Whenever I have an upcoming job interview, I always make a point to schedule a practice interview at the Career Crossings Office the day before. It helps me get in the interviewing mode, practice my answers outloud, and receive feedback on what I should improve on. Most job interviews are what’s called behavioral interviews. The questions start with phrases such as “Tell me about a time when you…” “Give me an example of how…” or “How would you respond to…” They might ask how you responded to a challenge, how you worked with others, how you’ve reached past goals or how overcame a stressful situation.The purpose of these questions is to see how you would behave in certain situations, how you respond to challenges, and what sort of work ethic and communication skills you’d bring to the company. The problem? These questions don’t ask a straight yes or no answer. Instead, the interviewer wants to hear a narrative from start to finish. But how do you keep from rambling, especially in such a nerve wracking situation?
The CCO teaches the S.T.A.R interview method for behavioral interviews. The acronym is a great way to guide your answers and ensure you rock the interview!
Situation
The first step to answering a behavioral question is describing the situation. Was this working in a group project? A team presentation at a previous internship? Was it at a chaotic volunteer event?
Tasks
Next, explain what the task was, and highlight any constraints or challenges (deadlines, difficult coworkers, tight budget, etc)
Action
What did you to complete the task and overcome the constraints? The action you took should highlight one or two specific skills, such as initiative, communication, collaboration, or compassion.
Result
Believe it or not, this is the part many people forget to include in their answers. What happened after the action steps? It could be a specific number (sales increased 10%), or it could be praise you received (my boss was impressed with how well our team worked together). Or, maybe it shows ways you continued to work well in the past (in later projects, my team and I were able to split our responsibilities more equally). This shows why your action steps were effective in the first place.
So, to give an example of a STAR interview answer, imagine the interviewer asked, “Tell me about a time you had to work well under pressure.” Here’s an example answer:
“Last spring, I volunteered at an annual community 5k race (situation). The morning of the race, we expected approximately 100 volunteers to be there to help set up. However, because of the early start time, many did not show up, and we were very understaffed! (task) However, I knew the best thing would be to keep calm. Though we now had a lot to do with very few people to do it, I knew if we started to panic or get overly stressed, people would make careless mistakes, or get frustrated and lash out at each other. I tried to set an example to my fellow volunteers by remaining calm, because stress can often rub off on others. When one person acts overly stressed and frazzled, it can make others feel the same way. We kept our calm but worked efficiently, and re-deligated tasks to ensure everything got done and everyone had an equal amount of work (action). In the end, the 5k was a huge success! All of the hundreds of runners and spectators enjoyed themselves, and it was covered positively in the local newspaper. One runner even told me it was the best race she had ever participated in! (result).
Behavioral interviews don’t have to be nerve wracking. Giving a strong, impressive and complete answer is easy, as long as you follow the STAR method. Good luck interviewing, belles!