Guide to Answering Interview Questions with the STAR Interview Method

Sharing brief stories that highlight your experiences, skills, and personal qualities is a great way to illustrate your abilities during an interview. Doing so not only allows you to establish a connection with the interviewer but also showcases your capability to perform effectively in various situations. Ultimately, this approach helps you distinguish yourself as a standout candidate.

Sometimes, though, the interview nerves win out. Have you ever been in an interview where you were asked a question and found yourself tongue-tied because you weren’t sure how to answer? Or worse, rambled on and missed the point of the question entirely?

If this sounds all too familiar, it’s time to try the S.T.A.R. interview method for storytelling:

• (S)ituation – Describe the key elements (who, what, when, where) of the situation. 
• (T)ask – Share your exact role in the task and your plans to solve the problem. 
• (A)ction – Describe the actions you took. 
• (R)esult – Explain how the outcome benefited the company and/or what you learned. 

Here’s an example. In this scenario, a seamstress uses the STAR interview method to answer the question, “Tell me about a time when you provided outstanding customer service.”

When I worked at a dry-cleaning shop, a woman called who was quite desperate. She scorched a hole in her veil on the day of her wedding and was trying to find someone who could fix it. I asked her to bring it down right away to see what I could do. I was able to fix it in less than an hour and send her on her way. My manager was so impressed; she gave me a raise, and business grew by 20% due to the word-of-mouth referrals from the bride. 

Situation

This is the backstory: The who, what, where, and when. 

When I worked at a dry-cleaning shop, a woman called who was quite desperate. She had scorched a hole in her veil on her wedding day and was trying to find someone who could fix it. 

Task

This explains your role in the situation and how you were able to resolve it in a positive way. 

I asked her to bring it down right away to see what I could do. 

Action

This involves describing the steps you took to solve the challenge. You should include any roadblocks you encountered and how you followed the situation through to get results. 

I was able to fix it in less than an hour and send her on her way. 

Result

Finally, this is where you get to shine and sum up the tangible results of your work. 

My manager was so impressed that she gave me a raise, and business grew by 20% due to the word-of-mouth referrals from the bride.

Developing answers to interview questions using the STAR interview method can help you focus on your strengths and build self-confidence. Use this tool to develop stories related to your strengths.

Here’s another example scenario, demonstrating problem-solving and leadership qualities:

• Situation: After a conference where our company had a table, we received numerous requests for customer follow-ups.
• Task: Due to one of our team members falling ill, we experienced a significant backlog of calls that needed attention. Consequently, customers began expressing dissatisfaction with the delay in our response times.
• Action: I noticed that certain customers were fine with receiving follow-up calls during the weekend. Therefore, I delegated the task to another team member to contact the entire list and arrange appointments, prioritizing weekend slots whenever possible. We then dedicated time over the weekend to address the backlog effectively.
• Result: We cleared the list and ended up acquiring 10 new customers and sales of $50,000.

Try it out: Schedule a practice interview with a Career Coach and start using the STAR interview method today!