Dazzle Your Interviewer with the STAR Method
Most of us need to prepare before we go to a job interview.
One way to do that is with something called the "STAR Method."
It's a way to answer those difficult questions that begin with: "Can you tell me about a time when …"
These are questions that you will have to answer with a story.
You may be asked to tell the interviewer about a time when you disagreed with someone at work, or about a challenge you had, or a mistake you made.
The STAR Method can help you to prepare — and practice — before you start the interview, and it can help you stay on track with your answers.
"STAR" stands for "Situation, Task, Action, Result."
This method is designed to help you focus on sharing the most important information about the things you've done.
First, explain the situation you were in — be as clear as you can. Describe the challenge or the mistake.
Then, tell the interviewer what your task — or role — was in the situation you are talking about. For example: "As the manager of the team, my task was to make sure everyone finished their jobs on time."
The third part is the action you took. This is important, because it shows the interviewer how you responded to the situation. You should add some detail here to show how you can overcome challenges or fix mistakes.
Finally, explain what happened in the end — the result, and why it was important.
Job coach Emma Flowers says just one or two sentences for each of the four parts may be enough.
So before your next interview, you could look at some example questions and try preparing different answers using this method, while looking carefully at the job description.
Good luck!
