The moment you hear the words “tell me about a time when” during an interview, you begin to sweat. If you were nervous before, it’s now exponentially worse. Suddenly, you’ve forgotten everything you’ve ever done in your career and have no idea what to provide an example. After a few sputtering attempts, you may be able to get a story out, but is it really your best or most relevant?

Fortunately, there’s a simple acronym that can make your next response right on the money. Instead of panicking, use the STAR framework, which looks like:

• Situation: Discuss the scene and necessary background information
• Task: Explain what you needed to do
• Action: Tell the interviewer what you did
• Result: Share what happened

This can keep you focused on the important parts of your story and help you explain it efficiently. Unfortunately, it can’t provide the anecdotes for you to use. Here are a few suggestions to help you use the STAR method during your next interview.

Think of examples before the interview

While you can’t know the exact behavioral questions you will receive, there are commonly asked questions you can find. For example, think about times when you’ve had conflict with a co-worker, achieved a goal, missed a goal, had to lead a team, etc. When you enter with ideas in mind, it can make telling your story with STAR much easier.

Don’t rush through it

You can’t take all day in your response, but it’s perfectly acceptable to request a few moments to gather your thoughts to ensure you’re providing the best answer. Taking a moment to breathe instead of diving right in will help find a good story and determine how best to relay the information.

Keep it focused

The most crucial element of the STAR method is it keeps you focused on what is actually relevant to the story. By following the situation, task, action, and result format, you’re explaining everything you need without taking too long and letting the point get bogged down.

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