Scared of being seated in a panel with all eyes on you? Here is the STAR method that will help you ace it like a pro.
One experience that you will carry with you all your life is your first interview. It may not be a very smooth one, but the suspense, jitter and trying to give your best in one shot sure brings out a whole new person in you. If you have been around interview circuits, you will know the whereabouts and how a company accesses you based on their questions. The very foundation of interviews have also changed with time, and now they are more practical based. Let us go through a popular method to crack all interviews like a pro known as the STAR method.
The acronym STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Response. But, first, let us find how effective the technique is.
Before the interview, the interviewer narrows a list of qualities that the person deems crucial to succeed in the job role. For example, suppose you are interviewing for a part of a customer manager, they will access your competencies like negotiation skills.
The STAR Technique-
The STAR technique is a storytelling framework used to answer behavioral questions. Just like a well-written story, it is the best answer to put in an interview.
Your goal is to highlight experiences with the best display of skills required in the interview. Soft skills like leadership, negotiation, communication, teamwork.
Situation-
Start with a brief background of the situation. Then, give context by opening a plot of how conditions led you to develop a solution for the position.
Task-
This is about the work you have been assigned. It is not about your teammates; it is about your role specifically. Explain the task with all variables and figures involved. For example, if you had to raise the sale by 50%, mention it. Interviewers love numbers and figures, and it gives your experience an authentic spin.
Action-
Narrate specific actions you took to complete your task. Your efforts should bring noticeable traits. Talk about your role and how you are capable of solving problems. You can show leadership and communication skills. You can tell the interviewer how you rally teams and get into deep involvement from everyone.
Results-
Close with your achievements. The results must be positive, and it can quantify the results. For example, the 50% increase in sales and 10% increase in onboarding and so on. By giving hard facts and numbers, you are helping the interviewer to judge your efforts. Make sure your responses are always to the point and never vague.
