Understand and Implementing the STAR Interview Model
Job Interviews can be one of the most nerve-wrecking experiences ever if you feel unprepared.
If you Google tips for nailing your interviews, you will find millions of results that vary in degrees of success. However, you will see a common theme in these tips that talks about using storytelling as a method to intrigue hiring managers.
One of the best outlines for storytelling is the STAR Interview Model. The model has nothing to do with the cosmos or galaxy; instead, it stands for Situation-Task-Action-Result. These four components illustrate the main ways to concoct a story for your interviews.
How Do I Use the STAR Interview Model?
Let’s say you are applying for a job as the manager of a warehouse. During your interview, you are going to be asked questions about your experience that qualifies you for the job.
Think about the work you have done in the past and how it relates to the work you would be doing for this job. Next, thing about the qualities that the hiring manager wants to see in the warehouse manager. You can also think about the questions that they might ask you. Finally, craft a story that shows that you have that experience using the STAR Interview Model.
Situation
For this example, we are going to say that you want to show that you know how to handle situations where you feel overwhelmed.
“Situation” doesn’t refer to the problem you were facing at your job (that’s task). “Situation” refers to, well, your own situation at that point in time. This includes where you worked, what your position was, what your position entailed, how long you were there and your employer’s status in its market.
For this example, we are going to say that we were a warehouse employee at a Target in the suburbs of Chicago. We are going to say that we were there for a few years and that the store was always remarkable busy.
Task
“Task” refers to the actual problem you and your company faced at a point in time.
So, going along with our previous example, we are going to say that one day there was a perfect storm of chaos where the warehouse was understaffed, it was a big day for deliveries and the shelves needed to be restocked.
Action
“Action,” as you might have guessed, refers to what you did as a result of the task at hand. Remember, you are picking a moment where you shined bright. However, you shouldn’t overly gloat or speak ill of your past company or coworkers. Instead, show how you exhibited great leadership skills and how you behaved as a team player.
Result
Finally, we have reached the “Result.” This is the tail end of the model that goes over how your “action” went. Explain how it went well and what you and the rest of the business learned from it.
If the “result” has any sort of legacy to it, include that in the story. “Legacy” refers to how your action had lasting effects to the company and how they do business.