Be a STAR Interviewer

Happy Black History Month!

May all you kings and queens know your value and power in this world, this month and forever. 

Ok, back to regularly scheduled programming.

Have you ever heard an interviewer start a question with:

"Tell me about a time…"

"What do you do when..."

"Have you ever had to..."

"Give me an example of..."
 

These are all cues for you to think - ok it's story time!

It’s important to know how to tell a great story in an interview. In fact, it’s one of the most effective interview strategies to have in your toolkit. 
 

That’s because stories make you more relatable and believable.

They create connections between people, build trust– and in an interview, a good story will make you more memorable as a candidate. 
 

Most importantly - stories make it easier for the hiring team to envision what you’ve accomplished in the past and how you could help them. 
 

Remember: job offers always go to the candidate with the best career narrative and those who sell themselves the best. 

Let me keep it really real: It’s not about what you've done, it’s about the story you tell about it.

The career story you curate is what counts when it comes to making a memorable impression in interviews. 
 

The more meaningful, specific stories you tell throughout your interview, the more success you'll have.

Also, avoid the trap of being too self-descriptive in interviews.

Saying things like "I'm really a detail-oriented person" or "I'm a supportive team leader" are not compelling statements by themselves.

You need to follow it up with a relevant example that shows the interviewer how you've executed this self-ascribed trait.

It's much more compelling to give a specific story example about how you've approached a situation than simply saying you are "results-focused, a natural people person, ambitious, etc."

So, how do you tell a great story? Here’s where the STAR format comes in. 

Ya’ll have heard of it, right?

It’s a powerful way to structure your answers to behavioral interview questions.
 

STAR allows you to share a short, concrete story about how you have handled relevant work situations in the past.
 

STAR stands for:

 Situation - highlight a recent challenge or situation you faced.

 Task - what were your responsibilities in that situation.

 Action - what action did you take to address it, be specific.

 Result - what were the outcomes achieved by your action.

Frame your answers in this format to keep them concise and clear. 
 

Pro Tip: Add in an L to the STAR format to explain your learnings.
 

Practice the answers to common (behavioral) questions in advance, so you have plenty of role-specific stories in your interview arsenal.

Once you know what stories you want to have ready, make sure you practice the delivery until you have them down. 

The key word here is: Practice.

The more you practice out loud, do mock interviews and get feedback, the better you’ll get at interviewing. 

Hint: Keep your stories short and to the point.

No matter how impressive you think you sound, people will check out and stop listening if you start rambling on and on.

Keep in mind that it's NOT about sharing your whole career story, it's about curating the most relevant highlights. 

Think about specific examples that will help the employer imagine you in the role, adding value, and solving their problems. 
 

No matter your age, experience, or background, if you can tell compelling and specific stories that show the hiring team how you have had an impact in your work, you will win over other candidates.
 

Curate and practice your best stories for common interview questions, even if it's about transferable skills. 
 

Getting great at interviewing  is  a  skill.

You can do this!