you have a story about a difficult problem you faced at work and how you solved it, you can use this story to answer questions related to leadership, teamwork, decision-making, and conflict resolution. By being able to reframe your stories, you always have strong, relevant examples to draw from regardless of the direction of the interview.
The most effective practice is done by simulating an interview setting. You can ask a friend, family member, or career counsellor to conduct a mock interview with you. When doing mock interviews, make sure to dress up as if you were attending a real interview, and use a timer to ensure that you stay within the allotted time frame for each question. As you answer each question, remember to break up your answer into Situation-Task-Action-Result. Over time, you’ll be able to fine-tune your response and improve your confidence.
Now you know what the STAR method entails, make sure you incorporate it into your interview prep sessions. Set a goal for how many practice interviews you want to complete each week, or schedule a mock interview with a friend.
To help you get started, here are some additional questions below. Best of luck!