Behavioral interviewing is common in many fields. Questions are usually asked in ways like, “Tell me about a time when…” or “Describe a situation in which…”
These questions are perfect for telling a story to showcase your value to the employer. The STAR method (which stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result) can help you create a well-constructed response.
Follow the outline below to create excellent answers to tough interview questions!
Situation:
For the first part of your response, include a brief description of the context of the story you are about to tell. This situation should be a specific event or story, not a general activity or duty.
Task:
Describe the goal you had to achieve, challenge you had to overcome, or the problem you had to solve outlined in the Situation section.
Action:
Next, include specific actions you took to achieve that goal. Remember in this section to keep the focus on you. Highlight actions that you specifically took and avoid describing only what happened in general. If you worked in a group or on a team, you can mention that, but still keep the focus on your actions.
Result:
Finally, include the positive outcome of your actions. Did you meet or exceed the goals you outlined in the Task section? If you have measurable results, like a percentage of time or money saved, be sure to include that in your response. This is the time to show the employer your strengths.
The STAR method can help you structure your responses so your stories are fully fleshed out without being too long or overly detailed. Each strong story you create can answer multiple prompts, so have a few events ready to discuss before your interview. Remember to practice each of your STAR stories several times to make sure you do not leave out any important information.