B2 The STAR Method
The STAR method is an interview technique that develops a structured storytelling ability for responding to behavioural-style interview questions. The acronym stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result and is a framework to describe a previous situation where the candidate added value.
Using the STAR method allows recruiters to get a good sense of the candidate’s previous experience in handling situations but in a concise and easy-to-follow narrative. When preparing for interview, candidates should practise the STAR method to develop this storytelling ability but also to bring to their own consciousness the relevance of their own past experiences.
Components of the STAR
Situation: Describe the environment or circumstance in which the experience occurred. This introduces the interviewer and offers context for the remainder of the story.
This may be a school project, an out of school activity, a work experience task, a team you are part of ….
Action: Describe the particular steps you followed to complete the work or solve the problem. This is the most significant portion of the story since it shows off your abilities and capabilities.
Talk through the detail of what you did, how you felt and what you asked others to do. You don’t necessarily need to be the hero in this situation. If you made a bad judgement and learned from it, this is also a valid learning experience.
Task: Describe the task or problem that needed to be solved. This enables the interviewer to comprehend the difficulty you encountered and the expectations placed on you.
This may be details of a conflict, a customer complaint, a time when you were a leader, a specific time when you were under a lot of pressure, the details of a tough decision ….
Result: Describe the outcome of your actions. What was the positive impact? What were the reactions of others? This allows the interviewer to envision the positive impact you can have in their firm.
What were the positive outcomes of the task you were undertaking? What did you learn from this? How did this experience change the way you deal with similar situations?
Practising the STAR
| Question | Situation | Task | Action | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict with a colleague. | As part of my BTEC course at school, we were asked to plan and run an event. We did this in teams as the course is designed to develop a range of employability skills. | I wanted to plan a film showing in the school hall and another team member wanted to plan a whole school water fight. I felt that the waterfight was too dangerous and he felt that the cinema event was too boring. | As we were getting nowhere in the conversation, I asked him if we could go away and revisit the conversation the next day. During this time I reflected on the need to both propose ideas but also listen to others. Myself and my team mate had both lost sight of the fact that there were 5 members of our team in total. I sent out a message to the whole team suggesting that we all bring an event suggestion the next day that we would vote upon. | Taking a break from the conversation gave us both time to get some perspective. My team mate agreed that we need to listen to the others. When we listened to the other members of the team, we actually decided that we would plann a teacher versus student dodgeball competition instead. We all really enjoyed managing event and I realised afterwards that the actual details of the event didn't matter and it is important to make space for all opinions to be heard. I now take steps to ensure that all voices are heard in any group project. |
Your Turn
Create your own table using the questions below and any others you can think of.
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict with a colleague.
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer.
Tell me about a time when you had to take on a leadership role.
Tell me about a time when you made a mistake at work.
Tell me about a time when you had to handle a large amount of pressure.
Tell me about a time when you made an unpopular decision.
Tell me about a time when you had to go along with a decision that you did not agree with.
Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond your job role.
| Question | Situation | Task | Action | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|