2011 Intro To STAR Method PDF

Agenda
BEFORE the interview

WHAT is STAR?
WHEN do I use it?
WHY should I use it?
HOW do I use it?
Activity
Wrap-up
Questions
Intro to STAR Method
Introduction to the STAR Method
Presenter: Amy Bentley
Agenda
WHAT is STAR?
WHEN do I use it?
HOW do I use it?
Activity
Wrap-up
Questions
Know your brand!
What are you selling?
3 specific descriptors of you as a professional
Establish your brand through your positioning statement, cover letter,
resume, and THE INTERVIEW
What is an open job? An unmet need.
Look at it from the companys point of view. What can you do for them?
Research the job
What are the qualifications?
What are the day to day functions?
Where does it fit within the organization?
Try to tailor your answers to the position.
Research the company
Whats going on with the company? Financially? Strategically?
Whats important to them?
PRACTICE!!!
WHAT is the STAR Method?
The STAR Method is a structured approach to answering
behavioral interview questions in which the candidate
describes a previous experience that demonstrates a
specific competency.
SITUATION
TASK
ACTION
RESULT
WHEN do I use it?
What is a behavioral interview?
Behavioral interviewing asserts that "the most accurate predictor of future
performance is past performance in a similar situation.
The interviewer will be asking himself/herself:
Has this person done this type of work before?
Can this person hit the ground running?
Could I put this person in front of a client?
Will they congratulate me on this hiring decision 3 years from now?
The interviewer wants to know specifics, not generalities
Tell me about a time when
Demonstrate competency in specific areas
Leadership, Teamwork, etc.
Past actions should predict future behavior
Demonstrate your ability to clearly articulate the competency and
contributions you have made to an organization
Keep response brief and concise while addressing the key points
that illustrate the competency.
WHY do I use it?
HOW do I use it?
Telling Your Story
S / T = Situation / Task (20%)
Situation provides the context and gets the interviewer engaged
Task describes the high level strategy to address the problem
A = Action (60%)
Your specific action linked to the strategy. Opportunity here to
describe your actions vs. the task requested
R = Result (20%)
Specific outcomes/solution resulting from actions
Be as specific as possible
Unique, Compelling and Credible
Provide necessary background information and context to lay the
foundation for your answer
Ask yourself:
What was the situation you found yourself in?
What was the problem the organization / project faced?
Ex: A brand was losing market share rapidly
What was the question the organization was trying to answer?
Ex: How do we enter into marketplace strategically?
Introduce the complication or problem that needed to be addressed
and/or you had to resolve
Step 1: Situation
Stress the high-level strategy that you took to deal with the
complication set forth in the Situation
Ask yourself:
What was the specific task you had to achieve?
What was success to look like? What was the goal?
Was it a recommendation? Analysis? Implementation?
Ex: Did you fulfill one part of a process or everything from analysis to decision
to implementation
Opportunity to possibly show your problem solving / structuring
abilities
Make sure to use I not we to ensure that they understand what
you specifically were tasked to do
Recruiters are hiring you, not your old team or company
Step 2: Task
Outline the specific tactics taken that link to the high level strategy
outlined in the Task
Ask yourself:
What actions did you take to accomplish your task?
How did you create the solution and what did you do?
What process did you take? How did you approach solving the problem?
How did you collect and filter data?
Ex: Created spreadsheets to filter current financials based on XYZ variables
Audited files Conducted interviews, focus groups, etc
How did you approach analysis?
Ex: Created decision-making model
How did you ensure buy-in / success?
Ex: Maintained frequent contact with Sr. Management to ensure agreement and
buy-in
Step 3: Action
Be as specific as possible, providing precise metrics and outcomes
delivered (quantifiable if possible) that resolved the complication
set forth in the Situation
Ask yourself:
What was the result of your action? What happened?
What was the outcome of your work?
What were the metrics?
Did it address the problem / objective the organization was trying to
address?
What did you learn?
Step 4: Result
Story buckets
Be prepared for specific competencies and have stories
for each:
Teamwork
Learning
from
failure
Conflict
resolution
Initiative
Story buckets
Each story can also demonstrate more than one
competency.
Story #1 Story #2 Story #3 Story #4
Map i t !
Competency
or Skill
Story S T A R
Leadership
through
difficult time
Story #1 .
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Story #2 .
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Dealing with
ambiguity
Story #1 .
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Story #3 .
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Story
Competency
or Skill
S T A R
Story #1
Analytical
Ability
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Teamwork .
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Story #2
Learning from
Failure
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Executive
Communication
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Method #1:
Competencies-to-Stories
Method #2:
Stories-to-Competencies
Map it!
Do NOT actually use the words of S.T.A.R.
E.g., "The situation wasThe task was My actions were The result was
Remember you are telling a story, not just reading bullet points
Show personality and comfort with the material. Be believable.
After the results, smoothly summarize or close the answer
Tie the main points of your answer back to the original purpose of the
question (this should be no more than 1-2 sentences)
Structured but Authentic
Avoid COMMON MISTAKES
Too long
Too generic (ex: too much MBA jargon)
Not specific enough
Not memorable
Not real enough too perfect
Did not follow a logical format (Ex: STAR)
REMEMBER:
LISTEN TO THE QUESTION!
The story/example you provide is an
of the answer to the question.
Make sure you are answering the question!
ALLOW US TO
DEMONSTRATE
YOUR TURN!
2
MINUTE
MAXIMUM!
Question 1:
Describe a situation where you needed to develop
a strong relationship with someone. How did you
accomplish this?
S.T.A.R. Practice
Question 2:
Tell me about the last problem you faced that you
solved in a creative or highly imaginative way.
S.T.A.R. Practice
Question 3:
Give me an example of a time when you had to
persuade someone to accept an idea.
S.T.A.R. Practice
Use examples from varied experiences
Professional School Community Personal
Take ownership Use I not We
Succinct is ALWAYS better than long-winded
No generalizations or vague statements
Watch out for filler! umuhyou knowoklike
Close the sale Give clear and concrete examples for why YOU are
the best person for THIS job.
PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
Preparation differentiates!
Wait a beat (take a breath!) before you respond.
Mirror the interviewers demeanor and body language.
Listen for key words in the question, and use the same words in your
response.
Describe a situation where you needed to develop a strong relationship with someone. How
did you accomplish this?
Tell me about the last problem you faced that you solved in a creative or highly imaginative
way.
Give me an example of a time when you had to persuade someone to accept an idea.
Its a good idea to begin (introduction) or end (bring it home) with a
summarizing statement.
S.T.A.R.Summary
Tips & tricks
Top 5 Interview Mistakes
Failed to show enthusiasm
Failed to demonstrate a fit for the position
Unable to communicate the relevance of education or experience to the job
Unable to understand what the company is looking for with regard to the
position
Failed to present an effective resume
Did not have a strong storyline
Failed to articulate value of work experience or skills
Rambled
Did not seem well versed about the company, industry, job,
interviewer
Unable to demonstrate a fit for the culture
WHAT NEXT?
Did we mention?
PRACTICE
STAR Practice Sessions
Mondays Wednesday every week
Monday/Wednesday sessions: 5:30pm to 6:30pm
10 spaces in each session with one facilitator
Tuesday sessions: 6:30pm to 8:00pm
15 spaces available in each session
Broken into groups of 5 when possible
Staff or alumni facilitators
Recommend at least 3 sessions
No more than 1 session per week
RSVP REQUIRED
Questions?
?
?

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Agenda

BEFORE the interview

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