How to use the STAR interview method

Are you preparing for an upcoming interview? Are you struggling to develop a list of possible responses you feel good about? Do you wonder how to represent your many accomplishments to best showcase why you’re the best candidate for the job?

The STAR job interview method might be the perfect solution for you.

Utilizing the STAR method allows you to provide concrete and precise examples to common interview questions. With this method, you’ll be equipped to successfully highlight your skills, accomplishments, and approach to challenging situations, quickly getting to the heart of what the interviewer wants to know.

STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result

The STAR acronym stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. The STAR method is beneficial for responding to behavioral interview questions. Read on to learn more about this interview technique with examples on how to use it.

What is a STAR method interview?

Behavioral interview questions provide insight into future performance by asking about past performance. The premise is that your past performance and approach to situations indicate future performance and the potential for success. Interviewers also try to determine if you have the necessary competencies for success, such as analytical, leadership, conflict resolution, and self-awareness skills.

The STAR method is ideal for responding to behavioral questions because it sets you up to provide the situation (S), the task (T), the action (A) you took, and the result (R) of that action. It gives you the tools to become a storyteller in the interview room without rambling or missing the necessary punch lines. You’ll be setting up the beginning, middle, and end of the situation, conflict, and resolution, for the interviewer.

Examples of behavioral interview questions:

• Tell me about a time when you had challenges with a coworker. How did you address the situation, and what was the outcome?
• Share an experience in which you missed an important project deadline.
• How do you handle situations when clients refuse to put in the effort to complete the necessary steps of a task so you can move forward with your side of things?
• Tell me about a time you went above and beyond to complete your work.
• Share an experience in which you were dealing with a challenging supervisor. How did you handle the situation, and what was the result?
• Share an experience in which you made a difficult decision. How did you handle it?
• Tell me about a time you delivered bad news. What was your approach?
• Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your manager. How did you handle it?
• Have you ever had to inspire others? How did you do it?

Key concepts of a STAR response

You can use each concept of the STAR interview method to break down your response to form a comprehensive and detailed answer. Your responses can focus on your professional work history, a volunteer experience, or any other event you deem relevant. Be specific and to the point.

Situation

You’ll set the stage by outlining the situation in response to the question. If you were asked about a challenging time with a coworker, you’d begin by describing the situation in relation to the challenge you want to describe. This creates context for the listener.

Example: “In my last role as communications manager, there was a point in time when my team was short-staffed and, as a result, was becoming overworked. Some items became backlogged because higher management made it difficult for us to prioritize our base business, due to some ambitious projects they had set up.”

Task

The task describes your role and responsibilities in general, in relationship to a team, as well as possibly other departments and higher management. In doing that, it also highlights your role in the situation being described to the interviewer.

Example: “As communications manager, it was my role to help my team meet their day-to-day duties and responsibilities, while also ensuring they had the bandwidth required to get their work done without unnecessary stress. I also had the responsibility of managing expectations with the communications director and other members of the leadership team.”

Action

Your goal here is to share the steps you took to support the task. How did you address the issue, resolve the conflict, or meet the challenge? It can be easy to use “we” because you worked with a team. However, you should use “I” and highlight your contributions.

Example: “I set up a formal process for the submission of communication requests, including attaching a priority status to each request as it came in. This supported the organization of the team and gave a good snapshot of what was coming down the pipeline. I then scheduled weekly meetings with the communications director and other leadership team members to keep them informed about my team’s current workload and bandwidth to manage expectations better. I kept my team abreast of key information, which helped them feel more at ease knowing items were being assessed and addressed.“

Result

The results detail the outcome of the situation based on the task and action you took. Emphasize the accomplishments and your takeaways from the situation. When possible and relevant, provide quantitative data.

Example: “By providing more transparency into my team’s workload, creating better processes, and managing expectations more clearly with the communications director and leadership team, we were able to re-prioritize the communication team’s duties and responsibilities, get the backlog items completed, and remain current on base business items. I continued to employ these teachings and changes, and we cut our average project completion time down by one day. I also learned how essential it is to communicate with my team regularly.“

Preparing for a STAR interview

Indeed, you don’t have a crystal ball that tells you exactly what the interviewer will ask. However, you can make a list of possible questions and scenarios to respond to. Use the following five-step process to prepare your STAR responses.

1. Make a list of necessary competencies and skills

Review the job post and make a list of the skills and competencies required for the position.

2. Develop a list of possible questions

Review and develop a list of possible behavioral interview questions you might be asked.

3. Match your skills and competencies to the required job skills and competencies

Make a list of your skills and competencies and match them to the required skills and competencies listed in the job post. If you’re struggling with this step, review past performance reviews and your resume to cover your bases.

4. Create a list of example responses from your work history

With your list of competencies and skills that match the job requirements, you can develop possible responses to the interview questions using the STAR method.

5. Practice your answers

Once you have a list of scenarios, practice your responses. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be when you’re in the hot seat across from the interviewer.

Example responses using the STAR method

Q. Share a time when you dealt with a challenging situation at work. How did you handle and resolve the issue?

Situation: “I worked as an HR manager at a restaurant chain when an employee claimed sexual harassment against one of the other employees.”

Task: “I knew I had to address the concern and investigate immediately.”

Action: “I scheduled interviews with the employee’s managers and each employee to gather information and insights.”

Result: “It turns out that the employee who had allegedly harassed the other employee meant no ill harm, and the employee who made the allegations was open to listening to the apology and explanation of the other employee. I assigned the employee with the allegations against her to a harassment training program, and the two employees have been able to work together since.”

Q. Describe a time when you were under a lot of pressure due to a tight deadline. How did you respond?

Situation: “In my previous job as a project lead, one of the team members quit one week out from the finish line of a large project for one of our biggest clients. The member was set to take the project from the final phase to launch.”

Task: “Although I was managing three other projects at the time, I had to ensure we stayed on track to finish the project on time.“

Action: “I first gave myself an evening to relax, destress, and refocus. From there, I carefully evaluated what was required to complete the project on time. I also assessed the roles of the other team members to determine who might be best suited to step and take over for the employee who had quit. I ended up splitting the duties between myself and another team member, who was excited for the opportunity.”

Result: “Though we spent a few late nights at the office that week, we were able to complete the project on time. The client was thoroughly pleased with the result.”

You can also view 73 sets of behavioral interview questions, each with 30 related questions separated into five interview categories, free of charge on Ladders.