Shine in your next interview with the STAR technique

Cringing at your answer to a question in an interview… we’ve all been there.

The interviewer asks;

“Describe a time when...”
“Give me an example of…”

And then ensues an awkward “um….em…well…” while you try and rack your brains for examples of times when you have been truly fabulous (which usually ends up as a lot of waffle that doesn’t really answer the question).

The thing is, you already have the answers to all these questions. You've literally lived through every "example" and "a time when" that has ever happened in your working life.

However, sometimes it's hard to figure out how to answer questions like these without coming across as boastful or you're unable to just demostrate your experience in a comprehensive manner.

One small nugget that might help with interview prep is the old but gold STAR technique.

S – Situation

Describe the circumstances within which you performed a job or faced a challenge at work.
 

T – Task

Next, describe your responsibility in that situation. What role did you play in resolving the task or overcoming the challenge?
 

A – Action

You then describe how you completed the task or endeavoured to meet the challenge. What key things did you do to help resolve the task or challenge?
 

R – Result

Finally, explain the outcomes or results generated by the action taken. What did you learn and were you proud of the outcome?

Breaking it down like this really helps you get across what you're trying to say.

Remember, you've already got the interview (which is amazing!) so use the STAR technique to demonstrate your experience in the best way possible and make sure you shine.