STAR Interview Tips to Secure Your Dream Position
Feeling antsy or anxious about an interview coming up? Whether you’re applying for a club, internship, or full-time job, familiarizing yourself with the STAR method will wash those worries away. Utilizing STAR, which stands for situation, task, action, and result, will help you tackle standard interview questions, both behavioral and situational. The key to storytelling, in any facet of life, is to keep your audience engaged through a clear buildup, conflict, and resolution. When talking about yourself in interviews, think about using this same method to leave an impact on your interviewer.
From the get-go, work on setting up the situation. It is essential to share the context surrounding the case that you will present, whether that be a dilemma or challenge that you were faced with. This situation can be from prior work experience, extracurricular involvement, or even an academic project if you’re just beginning your interviewing journey. Regardless of what past experience you use to set up your situation, make sure that it has clear relevance to the role you’re applying to, as this will allow hirers to see how you could fit in with their team. However, despite the tendency to get carried away with relaying the situation, this should be the STAR section that you spend the least amount of time talking about; instead, begin the transition to your task so as to reveal how you personally managed the situation.
When approaching the task, clearly lay out the responsibility delegated to you. In doing so, communicate to the interviewer what the task at hand was, and what ultimate goal you had in order to achieve this task. Much as the situation step was short in comparison to the upcoming action and result, your task should likewise be relatively short, so as not to lose your interviewer before you approach the two most important aspects of the STAR method.
When you arrive at the action of your story, you finally have the opportunity to showcase how you individually took initiative. First, state the actions, in detail, that you took to overcome the situation you were faced with. When doing so, make sure that the focus remains on YOU rather than on your project team as a whole. Using “I,” rather than “we,” and pointing out clear steps that you took demonstrate your capabilities. Interviewers and hirers use this portion of your story to gauge whether or not you are a good fit for the role; in order to make this assessment, they need to understand what specific steps you took and what individual contribution you had to the respective challenge.
Adequately relaying your action sets you up for success in the final step: the result. Finally, you’ve reached the last step in your story. Now, it is your time to finally reveal the impact of your challenge or dilemma. Did you accomplish your goal? If so, try to provide quantifiable information or tangible evidence of the effects that your personal efforts resulted in. Pick between two to three results that you find most impressive to discuss with the interviewer. Aim to spend approximately the same amount of time, or a little less, discussing your result as your action. Even if you didn’t achieve your goal, your story is still valuable. If you fall into this category, discuss the lessons you learned and how they have allowed you to progress as a worker since. Regardless of which route you take, ensure that you answer the question with positive results, whether they be related to personal growth or company success.
Now that you have mastered the art of the STAR method, it is time to prepare your responses. In order to do so, study the position description in order to assess the necessary skills a worker would need for it. Think about what conflicts you might face in this role and what challenges you could be presented with. Next, write down situations that you feel are applicable to the role. Flesh out each aspect of the STAR questions so that you’re prepared when you face them in the interview. Common situations to think about include accomplishments you’re proud of, instances in which you went above and beyond, times you resolved a conflict, challenges you had to work to overcome, and mistakes that provided you with learning opportunities. Lastly, don’t be afraid to verbally talk through your answers! The best way to coherently and successfully convey the impact of your actions and results is to be well-versed in the many aspects of your story. Most importantly, be confident in yourself and your abilities! You’re being considered for this role for a reason, and don’t let yourself forget that.
—- Grace Maline, October 2022
