The Job Seeking Journey: How to Answer Interview Questions Using the STAR Method

Interviews are nerve-racking for many reasons 😳

“Will they like me?”

“Will I be able to answer the questions well?”

“What if I fumble my words?”

One of the key reasons we get nervous for interviews is we don’t really know what to expect…

While it may be hard to predict exactly how the interview will go and the type of questions you’ll be asked, you can almost guarantee you will be asked some form of behavioural-based interview questions.

These questions are used to determine how you’ll be able to handle specific situations associated with the position, based on how you’ve handled similar situations in the past.

Common examples of these questions include variations of:

“Tell me about a time when…”

Examples could be:

“Tell them about a time when you had to change priorities, meet a sudden deadline, or deal with a difficult customer.”

Answering these questions effectively can be one of the key ways you standout amongst the other candidates being interviewed!

So how can you best prepare yourself to answer these questions?

The STAR Method

Recruiters highly encourage interviewees to follow the STAR method. It’s an effective framework to follow which allows you to answer all the criteria they’re looking for, while creating a compelling narrative to impress the interviewer.

Sourced from Tradewind, Australia

Whatever the variation of the question is, the interviewer is looking to find out how you go about problem-solving and finding solutions when faced with a challenging situation.

Pro Tip: While questions may vary, having at least three to five experiences to draw from will ensure you’re able to deliver a confident response no matter what the interviewer asks.

Let’s break it down

Situation

Once you think of a relevant example, set the scene. This requires you to describe the challenge or opportunity you faced. Was your situation an impossible deadline? Or perhaps a conflict of interest with a client?

Task

This is where you highlight the problem you were faced with, and reference what your involvement or role in the situation was. Provide a clear summary of your responsibilities and the objectives set for you in this particular situation.

Action

Now that you’ve described the situation and task, it’s time to explain what steps you took to solve the problem. This is your chance to demonstrate your work ethic and problem-solving abilities. It also shows how much you’re willing to contribute to your job. Did you create an effective plan? Or perhaps you used an effective communication strategy?

The recruiter wants to know how you went about solving the problems and issues you faced, so be specific. Think about how your strategies or involvement led to the desired outcome.

Result

What was the outcome of your actions given your responsibilities within that situation? Did you make a positive impact? You may want to tie it off with how your actions may have led to a promotion or some form of recognition. You can even refer to KPIs that improved as a result of your actions.

However, in a situation with less favourable outcomes, don’t forget to highlight what you learned and how you improved.

Here’s an example in action

Situation: “We were due to submit a survey by Close of Business on a Friday to a high-valued client. The response rate from the survey conducted was slow in getting back to us and by midday on Friday it was clear that many of the results had not been verified. Verification was done by spot-check phone calls to check the data was inline with what we received.

Two options were presented to me:

1. We were to populate the spreadsheet with the unverified data (actual response but not spot checked)
2. Ask for an extension in submitting the survey results until they have all been verified.”

Task: “We needed to make a call on what way we should progress.”

Action: “I called the client and explained the situation. My first action was to apologise then talk through the situation to see what the best outcome for them was. I suggested we could do 3 things. A) We could send the whole review through with some of the info not verified (not recommended as it massively decreased the accuracy). B) I could send through the completed data now and the remaining data first thing on Monday. C) Send through the whole document by first thing on Monday.”

Result: “The client decided to go with C) the extension, as they hadn’t planned on reviewing the data until the following week and it would be of no inconvenience to them. We worked late into Friday night (made a fun night of it with food ordered in — great team bonding) and had the project ready for the client first thing on Monday.

For future projects of this nature we requested a longer timeframe to complete.”

Before your interview, have a family member or friend ask you different variations of these questions and ensure you answer them out loud, just as you would in the interview. This will help you get used to an interview format.

Good luck!

If you found this useful, you’ll love our Job Search Secrets course. We’ve got stacks full of information, like reach-out templates, tips for writing a winning CV and in-depth advice on how to nail your interview. Check it out here: https://useverb.com/courses/jobsearchsecretscourse 🚀