Use the STAR Method to answer any interview question

Use the STAR Method to answer any einstellungsgesprch questionIts interview day. Youve worked on your handshake, your eye contact, your head-to-toe professional outfit. You know your resume, and youve reviewed the job description so many times you can practically see it when you close your eyes. So, youre ready. And then in the interview, you get a question you werent necessarily expecting Tell me about a time when you Argh, the dreaded behavioral questions. Now what? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) First, dont panic. You can answer any question an interviewer throws your way, without grinding the whole thing to a halt. Its as simple as being a STAR. Heres how to use the STAR methodWhats the STAR Methodandhowdoyouuseit?STAR is a method you can use to frame an answer quickly andefficiently. Its an acronym forSituationWhere/when did this example take place?Task What wasyour level of responsibility in this example?Action Whatsteps did you t ake?Result What wasthe outcome, and what did you learn or achieve?Lets break down some strategies for using the STAR methodin your next and future interviews.Find the right exampleUnless something comes to mind right away, this can be the hardest part. But think of it this way the question is likely to be a situation that is tied to something on your resume or a task in the job description, so this is something you can think about in advance, even if you dont know what will be asked specifically. Ahead of the interview, come up with examples or anecdotes for every experience bullet point and skill on your resume. That way, when youre asked, Tell me about a time you showed leadership, you will already have a list of relevant points ready to go.Relevance is the keyyou dont want to start rambling aboutsomething that doesnt really fit what the interviewer is asking. So the quickinternal check should be, I think this is the right storydoes it answerwhats being asked?And if you need a bit of time to think things over, say soits okay to ask for a minute to think things over. Thats a really great question Id like to think about it for a minute You dont want your contemplation to go too long, but taking 30 seconds to gather your thoughts will lead to a better answer.Set the sceneThis doesnt have to be an elaborate, cinematic story.However, you should be able to give a few quick details to show the interviewerwhat the context is for your story.Iwas the lead on a project, and 80% of my team had called in sickWe were on schedule and on budget when the client changed his mind in the middle of the meetingItook a call from an angry customer, who was not interested in hearing thecompanys side of the storyYoull want to make it conversational so that it doesnt sound like you memorized a card. All you need are a few short sentencesno need to provide a detailed backstory about everyone involved or a history of your employment. You want the details to be directly relevant to your story. And its okay to be humorous or light in your response, as long as you keep the tone professional.Talk about what you did to solve the problem or approach the issueOnce youve set the scene for the interviewer, talk aboutwhat you did to resolve the issue. Usually, when interviewers askbehavioral-style questions, theyre just as interested in the how as the what. And again, this doesnt need to be a long-winded, detailedstep-by-step. A few succinct bullet points about what you did in the situationwill be just fine. If the interviewer has any follow-up questions, shell ask.Talk up your achievementsor lessons learnedWhen youre talking about the results, dont be afraid to talk about what you achievedespecially if it puts you in a positive light. You dont want to come off like a braggart, but you should own your accomplishments.Theproject came in under budget thanks to my fix, and we broke sales records thatyear.Because I caught the order before it was processed, I was able to stop 5, 000 widgets from being shipped accidentally. That was a great feeling.And if you picked an example that didnt necessarily have ahappy ending (because hey, sometimes thats the only anecdote that fits), besure to talk about what you did gain from the situation.Although it was difficult while I worked to resolve the issue, it taught me that nothing is more important than providing a oben liegend customer experience.Itwas definitely a learning experience, and having worked with such a demandingclient, I know I can work with anyone to get the job done.Like with your other STAR points, a couple of sentencesshould be all you need to summarize and wrap up your story.Practice beforehandIf youre not all that comfortable with storytelling, this is definitely a skill you can build before youre in the interview hot seat. Just like with body language or your handshake, practice until it becomes second nature Grab a trusted person who can ask you general behavioral questions, and apply the STAR me thod to your conversation. If you do this enough times in your everyday life, you wont be sitting in the interview thinking, Okay, time for S. Whats the situation? Youll already be searching through your minds archive for the relevant anecdote. If you prep for interviews with the STAR method, you can tackle any question an interviewer throws your way, even if it seems like it comes out of nowhere. Quick, to-the-point answers will impress your interviewer and demonstrate that you have one of the most important skillsthinking on your feet.