Should I use the STAR method for job interviews or tell a story?

One of the students of my storytelling class, let’s call her Mary, recently asked me:

Should I use the STAR method for job interviews or tell a story?

Mary’s referring to behavioral interview questions like “Tell me about a time when…”

That’s clearly the opening for “Tell me a story.” So what do we do now?

Let’s backtrack. Mary was in Week 3 of the storytelling class. We just learned the 6 narratives of Hollywood that we use in business storytelling. With an interview coming up, Mary wanted to know “Can i use narratives to answer the “Tell me about a time when...” type questions?”

The answer is, you should use both.

To 10x your impact, use STAR with a story.

Each cohort, we have job seekers who are leveling up their professional story. In today’s noisy world, making yourself stand out requires a forethought, planning and yes, storytelling. Storytelling is proven to get you noticed, get you interviews and get you offers. Why?

It’s because when you tell a story, you put your listener into your shoes. First, they are listening, feeling and putting their judgement aside.

First, they are listening because story is the format of memory. We don’t remember checklists or tables of data, we remember in characters, plot and climax.

That’s when you’re supposed to pull out the STAR method.

In week 3 of the class we learn about the 6 narratives of Hollywood that we use in business storytelling.

Your stomach drops. You rack your brain for something—anything!—you can use as an example. You grasp at straws and finally stumble your way through an anecdote that only sort of satisfies the prompt.

First of all, take comfort in the fact that we’ve all been there. These types of interview questions are tough to answer. But, here’s the good news: There’s a strategy you can use to come up with way more impressive answers to these dreaded questions: the STAR interview method.

What Is the STAR Interview Method?

There is a type of question is called behavioral interview questions. They often start with:

• Tell me about a time when…

• What do you do when…

• Have you ever…

• Give me an example of…

• Describe a…

Thinking of a fitting example for your response is just the beginning. Then you also need to share the details in a compelling and easy-to-understand way—without endless rambling.

That’s exactly what the STAR interview method enables you to do. “It’s helpful because it provides a simple framework for helping a candidate tell a meaningful story about a previous work experience,” says Al Dea, the founder of CareerSchooled and a career and leadership coach.

So, let’s break down that framework. STAR is an acronym that stands for:

Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.

By using these four components to shape your anecdote, it’s much easier to share a focused answer, providing the interviewer with “a digestible but compelling narrative of what a candidate did,” says Dea. “They can follow along, but also determine based on the answer how well that candidate might fit with the job.”

Answering Interview Questions Using STAR

Knowing what the acronym stands for is only the first step—you need to know how to use it. Follow this step-by-step process to give the best STAR interview answers.

1. Find a Suitable Example

The STAR interview method won’t be helpful to you if you use it to structure an answer using a totally irrelevant anecdote. That’s why the crucial starting point is to find an appropriate scenario from your professional history that you can expand on.

There’s no way for you to know ahead of time exactly what the interviewer will ask you (although our list of behavioral interview questions can help you make some educated predictions). With that in mind, it’s smart to have a few stories and examples ready to go that you can tweak and adapt for different questions.

“Brainstorm a few examples of particular success in your previous job, and think through how to discuss that success using the STAR framework,” says Lydia Bowers, a human resources professional. Repeat that exercise for a few types of questions.

If you’re struggling during your interview to come up with an example that fits, don’t be afraid to ask to take a minute. “I’m always impressed when a candidate asks for a moment to think so that they can provide a good answer,” says Emma Flowers, a career coach here at The Muse. “It’s OK to take a few seconds.”