Job interviews: answers with STAR
How to answer "Tell me about a time when…" questions clearly.
15 minutes · A free lesson from Work and interviews
Many interview questions ask for an example from your experience: Tell me about a time you solved a problem, …worked in a team, …made a mistake. Answer with STAR:
- Situation — where and when, briefly.
- Task — what you had to do.
- Action — what you did (say "I", not "we").
- Result — what happened, with a number if you have one.
(S) In my last job, our customer complaints had doubled in three months. (T) My manager asked me to find out why. (A) I read two hundred complaints, grouped them, and found that most were about late deliveries from one warehouse. I set up a weekly call with that warehouse to track orders. (R) Within two months, complaints fell by forty per cent.
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: What does STAR stand for?
- Start, Talk, Answer, Repeat
- Skills, Training, Aims, References
- Situation, Task, Action, Result
Show the answer
C: Situation, Task, Action, Result — Use it for “Tell me about a time when…” questions.
Quick check: In the Action part, do you say “I” or “we”?
- “We”: always the team
- “I”: say what you did
- “They”
Show the answer
B: “I”: say what you did — The interviewer wants to know what you did yourself.
Quick check: What makes a Result strong?
- A number, if you have one: “complaints fell by forty per cent”
- A long description of the situation
- Saying that it went well
Show the answer
A: A number, if you have one: “complaints fell by forty per cent” — A measurable result is easy to remember.
Marked as soon as you finish — free with an account.Practise now