Answering interview questions with the STAR method

Answer every "tell me about a time" question with one true story: the situation, your task, what you did, and the result.

Fig. 3.13 Tell one true story in four parts: the situation, your task, the actions you took and the result. Spend about 20% of the answer on the situation, 10% on the task, 60% on your actions and 10% on the result. Source: University of Washington Career & Internship Center; US OPM.

Area: PeopleFrom age 15Time to learn: 1 to 2 hours to prepare and practice your stories

Prepare a few true stories from work, school or volunteering, and tell each one in four parts (situation, task, action, result), spending most of the answer on what you did.

Why it matters

Behavioral questions, such as "Tell me about a time when…", ask about your past because past behavior in similar circumstances is used to predict how you will behave on the job. The US Office of Personnel Management tells federal interview panels to write questions that draw out three things: the situation or task, the action, and the result. A 2022 review of hiring research found that structured interviews, which ask every candidate the same job-related questions, were the strongest predictor of job performance of the methods studied, with an average validity of .42, compared with .31 for cognitive ability tests.

How to do it

Read the job ad and list each skill or quality it asks for, such as teamwork, customer service or meeting deadlines. Expect questions about each one, often starting "Tell me about a time when…" or "Describe a situation where…".
For each skill, pick one true time you showed it. If you have little work experience, use school projects, volunteering, sports teams, clubs or hobbies. Start with your most recent examples.
Situation, about 20% of your answer: one or two sentences on where you were and what was going on.
Task, about 10%: the goal you had or the problem you had to solve.
Action, about 60%: the steps you took, in order. Say "I", not "we", even if you worked on a team, so the interviewer can tell what your part was.
Result, about 10%: what happened because of what you did, with a number if you have one, such as minutes saved or customers served. If it went badly, say what you learned and what you would do differently.
Prepare for questions that ask for your "most", "best" or "worst" example, such as the hardest problem you solved or a time you made a mistake.
Practice out loud with a friend or family member who asks you sample questions, such as "Tell me about a time you had to meet a strict deadline" or "Describe a time you dealt with someone who was upset."
In the interview, listen to the whole question, take a moment to choose your story, and ask for the question to be repeated if you need it.
For a "What would you do if…" question, use the same order: what is going on, what you would aim for, the first thing you would do and the steps after, and the result you would expect.

Common mistakes

Describing what you usually do ("I always stay calm") instead of one specific time.
Spending most of the answer on the background and rushing through what you did.
Saying "we" all the way through, so the interviewer cannot tell what your part was.
Stopping before the result.
Making up or stretching a story. Anything you use as an example can be checked with your references.

You can do this when …you can answer "Tell me about a time you solved a problem" out loud with one true story in four parts, spending most of it on what you did and ending with the result.