Is it easy for you to relay a well-structured story about your previous work experience in response to an interview question—you know, the ones that start with “Tell me about a time when…”? Are you good at telling stories? Do you get right to the point and include all the relevant details, or do you possibly tend to forget to mention some key context or have a tendency to ramble? What if you add the stress of a job interview?
Yeah, that’s a bit tougher. especially if you find it difficult to come up with an example that answers the question and then have to tell it as an anecdote with a clear takeaway.
First off, know that you’re not alone and that we’ve all been there. The STAR interview method is a technique you can use to develop answers to these dreaded questions that are far more impressive.
How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions Sample Answers
Result
What resulted from your actions, such as “We finished the project on schedule, meeting all of their requirements” Navigating a lot of change and succeeding under duress was incredibly rewarding. ”.
Examples of behavioral interview questions
Here are a few examples of queries that may be asked of you during your upcoming behavioral interview. Spend some time planning and creating sample responses for each so that you are ready for upcoming interviews.
Behavioral interview sample answer
Here is an illustration of how you might respond to a behavioral interview question using the methods mentioned above:
“At my previous job, my colleague and I couldn’t agree on how to handle a delicate situation involving our client,” was the response. Our error in their campaign led to subpar performance as a whole. I decided it would be best to inform the client of the mistake even though my colleague wanted to continue without doing so.
I asked him if we could set aside some time to compare the advantages and disadvantages of each choice after we had gone back and forth. In order to understand one another better, we ultimately needed to see each other’s motivations and fears.
We made the choice to inform the client of what had transpired and to offer them a free follow-up campaign. Although it did cause a short-term loss for the business, the client valued our integrity and signed up for an annual campaign that cost more than they had previously spent with us. Along with receiving recognition for our cooperation, my coworker and I ended up providing conflict resolution advice to other client teams. ” .
BAR is a strategy for coming up with your best answer to behavioral-based questions; it involves telling a narrative. Stories have a form: a beginning, middle and an end. Using the BAR method is an easy way to write your stories. Include the specific Results of your efforts after describing the Background of the situation you encountered, the Action you took to resolve it, and the Action you took to remedy it.
What questions the STAR method used for?
To respond to behavioral interview questions (or any other questions requiring you to tell a story), use the STAR method. To put it another way, when a prompt requests a real-world example of how you handled a specific scenario in the past, use the STAR method (i e. , how you behaved in the past).
Don’t worry—these questions are easy to recognize. They often have telltale openings like:
Finding a suitable example for your response is just the start of answering questions of this nature. In addition, you must present the information in a compelling and understandable manner, without droning on and on. The STAR interviewing technique allows you to do just that. According to Dea, “It offers a straightforward framework for assisting a candidate tell a meaningful story about a prior work experience.”
What is the STAR method?
The Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR) method is an interview technique that provides you with a simple structure you can use to tell a story.
The interviewer will receive “a digestible but compelling narrative of what a candidate did” by using these four elements to shape your anecdote, advises Muse Career Coach Al Dea, founder of CareerSchooled. “They can follow along, but also gauge a candidate’s potential job fit based on their response,” ”.
FAQ
What are the 10 most common interview questions and answers?
- Tell me about yourself.
- What attracted you to our company?
- Tell me about your strengths.
- What are your weaknesses?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Please describe a time when you faced a business obstacle.
What is the STAR method when interviewing?
The STAR method is a structured way of answering a behavioral interview question by outlining the precise circumstance, duty, course of action, and outcome of the circumstance you are describing.
What are the 3 types of interview questions?
When interviewing candidates, there are several different kinds of questions that can be used: situational, behavioral, and competence questions. It’s crucial to have a balance between the three types so you can accurately assess their aptitude, motivation, and potential behavior should they join your team.
What are the 5 Star interview questions?
- Tell me about a time when you encountered a difficult circumstance.
- Do you usually set goals at work? …
- Give me an instance of when you erred at work.
- Have you ever faced conflict with a coworker? …
- Describe an occasion when you handled pressure well.
