Master the STAR Technique to Ace any Interview

Tips and tricks to face and ace the behavioral interview

It is totally fine to feel butterflies in the stomach when interviewing for a job, especially when you are still a college student. You have limited experience, and it is probably the first time you are facing a panel of big wigs. However, the interviewers are well aware of candidates’ emotions at this stage. Remember, they are here to select, not reject.

Basic Preparation Goes a Long Way

Besides being punctual, greeting interviewers with a smile, and following social etiquettes to the T, take a measured and careful approach while giving an interview. Experienced interviewers often pose hypothetical questions like ‘How will you handle a situation when one of your future teammates is non-cooperative?

These kinds of questions are known as situational interview questions. You can crack them easily if you master the STAR approach, an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

STAR Technique – The Key to Unlocking Behavioural Questions

The STAR technique would stand you in good stead even when behavioral interview questions are posed. Behavioral interview questions place you in scenarios that you would have been in the past. These questions usually seek answers to how you got yourself out of a tricky situation. Besides answering situational and behavioural questions, the STAR also gives you valuable tips on keeping your answers brief and direct.

Well Prepared is Half the Job Done

Before facing the interview:

Remind yourself of the activities you fared well in, particularly those that relate to the job description.
Always ensure that the answers portray you in a positive light.
Remember to explain one event thoroughly without mixing up several incidents.

There will likely be specific questions around the competencies for the position you are being interviewed for, so it’s best to prepare for such questions by noting down a suitable event in advance. Remember to answer in the context of all four parameters of STAR. Talk about the Situation, the Task to be resolved, what Actions you took, and the Results when answering the questions. Later, describe it in detail, highlight the most challenging part, and tell them the actions you took at that time and how you arrived at a solution. Once you have answered, pause and wait for the next question.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Even if you failed, tell them the truth, and explain how you got close to resolving it by taking the right approach. Interviewers usually want to see how you would approach a particular situation. Do also understand that when an interviewer poses a behavioral question, they look at how you positively portray failures.

However, it would be best if you never resorted to exaggeration. Do not show your team or teammates in a negative light. Job interviewers always prefer to hire honest and positive people.

Finally, practice answering hypothetical questions by putting yourself in an interviewer’s shoes. Do not rest until you are happy with the result.

Conclusion

Successful candidates have testified to the efficacy of the STAR technique, making it decidedly the best strategy for facing an interview. Moreover, it creates a system that candidates can easily remember when they respond to interviewers. This method makes you feel prepared and cautions you to be brief while answering.

So go ahead and rock that upcoming interview—no more butterflies in the stomach.