JobInterview AIThe STAR method, with examples
Updated
STAR is a way to answer any question that begins with 'Tell me about a time…'. It stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. It is useful because it stops you forgetting the two parts candidates most often skip: what you did yourself, and what came of it.
The four parts
Their length matters as much as their order.
- Situation: where and when, in one sentence.
- Task: what was expected of you, in one sentence.
- Action: what you did, step by step. This is half of the answer.
- Result: what changed, with a number if you have one, and what you learned.
The usual mistakes
Too much situation. If you are still setting the scene after thirty seconds, cut.
'We' all the way through. The Action is yours: say 'I'.
No result. 'It went well' is not a result. A figure, a decision or what your manager said is one.
How not to sound recited
Do not learn your answers word for word. Learn the four points of each story and say them differently each time.
Prepare five or six stories, not thirty answers: the same story serves questions about conflict, pressure or initiative, depending on what you stress.
An answer, before and after
Tell me about a time you had to meet a tight deadline.
You said
We often had tight deadlines in my team. It was a fast-moving environment and you had to be very reactive. I'm quite good under pressure, so I always managed to deliver, even if it sometimes meant staying late.
Try
In March a client moved their launch forward by two weeks. I had to deliver the training materials, normally a month of work. I listed the twelve modules, kept the five the client used on day one, and gave the others as short videos afterwards. We delivered on time, and the client extended the contract.
One situation, your task, what you did, and a result. The general statement is gone.
Then say it out loud
In the app, the Report rewrites your own answers in this order, so you see what your story sounds like once the action and the result are in it.
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