September 14, 2020
In job interviews, most hiring managers follow a basic question and answer format. However, it’s also common for the interviewer to ask a series of behavioural questions, i.e. questions that start out with the words: "Tell me about a time..." or "What do you do when..." or "Give me an example of..."
These behavioural questions are designed to test out your suitability for the open position; after all, past performance is often the biggest indicator of future success.
Still, it can be daunting when you’re asked one behavioural question after another in one interview. Luckily, there is an approach that can help you prepare for these type of interview questions and answers: The STAR technique.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss what this technique is, why it's useful, and how you can apply it in your next job interview.
The STAR answer format is a method of preparing for behavioural interview questions.
In other words, your answer for each behavioural question should follow the same basic pattern:
Think of the STAR technique as a mental outline that helps you to stay on track when responding to behavioural interview questions. If you follow the outline, your answers will be more coherent, concise, and impressive to your interviewer.
The STAR model is useful for several reasons. For example:
Using STAR answers is extremely versatile. No matter what question the interviewer throws at you, you can almost always frame your response in terms of the STAR method. Here's just one example of how you can put it all together:
An example of a STAR interview question is: "Tell me about a time when you had to use your management skills in order to complete a project on time."
In this instance, you could respond by relating the answer to specific work situations in this way:
As you can see, applying the STAR interview approach doesn't have to be too complicated. However, it does require some forethought.
The STAR approach to answering interview questions is a great way to mentally outline your responses to behavioural interview questions. It allows you to demonstrate your skills and experiences, qualifications and abilities within the framework of a story.
For more tips on finding a job, check out our jobseekers' guide.
Of course, in order to use the STAR technique in your next interview, you first of all need to land your next interview! That's where we can help.
We are a global workforce solutions provider for the energy, process and infrastructure industries. With over 40 years of experience in staffing and recruitment, we can help you find your next role.
Register with our jobs board today to explore open positions in locations all over the world.
This post was written by: Rob Jones and Firaz Hameed, Recruitment Directors at Airswift
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