How to Use and Master the STAR Method for Interviews

STAR Method Interview

If you want to succeed in a job interview, you need to understand how to answer job interview questions. Although you might have the best work experience and the most impressive skill set, if your interview answers aren’t up to par, you run the risk of having a hiring manager disregard you outright. The key is in using the STAR method to talk about previous work situations effectively. Here’s how to use it.

What Is the STAR Method?

The STAR method is a unique method of answering certain job interview questions. The acronym STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result, which describes the setup for the answer that you’ll give to a question using this method. This acronym accurately describes the path that you’ll take through the answer: you describe a Situation, talk about the Task you had to do, describe the Action that you took to accomplish the task, and discuss the Result that you ended up with.

Here is an example of the STAR technique in action:

• Talk about a time when you had to deal with an angry customer.

  When I was at my previous job, we once had a customer who was very upset after his order took much longer than anticipated to ship, and upon arriving, it was broken in transit. I was assigned to his case as one of the main customer service representatives at the company. With permission from a supervisor, I re-shipped his package with expedited shipping, then provided him with a coupon for 20% off his next purchase. He ended up making another purchase later that month and was very happy with our handling of the situation.

  A STAR response helps interviewees highlight specific skills using real-life examples,and showing a hiring manager how well you can perform in similar situations. This STAR framework makes it easier for you to impress recruiters and effectively discuss your competencies so that the hiring manager understands how your skills relate to the real world.