The STAR structure

When answering scenario-based questions, for instance “what is the biggest challenge you have faced?”, “detail a time when you have worked successfully in a team” or “when have you successfully undertaken a leadership role?”, the STAR (situation – task – action – result) approach to answering questions could be worth bearing in mind. 

Situation

Start by setting the scene, for example: “whist at university, I was President of the Finance Society”. If you are discussing your biggest challenge, explain why the circumstances posed a challenge. If you are answering a question on teamwork, explain what led to you joining the team. For a question on leadership, explain how you ended up in a leadership position.

Task

Next, you could explain your (or your team’s) designated task or role, for instance: “my team was tasked with arranging a ball for 400 people…”.

Action

This is the most substantial part of the answer and requires you to explain what you actually did to complete the task, how you went about doing it, why you did it/why it was a challenge (etc.) and the skills you used/developed whilst taking such action. Remember that the employer has little interest in what others did and accordingly, when you are dealing with a teamwork question, try to avoid repeatedly using “we”.

Result

Conclude by explaining the impact your actions had and what you actually managed to achieve. Make sure you’re prepared to discuss what you learned and what you could have done differently.