The STAR method: how to answer any behavioural interview question

Behavioural interview questions — the ones that start with "Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example of..." — are used by virtually every employer. The STAR method is the most effective framework for answering them.

What is STAR?

S — Situation: Briefly set the scene. Where were you, what was the context?

T — Task: What was your specific responsibility or challenge?

A — Action: What did YOU do? (Use "I" not "we" — they're interviewing you)

R — Result: What happened? Quantify wherever possible.

Example: "Tell me about a time you led a project under pressure."

Situation: "In my previous role, our lead developer left unexpectedly three weeks before we were due to launch a major product update for a key client."

Task: "As the senior product manager, I had to decide whether to delay the launch or find a way to deliver."

Action: "I held an emergency team meeting, re-scoped the deliverable to the core must-have features, brought in a freelance developer I had worked with before, and ran daily standups to track progress closely."

Result: "We delivered on time. The client was happy, and we actually received positive feedback on the streamlined feature set. The experience also led us to implement a proper contingency process for future launches."

Common mistakes

• Too much Situation and not enough Action
• Using "we" instead of "I"
• No measurable Result
• Choosing a story where the outcome was negative without explaining what you learned

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