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Answering Behavioral Interview Questions (STAR method)
Past Behavior
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Past Successes
Future Behavior
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Future Successes
Behavioral interviewing is commonly used by most employers today. They can be difficult to answer if you haven’t prepared
yourself for them.
So what are behavioral questions?
• They are questions that usually start with “Tell me about a time when… or describe a situation… or how would you
handle…?”
• You have the opportunity to share in an interview the skills you have used in the past to be successful in various
situations.
• The premise behind “Behavioral Interviewing” is that past experiences, behavior and success can help predict future
behavior and success.
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• A good way to answer these types of questions is to remember the STAR system:
Situation:
Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a
specific event or situation.
Task:
Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, a
volunteer experience, or any relevant event.
Action:
Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project
or effort, describe what you did to contribute to the project. Don’t tell what you might do, tell what you did.
Results:
What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you achieve and/or learn?
So get your stories ready and practice telling what makes you a
‘STAR’
candidate for the position you are applying for.