The Star Technique

 

The STAR Model provides a simple structure for you to answer questions efficiently and precisely.

‘S’ stands for situation. That situation could be anything from a particular situation you faced at university to a complex problem at your previous job. It’s highly important that you narrate the situation in a simple manner, with a focus on the problem being faced by your company.

You can give a background of the situation and on factors that contributed to or exacerbated the problem. A detailed explanation is necessary but it should be done succinctly. Your interviewers will be impressed by a brief yet concise way of explaining the situation as well as the skills used to address the problem itself.

‘T’ stands for Task. The task that you had to accomplish or the problem that you had to solve to overcome the situation that you have outlined. This is a key part of the interview, and your potential employers will pay close attention to your story.

The best way of talking about the task is to state the facts in the most concise way possible. Statistics and related data play an important role in convincing the interviewers about the real extent of a problem but it’s also about how you relate it.

‘A’ is for Action. It is action that displays the real worth of a person and interviewers want to see the action you take to solve a problem. It is always recommended to narrate the way you dealt with the problem in a logical, step-be-step manner.

You can start with the basic preparations and planning and move to implementation. Your interviewers will then understand the strategies you deployed and understand a little of your problem solving ability according to the process you used.

‘R’ is for Results. The solution that you came up with will take centre stage at this time and the ‘R’ stands for results.  You will probably be asked many questions by the interviewers where they will dissect how you dealt with the situation.

As these kinds of questions appear often at interview, it pays for prepare in advance. Think of a scenario, and plan how to describe it to someone else. Then practice as much as you can until you don’t have to think about it too much. This will save too many pauses, which can spoil the delivery.

If you were able to solve a problem and used minimal resources then your interviewers will certainly be impressed. If you can then deliver the explanation of those actions equally professionally it greatly improves your chances of getting that job.