The STAR Method
Responding to behavioral-based interview questions by discussing a specific Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
Situation
Describe a specific event or situation with sufficient details.
Example: Advertising revenue was falling off for my college newspaper, The Review, and large numbers of long-term advertisers were not renewing contracts.
Task
Articulate the goal that you were working toward.
Example: My goal was to generate new ideas, materials and incentives that would result in at least a 15% increase in advertisers from the year before.
Action
Define the actions YOU took/contributed to effectively address the situation or ensure project success. Use the word “I,” not “we” when describing actions.
Example: I designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits of The Review circulation with other ad media in the area. I also set-up a special training session for the account executives with a School of Business Administration professor who discussed competitive selling strategies.
Result
Describe the positive outcomes of your actions. What did you accomplish? What did you learn?
Example: We signed contracts with 15 former advertisers for daily ads and 5 for special supplements. We increased our new advertisers by 20% over the same period last year.
Be sure to follow ALL elements of the STAR method.
Master the Method
Ready to master the STAR method? Download our information sheet for a full list of interview tips and scenarios.
