Using the Star technique to shine at job interviews: a
how-to guide.
There are many types of interviews, from the free flowing to the formal,
but one that you are likely to come up against at some point is the
competency-based interview.
They're designed to make the job application process as objective as
possible, removing any conscious or subconscious bias by the interviewer by
asking each candidate the same questions. Some people feel this type of
interview is more stilted – there can be less opportunity to build rapport.
However, they are very common, especially in large organizations and the public
sector, so it's worth refining your technique.
The questions will be driven by a competency framework that's required
for the job. For example, a marketing executive may require problem-solving
skills, or a job in customer services may require conflict management skills.
The interview questions tend to start with a variation of, "Tell me
about a time when…" This may sound simple but, in the heat of the
interview, it's easy to give an unstructured answer, miss out key details, or
let the story peter to a halt.
One way of avoiding this is by using the Star acronym to structure your
response. Here are two examples of how to implement the technique:
A candidate for a marketing executive role might be asked: "Tell me
about a time that you solved a problem to a tight timescale." Here's how
you could structure your response:
• Situation – set the context for your story. For example, "We were
due to be delivering a presentation to a group of 30 interested industry
players on our new product and Stuart, the guy due to deliver it, got stuck on
a train from Birmingham."
• Task – what was required of you. For example, "It was my
responsibility to find an alternative so it didn't reflect badly on the company
and we didn't waste the opportunity."
• Activity – what you actually did. For example, "I spoke to the
event organizers to find out if they could change the running order. They
agreed so we bought ourselves some time. I contacted Susan, another member of
the team, who at a push could step in. She agreed to drop what she was doing
and head to the event."
• Result – how well the situation played out. For example, "Stuart
didn't make the meeting on time but we explained the problem to the delegates
and Susan's presentation went well – a bit rough around the edges but it was
warmly received. Stuart managed to get there for the last 15 minutes to answer
questions. As a result we gained some good contacts, at least two of which we
converted into paying clients."
There are a few things to note with this response: it's important to
speak in specific rather than general terms and quantify your success. In this
example, we mentioned 30 delegates, the names of the people involved and
quantified two contacts converted to clients. From a listener's perspective,
this makes the story more interesting and they are more able to gauge your
success. Nameless figures and undefined successes can make the answer less feel
less convincing. Secondly, as there are likely to be many questions and
interviewers have short attention spans, it's important to keep your answers
concise: convey the maximum achievement in the minimum time. Finally, it's
important to finish on a positive note so the overall impression is strong.
In a second example, a candidate for a customer services role is asked:
"Describe a situation when you had to deliver excellent customer service
following a complaint"
• Situation: "A customer rang up complaining that they'd waited
more than two weeks for a reply from our sales team regarding a product
query."
• Task: "I needed to address the client's immediate query and find
out what went wrong in the normal process."
• Activity: "I apologised, got the details and passed them to our
head salesperson, who contacted the client within the hour. I investigated why
the query hadn't been answered. I discovered that it was a combination of a
wrong mobile number and a generic email address that wasn't being checked. I
let the client know and we offered a goodwill discount on her next order."
• Result: "The client not only continued to order from us but
posted a positive customer service tweet."
Used at its best, the Star structure is invisible to the listener and it
simply comes across as a well-articulated example. Create a bank of answers in
this format in advance, so don't struggle to do it on the day and can make it
appear as seamless as possible.