Career Success Guide

Interviewing - The S.T.A.R. Technique

THE S.T.A.R. TECHNIQUE

Task What was required of you? What goal(s) were you working toward?

Action Talk about what you actually did and the action(s) that you took. What specific steps did you take? Describe your contribution with an appropriate amount of detail.

Situation This provides the overview, or context for your story. Describe a specific event or situation and give enough detail for the interviewer to understand what skills you used effectively that you will bring to their company. This situation can be from a previous job, co-op, volunteer experience, class project, or any relevant event.

Result How were you successful? What did you learn? Describe the outcome of your actions and take credit for your accomplishments. This also provides a natural ending to your narrative.

The S.T.A.R. Technique, when used well, is heard as a seamless narrative that provides a specific example of experience. This may sound simple, but without preparation it is easy to give an answer that skips key details, or doesn’t have a natural ending. Use the table below to make a list of examples in advance. This will enhance your answers during an interview to be as seamless as possible. SKILL YOUR S.T.A.R. STORY

Situation: Snow storm during Career Conference Task: Coordinate new parking for 400+ people

COMMUNICATION

Action: Work with committee members to streamline communication Result: All employers parked successfully with minimal confusion

Situation: Task:

TEAMWORK

Action: Results:

Situation: Task: Action: Results: Situation: Task: Action: Results: Situation: Task:

DECISION MAKING

ORGANIZATION

ANALYZING

Action: Results:

53