Hey Guys,
Since most of you are job aspirants or would be giving an interview sooner or later, let’s assume that you have gotten yourselves an interview finally after hours of rigorous practice.
You are all set for the interview. It begins with you and the interviewer exchanging pleasantries followed by you introducing yourself.
The conversation keeps going and now the interviewer asks “Tell me a time when…” 🧐🧐
What do you do? Even before you listen to the question, you start thinking of short anecdotes that you could use. In no time you figure out that you need to come up with something, or worse, anything!!
And that’s when the STAR Approach comes to the rescue! 🌟’
The STAR Interview Technique offers a straightforward format you can use to answer behavioral interview questions.
It’s an acronym for-
👉 Situation
👉 Task
👉 Action
👉 Response
So, let’s break down that framework.
👉 Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.
👉 Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.
👉 Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.
👉 Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.
Now, let’s understand how can you all use the STAR Approach while answering questions in 5 easy steps! 🔥
Step 1. Find a Suitable Example
The STAR interview method won’t be helpful to you if you use it to structure an answer using a totally irrelevant anecdote. That’s why the crucial starting point is to find an appropriate scenario from your life that you can expand on.
There’s no way for you to know ahead of time exactly what the interviewer will ask you. With that in mind, it’s smart to have a few stories and examples ready to go that you can tweak and adapt for different questions.
Step 2. Lay Out the Situation
With your anecdote selected, it’s time to set the scene. It’s tempting to include all sorts of unnecessary details but always remember to be precise.
Your goal here is to paint a clear picture of the situation you were in and emphasize its complexities so that the result you touch on later seems that much more profound.
Focus on what’s undeniably relevant to your story.
Step 3. Highlight the Task
You’re telling this story for a reason—because you had some sort of core involvement in it. This is the part of your answer when you make the interviewer understand exactly where you fit in.
This piece is dedicated to giving the specifics of what your responsibilities were in that particular scenario, as well as any objective that was set for you, before you dive into what you actually did.
Step 4. Share How You Took Action
Now that you’ve given the interviewer a sense of what your role was, it’s time to explain what you did. What steps did you take to reach that goal or solve that problem?
This is your chance to really showcase your contribution, and it’s worthy of some specifics. Dig in deep and make sure that you give enough information about exactly what you did.
Did you work with a certain team? Use a particular piece of software? Form a detailed plan? Those are the things your interviewer wants to know.
Step 5. Dish Out the Result
Here it is—your time to shine and explain how you made a positive difference. The final portion of your response should share the results of the action you took.
Even if you’re talking about a time you failed or made a mistake, make sure you end on a high note by talking about what you learned or the steps you took to improve.
Remember, interviewers don’t only care about what you did—they also want to know why it mattered. So make sure you hammer home the point about any results you achieved and quantify them when you can. Numbers are always impactful.
I Hope, it adds value to your next interview. 🫂
