Use STAR Technique to stand out in interviews/appraisals

How do you effectively discuss your accomplishments when it counts, such as during interviews or performance appraisals?

The STAR technique is a popular method particularly useful during interviews or performance evaluation to provide structured and concise responses when discussing past experiences, or handling behavioral-based questions. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

Situation: : Describe the specific situation or context in which the event or task occurred. It sets the stage and provides background information for better understanding.

Task: What tasks or objective needed to be achieved/accomplished.

Action: Which steps/actions were taken.

Result: The outcome that was achieved as a result of the steps taken

Let’s take an example of below scenario during your interview when you are asked following question.

Question: “Can you provide an example of a challenging project you’ve managed and how you handled it?”

Using the STAR technique, you would structure your response as follows:

1. Situation (S): Describe the context and set the stage for your example. For instance, you could say, “In my previous role as a Lead Developer, we were tasked with upgrading a critical legacy system to a more modern architecture to improve performance and scalability.”
2. Task (T): Explain your specific responsibilities and objectives in that situation. “My task was to lead a cross-functional team of developers and ensure the project was completed on time and within budget.”
3. Action (A): Describe the actions you took to address the situation and achieve your goals. “I initiated regular team meetings to discuss progress and roadblocks, delegated tasks based on team members’ strengths, and implemented agile methodologies to enhance collaboration.”
4. Result (R): Highlight the outcomes and results of your actions. “As a result, we successfully completed the project ahead of schedule, resulting in a 30% increase in system performance and a 20% reduction in operating costs. The project’s success also led to improved client satisfaction and an increase in revenue for our department.”

Next time you need to talk about your performance , think and talk about your achievements in terms of STAR. Let me know what do you think about STAR technique.