Text reads Explore Tomorrow Today over rainbow background

UVA Career Center

UVA Career Center
Students
Employers
Faculty & Alumni

S.T.A.R. Method for Behavioral Interviews

The S.T.A.R. method provides a storytelling framework for answering questions during your interview. Preparing multiple responses using the S.T.A.R. structure can help you deliver replies that are compelling, concise, and detailed.

 

s

Situation

Describe a specific situation when you were assigned a task or problem to solve. This example can come from a job, a volunteer experience, or an academic project. Be sure to provide context to ensure that the interviewer understands the overall experience.

T

Task

Explain the task that you were given. What was your responsibility in the situation that you described?

A

Action

What action did you take? Describe the steps that you took to create a solution. Make sure to:

  • Keep the focus on your own actions
  • Use "I" instead of "we"
  • Highlight actions that demonstrate the skills required in the job you are seeking.
R

Result

What was the result of your contribution(s) to the situation? Don't hesitate to take credit for your role as you describe the positive outcomes that your decisions, actions, or creativity accomplished.

Sample Interview Questions

The S.T.A.R. method might be useful in answering the following types of interview questions: 

➤ Can you tell me how you manage multiple priorities or deadlines at work?

➤ Tell us about a time when you and someone you were collaborating with wanted to go in different directions on a project.

➤ Tell me about a time when you came up short or failed in achieving a goal. How did you handle it?

➤ Tell me about a time that you worked well as part of a larger team.

Tips to successfully using the S.T.A.R. method:

 

  1. Review the job description and decide what skills you want to highlight that are most pertinent to the position you are interviewing for.
  2. Prepare answers for behavioral interviewing questions by considering your past achievements. Then, focus on how you accomplished those goals.
  3. Be concise - stick to bullet points and don't get overly bogged down in details.
  4. Practice and refine your answers. Even if the exact question that you have rehearsed an answer for does not come up during an interview, having concrete examples that highlight your experience and how your personal characteristics and professional skills have contributed to past solutions, projects, or situations will help set you up for a successful interview experience.