STAR method
Helping you prepare for job interviews
What is STAR?
STAR is a method you can use to prepare for interviews. It helps you think about a question and structure how you answer the question:
Situation – the situation you had to deal with
Task – the task you were given to do
Action – the action you took
Result – what happened as a result of your action and what you learned from the experience
Many recruiters and employers use STAR to assess your competency, skills, and qualities for a role.
How to use the STAR method
You can use the STAR method to structure your answers to questions, with relevant examples, that you are likely to be asked in your interview. It helps you prepare rounded answers to the questions and demonstrate a challenge you faced, how you dealt with it and what you learned from it.
Example:
Question: Can you tell us about a time you have supported your manager or team to achieve a target?
S: In my previous role the manager wanted us to increase quality in the production line, to achieve company targets
T: I was asked to support this as I had been in the role for several years and my quality had been the highest across the team.
A: We reviewed the quality levels of colleagues. I then arranged some time with some of the newer team members and supported them to look at certain tasks they were doing that impacted on the quality of the work they were producing
R: The outcome of this was that our team’s quality score went from 75% to 90% over the following three months which exceeded the company target
When using STAR remember:
- You can use examples from work, home or volunteering
- Examples should be short and to the point
- Try to get your points across in a conversational way so they don’t appear too rehearsed and so they feel natural for you to explain
- Be prepared to answer follow-up questions about the examples you give
Try out the STAR method for a few key questions you think you might be asked at the interview or things that you would like to get across to demonstrate your skills and experience. Check out our information on typical interview questions.
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