For enquiries call:

Phone

+1-469-442-0620

HomeBlogothersHow to Use the STAR Method to Ace Job Interview [with Examples]

How to Use the STAR Method to Ace Job Interview [with Examples]

Published
26th Apr, 2024
Views
view count loader
Read it in
18 Mins
In this article
    How to Use the STAR Method to Ace Job Interview [with Examples]

    Are you confident about acing an interview? Do you know how you should perform in an interview? What do you think is the correct way of answering your questions in an interview? Do you create stories and present your answers in the form of a narrative or do you come directly to the point and stop creating recitals? Well, when you get anxious about an upcoming job interview, innumerable questions come to your mind. That is where the STAR method interview can help you ace your performance.

    The first and foremost thing that you should do is to be calm and take comfort in the fact that we all have been in that position at some point in our lives. Also, multiple strategies and techniques are used, and you can come up with very impressive and attractive answers to the STAR interview questions.

    To learn more about STAR interview questions and answers, you can enroll for the Boot Camp courses by KnowledgeHut to become more confident in attending an interview and gain better insights about how to answer the interview questions. 

    What is a STAR Method Interview?

    full form of STAR interview method

    Source

    STAR is an acronym that stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. STAR method interview meaning; it is a technique that the candidates who sit for an interview use to answer the behavioral questions of the interviewer in a way that transforms the interview into a compelling and structured one. Behavioral questions are different from basic academic questions. STAR method interview questions are not based on academics but are application-based tests of the presence of mind and the reaction of the candidates in a particular situation. 

    With the help of STAR method interviews, the ability of the candidates to handle challenges and tough situations is tested so that a company can choose the candidate that fits a particular role. This technique is a way in which you can answer the job interview questions in a concise and to-the-point manner. This may include your real-life experience or the past challenges that you have faced in your career that can prove to be effective in your future professional life.

    To make you understand the concept of a STAR interview better, here are some of the STAR interview questions examples from which you can easily understand what this is about: 

    • "Tell me about your greatest achievement?" Or "How can you deal with conflict management?" 
    • Questions like these are not easy to answer in the heat of the moment, but these are some of the common interview questions that come at you. The STAR interview method comes to you at times like these as your savior. 

    What are STAR Interview Questions?

    Behavioral questions that are asked in the STAR interviews are easy to recognize. The most common STAR interview questions are stated as follows: 

    1. Have you ever faced any challenging situations? What did you do to overcome it? 
    2. Tell me about a time when you faced conflict with your co-workers. How did you resolve it? 
    3. Do you set goals for yourself? How do you achieve the desired goals? 
    4. Have you ever faced a pressure situation? Tell me about how you dealt with such a situation. 
    5. Tell me about a time when you have been very strategic in achieving your goals. 
    6. Have you ever faced a situation where you had to correct your seniors when they were wrong? 
    7. Talk about a situation in which you didn't meet the client's expectations and how you dealt with it. 
    8. Did you ever walk under a tight deadline? What are the measures that you took and such a situation? 
    9. How do you handle situations where you must adapt to sudden workplace changes? 
    10. Tell me about a time when you had the leverage to be innovative and creative about your work. 

    Step-by-step Process of STAR Method Interview Questions Answers

    To understand 'what is the STAR interview method', you need to know the meaning of the acronym 'STAR' and what it explains.  

    • S stands for Situation: Here, the candidate sets the scene by giving a brief description of the challenge, circumstance, or situation that he has faced in overcoming it. 
    • T stands for Task: Here, the candidate explains the interview was the role he has played in taking his team out of a drowning situation. This phase encapsulates the roles and responsibilities of the candidate. 
    • A stands for Action: Here, the candidate explains all the steps and actions he took to overcome or win over the challenging situation or address the circumstance. 
    • R stands for Result: Here, the candidate states the result or the output of the situation and all the steps he took to deal with it. It includes all those achievements that he has gained through this challenging circumstance. 

    Therefore these are the pillars of the STAR method interview, and each of these pillars explains the STAR, middle, and end of a challenging situation and the steps you take to deal with such a situation.

    How to Use the STAR Interview Method?

    Let's learn how to use the STAR interview method and each of the pillars in answering the questions in an interview. The STAR technique can be used for delivering a structured and compelling response to behavioral questions in the following manner: 

    1. Lay out the situation

    This is the stage where you give a brief idea of your interview year about your situation. You state the context of the challenging situation here based on which the relevant steps will follow. Make this stage brief and only use a few sentences to describe the same so that you can just set the stage and use the major portion of your answer to explain the steps and actions that you took.

    State the situation in such a manner in which your skills and capabilities are highlighted, and the interviewer gets an idea about your potential skills and capabilities. Dealing with complex situations properly will give the interviewer the notion that you can handle complex situations.

    For instance, if you are interviewing for a senior role, demonstrate a situation involving a senior professional's roles and responsibilities that enhances your expertise and skills in that situation.

    2. Highlight the task

    After you have explained the situation to the interviewer, it's time to let them know about the task, what you had to do, and your involvement in the whole process. Just like the portion of the situation in your answer, this portion should also be to the point and crisp. There is no need to extend this stage beyond a few sentences and always try to stick to the point while answering this part.

    For instance, as a sales manager, you can explain your task as addressing the sales needs of the organization and resolving the sales concern at the first point of contact. 

    3. Share how you took action

    In this part of your answer, you highlight your ability to deal with a situation and take action. Thus, it is the most important part of your answer where you tell the interview was about your capabilities of dealing with a situation. The interviewer wants to know how you have accomplished something rather than only knowing your accomplishment. 

    Give an elaborative answer in this stage and not just a brief idea. Explain all the steps that you took to overcome a challenge and reach the desired goal. Do not make vague statements; be as specific as possible while answering this part. Describe all the steps in detail so that the interviewer knows what you can do to overcome a challenging situation.

    Do not describe the accomplishment as a team or the point of view of the whole organization. Try to keep the focus on yourself and describe what you did and how your work made a difference in work. 

    4. Discuss the result

    This is the stage where you tell your potential employer about the results of your action. This section will include details about how you resolved the situation and the positive impacts that you created. The most important thing is that the outcome should be a positive one. You cannot let a negative outcome creep in the way of STAR interview questions and answers.

    For instance, if the interviewer asks you about a situation where you have made some mistakes, answer the question in such a manner that you tell the potential employer about what you learned from those mistakes and how you do the damage control.

    Measurable results are also an important aspect for potential employers. So make sure that you quantify your results in the scale of achievement. Try to support your quantified results with concrete examples. 

    How to Format Your Interview for the STAR Approach

    The segment on formatting the questions of the STAR interview talks about the point of view of the interviewer and not the candidates. Here are some of the major requirements of the approach that one should take to format interview questions following the STAR technique: 

    1. Make a list of role-specific STAR questions

    As an interviewer, you must have a list of role-specific questions. For hiring different candidates for different positions, you must have a set of questions that are prepared to keep in mind the area of work for a particular role. For instance, for the marketing manager role, ask questions based on the area of marketing and relevant factors. For the role of a sales manager, prepare a questionnaire that is based on the principles and area of sales that also includes the connected factors. Do not mix up the questionnaire and ask irrelevant questions to the candidates. 

    2. Tell candidates what you're looking for in their answers

    Give the candidates a brief idea about what you want to know from them. Be clear about what you want and instruct the candidates about the same in a manner that will enlighten them about the type of answers you want to hear. For instance, if you want a brief answer, tell them that, and in some areas, if you want a detailed answer, tell them that as well. Do not confuse your candidates and make them more nervous for the interview. Help the candidates to seek proper answers from them. 

    3. Know what you're looking for

    Firstly, you must be clear in your idea of what you are looking for in the candidates. What qualities, skills, capabilities, and abilities do you want in a candidate to handle a particular position? When you know what you are looking for in a potential candidate for a particular position, you can prepare a targeted questionnaire to avoid any discrepancy or confusion. 

    4. Remain open-minded

    Lastly, try to be open-minded and friendly as much as possible. Being open-minded will help you to interview in a friendly manner, and the candidates will also be normal rather than being extra conscious and nervous. Try to understand what a candidate is trying to say and the situation one is trying to explain. Understand the situation and then judge the action and result of the same. 

    How do you Prepare to Use the STAR Method Before our Interview?
    Tips for using START method

    1. Look over the job description

    Read the job description sincerely so you can understand what the employer is looking for in a candidate for a particular position. You can also create narratives that can create a better impression about you in the interview based on the skills and abilities for the job position. For instance, if you are applying for a customer assistant role, you need to present a story where you have provided excellent service to a client. 

    2. Choose a few strong, versatile example stories

    If you structure your answer using an irrelevant and unimportant anecdote, then the STAR interview method will not work in your favor. You can never have a guarantee of what the questions that the interviewer will shoot at you, but you can always prepare a few stories for your answers that you can always tweak around and modify for different questions and answer them with variations. For instance, you are likely to get questions about how your contribution can help a team or what role you can play in overcoming a challenging situation. 

    3. Write down key details

    It is not wrong to go to an interview with some sort of notes. That will not amount to cheating but will let the interviewer know that you have prepared well for the interview. For your important anecdotes, you can chat down the major points on a piece of paper to help you remember that you have to speak about these in detail. You can also write down some important numbers that you must mention in the interview. 

    4. Practice your storytelling

    The STAR interview method is a great module, and you cannot afford to mess up in the interview. Make sure you revise your stories properly so that you do not fumble or get confused about what you want to say next while answering the questions. Do not present yourself in a manner that gives the interviewer the idea that whatever you say is fake. Be comfortable, confident, and natural while attending the interview and talk through your responses. 

    5. Don't rush yourself

    If you are searching for an answer to a particular question or thinking of an example to describe a situation, it's normal to take a few seconds to think about it. Do not panic at that moment, and do not lose your confidence. Some interviewers take it positively when the candidate asks for some time so they can think of a logical and good answer.  

    STAR Method Interview Questions and Answers

    To effectively understand 'what is the STAR method interview', here are examples of STAR interview questions with their answers. You can go through them and prepare for your upcoming interview so that you know the type of questions that may follow and what you have to answer: 

    Question and Answer 1

    Interviewer: Have you ever had arguments and conflicts with your co-worker? What did you do to resolve it? 

    Your answer: 

    • Situation: This one time, when I was working with XYZ company, they bought new software. 
    • Task: I was given the task of introducing the new software to the team members as I had some previous experience with it. Another co-worker assisted me with the same, but he was not very happy with the idea. He deliberately skipped inviting me to some training sessions which we had to conduct together and continuously interrupted me when I explained the software. 
    • Action: I approached him and proposed that we should divide our responsibilities. We decided that he would handle the theoretical part of the training, and I would deal with the practical part. 
    • Result: He agreed to it, and his indifferences towards me diminished. It took us some time to get our team members on board and make productive tools. 

    Question and Answer 2

    Interviewer: Has there been a time when you went above and beyond your regular duties to achieve a task or a job? 

    Your answer: 

    • Situation: At the time, I was working in a real estate company receiving the greatest project of a complex worth 10 million dollars that was ready to go for sale. 
    • Task: All the brokers were asked to work on the project since we had only a tight deadline of 5 months. 
    • Action: To make my work more effective, I added a new marketing strategy to the project's website. I thought only photos were not enough, so I added an option of a virtual tour of the complex. I rented a camera, watched multiple tutorials, and learned on my own how to give a virtual tour of the complex. 
    • Result: The management loved my idea. They added the virtual tour on the website and asked the other agents to send it to potential clients. Many buyers did not even come to see the property themselves and bought flats in the complex just by seeing the virtual tour. 

    Question and Answer 3

    Interviewer: Tell me about a situation where you made some mistakes at work and what you did to resolve them. 

    Your answer: 

    • Situation: I was working in XYZ company, and they opened a new location where they offered me the manager position. 
    • Task: I managed the present location units at that point of the line until the company established itself in another location. I trained the new employees and dealt with all the remaining work, but the operations were not yet finished. 
    • Action: I called the operations head, but he was not available then. It was my mistake because I had given him the wrong deadline. There was no way in which the operations could get the work done in that short period. 
    • Result: The deadline was surpassed, and there was a delay in the operation department for quite some time. My superiors were not very happy about it, but I explained my situation, and they understood that it was a genuine mistake and could happen to anyone. 

    Question and Answer 4

    Interviewer: Tell me about a time when you had to be very strategic to meet your goals under a specific deadline. 

    Your answer: 

    • Situation: I was a sales manager at XYZ company, where I suddenly had to implement a new customer Management software and move the team accordingly.  
    • Task: I had to implement strategies that met our requirements while ensuring my sales numbers remained up to the mark. My team members also required time to adapt to the new software. 
    • Action: I carefully managed my time and understood the new software's key features. Also, I dealt with my sales numbers and updated them constantly so that I did not lag. Then again, I taught the team how to use our new software. 
    • Result: At last they managed to skillfully adapt to the new software and also we didn't let our performance go down. With proper planning and strategic moves, all went well 

    Question and Answer 5

    Interviewer: How did you handle an emergency at work which required urgent redressal? 

    Your answer: 

    • Situation: I was a sealed manager in XYZ company, and the conversion rate of our sales team was very down for the quarter. 
    • Task: I developed some strategies and told my team members to work on those to increase our sales team's conversion rate by at least 10%. 
    • Action: I bought all the sales representatives together, and we discussed both quantitative and quantitative reasons why customers are not buying our products. I found that we had a discrepancy in our pricing model. so I put a report in front of the management so that the remedies could be applied as soon as possible. 
    • Result: These changes made a very positive impact on the sales quarter, and the conversion rate increased up to 16%. 

    Conclusion

    The STAR method interview can initially seem a little complex, but with clever strategies and little preparation, you will be able to understand the behavioral questions better. This article has given you all the relevant information about what is the STAR method of interviewing and how it can positively impact your career.  

    As a competent professional, see the STAR method interview as an opportunity to corporate your qualifications and bring together relevant skills. Register yourself for the KnowledgeHut Boot Camp courses and learn the skills to ace a STAR method interview.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    1What are some examples of STAR interview questions?

    Some common examples of STAR interview questions are: 

    • How did you accomplish a task that you never did before? 
    • How did you deal with a conflict situation in the workplace? 
    • Tell me about a time when you made mistakes in your job and what you did to resolve them. 
    2What is the most common reason why interviews fail?

    The obvious killer of an interview is poor preparation. Interviews fail because there is a lack of preparation from the candidate's side and, in some cases, from the interviewer's side.

    3How do I succeed in a STAR interview?

    You can succeed in a STAR interview if you divide your answer into the form of situation, task, action, and result. Do not give a big answer; be to the point in what you are trying to say.

    4What is the weakness of the STAR Method?

    The STAR method is used to respond to behavioral questions. But it will not be a great choice when facing a theoretical or academic question. 

    5How long should STAR interview answers be?

    Ideally, STAR interview answers should be 30 seconds to 4 minutes long, depending upon what the question is asked of you. Do not beat around the bush; be crisp and straightforward in your answers. 

    Profile

    Abhresh Sugandhi

    Author

    Abhresh is specialized as a corporate trainer, He has a decade of experience in technical training blended with virtual webinars and instructor-led session created courses, tutorials, and articles for organizations. He is also the founder of Nikasio.com, which offers multiple services in technical training, project consulting, content development, etc.

    Share This Article
    Ready to Master the Skills that Drive Your Career?

    Avail your free 1:1 mentorship session.

    Select
    Your Message (Optional)
    Course advisor icon
    Course Advisor
    Whatsapp/Chat icon