star method essay writing examples

TopAdmit- Online Application Essay Editing

College admissions essay editing, the “star” approach to writing admissions essays.

Confounded by that admissions essay ? Don’t know where to start? Just remember that you have a story to tell, and this is your chance to shine: be a “STAR!”

S – Situation

It’s all about telling a story. Remember the last dramatic movie you watched? Very likely there was an opening shot to establish what the story was going to be about–the situation. Soon after that, the hero or heroine made an appearance and it became clear exactly what kind of challenge might be confronting him or her in the course of this film–they had a task before them. And then–Action! The heroine made her moves, did her thing, and moved the story forward, until finally the original situation was resolved and there was some sort of closure. In the end, the audience knew the result.

The Situation

This is the set-up of the story, giving TIME, PLACE and CONTEXT. It could be a general setting, but it might also include the broader challenge or conflict that you or your organization faced.

 For example an applicant might write: “Last year, I volunteered to chair a fundraising committee for cancer research at my company, where we were challenged to meet a fundraising goal of $10,000.”

 This answers the question: What was the situation that I (or my team) faced *before* I started taking action?  

This is your role in the story. It often takes the form of a GOAL, an OBJECTIVE STATEMENT, or an IMPORTANT DECISION to be resolved. It’s important to highlight your collaboration with others, but remember that for purposes of the essay, you are the star of your own story.

For example: “My main functions were to assign specific jobs to committee members, check on their progress, and help establish and meet deadlines for obtaining donations.”

This answers the question: What specific challenge did I face, given the aforementioned situation? 

The Action  

Here’s the heart of the story: admissions officers want to know how you work in action. Offer the highlights and don’t get bogged down in too much detail. This could be in a team context, but remember to show how your actions made a contribution.

For example: “I motivated the team by having them meet recovering cancer patients. I assigned tasks and checked in regularly, and successfully mediated team disputes. I led the team to visit 20 local businesses and ensured that deadlines were met.” 

This answers the question: What actions did I take to resolve the situation and advance toward my (our) goal?  

It’s very important to show that there were indeed concrete results and that your actions made a difference. Specific details count here, and you should quantify your results.

For example: “My team convinced 25 businesses and 18 individuals to make donations, directly helping to raise $15,000 for the organization and exceeding our fundraising goal by 50%.”

This answers the question: What was the impact of my actions, and what was the final resolution of the dilemma outlined at the beginning of the story?

If this is ambiguous, muddled or uncertain, then you may want to go back and re-frame the situation or pick another story to tell altogether. On the other hand, a positive outcome and happy ending will make your story more powerful and establish you as its star.

It is always useful to read other people’s work to get a sense of what good essays are. To assist you, TopAdmit provides you some  college admissions essay samples  written by counselors and editors hailing from prestigious schools including Harvard. This page contains personal statement samples, statement of purpose samples, and application essay samples for college. But please remember, these are for your reference only; it is not to your benefit to copy their style or concepts. It not only violates academic ethics and could lead to an automatic rejection by the admissions committee — the point of our service is to help you construct a unique essay — not one similar to other essays.

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2 thoughts on “ The “STAR” Approach to Writing Admissions Essays ”

thanks for sharing the information..hope you guys will do the same work in future

• January 25, 2017 at 5:28 am

Thanks for your nice words 🙂 We are trying our best!

• May 18, 2017 at 6:14 am

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MBA Resources

STAR Approach MBA Essay

MBA & Beyond Team

15/11/2023 | 8:16 pm

Here is the Snapshot of the article:

Crafting an application essay for top-tier MBA programs can be an intimidating challenge. It requires not just hard work and commitment but also thorough research, accuracy, and clear articulation. The key to a successful application lies in making your essay stand out from the myriad of others. A popular method among applicants to achieve this uniqueness is the STAR approach MBA essay. STAR, which stands for Situation-Task-Action-Result, is a structured approach often used to address behavioral questions effectively. Incorporating the STAR approach into your MBA essay can help you present your experiences and achievements in a compelling and organized manner, enhancing your chances of making a lasting impression on the admissions committee.

Following a sequenced approach based on STAR writing format would earn for uniqueness and allow you to present your relevant skills more elaborately.

This article will share elaborate STAR approach MBA essay , STAR essays format, and dynamics of the STAR approach to ace your MBA application essays and personal statement.

STAR APPROACH TO ESSAY WRITING 

The STAR approach MBA essays, is a widely-used technique for organizing examples, whether it’s for crafting a CV, composing an achievement essay, filling out an application form, or responding to queries in an interview.

The STAR Writing format helps employers and admission councils evaluate the skills, qualities, and experiences you have that would help you fit with the job, program, company, or institution. 

While drafting achievement essays for your B-school application letters, remember that the two most crucial parts of the story are the actions you took on time and the results you achieved because of it.

The actions you describe offer a glimpse into how you handle specific situations, revealing your strengths and capabilities. The outcomes demonstrate your ability to effectively influence and execute the necessary actions when it matters most. Utilizing the STAR approach MBA essays can serve as an effective tool to articulate your thoughts both clearly and concisely.

FOLLOWING THE STAR WRITING FORMAT

The STAR writing format is a clever and bold way to approach a behavioral question presented at an interview which involves citing a situation, the task at hand, the action you took, and the subsequent results. 

While setting up the situation in your essay, try not to indulge in citing unnecessary details the school won’t be interested in; always keep in mind that you are elected to write essays for interviews. Moreover, avoid industry jargon and uncommon acronyms. 

Be precise when listing the tasks you were responsible for; you don’t have to add random details.

Amongst all, the action portion of your essay should be the lengthiest. It should clearly illustrate how you exceeded expectations if you can conclude with both quantitative and qualitative results and the impact you made, even better. 

STAR APPLICATION EXAMPLES

In the below paragraph, we would deal with different essay and interview questions commonly framed by top B-schools to get the most out of their candidates. 

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Questions are precisely put to know any challenging situation you faced at your job or personal life and how you deal with it. This helps the admission council to understand what comes next and set expectations. Always remember that the admission council reviews a vast amount of highly qualified applicants, so the context is most important or else, you’ve lost them right out of the gate. Utilizing the STAR approach MBA essay can ensure that you provide the necessary context and engage the admission council effectively.

Classically, the context you are giving is one of the problems at work. Typically such problems include hitting sales targets, quality control issues, or just plain dysfunction among team members. The stage is being set for you to come in and save the day. 

Explain the situation that you were faced with briefly. You could start sentences like: ‘during my degree’ or ‘while working in the company.’ Set up the situation for your reader as succinctly and clearly as possible. Leave out any “inside baseball” details that will bore the adcom. Remember, they want to learn about “what YOU did” and not about the intricate complexities of your organization, team, or client’s issues. 

Any job that your manager or team assigned you to resolve or improve the situation you described above can be counted as your “Task.” Moreover, suppose a manager didn’t give the task. In that case, it could work on your side as you can explain how you decided on accomplishing the task yourself – which is an excellent opportunity to showcase to the interviewer how you have the initiative to go beyond discrete tasks assigned to you by a higher up. Briefly, you also need to explain what you did and how you met the criteria for success. If it was group work, demonstrate the overall group task but mainly focus on your role since B-schools are looking for team players in their top candidates.

But if the opposite happens, they ask you to describe your most impressive accomplishment; they want to understand your complete orders. 

Action taken

This is the most substantial part of the essay writing method; action” is what you did to remedy that situation. It should cover around 55-70% of your article.  While writing a perfect action scenario, there are four significant questions that you should keep in mind:

Highlight your unique sales turnaround plan, innovative manufacturing method for quality control, and how you motivated team members in your admissions materials. Admissions are keen on these achievements and your strategies.

The Action section is where you should expand a bit more and use this chance to shine. First, explain what you did specifically, and ideally, show how you went above and beyond in your role. Then, you can finally wrap up the essay by revealing what Results you achieved. Moreover, if you somehow can quantify the results of the impact you made, even better.

Keep in mind that both qualitative and quantitative outcomes are essential to include, if possible. 

Before moving on to the next part in the STAR writing format, one specific word in the above paragraphs is highly imperative – “YOU.” 

Well, to be honest, this is a widespread mistake made over and over again, even with well-prepared applicants. The admissions council doesn’t care much about what the “team” did – they want to know what YOU did exclusively. They want to understand how much of a force you are for an innovative change, how you exercise your leadership, analytical, and communication skills, and how you implement all that. 

The Results 

Results” is the conclusion to your answer. Given the above context and given what you did to resolve it.

What happened afterward?

After your idea, did the sales numbers go up

Did those quality issues were resolved?

Did your team start getting along?

All these questions are answered in the concluding part. 

Moreover, the critical thing to remember while writing the results section is to add data wherever possible. Mention the numbers in your answer; data input increases the relevancy of your essays. It’s crucial to show that there were indeed concrete results and that your actions made many differences.

  Quantify your results  

The numbers illustrate the amount of experience you have. Specific details count here; you should try to quantify your results. These numbers will also display your level of authority and responsibility. For example: “the sales number went up, directly helping to raise $15,000 for the organization and exceeding our goal by about 50%.” moreover, the numbers also illustrate the level generic, but of your success and the effectiveness of your actions

A positive outcome and happy ending will make your story more critical, establishing you as its star.

Using the STAR writing format to answer all your behavioral – make admissions life easy, as they are precisely looking for those things in an answer. Moreover, think of a handful of compelling examples and keep those at the top of your mind. Then, you can adapt those to polish your answers whenever you get hit with any behavioral questions. 

Last but not least, always remember that it should be YOU, not the team, not your manager, who should be doing the task; if you were a bystander in the actions you are describing, look for a better, more compelling example. 

HOW TO INCORPORATE THE STAR APPROACH IN YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR AN MBA APPLICATION?

Crafting an Effective MBA Personal Statement: Tips and Techniques

1.Conduct Thorough Research:

• Understand the school and MBA program thoroughly before crafting your statement. Research forms the foundation of your writing.

2. Focus on Relevance:

• Write specific responses to questions, avoiding irrelevant information. Keep your statement concise and impactful.

3. Proofread and Edit:

• Ensure your statement is error-free. Even the best content loses credibility with numerous errors.

4. Create an Engaging Introduction:

• Hook the readers with a captivating introduction that sets the tone for the entire statement. Be concise and specific.

5 . Practice Makes Perfect:

• Mastering the art of writing a compelling personal statement takes practice. Keep refining your skills through consistent practice.

Moreover, suppose you want someone to assist you at our organization, “ MBA and Beyond .” In that case, we provide you with college admissions essay samples written by our expert team of counselors and editors hailing from prestigious business schools.

We would provide you with personal statement samples, purpose samples, and application essay samples for college. Our team of experts dedicates themselves to helping you construct a unique essay — not one similar to others while following the STAR writing format.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the STAR method important?

Writing essays and drafting application letters for admission to a top B-school requires a lot of research work, creativity, and precision. Since the admissions council gets around thousands of application letters, the question arises what makes your letter better than anyone else? Following the STAR approach to describe a behavioral situation earns you points on the uniqueness. Also, even though many candidates are still following the STAR approach, your task, problem, action, and results may very well differ to a more considerable extent.

How do you write the STAR Method?

Results 

Also, while following the STAR Writing format, the action paragraph is suggested to be the longest, covering almost 55-70% of the essay. Also, try to quantify your results as numbers illustrate the degree of your success and the effectiveness of your action. 

What is a star statement?

A STAR personal statement is meant to describe your goals and ambitions to the admissions council. incorporating the STAR Writing format in your personal statement helps you to follow a step-wise approach in describing your statement of purpose. The best suggestion to follow for writing a STAR statement is to keep it specific and to the point rather than wasting your words and space in mentioning topics deemed irrelevant to the admissions council.

How do you use the STAR method on a job application?

While filing a job application, always remember that the company looks for individual leadership qualities, analytical skills, and teamwork. The STAR approach can be beneficial in establishing a compelling example of yourself.

What are STAR interview questions?

To be completely honest, the STAR interview comprises mainly of behavioral questions such as : Tell us about a specific situation where you needed to work beyond your discreet roles? What was the impact of your actions, and what was the final resolution of the dilemma outlined at the beginning of the story? These questions may look very generic, but answering any of them requires a lot of creativity, precision, clarity, and research work.

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What Is the STAR Method? Here’s How To Use It in Your Next Interview (With Examples)

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Results—and it’s a great tool for answering interview questions. Here’s how to use the STAR method, with examples.

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If you’ve ever had a job interview, you’re probably familiar with questions like “Tell me about a time when…” or “How do you handle [insert tricky situation].”

You’re probably also familiar with how stressful these questions can be. You know you’re supposed to provide some kind of example, and you know you’ve got loads you could draw from…but you just can’t think of any right now. 

After some umming and ahhing, you eventually pull an example from your mental archives. But you’re feeling a bit flustered and realise you’re rambling. You’re not conveying the point you wanted to make, and the interviewer is looking rather lost. 

Fortunately, there’s a very simple solution to this common conundrum. It’s called the STAR framework , and it’ll help you to answer behavioural interview questions concisely and coherently. 

If you’re new to STAR, this guide is for you. It contains everything you need to know about the STAR method, including useful examples to help you model your own answers. 

Keep reading to learn:

What is the STAR method?

What is the star/ar method, why is the star method useful.

• What kind of interview questions is the STAR method used for?

How to use the STAR method in your next job interview: 3 expert tips

Some star and star/ar example answers for ux designers, the takeaway, more career tips for ux designers.

So, what exactly is the STAR framework? Let’s begin.

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STAR stands for Situation , Task , Action , and Results . 

It provides a helpful framework for structuring your answers to interview questions. Specifically, the STAR method is useful when you need to tell a concise and logical story—usually in response to behavioural questions such as “Tell me about a time when…” 

Here’s how the STAR framework helps you format your answer:

• Situation . This is where you set the scene and provide necessary context. This usually involves laying out the problem or challenge you had to solve. For example: “I was working as a junior UX designer at an e-commerce startup. We noticed that there was a really high rate of users abandoning their shopping carts at the last step in the purchase process, so we needed to improve the experience.”
• Task . Here you outline the specific role you played, including any goals or objectives you were tasked with reaching. For example: “I was responsible for reviewing and redesigning the checkout process to reduce ‘abandoned cart’ rates by at least 55%.”
• Action . This is where you share the actions you took to solve the problem/tackle the challenge and to meet your goals. For example: “I started by conducting usability tests to identify the main pain-points in the checkout process. I then conducted some competitor research to see how similar e-commerce sites were structuring the process. Based on my findings, I redesigned our process, removing a very time-consuming step which asked users to fill out a long form with unnecessary information. I also implemented additional payment options as we were previously only allowing customers to pay via PayPal.”
• Results . Here you state the results and outcomes you were able to achieve. For example: “A month after the redesign was live, we saw a 75% increase in customers completing their purchases. The redesign not only improved the user experience of the site, but also significantly increased sales.”

But what if you’re asked to tell the interviewer about a project which didn’t quite go to plan? 

There’s an expansion of the STAR method which comes in very handy for such questions: STAR/AR . We explain in the next section.

The STAR/AR framework adds two extra elements to your story: (alternative) Action and (alternative) Result . 

This is useful when you didn’t achieve the desired results and want to share your learnings. 

Here’s how the STAR/AR method works:

• Situation . As with STAR, this is where you outline the context and the challenge.
• Task . Again, outline your role on the project and the outcomes you were aiming for.
• Action . Here, you share the specific steps and actions you took to address the challenge.
• Results . This is where you explain the outcomes (or consequences) and reflect on why the action(s) you undertook weren’t successful.
• Alternative Action . Here, you share what you learned and what you could have done differently/would do differently next time. In other words, what alternative actions could you have taken for better results?
• Alternative Results . Explain how your alternative action(s) could have impacted the results differently. What could you have achieved if you had pursued a different course of action?

The STAR/AR framework is a great tool for sharing unsuccessful projects and framing them in a positive light which showcases your ability to reflect, learn, and improve. 

The STAR and STAR/AR frameworks are useful because they help you to provide logical, well-structured answers which tell a relevant story. 

When following the STAR method, you’ll ensure that you cover all the necessary details that the interviewer is looking for—and that you do so in a coherent, easy-to-follow way. 

By focusing on the four points of STAR, you can also avoid rambling, going off on a tangent, or diving into too much detail and losing the point you wanted to make. 

Communication is a critical skill (one of the most in-demand skills for 2023 , in fact)—not just for UX roles , but for pretty much any job you apply for. Interviewers will be looking out for your ability to communicate effectively and concisely—and the STAR method will help you do just that. 

What kind of interview questions is the STAR framework used for?

The STAR framework is ideal for answering behavioural interview questions. Behavioural questions are those which focus on how you behaved in a specific situation, and they typically require you to share specific examples. 

Here are some common behavioural interview questions which can be answered using the STAR method:

• You had to take on a new task which you had no experience of doing before
• You made a mistake at work
• You had to delegate to other colleagues or team members
• You have clashing deadlines and not enough time to meet them all?
• You and a colleague can’t reach an agreement on something?
• A last-minute request comes in and you’ve already got lots on your plate?
• A successful project you worked on
• A time when you had to work with a difficult or uncooperative colleague or client
• An unsuccessful project you worked on

The interviewer won’t always formulate their behavioural questions in the same way. But, if it sounds like they’re digging for insights into how you approach certain challenges and situations, the chances are that they’re looking for a concrete example or an anecdote. That’s your cue to apply the STAR framework. 

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1. Plan ahead and have some STAR stories at the ready

You can’t anticipate exactly what questions will come up in your interview. But you can—and should—spend some time reading through the job description to get an idea of the skills and qualities the hiring manager will be looking out for. 

You can then plan some STAR stories which highlight those critical skills. For example, if you’re applying for a UX design role with a heavy focus on user research , you’ll definitely want to prepare a STAR anecdote based on a time you successfully contributed to a user research project. 

Maybe the job you’re applying for requires lots of involvement in UX strategy . In that case, you’ll want to come up with an example of a time when you took on a strategic role or contributed to a strategic initiative. 

In short: Pull out the key skills, qualities, and behaviours the job description focuses on and come up with STAR stories which highlight and demonstrate these.

2. Formulate you STAR answers using only the most relevant detail

When using the STAR method, it’s important to follow the framework to the letter. The goal is to share every story or example in a concise, logical manner—delivering the relevant points and making it easy for the hiring manager to follow along. 

For example, when it comes to the Situation aspect, you don’t need to provide too much historical background or unnecessary detail. You want to set the scene without going round the houses. Share some context about where you were working, who you were working with (if relevant) and introduce the problem, project, or challenge you’re going to focus on. Good: “During my UX design internship at a software company, I was responsible for onboarding new clients. Our new client surveys reported a low satisfaction score, so I was then responsible for improving the experience.” Not so good: “I once did a UX design internship at a software company. I worked there for about six months in total and had lots of contact with new clients. They were mostly clients in the telecoms industry and I was responsible for onboarding them, which I usually did via video calls but sometimes they came by to the office. For every new client, we gave them a survey to complete after onboarding and sadly our client satisfaction scores were quite low so my manager asked me to look into ways to improve it.” 

Can you see how the second answer is much longer and includes detail which isn’t necessarily relevant to the story? If you do this for each point of the STAR, you run the risk of telling a long, winding story which loses the listener’s interest before you’ve been able to demonstrate your skills and achievements. 

In short: Keep your answers focused and concise. Go through each aspect of the STAR and come up with just two or three key points for each. 

3. Practice using the STAR method on the fly

It’s great to go into your interview with some STAR stories at the ready. At the same time, it’s important that you’re able to implement the STAR method on the fly, too. You don’t know what the interviewer will ask you, after all, so it’s good to be prepared for some curveballs. 

If you can, find a friend, colleague, or relative who can roleplay the interview with you. Ask them to come up with some behavioural questions based on the job description and practice answering them using the STAR framework—with no prior preparation. 

This will get you well-versed in structuring your answers under pressure—a task which can be tricky when you’re already feeling those interview nerves. And, if you do find yourself struggling to come up with something right away, don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer if you can have a moment or two to think. 

In short: In addition to planning some STAR answers ahead of the interview, practice answering behavioural questions under pressure. This will ease your nerves going into the interview and reinforce your confidence in the STAR framework. 

Now we know exactly what the STAR method is and how it’s used, let’s share some example answers for UX designers. These should provide some inspiration for your own STAR anecdotes. 

STAR example #1: Tell me about your most successful UX design project

With this question, the hiring manager is asking you to describe a specific project and, most importantly, to explain how you contributed to the project’s success. 

Here’s an example answer based on the STAR framework. 

Situation : “I once volunteered with a non-profit organisation which taught coding skills to primary school-age children. I volunteered to help them redesign their digital learning portal.”

Task : “I was responsible for planning and conducting user research to determine what features could be added to the platform, and then sharing my findings with key stakeholders, including the CEO and the product manager. The goal was to increase the average learner engagement time by 10 minutes per day, per user.”

Action : “I conducted user interviews with eight kids who had already used the platform, and with their parents. This allowed me to gain insights from direct users (the kids) and also from their parents who are able to access the learning platform and see their kids’ progress. From these interviews, I identified three new features that could improve the experience for both learners and their parents. I also discovered that there were some existing features that weren’t being used. I presented my findings and recommendations to the CEO and product manager, suggesting that they build and integrate three new features and remove two unused features.”

Results : “They followed my recommendations and launched those new features a few months later. After three months, the average learner engagement time had increased by 17 minutes per user, per day—much higher than the original target. Students also reported a net promoter score (NPS) that was three points higher than the six months prior.” 

STAR example #2: Think back to a time when you and your colleague couldn’t agree on the direction a project should take. How did you handle it?

This question is all about collaboration, conflict resolution, and overcoming challenges. Here’s how your answer might take shape with the STAR method.

Situation : “I was working as the only UX designer at an insurance company. I collaborated closely with the product owner who didn’t really believe in user research. They wanted me to provide prototypes for the new company app without conducting any research, but I wanted to do at least a brief round of user research before moving forward.”

Task : “I was set the task of coming up with prototypes for the new app within one month. They then wanted the new app to launch three months after that.”

Action : “I came up with a plan for how I could conduct user research on a low budget and still have the prototypes ready in time for the planned launch date. I put together a brief presentation outlining the steps I would take to conduct research, as well as the suggested cost and timeline, and a summary of how it would be useful for the end results. I shared this with the product owner to show them that I could still meet their deadlines and complete the project within budget if I included user research in the process. They appreciated that I had come up with a solution and a plan, and agreed that I could go ahead with the research.”

Results : “I conducted the user research as approved by the product owner and made sure to share my findings and insights with them so they could be involved in the process and see the value. We were able to launch the app on time and everyone was happy. For the next project, the product owner was immediately on board with user research and I didn’t have to go through the approval process again.”

The STAR framework will help you to answer behavioural questions logically and coherently, telling a well-structured story which highlights the key skills and qualities the hiring manager is looking for. It will also allow you to showcase your excellent communication skills—earning you a big tick from any interviewer. 

Use it when preparing for your next job interview, and remember: you can always turn to the STAR/AR variation when you’re talking about unsuccessful projects or learning curves. 

The STAR method is just one tool that will help you in your UX career. If you’re a newcomer to the field, you can accelerate your chances of interview success by reframing your previous experience and using it to your advantage . You’ll also want to make sure that your UX portfolio is ticking all the boxes , and that your UX CV and cover letter are well-primed to catch the hiring manager’s attention. 

• STAR method

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How To Use the STAR Method To Write Standout MBA Essays

May 9, 2023

What is the STAR method?

How can you use star effectively.

• Get expert help

UPDATE: This article was originally posted on August 29, 2022. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

Adcoms of top MBA programs read thousands of essays annually; needless to say, they are presented with plenty of stories and examples of candidates who want to prove to them that they stand out. 

So, while you are writing your MBA application essays , how can you make your stories stand out while ensuring your impact and strengths are highlighted while doing so in a relatively short amount of space?

One of the best ways to craft an efficient, detailed, and well-organized example is to use the STAR method . By the time you’ve finished reading this blog, you should have a solid understanding of what this successful technique is and how you can use it to market your experiences effectively!

“STAR” is an acronym that stands for s ituation, t ask, a ction(s), r esult(s). Let’s break down exactly what these terms mean.

S ituation  

This is the part of your story where you describe the context of your experience. This should include all context and background information that the reader should know about the situation you were going into. 

For example, if you are going to discuss that time that you were able to save 100 employees’ jobs through your analytics skills and leadership, your situation would be the reasons why these employees were going to lose their jobs (such as a necessary budget cut) and why this was a problem (for example, you knew that most of these employees were older and would have a difficult time finding replacement jobs to support their families). 

Basically, in this section, you want to answer all of the “why” questions that your reader might have about the situation you were in.

For the task section, you will build from your situation by describing your own role and responsibilities as a part of this context. You should also include what specific challenges you would have to be facing. 

Continuing with our previous example, the task could be written as follows: 

“ As a senior data analyst, I proactively decided to leverage my technical skills and leadership position to try and save these employees’ jobs by taking a new look at the company’s budget-saving model. ”

Notice that this narrows down your story slightly by focusing on how YOU were relevant to the broader situation you first described.

Now, in discussing action(s), it is time to focus on exactly what you did to tackle the issue and complete your task at hand. This should include all the necessary steps you took to achieve the results.

For example, to show how you tackled the previous challenge, you can discuss the efforts you made to compile new data that was not previously included in the company’s model, how you developed a new analysis to highlight non-human budget cuts that coil benefit the company, and what you did to present this effectively to senior management. 

This section should illuminate what made you stand out from others who might have been tasked with similar responsibilities — what approaches did you take? What work did you do to ensure success? How did you go above and beyond to solve the problems at hand? These are all questions that can help you choose which actions are most important to highlight — those that make you stand out and show how you achieved your results.

Finally, it is important for you to discuss the impact of your actions. This can include both immediate results and, if possible, broader/long-term results. 

For example, you could discuss how you were able to save all 100 employees’ jobs by making previously overlooked unnecessary material costs, and, in the long-term, the company decided to implement a policy of annually updating their cost-saving models as you had highlighted the importance of maintaining the trust of workers.

The main objective in this section is to show why, given your situation and task(s), your particular actions were important. In most cases, your results will prove to the reader how your decisions were meaningful. Additionally, discussing results will provide a sense of conclusion to your story.

Note: for some essays, you may need to demonstrate failure or weakness . In these cases, it is perfectly acceptable to report either failed results, or no results at all. However, it is extremely important that you discuss why these results happened and what you learned!

Of course, telling your stories in an effective way can be tricky. If you are looking for help to determine if your essays are structured in a way that stands out to the adcom, don’t hesitate to check out our MBA Resource Center! 

There, you can find dozens of past successful essays and detailed brainstorming worksheets to help you plan out a winning essay. Our library also includes guides for all top global MBA programs, interview tips and mocks, CV templates, and recommendation letter guides. Click to join !

Now that you know what STAR stands for, let’s focus on how to use this framework effectively to ensure your story is highlighting your most important ideas in a clear and interesting way!

Explain how you achieved your results, don’t just name actions

One mistake that our clients often make while discussing their actions is that they either are too general about what they did, or simply list a series of statements about what they did without explaining how they got there. 

Instead, think of your results and everything that contributed to them, and describe what you did. If possible, provide the reasoning behind them as well. 

While in most cases, you could write about every action and process you took, you are most likely limited by word count. Even if you’re not, it’s always a good idea to stay focused, so choose only the most significant actions and those that are most relevant to your results!

Focus on YOU!

The STAR method should make it very easy for your reader not only to understand what took place, but to also see your role in all of it. Therefore, it’s very important that the focus of your story is you and not your team or company. 

Even if it was a team effort, highlight your own actions within the team . You can discuss how you collaborated with others or discuss how you contributed to bigger results, but the emphasis should be on your own part of the story.

Highlight uniqueness

This brings us to the next important aspect of using STAR. While this gives you a framework to organize your story, you must still ensure you are telling the most impactful and interesting aspects of it. 

To make sure you are telling the most important parts of the example while emphasizing your own uniqueness, think of the actions that you took that were different from what others may have done. How did you think outside the box, demonstrate exceptional thoughtfulness (for example, about other people or about long-term consequences), or go above and beyond? Be sure to include actions that answer these questions.

When discussing your results, be sure to also explain how these specific actions contributed to the results . This will really emphasize the impact of your uniqueness!

Highlight change

For examples of successful results, most candidates will illustrate what this success looked like (for example, increased revenue or a closed deal). While this is certainly a good way of discussing results, you can go even further if you can also show that you created some kind of positive change .

Not only will this really prove the value of your uniqueness, but it will also show that you are able to exceed expectations and drive progress . For example, some of our clients have discussed how they improved methodologies, built trust amongst their team members despite a previous history of lacking collaboration, or introduced environmentally-friendly production processes. 

Include lessons learned

We often work with clients who use the STAR method effectively but end the paragraph simply with numerical results. 

What we must remind them is that it is critical to discuss what you learned from your example . If you are describing an example in which you succeeded, you should be discussing what strengths or approaches were most important to your success. Discussing lessons learned shows the reader that you are able to make the most of your experiences and that you take that information forward with you to improve.

If you are discussing a failure, this aspect is even more important, as you must demonstrate to the reader that you have been able to grow from your mistakes. In this case, show what you realized that you did wrong and how you plan to do things differently in the future.

We Make Your Story Shine

One of the most common mistakes we see in MBA essays is that candidates fail to tell compelling stories . This is important because if your stories are not compelling, they will not be persuasive. At the same time, they must be backed by strong examples that establish a track record of success and prove to the admissions committees why you belong at their school. 

Striking this balance between content and creativity can be tough, however, as succeeding means not only choosing the right stories but ensuring they are told in an optimal manner. 

This is why our iterative developmental feedback process here at Ellin Lolis Consulting helps you mold your message through the application of our storytelling expertise until it reflects exactly what makes your profile stand out and show fit with your target program. 

Not only can you take advantage of our iterative feedback process through multiple edits – you can also benefit from it after a single review! If your budget is tight, our editors will be happy to help polish your text as much as possible and leave “bonus comments” so you can keep working on it on your own!

No matter how long we work with you, we will always ensure your essays shine . Sign up to work with our team of storytelling experts and get accepted.

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• Oct 31, 2022

Using the STAR Method in MBA Interviews and Essays

Updated: Feb 1

What is the STAR method?

The technique popularly known as “STAR”, is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action and Result. It’s a framework you can use to structure your answers in an MBA interview and essays. It helps you keep your answer simple, clear and well structured so you don’t miss any critical details. It will focus your answer on the actions you took and the results you achieved. It stops you from giving a waffly and unstructured answer to a potentially tricky question.

At Sam Weeks Consulting, we have adapted STAR to SCAR , replacing “Task” with “Challenge”, which we feel is more interesting and broader. For example, a challenge can include interpersonal conflict between two people, which often makes for impactful stories. Anyway, STAR and SCAR are very similar.

How do you use the STAR Method?

Situation: Start by describing what happened in a particular situation, including any relevant points that you’ll refer to later. Skip unnecessary details that might distract the reader.

Task: Next, discuss the task you had to deliver, the goal you were working towards, or the challenge you had to overcome. This task should be aligned with the question you’re asked. For example, if you’re asked “How do you manage stress?”, the task would be prioritization for multiple deadlines or multitasking.

Action: Then, describe the steps you took to address the situation. This is your chance to demonstrate your character traits, the skills you applied, and your attitude to a particular type of problem.

Result: Now, describe the outcome you achieved. You should quantify or qualify the results, so it’s clear how you turned the situation around. Don’t feel shy about taking credit for the hard work you put in!

STAR Method for MBA Essay Writing

Not every MBA essay requires you to use STAR, but for certain types of essay questions it’s a perfect framework. These are some actual MBA application questions that you could use the STAR framework for:

Cambridge Essay 2

Describe a difficult decision that you had to make. What did you learn from this and how have you changed as a result? (up to 200 words)

Cambridge Essay 3

Describe a time where you worked with a team on a project. What did you learn from the experience and how might you approach it differently today? (up to 200 words)

Darden Short Answer 2: Inclusive Environment

Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating an inclusive global community at Darden. (300 words)

Tuck MBA Essay 3

Tuck students are encouraging, collaborative and empathetic, even when it is not convenient or easy. Describe a meaningful experience in which you exemplified one or more of these attributes. (300 words)

Kellogg MBA Essay 1

Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip & inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)

Example of STAR Method for an MBA Essay

Wondering how to write a STAR answer? Here’s an example of a STAR essay used by a former SWC client for his MBA applications, which got him admitted to a T-15 MBA program in the United States with scholarships. (We anonymised the details for privacy!).

Situation: Last year, I tried to convince my team at EY to adopt a new work process to improve collaboration between product managers, analysts and testers to deliver better products. Task: The product managers resisted. I was changing the routines they had used for 15 years. I knew that to implement this change, I needed to make them feel comfortable and earn their trust. Action: I admitted that the change would be time-consuming at the start, but eventually our meetings would be shorter. I promised we’d revert if it didn’t work and built trust in the team by being transparent at each step of the new process. Result: Our average product development time fell by 30% and the project managers agreed to continue to use the concept.

This was my first experience of organization restructuring and process improvement, and my favorite part of my role at EY. It taught me that implementing change in the workplace was only possible through healthy communication and transparent leadership.

STAR Method for Interviews

In an MBA interview, the STAR method is especially useful for behavioral interview questions. These are questions which focus on a “typical” workplace situation usually based around leadership, teamwork and team-building, collaboration, communication, flexibility and adaptability, responsibility and accountability, crisis management, diversity, time management, determination, and values.

These questions usually have a classic opener, such as:

“Tell me about a time when…”

“Have you ever…”

“Describe a time when you…”

“Give me an example of…”

As humans, we have evolved to communicate using stories, so dig into your bank of professional and personal stories to find a situation that matches the question. Use STAR to structure your response, so your answer is easy for the listener to follow and your narrative is tight. Your role in the story must be clear and quantified, which the STAR method encourages.

What are the 10 STAR interview questions?

Here’s a list of ten of the most commonly asked STAR interview questions to help you form your responses. For more guidance to ace your interview, check out our blog on Behavioral interview questions where we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 30 STAR interview questions that we use with our clients in their mock interviews.

Have you ever handled a difficult situation with a senior or someone in the leadership? How did you tackle that situation?

Tell us about a time when you successfully achieved your targets and how?

Tell us about a time when you failed to meet your targets. How did you handle this situation?

Tell us about a time when you made an unpopular choice. How did you implement the decision?

What is your risk tolerance? Did you ever make a risky decision? Why? How did you handle it?

Have you ever postponed a decision? Why?

Have you ever delivered something under tight deadlines? How do you manage stress?

Have you ever convinced a team to work on an assignment they weren’t enthusiastic about? How did you convince them?

Tell us about a time when you felt your boss made a poor call. Then, please explain how you would have done it differently.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were underworked?

Want to learn how to use the STAR method ahead of your interviews? Book a free chat with us now.

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Use The STAR Method With Your Business School Essays

When you are writing your business school application letters, remember that the two most important parts of the story are the actions you took and the results you achieved. The actions taken show your approach to a situation and provide some insight into your strengths and abilities. The results indicate that you were able to make an impact.

For the essays with the most potential, we recommend that you go one step further with your notes. For each story, complete the "STAR framework" to refine your thoughts and summarize the key parts of the story and what was accomplished. Remember if in the story you are not the primary protagonist then it might not be the best story to promote your brand. The acronym STAR stands for Situation - Task - Action - Result.

This acronym will help you stay focused and write an answer that provides background, tells exactly what you worked on, and will end with results.

• Situation - Start by explaining the situation and presenting the issue. An example could be: My company was losing market share to a new startup.

• Task - Identify what your initialize was and how you worked on it. An example could be: I decided to change our strategy to aim for a more expensive market.

• Action - Explain the steps you took to accomplish your goal. An example could be: I listened to customers to see what they were looking for and changed the product accordingly.

• Results – Discuss the outcome and how your team made an impact. An example could be: By the end of the year, we gained 15% additional market share.

For more robust guidance on your MBA application essays, check out the Stacy Blackman Consulting Essay Guide Series – school specific guides with essay tips, sample essays, information on what your target schools value and more.

Visit https://www.stacyblackman.com/essay-guides/ to learn more.

Founded in 2001, Stacy Blackman Consulting has helped thousands of MBA applicants gain admission to the most selective business schools in the world.  The Stacy Blackman team, comprised of MBA graduates, former admissions officers and expert writers, editors and marketers, helps clients develop and implement a winning marketing strategy.  Stacy Blackman clients have a significantly increased probability of admission to top schools and are frequent recipients of merit scholarships.  The company is regularly featured in publications such as BusinessWeek, the Wall Street Journal and the Economist.   Visit the Stacy Blackman blog for daily news updates and admissions tips, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

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Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more.

Published in MBA and Applications

I’ve only heard about the STAR Method as it refers to job interviews, but I guess it really can be applied in a number of different scenarios. Thanks for the insight.

Comments are closed.

STAR Method Finally Explained (The Only Guide You Need)

If you’ve ever found yourself in a job interview, wracking your brain to deliver concise yet compelling responses, then this guide is for you.

We’re about to dive deep into the STAR Method – a tried and tested technique that’s your secret weapon to ace any interview.

The STAR method is a structured technique used to answer behavioral interview questions. It stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This approach allows the interviewee to provide clear, concise, and thoughtful answers based on real-life examples from their own experiences.

Let’s dive in and discover how this powerful technique can transform your interviewing skills.

Understanding the STAR Method: The Basics

The STAR method is not just an interview response strategy; it’s a structured approach that helps you present your experiences and skills in a way that leaves a lasting impression on your potential employer.

Here are some key aspects of the STAR method that further illuminate its importance:

• Specificity : The STAR method encourages you to focus on specific situations rather than generalities. This allows interviewers to see exactly how you apply your skills in real-world scenarios.
• Structure : By following the Situation, Task, Action, Result framework, you ensure your responses are organized and coherent. It also ensures you don’t miss out on any critical details.
• Relevance : With STAR, you can tailor your answers to demonstrate how your past experiences directly align with the job requirements.
• Evidence-Based : Rather than simply stating that you have certain skills, the STAR method enables you to provide concrete examples where these skills have been put into action.

However, while the STAR method is an excellent tool for answering behavioral interview questions effectively, it’s not always applicable.

For instance:

• Not all interview questions require a detailed story or example. Some may simply need direct answers.
• In some instances, there might be more emphasis on future actions (e.g., “How would you handle…?”) rather than past situations.

Historical Origins: The Genesis Of The STAR Method

The STAR technique, a renowned method for answering behavioral interview questions, didn’t just appear out of the blue.

Its roots can be traced back to the 1980s when it was developed by psychologists as part of the structured behavioral interview methodology.

The goal was to create an approach that would allow employers to objectively assess a candidate’s potential based on their past experiences and behaviors.

In its early days, the STAR concept was primarily used within large corporations with dedicated human resources departments. These organizations saw value in a standardized approach that could help them sift through numerous applicants while minimizing bias.

Over time, however, the technique gained wider acceptance beyond corporate walls. It started being adopted by small businesses, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and even individuals preparing for job interviews. Today, it’s considered a gold standard in behavioral interviewing across industries worldwide.

While it has evolved over time with variations like STAR-L (where L stands for Learning), at its core remains the same principle: using past behavior as the best predictor of future performance .

This focus on concrete examples rather than hypothetical scenarios sets it apart from other interviewing techniques and contributes significantly to its ongoing popularity among hiring professionals around the globe.

Breaking Down The STAR Method (A Step-By-Step Guide)

At its core, the STAR method is about storytelling.

It allows you to weave together narratives from your past experiences that not only answer an interviewer’s question but also highlight relevant skills and competencies.

Let’s break down the components:

• Situation : Set the scene
• Task : Define your responsibilities
• Action : Describe what steps you took
• Result : Highlight the outcomes

This four-step framework helps ensure that every example you give during an interview is easy to follow and highlights your abilities effectively.

It’s important to note that while the STAR method may seem straightforward on paper, its real-world application requires practice and finesse.

The aim isn’t just to structure responses but also to deliver them in a compelling manner that resonates with interviewers.

Situation: Defining And Setting The Scene

Diving straight into the first element of the STAR method, let’s explore ‘ Situation ‘.

This is where you set the stage for your story. But don’t just think of it as a simple backdrop; this is your chance to draw your interviewer – into your narrative.

Start by providing context .

What was the environment like? Was it a high-pressure sales team chasing ambitious targets, or an under-resourced non-profit struggling to meet community needs?

Perhaps it was a start-up on the verge of significant expansion, or a well-established corporation navigating a challenging market downturn?

Next, identify any key players involved.

Were there colleagues who played pivotal roles? Or maybe external stakeholders like clients, suppliers, or regulatory bodies that influenced the situation?

Remember, details are crucial here but be careful not to get lost in them.

Your goal is to provide enough information so that anyone listening can understand what you were up against without getting bogged down in unnecessary specifics.

This isn’t just about painting a picture of your past work environment. You’re laying out the particular circumstances surrounding the challenge you faced. So clearly define what made this situation unique or difficult.

For example, instead of saying, “I was working as a project manager at a software company”, add more context : “I was overseeing a critical software development project at XYZ Corp., one of our biggest clients had requested an advanced feature within an extremely tight deadline.”

This gives depth and adds complexity to your situation – showing you weren’t just performing routine tasks but dealing with demanding situations.

Task: Detailing Your Specific Responsibilities

In the STAR method, the ‘Task’ component is where you’ll outline your specific responsibilities in a given situation.

When detailing your task, clarity is crucial. You want the interviewer to understand exactly what was expected of you.

Start by describing any objectives or goals that were set for you at the outset. Were there targets or KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that you had to meet? Did you have a deadline?

These details help paint a picture of the pressure or challenges involved in your task.

Next, consider any constraints or limitations that might have been present. For instance, did you have limited resources, such as time, budget, or manpower? Were there any particular rules or regulations that needed to be adhered to?

Mentioning these elements can highlight how demanding your task was and set up a compelling narrative for how you overcame these obstacles.

Also crucial in this section is demonstrating an understanding of who benefited from your tasks – whether it was clients, colleagues, stakeholders, or even broader society.

By doing this, not only are you showing awareness of your role within a larger context but also emphasizing its significance.

Avoid being too generic or vague. Instead of saying “I managed a team,” say something like “I was responsible for leading a five-person team tasked with developing a comprehensive marketing strategy within two weeks.” The latter gives more depth and provides a clearer picture of what exactly your task entailed.

Don’t shy away from using industry-specific jargon if it helps illustrate your point better. However, ensure it doesn’t cloud comprehension for those outside your field – balance technical language with layman terms when necessary.

Action: Describing The Steps You Took

Taking action is the critical core of the STAR Method.

It’s where you get to demonstrate your problem-solving skills, initiative, and ability to adapt in real-time situations.

Here’s how you can effectively describe the steps you took:

• Be Specific: Avoid vague descriptions. Instead, delve into the exact steps you undertook to address the situation or task at hand. Did you organize a team meeting? Implement a new software system? Develop a marketing strategy? The more specific, the better.
• Showcase Your Skills: This is your chance to highlight your unique abilities and strengths. Focus on actions that underline key competencies such as leadership, teamwork, creativity, resilience, or strategic thinking.
• Use Active Language: Frame your actions with dynamic verbs like ‘spearheaded’, ‘negotiated’, ‘engineered’, or ‘orchestrated’. This makes your actions more impactful and engaging for the reader.
• Sequence Your Actions: Detailing your actions in chronological order helps provide clarity and paints a vivid picture of how events unfolded.
• Quantify Where Possible: If you can attach numbers or percentages to illustrate your action’s impact – do it! For example: “I led a team of five members,” “We increased sales by 20%,” or “I reduced project delivery time by two weeks.”
• Highlight Challenges Overcome: If any obstacles arose during this phase and you successfully navigated them, be sure to include these details too—it adds depth and demonstrates resilience.
• Include Collaborative Efforts: If your action involved others (e.g., colleagues, stakeholders), mention their involvement to show your ability to work effectively within a team.

Result: Highlighting The Outcomes Of Your Actions

In the STAR method, the Result is your shining moment, your chance to highlight the outcomes of your actions.

The key here is to quantify your success whenever possible. Numbers speak volumes in an interview setting.

Did you increase sales by 20%? Reduce customer complaints by 50%? Or perhaps you streamlined a process that saved 10 hours of work each week? These are powerful statements that can establish you as a problem-solver who gets results.

But what if your result wasn’t quantifiable or didn’t end in absolute success? That’s okay too! What matters is that you show progress, learning, and growth.

Perhaps your action led to improved team morale or better communication within the department. Maybe it paved the way for future improvements or sparked new ideas for innovation.

Remember, not all results have to be earth-shattering successes. Sometimes, they’re stepping stones towards bigger victories down the line.

Another point worth noting is that results should ideally tie back to the company’s goals or values. This shows alignment with their mission and demonstrates how you could contribute if hired.

For instance, if applying for a role in a company known for its customer service excellence, highlighting a result where you resolved a complex client issue and retained their business would resonate well with interviewers.

Lastly, ensure your result answers this question: “What was different because of what I did?” This keeps you focused on showcasing the impact of your actions rather than just listing tasks completed.

Benefits Of Using The STAR Method

The STAR method stands out for a myriad of reasons, offering a multitude of benefits that make it an indispensable tool in your interview arsenal.

• Structured Responses : The STAR method offers a clear framework for detailing your experiences. By organizing your answer into the four key components – Situation, Task, Action, and Result – you give comprehensive insights into your past roles. This not only paints a full picture for the interviewer but also underscores your thorough understanding of your experiences.
• Showcase Soft Skills : Instead of merely narrating events, the STAR method emphasizes how you navigated those events. It lets you highlight vital skills such as problem-solving, leadership, initiative, and creativity—attributes employers are eager to see in potential candidates.
• Promote Specificity : With the STAR method, generic responses won’t cut it. This approach nudges you to share specific instances where you’ve demonstrated pivotal skills or achieved noteworthy results. Detailed answers are not only more memorable but also evidence your capacity to yield real-world results.
• Versatility : Its adaptability is one of the STAR method’s strongest suits. It’s effective in various interview styles, be it behavioral, competency-based, or panel interviews. Whether discussing teamwork, conflict resolution, or project management, the STAR method ensures your answers are always rooted in real-life experiences.
• Enhances Self-Awareness : Regularly using the STAR method encourages introspection. Reflecting on past events—both triumphs and missteps—helps foster a culture of continuous learning and personal growth.

By utilizing the STAR method—you’re not just recounting events; you’re showcasing problem-solving abilities under pressure (Situation), organizational skills (Task), initiative & resourcefulness (Action), and the ability to achieve desired outcomes (Result).

Tips To Craft Your STAR Responses

Crafting your own STAR responses can feel like a daunting task, but with the right strategies and practice, it’s a skill you can master.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you along the way:

• Start with Specifics : The more specific you can be about the situation or task, the better. Vague or generalized descriptions can make it harder for interviewers to understand what you did and why it mattered.
• Action is Key : This is where you get to shine! Detail every step of your action plan – from conception to execution. Show how your actions directly contributed to resolving the situation or completing the task at hand.
• Quantify Your Results : Whenever possible, try to quantify your results. Did you increase sales by 20%? Improve efficiency by 35%? Cut down project delivery time by half? Numbers provide concrete evidence of your achievements.
• Keep It Relevant : Make sure that your STAR response aligns with the job role you’re applying for. If you’re interviewing for a leadership position, highlight situations where you led a team or made crucial decisions.
• Practice Out Loud : This might seem awkward at first, but saying your responses out loud will help them sound more natural during an actual interview.
• Be Honest : Never exaggerate or fabricate elements of your story – honesty is always best in interview scenarios.
• Use Varied Examples : Don’t rely on one experience for all questions; diversify your examples from different areas of work life – projects, teamwork, leadership instances etc.
• Review Job Description : Align examples with key skills/attributes mentioned in job description for maximum impact.
• Think About Lessons Learned : Every experience comes with lessons learned – reflecting on these shows growth mindset and continuous learning attitude which employers value highly.
• Stay Calm & Composed : Interview situations can be stressful, but maintaining a calm and composed demeanor will help you articulate your responses better.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls When Using the STAR Method

For a compelling STAR response, avoid these common mistakes:

• Being too vague : When describing the Situation or Task, many individuals fail to provide enough detail. This leaves interviewers wondering about the context or importance of your actions and results. Avoid this by being specific about what was happening and why it mattered.
• Skipping steps : Each element of STAR is vital for painting a complete picture. Don’t rush through or skip any part of the process—especially Action and Result—as this can leave gaps in your story.
• Focusing on group achievements : While teamwork is important, remember that the goal here is to highlight your skills and contributions. Make sure you’re focusing on what you did, not just your team.
• Neglecting the Result : Some people concentrate so much on the Situation, Task, and Action that they forget to adequately address the Result. Remember, outcomes matter! Be clear about what changed as a result of your actions.
• Over-rehearsing : While practice is important, sounding too rehearsed can come off as insincere or robotic. Keep it natural; let your passion for what you’ve achieved shine through.
• Not aligning with job requirements : Always keep in mind what competencies or qualities the interviewer is looking for and tailor your response accordingly.
• Ignoring non-verbal cues : Body language matters! Maintain eye contact, use open body language, and show enthusiasm through your tone of voice and facial expressions.
• Not learning from past experiences : Use feedback from previous interviews to refine your responses continually.

To avoid these pitfalls:

• Practice crafting detailed yet concise responses.
• Ensure you cover all elements of STAR without neglecting any.
• Highlight personal contributions and achievements.
• Align your responses with the job requirements.
• Pay attention to non-verbal cues.
• Use feedback to improve.

Real-World Examples: STAR Method In Action

Theory is one thing, but practical application is another.

Let’s delve into some real-world examples that illustrate how the STAR method can be employed effectively.

Example 1: A Project Manager Role

Consider a scenario where you’re interviewing for a project manager role and you’re asked, “Can you describe a time when you had to manage a particularly challenging project?”

• Situation : You could start by setting the scene – “At my previous job, I was given the responsibility of managing a project that involved implementing a new software system across all departments.”
• Task : Then, detail your specific responsibilities – “As the Project Manager, it was my duty to ensure smooth coordination between all departments and complete implementation within six months.”
• Action : Next, describe your actions – “I started by conducting meetings with each department head to understand their unique needs. I then created an implementation schedule and assigned tasks to team members based on their expertise. Regular progress meetings were scheduled to address any issues promptly.”
• Result : Finally, highlight the outcomes – “The new software system was successfully implemented across all departments within five months – one month ahead of schedule.”

Example 2: A Customer Service Role

Now imagine you’re interviewing for a customer service position and are asked, “Tell me about a time when you turned around an unhappy customer.”

• Situation : Start by painting the picture – “In my previous role as Customer Service Representative at XYZ Company, I received a call from an irate customer who had received an incorrect product.”
• Task : Detail your responsibilities – “My task was not only to resolve this issue but also to regain the customer’s trust in our company.”
• Action : Describe what steps you took – “I apologized sincerely for our mistake and assured her that we would rectify it immediately. I arranged for express shipping of the correct product along with return postage for the incorrect item. Additionally, I provided a discount code for her next purchase as a gesture of goodwill.”
• Result : Highlight the outcomes – “The customer was appreciative of how we handled the situation and continued to be a loyal customer.”

Adapting STAR For Different Interview Types

The beauty of the STAR technique lies in its universal applicability.

Whether you’re facing a panel, competency-based, behavioral, or even a stress interview, STAR can be your guiding light.

• Panel Interviews : With multiple eyes and ears on you, clarity is crucial. Using the STAR method, structure your answers so that every interviewer grasps your role and its impact. Address each element of your experience, ensuring you resonate with everyone on the panel.
• Competency-Based Interviews : Here, interviewers are seeking proof of specific skills. Lean into the ‘Task’ and ‘Action’ components of STAR. For instance, when discussing leadership, detail a time you led a team, the responsibilities you shouldered, actions you took, and the team’s achievements.
• Behavioral Interviews : These look to past scenarios as indicators of future behavior. Lay out the situation, your role, your actions, and the outcomes using STAR. This structured approach offers a tangible glimpse into your problem-solving and decision-making processes.
• Stress Interviews : While these are designed to see how you fare under pressure, the ‘Action’ component of STAR lets you highlight your adeptness at navigating challenges.

Variations To STAR: STAR-L (With Learning) And Beyond

As you become more comfortable with the STAR method, you may find yourself seeking ways to add depth and nuance to your responses.

One such variation is the STAR-L method, where ‘L’ stands for ‘Learning.’ This model carries you one step further by asking you to reflect on what you learned from the situation.

In this framework, after describing the Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR), you elaborate on what Lessons were gleaned from that experience.

This additional step showcases your ability to engage in self-reflection and continuous learning – two assets highly valued in today’s rapidly evolving work environment.

For instance, if your original STAR response was about a project where you led a team through a challenging deadline crunch and achieved success, in the STAR-L method, you might add that the experience taught you about the importance of clear communication or how better planning could have prevented such a tight deadline.

Beyond STAR-L are other variations like STAR-AR (Action-Result) or even SAR (Situation-Action-Result).

These versions are often used when interviewers want more emphasis on actions taken and their direct outcomes rather than focusing too much on context or task details.

The choice between these methods largely depends on the nature of your role and industry.

For example, roles requiring strategic decision-making might benefit more from using STAR-L to highlight learnings from past experiences. In contrast, positions focused on immediate results might prefer SAR or STAR-AR.

Comparing STAR: Differences From PAR (Problem, Action, Result) & CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) Techniques

The STAR method stands distinct from its counterparts – PAR (Problem, Action, Result) and CAR (Challenge, Action, Result).

While they all share a common thread of structuring responses in a clear and concise manner, there are subtle differences that set them apart.

• The STAR method provides a complete narrative by including situational context.
• The PAR method focuses primarily on problem-solving abilities.
• The CAR technique emphasizes resilience in overcoming challenges.

The STAR method is comprehensive in nature as it not only focuses on the problem at hand but also delves into the context or situation that led to it. This enables you to provide a detailed background before explaining your specific role or task. You then proceed to explain your actions and finally emphasize the results achieved.

On the other hand, the PAR technique zeroes in on identifying a Problem first. The focus here is more on problem-solving skills rather than situational context. After identifying a problem, you describe your action taken to resolve it and end with discussing the result. While this approach is direct-to-the-point, it may lack depth without setting up an initial context.

Similarly, the CAR technique begins by outlining a Challenge faced. The emphasis is on overcoming adversity or challenge rather than focusing solely on problem-solving. After describing how you tackled the challenge (Action), you discuss the result achieved.

Incorporating Emotion: The Role Of Feelings In STAR Responses

Incorporating emotion into your STAR responses can be a game-changer.

Emotion, when appropriately expressed, adds a layer of authenticity and relatability that can make your narrative more compelling.

It’s not just about what you did but how you felt while doing it.

Remember that interviews are not just an evaluation of your technical skills or experiences; they’re also about understanding who you are as a person.

Your emotions can indicate passion, dedication, resilience, and empathy – qualities that often define great employees.

When setting the scene in the ‘Situation’ step of STAR, don’t shy away from expressing how the situation made you feel. Were you daunted by the challenge? Excited at the prospect? This helps paint a vivid picture and draws your interviewer into the story.

During the ‘Task’ phase, sharing your emotional state can help showcase your motivation levels and commitment to tackling challenges head-on. Did the task fill you with dread or did it spark determination?

As you move on to ‘Action’, feelings play an integral role in demonstrating your work ethic and character. Were you frustrated when things didn’t go as planned? How did overcoming obstacles make you feel? These details provide depth to your response and highlight personal growth.

Finally, in discussing ‘Results’, emotions can emphasize the significance of your achievements. Was there a sense of relief or accomplishment? Did it boost your confidence or reaffirm your abilities?

However, there’s a delicate balance to strike here. Over-emphasizing emotions might make you come across as overly dramatic or unprofessional.

Keep it genuine and relevant; every emotional reference should serve to enhance understanding of your actions and results.

Pay attention to positive emotions – they leave interviewers with an optimistic impression of both past experiences and potential future performance. Negative emotions aren’t off-limits but frame them as part of learning curves or stepping stones towards success.

Role Of Non-Verbal Cues: Enhancing STAR Responses With Body Language

Non-verbal cues are the unspoken elements of communication that can significantly influence how your STAR responses are perceived.

Here’s how you can harness them effectively:

• Eye Contact : This is a primary indicator of confidence and honesty. As you detail the Situation or Task, direct eye contact shows you’re genuinely recounting your experiences and engaging with the interviewer.
• Posture : Your posture speaks volumes. Sit upright to show attentiveness. As you delve into the Action phase of your STAR response, a slight forward lean can subtly indicate your enthusiasm and engagement.
• Hand Gestures : These can breathe life into your narratives. Used rightly, gestures can make your Actions and Results more tangible. However, moderation is key—ensure your movements are purposeful and not distracting.
• Facial Expressions : They mirror your inner emotions. A genuine, relaxed smile or a thoughtful expression during the Result phase can underscore the positive outcomes of your story.
• Tone of Voice : Though not strictly ‘body language’, it is a pivotal non-verbal cue. Introduce variations in pitch to keep the interviewer engaged.

Remember, consistency between what you say (your STAR responses) and how you say it (your non-verbal cues) is key for effective communication during interviews.

Feedback Mechanisms: How To Refine Your STAR Responses

Feedback is crucial when mastering the STAR method for interviews.

By incorporating diverse feedback mechanisms, you can refine your answers for maximum impact.

Here’s how:

• Self-Evaluation : After practicing, pause and assess. Did you address the Situation, Task, Action, and Result effectively? Were there moments you lost focus? Recognizing your own strengths and pitfalls is the first step to improvement.
• Peer Review : Invite a friend or mentor to listen to your answers. Their external viewpoint can pinpoint areas that need refinement. Ask for feedback on both content and delivery, such as maintaining eye contact and speaking confidently.
• Record and Review : Film yourself during mock interviews. Observing yourself offers insights into non-verbal cues like body language and facial expressions, helping you make necessary adjustments.
• Seek Professional Guidance : A career coach or interview expert can offer seasoned insights, enhancing the depth and delivery of your responses.
• Embrace AI Feedback Tools : Several online platforms now provide AI-driven feedback on aspects like speech clarity, emotional tone, and response coherence. They can be a unique and modern tool in your preparation arsenal.

Refinement doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a gradual process that involves constant practice and willingness to learn from feedback received.

Practice Makes Perfect: Tips For Rehearsing STAR Answers

Naturally, the best way to master the STAR method is through practice.

Here are some strategic tips to guide you in rehearsing your STAR answers.

• Identify Potential Questions: Begin by identifying common interview questions related to your field or role. These questions will serve as a basis for your STAR responses. Look for those that ask about specific situations, tasks, actions, and results.
• Draft Your Responses: Once you’ve identified potential questions, draft your answers using the STAR format. Be specific and detailed in each section—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to paint a clear picture of your experience.
• Use Real-Life Experiences: Make sure to use real-life examples from your past experiences—whether they’re from previous jobs, volunteer work, or even academic projects. This not only makes it easier for you to remember details but also adds authenticity to your response.
• Rehearse Out Loud: Practicing out loud allows you to hear how your responses sound and gives you an opportunity to refine them further. Try practicing in front of a mirror or record yourself for playback; this can help identify any areas of awkwardness or confusion in your delivery.
• Get Feedback: Ask someone—a mentor, colleague or friend—to listen to your responses and provide feedback. They can point out any inconsistencies or gaps in your story that you may have missed.
• Time Yourself: While it’s important to be thorough with your responses, keep in mind that recruiters don’t want overly long answers either. Aim for two minutes per response—a stopwatch can help keep track!
• Adapt and Refine: Based on the feedback received and self-assessment done during rehearsal sessions, adapt and refine your responses until they’re polished and succinct.
• Keep It Fresh: Don’t memorize word-for-word as this can make you sound robotic during interviews; instead understand the key points you want to convey.

Evaluating Success: How Interviewers Assess STAR Responses

Interviewers are adept at assessing STAR responses, and they look for several key elements to gauge the success of your answer.

Understanding these criteria can help you tailor your responses more effectively.

• Relevance: First and foremost, interviewers assess whether the Situation, Task, Action, and Result you present align with the question asked or the competency being evaluated. Your response must be directly relevant to demonstrate that you understand what’s being asked of you.
• Specificity: Vague answers can leave interviewers guessing about your abilities. They prefer specific scenarios that showcase concrete actions taken and tangible results achieved. The more detailed your answer without rambling, the better.
• Action Orientation: Interviewers want to see that you’re a doer. They will evaluate how much of your story focuses on the actions you took versus background details or other people’s contributions.
• Result Impact: Your result should not just be a successful outcome; it should have had a significant impact on your team, project, or organization. Interviewers look for this to gauge how effective and influential you are in your role.
• Consistency: Consistency between what you say and what is known about you from other sources (like references or LinkedIn) adds credibility to your STAR response.
• Behavioral Indicators: Interviewers often use behavioral indicators to understand how likely it is that past behavior will predict future performance in similar situations.
• Non-verbal Cues: Your body language, tone of voice, facial expressions – all these non-verbal cues play a role in how well your STAR response is received.
• Learning Reflections: Some interviewers also appreciate when candidates reflect on their experiences and articulate what they learned from them or how they would improve their approach in future similar scenarios.

In conclusion, mastering the STAR method is not just about acing job interviews.

It’s a powerful tool that enhances your communication skills , helping you to present yourself in the best possible light.

Remember, like any skill, perfecting the STAR method requires practice and patience. Don’t be discouraged by initial challenges; instead, consider them as opportunities for learning and growth.

Use feedback constructively to refine your responses until they truly shine.

And don’t forget the power of non-verbal cues – a confident posture and genuine smile can add a whole new dimension to your story!

The STAR method is more than a technique; it’s a strategy for success. So go ahead – embrace it, and let your star shine bright!

877 Interview Blog Names To Spotlight Your Unique Voice

The Editorial Team at InterviewGuy.com is composed of certified interview coaches, seasoned HR professionals, and industry insiders. With decades of collective expertise and access to an unparalleled database of interview questions, we are dedicated to empowering job seekers. Our content meets real-time industry demands, ensuring readers receive timely, accurate, and actionable advice. We value our readers' insights and encourage feedback, corrections, and questions to maintain the highest level of accuracy and relevance.

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STAR Selection Criteria

How to use the star method when writing selection criteria.

Other models include CAR, PAR or SAO, as mentioned above. CAR Method: Context: describe the work context. Action: describe the action that you took. Result: describe the result of your action. PAR Method (remembered by the saying "PAR on the golf course"): Problem: describe the problem you were confronted with. Action/activities: describe the action or activities that you took to solve the problem. Result: describe the result of your action. SAO Method: Situation: describe a work situation that required your action. Action/activities: describe the action or activities that you took to solve the problem. Outcome: describe the outcome of your activities and action.

As you can see, these models are all very similar and will point you in a very similar direction. Because the STAR method is the most popular, this article will focus on this method.

Example of Using the STAR Selection Criteria Method

Following is an example of a job applicant following the STAR method and answering the questions in the box below. You can follow along using the colour coding.

What is the context for the example? What are the requirements of your role? What is expected of you in your position? How does this fit into the broader goals of the organisation?

What was the task or problem? What made this task unusual or difficult? What are the implications of not "getting it right"?

How did you decide what action to take? What steps were involved in the action? What did you have to consider along the way?

What happened? What were the immediate results and broader results for the organisation? Was there any feedback?

Ability to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction in an environment with high work volume, strict deadlines and competing client priorities. I often come across competing client priorities in my work. For example, most clients have deadlines for the procurement of items for their organisation and require advice regarding procurement options and legislative requirements within a certain time frame so they can complete their procurement. In these instances I have to make a well informed decision as to the priority of clients based on their deadlines and the importance of the procurement.  

For example, on one occasion the Department of Defence required advice regarding the procurement of an item for an overseas operation.  My task was to provide this advice however I also had three other clients who had submitted requests before the Department of Defence.  While these other departments thought that I should attend to their queries first I assessed that the operational requirements of the Department of Defence was considered a higher priority than the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade requiring advice about the procurement of a new photocopier.

Once I made a determination regarding client priority, I informed all clients of my turnaround time, explained the delays and higher priority issues that may affect the timeliness of advice. I continued to research and provide advice to the Department of Defence which resulted in a successful procurement for their overseas operation. In this instance, all four clients received the advice they required within an adequate time frame and I received praise for the assistance I provided.

The Drawbacks of Using STAR When Addressing Selection Criteria

Writing as a government recruiter who sits on panels on a regular basis and reads selection criteria statements all the time... it can't escape my attention that the best statements hardly appear to use this method at all. If they do, it's very rare. While this method might help you to write your statements addressing selection criteria and it might help some people get an interview, this method generally only produces mediocre statements. And, when 80% of all applicants use the STAR model, the selection panel ends up with a pile of mediocre applications. If you use the STAR method to write your selection criteria it is not going to doom you to failure. However, it is the small percentage who break free from the restrictive STAR method and whose applications shine, that end up with an interview. If you are new to government job applications using STAR can really help you get started. Writing about yourself is hard and time consuming. But once you've got the knack, I would suggest investing a little more time and effort into your criteria to really make them stand out.

What's Wrong With STAR?

Why doesn't the STAR method work? The main reason is that it is too restrictive, and most applicants follow this model by outlining one instance where they have applied the selection criteria in their employment (see the above example). Doing something well once doesn't mean that you are consistently good at it! The selection panel do not want to know about an example of a situation, task, action and result that you have that you have encountered once in your day to day work. They want to know that you have consistently good knowledge, skills and abilities.

Example of Re-Writing After Using STAR

The example we saw above (the coloured one) was written by a lady called Sue who was having trouble securing an interview. I worked with her on re-writing her selection criteria and she got an interview (and subsequently, the job) on her next try. Below is the re-written selection criteria so you can see the difference. In this example Sue not only gives an example, but she:

• Briefly details her exact role.
• Briefly details what her customer contact entails (this is a criteria about customer satisfaction).
• Gives a specific example that relates to the criterion.
• Demonstrates that she recognises the importance of her role.
• Demonstrates how she is proactive in ensuring customer satisfaction (not just reacting to issues).
• Explains her 'wins' in the business and long term results (not just results from one instance).

Ability to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction in an environment with high work volume, strict deadlines and competing client priorities. I currently work for the Department of X, whose mandate is to provide procurement information services to other Commonwealth agencies. My customer contact comes primarily via phone but I also spend approximately 20% of my time meeting with customers face-to-face to provide training or more comprehensive advice that isn’t as effectively delivered over the phone. My customer contact is high volume and the Department’s charter stipulates strict turnaround times that are documented and measured. I often come across competing client priorities in my work. For example, most clients have deadlines for the procurement of items for their organisation and require advice regarding procurement options and legislative requirements within a certain time frame so they can complete their procurement. In these instances I have to make a well informed decision as to the priority of clients based on their deadlines and the importance of the procurement. For example, if the Department of Defence require advice regarding the procurement of an item for an overseas operation, this would be considered a higher priority than the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade requiring advice about the procurement of a new photocopier. Once I have made a determination regarding client priority, I inform them of my turnaround time, explain any delays or higher priority issues that may affect the timeliness of advice, and then make an appointment with them at a later date to discuss the issue either over the phone or in person. As a customer care consultant I recognise the importance of my role in business partnering, as I have access to a large cross-section of staff and agencies. I use this exposure to gain an awareness of current issues of importance and arising issues, and communicate this knowledge to my business unit so that we can prepare for effective future service delivery. When communicating with customers I focus on listening to their needs, and respond appropriately. I believe strongly in educating myself in the business of my customers, as I believe this individual approach assists in developing appropriate solutions, and I demonstrate to the customer that their needs are important and that they come first. While partnering with current customers, I also form networks with potential customers. I believe this represents a tremendous opportunity to form solid working relationships, improve the image of my organisation, and present as an organisation with a high customer service focus. By discovering untapped areas, needs, and opportunities to deliver our products and services, not only are our image and perceived effectiveness improved, but outputs and deliverables across the organisation are maximised. I have had incredible success in this area of partnering and have high levels of customer satisfaction as measured by feedback surveys. I would be happy to provide copies of these surveys for your perusal at an interview.

How You Can Apply This

Using STAR can be a great way to get started, particularly if you struggle with writing or selling your skills and abilities. After your first draft however, expand and refine to include:

• A brief explanation of your exact role and how it fits into the organisation.
• A brief explanation of how your role relates to the selection criteria.
• Give a specific example that relates to the criterion.
• Demonstrate that you recognise the importance of your role / consequences of your role.
• Demonstrate that you are proactive and not just reactive (this could include how you keep up to date or training that you attend).
• Explain your 'wins' in the business and long term results (not just results from one instance).

I urge you to consider the damage you may be doing if you just follow the masses and do what they do.  The selection panel do not want to know about one situation, task, action and result from your day to day work, they want to know why you are the best person for the job!

More Selection Criteria Examples

Our ebook Selection Criteria Exposed contains 200 examples of statements addressing selection criteria . It has been produced for applicants in a hurry, and without the time to spend writing lengthy selection criteria statements. Take a look!

More Resources

A quick explainer video from workskills.org.au

The Australian Public Service Commission also briefly outlines the STAR model and how it can be used in government job applications.

More Help With Your Job Application:

How to Use the STAR Interview Method to Land a Job

Sharing anecdotes created with this simple acronym helps convey your experience and skills in a lively, memorable way.

The STAR method is a technique for organizing your answer to job interview questions that ask you to “describe a time when you” encountered a particular situation. It stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result.

What Is the STAR Interview Method?  

During a  job interview , you will probably be asked to tell a story about a time you handled a specific scenario or applied certain skills in the past. The best way to answer these types of questions is to use the STAR method, in which you tell a compelling story by describing the situation you faced, the task needed to be done, the actions you took to complete the task and the results of your actions.

The four steps — which form the acronym STAR — are as follows:

• Situation: Set up the scene of the situation and give necessary context.
• Task: Describe your task and responsibilities in the situation.
• Action: Explain the actions and steps you took to complete the task.
• Result: Discuss the results and positive outcomes of your actions.

The STAR method is especially useful for interviewees who aren’t great at thinking on their feet .

“It provides a candidate with a method of communicating a response in an organized method with a focus on behaviors and results,” said Theresa Adams, senior HR knowledge advisor at the  Society for Human Resource Management .

When Do You Use the STAR Method?

The STAR method is best for answering questions that require you to talk about an experience where you demonstrated a desired skill or trait. These kinds of scenarios arise when interviewers ask behavioral questions . 

Behavioral interview questions gauge how candidates may react in certain work situations. Examples of behavioral questions can include “tell me about a time you led a work project” or “tell me about a time you experienced conflict with a coworker .”

It’s best to limit the STAR method only to interview questions that ask you to provide concrete examples of skills and abilities. Basic interview questions like “ Why do you want to work here ?” or “ Where do you see yourself in five years ?” don’t mention a specific situation, so the STAR method would be inappropriate in these instances. 

How Does the STAR Method Work?

STAR interview answers follow each letter of the acronym as a step.  

1. Set Up the Situation

First, set up the situation at hand. Give the interviewer a clear (but brief) picture of where your example takes place and what was occurring. Include several details relevant to the interview question at most to avoid a lengthy response. You should spend no more than 20 percent of your talking time setting the stage, so keep your description concise. 

2. Describe the Task

Describe your main task, objective or goal in the situation, and what your responsibilities entailed. The interviewer should understand what your role was in the scenario and what you were expected to accomplish . Keep the summary as short as possible since you should spend no more than 10 percent of your answer talking about the task. 

3. Explain the Actions You Took

Explain what you did to accomplish your task, and what was significant about the action you chose to carry out. Don’t give a generic overview — it’s worth highlighting any details specific to your action and scenario. This is the most important part of your answer and can take up as much as 60 percent of your talking time. So, take the time to emphasize at least one or two key steps you took to resolve a situation or achieve a goal .  

4. Share the Results

Remember that stories you tell during an interview need to accomplish two things: Demonstrate your past capabilities and show the value you’ll add in the future. This is the time to not only reveal the result, but share what you learned during the experience and how you might handle it differently. Still, the results shouldn’t make up more than 10 percent of your answer. If you can promptly highlight your achievements and growth, the STAR format can be a strategic way to format your accomplishments into a strong narrative .  

How to Prepare for an Interview With the STAR Method

Anyone can say that they’re hardworking , responsible or adaptable — but you need to back up your claims with evidence. Instead of listing your  qualities and skills , tell a specific story about a time you exemplified them. Doing so will make your interview more memorable and give the employer a glimpse into how you behave in the workplace .

Here’s a few tips for practicing the STAR method and how to best apply it in an interview.  

“Do your best to avoid long-winded answers,” said  Octavia Goredema , a  career coach and author of Prep, Push, Pivot: Essential Career Strategies for Underrepresented Women . Practice pre-interview so you’re able to share answers confidently and with impact. “Interviewers will listen for relevant examples and details that convey how you solved a problem or overcame a challenge,” Goredema said.

Wait For Your Cue  

Getting your timing right is as important as choosing the right story. Relying too heavily on the STAR method can make your answers seem unnatural and may signal that you aren’t engaged in the current conversation, which is a turnoff for employers. Don’t leap in to share an anecdote every chance you get. Instead, listen for cues from your interviewer to pick the right moment to share. 

“When an interviewer is asking you to give an example of a situation where you had to overcome major obstacles to meet your objectives, the STAR method can be a useful tool in thinking about how to frame your answers and effectively answer their questions,” said Savanna Thompson, vice president of people at  98point6 . 

Be Authentic

An effective workplace story doesn’t have to be one where everything went perfectly. Don’t be afraid to tell stories where mistakes were made or things didn’t go entirely according to plan. Ultimately, the STAR method should show how you generated a positive impact at work and give you a chance to explain what you learned. 

See Interviews Holistically  

“Tell me about a time when…” most likely won’t encompass the entire interview, Goredema said. She recommends making a list of all tough questions like “ why should we hire you ” and practicing responses.

Example STAR Method Questions

Tell me about a time you overcame a difficult challenge  .

Situation: “I was just about to go into a board committee meeting when I received some emergency family news.”

Task: “I knew my attention wouldn’t be completely on the meeting, but this meeting had been on the books for months. I had to decide how to handle the situation.”

Action: “I decided that transparency was the best course of action. I went to the meeting and told the board what had happened. I offered to stay at the meeting. The board chair told me I should leave, and she offered to record the meeting so I could listen to it later.”

Result: “I was able to attend to the emergency and the board meeting continued. I listened to the recording during the week and was able to share a few thoughts with the board chair. I felt that trusting them with my news, and that in this case, vulnerability was a desirable leadership quality . The board’s understanding verified my choice.”

Tell Me About a Time You Were Suddenly Given a Leadership Opportunity

Situation: “I had been at my company for about six months when my manager had to take substantial FMLA leave to care for his parents. I was asked if I’d step in as acting manager during the time he was away.” 

Task: “My task was to keep my team on track and handle my own workload.”

Action: “Before he left, my manager, his manager and I met to go over the day-to-day aspects of managing our team as well as prioritize projects. Because I was cognizant that I’d have to get my own work done and manage the team, I got permission to place two long-term projects on hold until my manager returned. I then met with my team to devise a weekly plan for meeting deadlines and we set up a weekly 15-minute team meeting, in lieu of formal one-on-ones , to keep us on track. To keep my own work on track, I created a day-by-day plan and stuck to it.” 

Result: “Everything ran smoothly during my manager’s time away. I felt proud that I had asked for, and gotten, certain dispensations during his absence; I feel it showed that I understood priorities, for instance handling my own work and keeping the team’s day-to-day work on track, and didn’t try to be a superhero. My manager returned and was happy how things had gone during his absence, and six months later, I received a promotion .”

Describe a Time When a Project of Yours Didn’t Turn Out as Expected

Situation: “My team was asked to onboard a client that had been with the company in the past. The client had left the company because it felt it wasn’t getting proper customer service, but decided to give us a second chance.”

Task: “My task was to onboard and welcome this boomerang client in a way that they would feel that they made the right decision in returning.”

Action: “Before meeting the client, my team, sales and customer service met to figure out exactly what happened during the first go-round, and then outlined clear steps for rectifying those situations. For instance, the client had previously gotten check-in communication from customer service every two weeks; we decided to ask the client if one week would work better. We also decided that the account manager would, situation permitting, fly out to see the client every three months, and also offered the client a three-month free trial of a product we’d just introduced.”

Result: “The client seemed happy and satisfied with our efforts, but still left our company after a few months. In retrospect, maybe we tried too hard to keep them as a client, or perhaps it was just meant to be. In any event, I, my team, and the other teams learned a lot about each other and about client retention tools, so end over end it was a good experience.”

Why Is the STAR Interview Method Effective?

STAR answers form a connection between job candidates and interviewers, said Timothy Golden, a professor in the Lally School of Management at  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute . They help demonstrate your merits as a candidate , and also give interviewers a glimpse into how they’d operate as a potential employee.

“The beauty of the STAR method is that you never know what you’ll get,” said Martin Welker, CEO of  Zenkit . “The open-ended questions can reveal a wealth of information about the candidate’s potential as an employee as well as how they would fit into the team and  company culture .”

That’s especially true for  remote interviews . “One of the biggest differences in remote interviews is that the job candidate and the interviewer have the potential to feel psychologically distant from one another,” Golden said. “They feel less psychological closeness because they are spatially distant from each other. Both the job candidate and interviewer should work to psychologically connect with each other, through sharing stories and facial expressions.” 

Successful interviews, for both interviewer and candidate, will bridge that separation, and create an environment where the job interview can help both parties to truly understand one another . Where one person walks away with a job offer , and the other rejoices in a fine addition to their staff, it’s a win-win.

How the STAR Method Can Help Alleviate Implicit Bias

Behavioral-based questions produce key insights into a candidate’s competencies , said Elaine Obukhova, Academy of Management Scholar and assistant professor at McGill University in Toronto. Understanding how people have responded to certain past situations can help predict how they’ll respond in the future. 

So how can STAR curb  implicit bias ? Obukhova offers one example: Chinese-American job candidates, she said, can be stereotypically viewed as competent, but also as “cold” or “lacking leadership potential.” STAR questions can get past that bias because they focus on what people did rather than how they seem. 

“People from different backgrounds express themselves differently,” she said. “Interviews that focus on the discovery of ‘fit’ or ‘passion’ often disadvantage people from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds,” she said. “Asking about strengths and weaknesses will tell interviewers how well-spoken the candidate is, not necessarily reveal competence.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the star method.

The STAR method is an interview technique that helps candidates format answers for behavioral questions. STAR stands for situation, task, action and result.

What are examples of STAR questions?

"Tell me about a time you led a project" or "Describe a time when you were under pressure at work: how did you handle it?" are examples of STAR questions. 

How long should a STAR method response be?

Between one to four minutes long; approximately a few minutes.

What are the 4 steps in STAR?

• S ituation: provide the setting and context.
• T ask: describe the challenge you faced.
• A ction: outline the steps you took to resolve the challenge.
• R esult: share the outcome of your actions.

An earlier version of this story was written by Sunny Betz.

Recent Career Development Articles

How to Ace Interviews with the STAR Method [9+ Examples]

Behavioral job interview questions are hard.

Everything is going seemingly well, until the interviewer drops the “Can you tell me about a time when you…”  question.

Shoot, what now?

You try to think of a coherent answer, but you just can’t think of anything on the spot.

So, you blurt out something awkward (which you instantly regret) and pray that the interviewer will just let this one slide.

...But it didn’t have to go this way. There IS a way to give a good answer to every single behavioral job interview question:

The STAR Method.

In this guide, we’re going to teach you what, exactly, that is, and how to use it to ace your upcoming job interview!

• What the STAR method is and when to use it
• 4 tips to keep in mind when answering with the STAR method
• 9 sample job interview answers that follow the STAR method

Sounds good?

Let’s begin!

What is the STAR Method and When You Should Use?

So, first things first - what is the STAR method, exactly ?

In short, the STAR method is a structured answer that can be used to answer most behavioral interview questions.

Here’s what it stands for:

• (S) Situation - What’s the context? Describe the situation or the background first.
• (T) Task - Talk about your responsibilities or the tasks you had to complete (i.e. what was the challenge for the specific task?)
• (A) Action - How did you fix the situation? Describe your process and the steps you took.
• (R) Results - Describe the results of your actions. If possible, use numbers or hard data (e.g. by what % did you increase the overall sales? What changed?).

While you can use the STAR method for ANY interview question, it’s most useful for answering behavioral interview questions .

So, what ARE behavioral interview questions, exactly ?

In short, they’re just like any interview question, but their main focus is on real-life work situations.

• What’s your #1 strength?
• Give us an example of how you used your #1 strength at work, and what kind of results did it drive?

Makes sense, right?

Now, here are a few examples of what those questions might look like:

• Can you give me an example of when you had to take charge in your previous position? What happened and how did you react?
• Tell me about a time when you were faced with a tight deadline. Did you still manage to complete your tasks? How?
• Have you ever set specific goals for yourself at work? How did you make sure you would meet your objectives? 

Now that you know what behavioral interview questions are, let’s take a look at a sample answer that follows the STAR method:

Behavioral Interview Question:

“Give me an example of when you had to be very strategic in your tasks to meet all of your responsibilities under a specific deadline.”

Sample Answer:

Situation - “I typically like to plan out my work weeks in advance if possible. But in my previous sales manager role at Company X, I had to suddenly move the team to a new customer relationship management (CRM) software. The software we were using before unexpectedly changed their pricing model, which made it too expensive for us.”

Task - ”I had to find new software that met our requirement, by the end of Q3 (when the price increase hit), while making sure my own sales numbers did not decrease. The new tool also had to be intuitive and easy for our employees to adapt to.”

Action - “In order to do that, I had to be very careful with how I managed my time. The first thing I did was ask our sales associates what the number one problem was with our current CRM, so I knew what to look for in a new one aside from the price factor. After that, I dedicated 1-2 hours each day to research, and once I found the new software, migrating our data. I made sure to delete any old contacts, update the missing information on our current leads, and caught the team up on how to use the new software. All the while, I was still handling my daily responsibilities as usual, without any decrease in performance.”

Results - “Finally, we managed to complete the transfer 1 week behind the deadline. I finished the quarter 12% ahead of my sales goals, and the team was satisfied with the new CRM. By planning ahead and with proper time allocation, everything worked out well.” 

This is pretty much a perfect answer that follows the STAR method .

It gives the right amount of background , clearly shows the challenge without getting too detailed, presents the process when approaching the problem, and ends on a high note using data and numbers to show their results.

By using the above formula, it’s much easier to structure your answer so that the HR manager doesn’t get lost following your story. 

Now, if you really want to nail your answer, here’s what you need to keep in mind when following the STAR structure:

4 Tips on Getting the Most Out of the STAR Method

Knowing what the acronym stands for is only the first step.

Here’s how to really get the most out of the method:

1) Keep It Relevant

Sounds obvious, right?

But here’s the thing:

Even if you’re following the STAR formula down to the T, it won’t amount to much if your answer is not relevant .

Think about this: what are you trying to communicate with your answer?

Ideally, it should be related to your position and show that you come equipped with skills that will be helpful in the job you’re seeking.

For example: if you’re applying for a job in graphic design , you wouldn’t start talking about your greatest accomplishment in accounting , right?

If your answer is not relevant for the job, it basically doesn’t even count.

2) Have a Few Examples Ready

There’s no way for you to know in advance what type of behavioral interview question the interviewer will ask.

But it’s still a good idea to have a few examples ready that follow the STAR method.

This way, you can tweak and adapt your answer on the go depending on the question.

Keep in mind, though, that your answers shouldn’t be a word-for-word memorized script.

You’ll want to sound natural when answering.

And if you’re having a hard time coming up with an answer during the interview, don’t be afraid to ask for a minute to come up with an example.

It’s ok to take a few seconds and structure your answer in your head first. If anything, the HR manager might appreciate that you’re not rushing in your answers.

• While you’ll never know what questions they’ll ask during the interview, you can still prepare for the most common ones. Check out our complete list of most common interview questions and answers here !

3) Give Proper Context

Imagine you’re telling a story about how you saved a client’s project at the last minute.

You swooped in, took charge, and made sure everyone knew what to do.

That’s awesome! That’s what the interviewer wants to know about.

However, you don’t have to :

• Go in-depth about how you found the client in the first place.
• Describe your whole working relationship with them from the beginning till the end.
• Give their whole backstory and explain why you’re such good friends with the client.

As we mentioned before, your answer should be relevant and straight to the point .

So, when talking about the situation , try to only summarize the buildup to your story in only 1-2 sentences.

4) Show Your Work

Finally, it’s your time to brag a bit.

Don’t be afraid to go all out and show how you made a difference. Make sure to mention the following:

• What kind of impact did your actions have on your department/company?
• What were the EXACT results? use numbers and data to back it up.
• What did you learn from the experience?

No interviewer will be satisfied with a lackluster ending like “Yeah so, and then, we finished the project in time, and everyone lived happily ever after”

See how boring that sounds?

Even if the ending of your story isn’t all that amazing, you can at least say what you learned .

Star Interview Questions and Answers (+9 Examples)

Your answer following the STAR method will depend on the specific behavioral interview question being asked.

So, to help you prepare, we’re going to give you 9 more common behavioral interview questions (with their corresponding sample answers)!

The questions we’re going to cover include:

• What’s your greatest achievement?
• How do you set and accomplish personal goals when under pressure?
• Have you ever faced conflict or disagreement with a coworker? What Happened and how did you resolve it?
• How do you handle unexpected challenges? Give me an example
• Have you ever been in a situation when the client was wrong, and you had to correct them? Give me an example.
• Tell me about a time you failed. What happened and what did you learn?
• How do you handle irate customers? Give me an example.
• Can you tell me about a time when you went above and beyond to deliver excellent customer experience?
• Can you give me an example of a goal you set, but couldn’t meet? How did you handle it?

Now, let’s dig right in!

1) What is your greatest achievement?

S - “When I was a manager at Cafe X, we would always get a lot more customers than usual during the summer. It would almost always be packed, and sometimes, there were not enough servers to handle the work. And if someone got sick or unexpectedly could not show up - things were only worse.”

T - “So, I had to come up with a system so that we would not get overwhelmed during those 3+ months.”

A - “To make sure we were prepared, I realized we needed a better schedule. For the next summer, I had a very strict shift schedule ready, and a reward system in case someone couldn’t show up for their shift. If someone called in sick, whoever filled in for them would be rewarded with extra pay. And if there was absolutely no one else available, I would personally fill in for them instead.”

R - “Overall, the summer went pretty smoothly with minimal accidents. We didn’t get ANY negative reviews on TripAdvisor for the summer (whereas for the summer before that, we had several for slow service).”

2) How do you set and accomplish personal goals when under pressure? Give me an example.

S - “Sure! To give you some context, during university, I had very limited financial aid, and my parents couldn’t help co-pay the rest of the tuition. So, while studying, I also had to work to pay for the university. At the same time, I also took up a lot of extracurricular activities (and internships when possible) to get as much professional work experience as possible before graduating.”

T - “To keep up with the workload, I realized I had to manage my time very efficiently. So, I set up Google Calendar and got a personal notepad for my daily tasks and responsibilities.”

A - “Through hard work and dedication, I managed to balance studying, a part-time job, and all extracurricular activities. Sure, it was pretty tiring at times, but by the end of each day I would always go over and edit my calendar for the rest of the week. This way, I knew pretty much everything I had to get done daily, and never missed an assignment or a deadline either!”

R - “In the end, I graduated with a 3.7 GPA, no student loans, and a personal design portfolio which landed me my first real job at Company X within a month of graduating.

3) Have you ever faced conflict or disagreement with a coworker? What happened and how did you resolve it?

S - “Yep! During my internship at Company X, my team and I were supposed to work together and brainstorm new talent sourcing ideas for a client. The client was a large supermarket chain located in a very rural area, so they were struggling to source new talent. ”

T - “Basically our task was to meet on a daily basis, brainstorm and finally settle on 3 great ideas. After a couple of meetings, we did have SOME ideas, but none of them were too exceptional. The management wanted something that they could confidently present to the client (that would, for sure, drive results for them).

Some of my teammates wanted to just give up, say “well, here’s our ideas, we don’t have anything else!” and be done with it. Me and another teammate, however, wanted to work on it a bit more and come up with something that WOULD work.

There was a LOT of back and forth from there, the tensions were high, and the team kept shutting down all the ideas we were proposing. The deadline was super close, and had to figure out a way to move forward.”

A - “So, I gave it some thought, and realized that we’d forever be in a deadlock if we continued like this. They wouldn’t agree with our approach, and we wouldn’t agree with theirs. So, we decided to bring in an unbiased third party who didn't have any emotional investment here.

We then conducted a longer meeting without any time restraints (so we’d get everything done ASAP in a single meeting), where we went through each idea one by one, and the third party acted as a sort of mediator. When someone pitched something, they also had to back it up with as many facts as possible, otherwise it wouldn’t count.”

R - “This really helped bring in something new to the table. The “mediator” helped sort through all the bad ideas, as well as infusing the team with some new energy.

We eventually DID end up coming up with completely original ideas, which were also something we all agree upon. We finished the meeting in approx. 2 hours, and the management had 3 awesome ideas they could pitch to the client. The client DID implement one of the ideas, which eventually resulted in 3 new hires.”

4) How do you handle unexpected challenges? Give me an example

S - “One time, while preparing for a presentation at a conference for Company X, one of our guest speakers had to unexpectedly cancel due to an emergency. We found out only a few hours before the event, and there was now a 1-hour gap in our schedule we had to fix.”

T - “So, we didn’t have a lot of time, and had to somehow fill up the time slot to keep the event going.”

A - “As one of the main event organizers and community managers at the company, I decided to take initiative. Instead of the guest speaker, I wanted to present our CEO as the speaker instead - which was definitely a possibility because he was working behind the scenes as well. I personally spent an hour working with him one-on-one, trying to get him to transform his decade’s worth of experience into a presentation. With 30 minutes to spare, everything was ready to go and all that was left was to present.”

R - “From the one 1 hour gap, the speech lasted about 45 minutes, and for the rest of the 15 minutes we took some questions from the audience. After that, everything continued on track, and most of the audience members loved the presentation.”

5) Have you ever been in a situation when the client was wrong, and you had to correct them? Give me an example.

S - “Yes, that happens every so often. 

I can think of one example which happened during my first job as a recruiter. I had sent out a candidate over to a client and the hiring manager had rejected him based on CV alone. They said that the candidate was too junior of a profile for the position, no experience with X, Y and Z.” 

T - “I went through the resume and my notes several times, and I was 100% sure that this had to have been a mistake on the client’s part - the candidate was an exact match for the job ad they gave me.

So I had to somehow let them know about it without seeming to be telling them how to do their job.”

A - “I contacted my candidate, I got exact and thorough information on his experience with X, Y and Z, wrote it all out in an email and obviously with a very calm and professional tone explained to our client’s hiring manager that my candidate did in fact have experience in all areas pointed out, proven by this and that project, etc. And I kindly asked him to review his application.”

R - “He responded, agreed that the candidate did in fact have the required experience and admitted that it was an error on their end. So, they DID invite the candidate for an interview. Given, he wasn’t chosen for the role, but oh well, at least we gave him a chance.”

6) Tell me about a time you failed. What happened and what did you learn?

S - “During my last job, I was managing the web dev team in charge of setting up an online e-commerce store for one of our clients. In hindsight, I was too ambitious with the project, and over-promised the turnaround rate for the website. I told them we’d be done within 2 months, as it seemed like a very cookie cutter project at the time. However, around 2 weeks into the project, we realized we were off by at least a month, as we would have to hand-code a bunch of stuff that we thought was open source or sold as packaged plugins.”

T - “So, I had to inform them about the issue, give an updated deadline for our team, and fix my mistake.”

A - “After the meeting, they were understanding, but not very happy. I then assembled our web developers and started working hard on the project the very next day. We focused 100% of our time on fixing the issue, outsourced some of the small tasks to save time, and ended up fixing everything before the new deadline.”

R - “In the end, their site was a success and I learned a valuable lesson on managing expectations. I realized that sometimes it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver, and learned how to better set and manage deadlines for my team.”

7) How do you handle angry customers? Give me an example.

S - “I always try to be calm and collected. Recently, when I was serving a customer behind the checkout, I had a customer shout at me for not being eligible for a refund. The customer was getting louder and there was a large line starting to form behind him.”

T - “I had to remain calm, move the conflict somewhere else, and make sure the other customers could go about their purchases.”

A - “I realized the best thing to do was to move the situation away from the cash register. I asked my colleague to take over for me so that I could talk to the customer one-on-one and better explain the situation. I explained that I could understand his frustration, but I made it clear that sales items were non-refundable, even though he had a receipt.”

R - “In the end, he began to calm down and accepted my explanation. While he still wasn’t happy about it, I managed to dissolve the situation before he made any more of a scene. I believe that by being calm and empathetic, it’s possible to dissolve most (if not all) such situations.”

8) Can you tell me about a time when you went above and beyond to deliver excellent customer experience?

S - “When I was working at Company X, we were preparing for a video presentation for a client when I learned that someone on their team was deaf. The presentation was due the next day in the morning and I was the only one left in the office after 5PM.”

T - “I realized there was only one solution and that was for me to stay behind in the evening and add the captions myself.”

A - “It took a few hours, and around 8PM, I was done. Then, I let our team know about the update.”

R - “In the end, the client enjoyed the presentation. They were very impressed (and surprised) by our attention to detail, and we ended up closing them soon after.”

9) Can you give me an example of a goal you set, but couldn’t meet? How did you handle it?

S - “In my previous job, one month, we decided to focus most of our marketing efforts on growing our blog. I was charged by the CMO to take over the blog and create content. The issue was, I had ZERO experience with content, but we didn’t have anyone else to own the channel.”

T - “I had to write 5 total articles in that month, create the social media posts for them, and work on promoting them.”

A - “Halfway through the month, I realized I couldn’t write. At all. It just wasn’t my thing, and I had NOTHING to show for the month’s work. So, here’s what I did: I explained the situation to the CMO, and we came up with an alternative solution. We’d find outsourced content writers on UpWork, and I’d manage them as a content strategist.”

R - “Overall, we ended up hiring a content writer, who managed to pump out the 4 articles before the deadline. I worked hand-in-hand with them to ensure that their writing was on-brand, and I also created the social posts for them and promoted them. Overall, the articles performed pretty well, even landing us a handful of new leads.”

Key Takeaways

Yes, interviews can be quite scary. 

With the STAR method, though, you’ll stand a much better chance at acing them!

Now, let’s recap everything we’ve learned:

• To answer behavioral job interview questions, you need to give real-life examples and stories. To answer it right, you need to follow the STAR method.
• As a reminder, the acronym stands for: S - Situation, T - Task, A - Action, R - Results.
• The format is quite straightforward to follow. Just make sure your answers are relevant, give proper context , describe your thought process , and finally, include real facts and figures .
• And for sample answers, you can always consult with the examples above for some inspiration.

Are you looking for more ways to prepare for and to ace the job interview? Then you should look no further than the Novorésumé career blog for the latest career advice and other actionable guides!

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