How to Use the STAR Method Technique For Interview Questions?

After applying for a bunch of jobs, you finally have been called for an interview. Congratulations!!!

But is it your first interview and you are wondering what they gonna ask you in your interview? are you nervous about it too? Don’t worry we all have been in the same boat as you at some point in our lives.

Firstly, you need to is relax and take it easy.

Interviews can be a piece of cake for you if you have the confidence or belief that you can do it and the right strategy or technique of how to do it properly.

So, here we will share the right strategy for you to help you with your interview.

What is the STAR method technique?

The STAR interview method is a technique or a strategy designed to help you prepare for the interview questions that allow you to present yourself in front of your interviewer as the ideal candidate for the particular job. It will prove to the interviewer that whether you can handle the specific situations affiliated with your job.

STAR method stands for situation, task, action, and result. This method assists you with a strategy on how to prepare yourself to give the most impressive answers to the questions that the interviewer will ask you.

Hiring managers usually ask behavioral questions to the candidates giving them the situations that might arrive during their work times, and with the help of the STAR method strategy candidate can describe and demonstrate how he is going to cope up with the situations and overcome the challenges

What are behavioral questions?

All types of companies use behavioral job questions. They are based on the assumption that the past behavior is the best indication of what future behavior will be like.

In a behavioral interview, the interviewer asks you questions based on your past work experiences or experiences you had in your real life in prior roles and then determines how you may behave or react in similar situations cornering the position you are interviewing for.

Examples- “share an example of a time when you faced a difficult situation at work. And how did you overcome it?”

“tell me about the biggest mistake you have made at your previous job, and how did you correct it?”

How does the STAR method work?

The STAR method tells you how to answer a behavioral question or how to demonstrate a particular situation, how you behaved in that situation, and what the outcome was.

Following in the way this technique works:

1. Situation- whenever you are asked a behavior question, begin setting up a stage for the story or telling him what the actual problem or challenge he or she faced was.

Example: “In my previous job as an account executive, one of my co-workers quit immediately after signing the biggest client our firm had ever taken…..”

• Task- after the situation, your next step is to tell him what your role was. What kind of position were you in?

Example: “I was working as an intern for an events company, and I was responsible for ordering the floral arrangements for a private event hosted by a high-profile client.”

• Action – The next step is to explain what action you took to solve the problem. What exactly did you do to overcome it or correct it?

Example:  “I made myself completely available to the client and took calls on evenings and weekends until the project was delivered”

• Result – the last thing you would have to tell him is the outcome of your actions. What was the result of it? Always End the story by telling him about your success in dealing with the problem effectively.

Example: “The client was so impressed with my dedication that they immediately signed an annual contract with our company worth INR 50 lakhs.”

How to use the STAR method to prepare for an interview?

As you can’t predict what questions or topic the interviewer will ask you about, it is impossible to have answers or stories to his every question, so you need to prepare yourself for every question he will ask you in advance.

Here are the tips that you need to follow to use the STAR method:

1. Review the job- before beginning with your preparation, make sure that you go through everything you need to know about the company, like their values, what they are looking for in a candidate, what the role you have been offered asks for.

Think about the challenges that arise or the obstacles you are expected to overcome during your job at their company, and then decide your answers beforehand.

• Keep it short- the star method is designed to help you with an easy way to explain your story quickly and briefly.

So only add those details that you think are important and relevant to the question and the role you have been offered. Don’t just blabber and try to make it as brief and impressive it can be.

• Use numbers- if possible, try to add some numerical data or statistics to your story because that makes it impressive and can increase your chances of getting hired. Always when telling him the result, try to quantify your accomplishments.
• Make your impact known- when dealing with behavioral questions, always keep in mind that the essential thing in your story is your role in it. You have to make your impact known in front of the interviewer because that’s what he or she is most interested in.

There is no need for lengthy paragraphs in your story, but the main focus has to be on the story’s subject, which is you.

Individuals not having much experience from their previous jobs can use examples from their internships or the part-time jobs they have done before.

Make sure that you answer every single question; you can answer it however you feel like it. It may not be perfect, but it’s okay. Answer imperfectly is much better than staying quiet and ignoring the question.

Also, when telling a story doesn’t sound like you have memorized it. Stories are meant to be fun, so try to present them so that the interviewer finds them attractive. Do it with confidence.

Star method interview examples

Tell me about the mistake you have made and how did you handle it?

“I was working as an intern for an events company, and I was responsible for ordering the floral arrangements for a private event hosted by a high-profile client. Unfortunately, I mixed up the information from another event, and the flowers were delivered to the wrong venue on the other side of town. I admitted my mistake to my boss, took an early lunch break, drove to the other venue, picked up the flowers, and delivered them to the appropriate venue an hour before the event. The client never knew about my mix-up, and my boss was very grateful.”

Give an example of a goal you couldn’t meet and how you handled it?

“ November, I had to write 15 articles for the month to keep our blog fresh. Throughout the month, I was tasked with small responsibilities that took time away from my goal. I was unable to complete my 15 posts, but I talked to my supervisor and detailed all my extra work completed, and I was praised for my accomplishments, as well.”

Can you describe a stressful situation and how you handled it?

“ At my last restaurant, I once found out mere hours in advance about a health inspection. As the head chef, I was in charge of ensuring everything was in order in the kitchen and the BOH before the inspector arrived. I quickly called in employees from the last shift to help out, leaving the others available to prep for that evening’s dinner. As a result, we were able to ace the inspection, less costly in the long run compared to giving employees a few hours of overtime.”