When in an interview, it’s important to directly address the question that you are being asked. Many and most interviewers are asking behavioral questions. These questions are designed to prompt you to answer in a specific way so that potential employers can learn and understand your past behavior. Past behavior usually predicts future behavior, and the more information you give about your past behavior, the better the employer can determine if you’re going to be a good fit within their organization. Not only will the interviewer be able to see if your strengths match their needs, but as an interviewee, YOU will be able to see if that organization is one that you want to be a part of. The more information that you provide about yourself, the better the conversation will flow. The last thing that you want to do is end up with an organization that you don’t love, so the more that you give to the interview, the more you will receive, which will help you make a decision regarding your future.

Now let’s look at some typical behavioral questions, and then we can talk about how to answer them.

• Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge.
• Would you consider yourself a leader, and if so, why?
• Have you ever had an experience where you gained interpersonal skills?

This is where the STAR Method comes in. The four steps in answering these questions are stating the Situation, Task, Action and Results.

Let’s use “Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge” as our example. First and foremost, you want to tell the interviewer what position you were in when you overcame a challenge.

“I was a part of a peer mentor program where I would visit local elementary schools weekly.”

Next, you want to share the task at hand. What was the challenge?

“Each week we would work on homework, engage in a mind stimulating activity, and the last 45 minutes of the day was reserved for play time outside. Unfortunately, it seemed to rain every time we visited, so the kids would become very irritable and upset after sitting in a classroom all day with no outside time.”

Now that you’ve shared the challenge, what was the action that you took in order to overcome this challenge?

“I quickly realized that this problem needed a solution and asked my supervisor if I could lead the kids in some fun games and activities during that 45-minute period. She happily obliged and from that moment forward, every time it rained, I would lead the kids in games like duck-duck goose, red light green light, Simon says and more. The kids loved it, and I would even let them lead if they demonstrated a positive attitude and patience.”

So far you have stated the situation, explained the task, and described the action that you took in that situation. Finally, you want to share what you have learned from this challenge. What was the result?

“Though many of the days that I visited were unfortunately rainy ones, I took initiative to not only fix the problem but also found a way for the kids to engage with each other and have a great time while doing it. I learned that sometimes things don’t go as planned, and there will be times when you have to find a solution in a pinch. I feel as though I gained leadership qualities through this experience and overcame the challenge.”

This method is extremely effective and allows you to bring more detail into your answers. The STAR method can be applied to most answers, and it’s also a way for you to showcase your strengths without the specific question, “What are your strengths” being asked. This method gives you a guideline to follow in your answers and will prevent rambling from you and confusion in the interviewer.

Before going into an interview, have at least five different experiences that you can reference, and practice using those experiences in different question scenarios. The STAR method is one of the most useful tools you can have in an interview, and in using it, the interviewer will think you’re a star yourself.

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