AptKeysWork · Interviews
Story answers (STAR)
When they say "Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example of...," answer with a short story: the Situation, your Task, the Action you took, and the Result. Behavioral questions are the most common kind you'll face. Prepare three or four true stories ahead of time, use a number when you can, and keep each answer to about two minutes.
You'll need
- Paper, or a notes app
- Three or four moments from work, school, sports, volunteering or family
- The job posting
Do it like this
- Spot the question. Behavioral questions often start with "Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example of...". Employers ask them because how you acted in the past is seen as a predictor of how you'll act on the job.
- Situation: give the background the interviewer needs to understand what was going on. One or two sentences.
- Task: name the goal you were responsible for, or the obstacle you had to get past.
- Action: describe what you did, step by step, and the skills and resources you used. Say "I," not "we," so it's clear what you did.
- Result: say what came of it, good or bad, and what you learned. Use numbers to show what you accomplished where you can.
- Prepare for the common prompts: handling a deadline or stress, something that went wrong or a mistake you made, a goal you set and reached, an unexpected problem, a difficult customer, and a skill you learned recently. One good story can often answer more than one.
- Practice out loud, on paper and with a friend or a free practice site. About two minutes per answer is normal.
Watch out Keep it true. Interviewers may ask follow-up questions, and they can compare what you say with what your references say. Keep it short too. A story that wanders loses people. If the interviewer looks distracted, shorten your answer, give an example or ask a question.
Dad note Three good stories, practiced out loud, will carry most interviews.