How to use the STAR methodology for better interview answers

Everybody loves a good story. Humans gravitate to stories. Through stories, we see patterns that help us make sense of the world. It helps us to understand others. 

One of the best ways to make a positive impression in an interview is to tell a good story. It helps the interviewer better relate to your experience and understand you better. Stories help the interviewer understand what you faced, what you did about it and the result. Instead of just telling the interviewer the tasks you do, a story helps the interviewer understand how you do them and more importantly, what you have accomplished.

A good way to tell a story is through the S.T.A.R methodology. The S.T.A.R. methodology helps you to tell a powerful story by highlighting key elements. When you get a behavior-based question, such as “Tell me about a time when X happened” or “Give me an example of how you handled Y”,  you will have an easy way to tell a story that will be compelling and memorable.

The S.T.A.R. methodology

The “S” stands for Situation

When a question is posed to you that is behavior-based, the first thing you need to do is to identify a situation from your past that is relevant to the question. This is key. That is why career coaches like myself emphasize going through common interview questions (there are many lists on the intranet) to decide on a situation that is relevant to the common behavioral questions asked and that will be relatable and compelling.

Once you have decided on a situation, provide the appropriate amount of detail so that the interviewer can visualize it. You do not need to go into the minutiae of the situation.  You just need to paint a picture of the situation and how it relates to the question asked.

Example Question: Tell me about a time when you had to juggle multiple priorities?

Here is how you could set up the situation: My boss had given me two projects. One was the data analysis needed for his boss, and the other was getting the performance review module set up for the HR department. Both had the same due date.

The interviewer can either relate to this situation personally or understands that his/her team is often faced with the same dilemma of multiple projects due with the same deadlines. 

The “T” stands for Task

Now that you have set up the situation, you need to paint a picture for the interviewer of what you had to do for each project. This will help the interviewer understand better the complexity of the problem you faced.

Here is how you could describe the task: The data analysis involved a big data set with 10,000 lines. I was going to need to set up multiple pivot tables, vlookups and add several complex formulas to do the analysis. For the HR project, I needed to enter data for 200 performance reviews which consisted of both role responsibilities and competencies. I also had to do testing of the performance review module to ensure it was populated correctly. I was given these two projects at the same time and had 10 days to complete both of them.

The interviewer will see that both of these projects are substantial but call on different skills (data entry, analysis, and technical skills). The interviewer will also see that the deadlines are the same.

The “A” is for Action

This is where you show how you solved the problem you faced. Here you describe your course of action. You also can use the section to not only show what you did but also how you decided to do what you did.

Here is how you can describe your actions: I first asked if either of the deadlines were flexible, and I was told they were hard deadlines. So then I did some project planning and broke up each project into steps. For the HR project, I realized that I did not need all the data to start my testing. I allocated one whole day for data entry and then I could start testing. This gave me plenty of time to problem-solve any testing issues while continuing to add the rest of the performance review information. Since I knew just doing data entry would be tedious, I planned so that for the remaining five days, ½ day would be data entry, ½ day would be analysis. This gave me three days to finalize my analysis and to finish any remaining corrections for the HR project.

The interviewer will see that you have project management skills, have planned for contingencies and have the self-awareness to understand how you work best.

The “R” is for Result

The result section is where you can brag a bit. Your result will show your success in meeting the challenge and how you have the skills to do the same for this employer.

Here is how you can describe your results: I was able to turn in both projects on time. I even was able to get the HR project done one day early, which the team was very appreciative that I was able to do. I even walked one of the HR Managers through my process and showed her a few short-cuts I learned in the process. As for the analytical project, I really enjoyed it. There were a few things I looked up on YouTube to help me do the analysis faster. My boss’s boss was very impressed and had me do another, similar type of project for him two months later.

The interviewer sees that you get things done, on time and with good quality, which resulted in additional projects assigned to you. You also showed that you learn from your projects and share your learning with other staff members.

See how powerful the S.T.A.R. methodology can be as an interview tool. By weaving a situation, what you had to do, how you did it (along with the challenges you faced), and your results, you have a great story... one that surely will be remembered long after you walk out of the interview room.