How to Ace Behavioural Interviews with the STAR Method
"Tell me about a time you failed." "Describe a conflict you resolved." These questions terrify candidates, but they are easy to master if you have a structure. Enter the STAR method.
What is a Behavioural Question?
Recruiters believe that "past behaviour predicts future performance." They don't want hypotheticals ("I would do X"); they want evidence ("I did X").
The STAR Formula
The STAR method is the industry standard for structuring your answers. It ensures you tell a complete story without rambling.
S-Situation
Set the scene briefly. What was the specific context? What was the challenge? Keep this to 10% of your answer.
T-Task
What was your specific responsibility? What goal were you trying to achieve?
A-Action
This is the most important part (60%). What specific steps did YOU take? Use "I" statements, not "We".
R-Result
What was the outcome? Use numbers if possible (e.g., "Increased sales by 20%"). If it was a failure, what did you learn?
Example: "Tell me about a time you managed a conflict."
Situation: "In my last role as a Project Manager, two senior developers disagreed on the architecture for our new mobile app, halting progress for a week."
Task: "I needed to resolve the deadlock to ensure we met our Q3 launch deadline."
Action: "I set up a dedicated whiteboard session where each developer had 10 minutes to present their case without interruption. I facilitating a pros/cons analysis focusing on user impact rather than technical preference."
Result: "We aligned on the solution that day. The app launched on time, and the two developers actually co-authored a blog post about the new architecture afterwards."
Practise Your STAR Stories
Don't just memorise them. Practise telling them to our AI Coach, and get feedback on your clarity and impact.
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