Questions Asked in a STAR Interview

http://www.InterviewSuccessFormula.com/ - So you want to be prepared for the questions in your upcoming STAR interview. And avoid those critical mistakes that can cost you the job. Let's dive into what questions you can expect. Quick note: This presentation won't just give you a long laundry list of questions. While you will see some example questions, it is designed to teach you how you can identify the right questions ahead of time. First, a quick review of what the STAR interview method is. STAR is an acronym that stands for situation, task, action, result. This method requires you to give your answers in the form of a story. When you do this right, your well-structured story proves that you have the experience to do the job. Now, back to the questions you can expect to be asked: Because story answers can take longer, you will likely be asked a lot fewer questions with the STAR method, sometimes totaling something like four to six. With fewer total questions, each one must address a critical skill required for the job. Typical questions include: Tell me about your biggest accomplishment. Tell me a time you failed (and how you overcame it). Describe a situation where you worked on a team. There are many other possibilities, perhaps hundreds. Yet, it can be easy for you to anticipate the questions asked: All you need to do is first review the job description. Then, determine which skills and abilities are most essential to doing the job (which can be pretty easy when you do it right). For instance, say I am interviewing to be a project manager in a deadline driven environment. The hiring organization will want to know about my: leadership skills, decision-making skills, ability to perform under pressure, ability to meet deadlines, and people skills. The questions I can then expect in a STAR interview will ask me to prove that I have these desired skills: Tell me about your most successful project. Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision quickly. Describe a situation where you faced a lot of pressure and still met the deadline. Describe an experience where one of the members of your team wasn't performing, and how you got them back on track. As you can see, all these questions are just asking me about the required skills to do this job well. Only they begin with "Tell me about a time when..." or "Describe a situation where..." The key step is to really understand the position and what the organization wants. These questions can be framed both positively, "Tell me a time you succeeded..." or negatively, "Tell me about a mistake." So think about both positive or negative versions Some of the broad topics you can generally expect include: Dealing with a customer/patient/client/student Working on a team (as either the leader or team member) Delivering results / completing a big project or assignment Applying a certain technical skill (Microsoft Excel, AutoCAD, a scientific instrument) Applying a certain soft skill (people skills, analytical thinking, etc) Performing well in a certain environment (high pressure, multiple projects, no clear instructions). One key to success: Think about the questions that are most likely for your position. Then focus your time and energy preparing stories for those. www.InterviewSuccessFormula.com