Yes, there is a right way to give examples in an interview

10.11.2018

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How many times have you heard from your recruiter, career coach, blog post you’ve read or random article you found online that you have to give examples of your experience in an interview in order to be successful? They’re all correct, there’s no better way to illustrate why you’re the best person for the job than giving examples of the real life experiences you’ve had. However, there is a template you can use to set yourself up for success in an interview, it’s called the STAR method. We’re going to explain what it is, and why you should use it.

When you sit down and start preparing your answers for your next interview, remember STAR. It’s an acronym for Situation, Task, Action and Result. You can craft almost every answer you’d give in an interview around those four things because it will hit all the things you need to cover in a response.

S: Situation

Give some context around what the problem was that needed solving. Explain who was involved, what the issue was, why it was a problem, where it was happening and when it occurred.

T: Task

Describe how your role fit into solving the problem.

A: Action

Tell your interviewer what you did. Take this opportunity to give detail on how your contribution helped overcome a unique challenge, or talk about your ability to inspire the rest of your team, or sell a solution that was previously disregarded.

R: Result

What happened? How did you exceed expectations? Describe the outcome and relate it to how it helped your whole department, company or business objectives. Did it influence or streamline a process that previously failed? And most importantly, what did you learn?

Common mistakes that occur when answering interview questions using the STAR method are telling a long, rambling story that doesn’t answer the question, making something up, or simply telling the wrong story. Additionally, if you aren’t prepared, the STAR method will also bring that into focus.

Let’s give an example of how to answer a common behavioral question with a STAR response.


Q: Tell me about a time when you exceeded expectations.

A: Situation: My team was working on a client presentation that would land us a major new client for our company. My team lead got held up on a client meeting in another city, and wouldn’t be able to be there for the presentation. We had to consider cancelling the meeting, and losing the chance to present.

Task: My team lead and I had previously discussed me taking on more leadership, so I volunteered to lead the presentation.

Action: My team lead and I worked together to finish the presentation, and she gave me tips on areas to give more detail in during the presentation. So my team didn’t have to cancel the meeting.

Result: As a result of my team lead’s support in me leading the presentation, we secured the client.

The answer is a good STAR example because it’s specific and insightful. The answer also tells a story in a direct way. You can get some great practice by coming up with your STAR answers to this list of common interview questions. Practice makes perfect, just like when you were a kid learning to ride your bike, tying your shoes, or writing your first five paragraph essay. Feel free to reach out to your Ambrion recruiter if you need advice on how to talk about a tricky part of your resume or career with a STAR answer.