Be prepared when making moves in your career by learning the STAR framework. Read on to gain insight into and to learn when and why to use this method in your next interview.

What does STAR mean?

STAR is an acronym that stands for situation, task, action, and result. It represents a structured way to respond to behavior-based interview questions.

When should you use the STAR response method in an interview?

When your interviewer asks behavior-based questions that focus on teamwork, negotiation, or communication, it is time to apply the STAR framework in your response. Interview statements that begin with, “Tell me about a time that you…” or “Can you recall a situation where…” are your signals to bring out your STAR examples.

How does the STAR framework help you in an interview?

This method for answering behavioral interview questions highlights your soft skills and keeps your responses structured and to the point. It also allows you to answer the questions while providing an accurate assessment of the qualities that make you an ideal candidate.

How can you use STAR framework when answering interview questions?

Reframing your prior work experiences using STAR allows you to do some in-depth preparation before your interview. We’ve broken it down step-by-step below.

Situation: Set the scene of a specific situation that you were faced with. Give a brief overview of the circumstance, project, or initiative that required your skillset. This might include information about your team, the timeline, location, or any other non-specific details that provide the overall context.

Task: What was the task you were given to do? Illustrate the ways you were specifically involved. Explain your role and objective.

Action: This is where you get to showcase yourself to your potential employer. Demonstrate how you assessed the situation and decided to take the appropriate action. Be sure to reveal as many details about your contributions as possible in your answer. And remember, you need to speak about the action you took, so start your sentences with “I” statements rather than “we”.

Tip: Try to avoid acronyms or institutional language in your response.

Result: The result should be one that positively reflects your skills, and ideally, can be quantified. Highlight the positive outcome that occurred. Examples might include winning repeat business; upselling to increase profitability; a percentage decrease in waste; or saving hours of the team’s time.

The interviewer will also want to know what you learned from the experience and what you could do differently the next time. Be sure to think through these follow-up questions when you are preparing for your interview.

Do you feel more prepared to use the STAR framework in your next interview? If so, check out the open roles at Enterprise Mobility™ and speak with a recruiter in your area today.