How do you structure situational questions using the STAR or CAR methods?

I love this, but one point I'd like to address is that interviewers should not be asking "leading" questions; for example, a common behavioral interviewing question is something such as "Tell me about a time you had to complete a project within a very strict timeframe. What did you do to ensure you were successful?" Interviewers - do not lead the candidate by assuming that they did anything at all. The first sentence is great on its own (and then probing), but the latter one is assuming the candidate was successful - this inadvertently signals to the candidate that they must respond with a success story. Candidates - research the role inside & out, and then tailor responses to how you've solved similar problems in the past. Be specific!

The STAR model is the standard for behavioral & scenario-based interviews. The best way to apply this is to jot down as many STAR stories as you can, this way you can apply the right STAR story to each unique scenario that comes up during your interview. Having a good STAR story simply helps you resonate with the interviewer more, leading to a positive interviewing experience.

I've adapted the STAR framework to a SGARL framework for my clients in both interview and presentation settings: S: Situation, aka Context G: Goal. I prefer "goal" to "task" because task is too in the weeds and implies that you're just executing vs. strategizing a solution A: Action R: Results L: Learnings. What can you do now that you couldn't do before? As Austin Brizendine (ex-Riviera) has told me, recruiters and hiring managers don't care what you did for someone else. What they care about is what tools and repeatable models you've learned on someone else's dime that you can apply and replicate somewhere else. You need to be explicit about this. Aka "I know now how to recognize this pattern and I know what to do about it".

On top of Situation, Task, Action and Result, while shaping your answer I also suggest thinking of Education piece as a part of STAR(E) model: -what did I learn from this situation? -what would I do differently next time? -what were your takeaways? -what learnings are you incorporating into your work activities at the moment? This part will add up context to your growth mindset and continuous learning abilities.

It's important to not only understand what the STAR method is, but it's equally important to understand the mistakes candidates make when responding to questions in this format. Although I share "10 Detrimental Interviewing Mistakes" relevant to STAR responses in my Get Hired course, my top 3 for your consideration are below: (1) Using general language vs communicating specifically. For example, "I led a team" vs "I led a team of 10 small business representatives...." Metrics matter. (2) Failing to communicate relevant experience in your responses that will give you an edge. (3) Serving "Word Salad" meaning you have the ingredients of a STAR Response but you neglect to effectively respond to the question posed.

This approach is my preferred methodology with my clients, though I use the PAR (Problem, Action, Result) language. But I've modified with my clients as PART -- adding a T for "Takeaway": What do you want the takeaway from this story to be for your audience? Be clear about it in how you create your story as well as how you summarize it for the listener.

For years I have described interview and resume writing using this three-step model. I have defined it as Situation-Action-Result. I have favored this approach as all relatable experience is not instigated by the identification of a problem. This approach allows for the candidate to describe working in a situation that is directly related the business actions or outcomes for the position they are interviewing for.

Seriously??? Never in the hundreds of interviews I've done as a hiring manager and in the dozens of interviews I've done as a candidate have I thought to ask or have been asked: "Hey, which story framework - STAR or CAR - do you prefer me to give you my answers in?" That's how AI thinks. Here's my advice for humans - use the "onion" method: 1) The elevator pitch: sub 60 sec, 2) The 1-paragraph summary, 1-2 min, 3) the full version, 2-5 min. When in an interview setting start with 1 or 2. Then pause and see if the person wants to dig deeper, and only then offer them part of or all of the next level version. This way you're feeding your story piecemeal, respecting the interviewer's time and allowing them to control where you go next.

One thing I've found helpful is visualising your skills, competencies and situations by drawing a mind map. Some candidates would also benefit from building out a STAR answers matrix in a spreadsheet which could be handy for any future interview preparation.

In my past experience interviewing candidates, some will give examples, but it has nothing to do with the current role they applied to. I recommend reading the job posting carefully and having CAR or STAR or examples/stories that relate to the company and the job description. Prepare by documenting the answers and practicing what you want to say. You may not have an answer for everything listed but be able to talk about what you do have that will still be applicable. Also, understand what the company does and why they exist. Tailor responses to connect the dots between the company and the open position.

As a hiring manager, I like to hear stories that are related to measurable stats/KPIs. Is your performance measured the same way from past roles. First understand. Ask donot assume! "Could you tell me what are the metrics for high performers" Then the interview becomes conversational too. When they ask you to walk you through examples in the previous job, answer with stories using CAR. Challenge, Action, and Result Sample answers ?? for weakness which could stand out when done the right way. https://www.teachndo.com/post/what-is-your-weakness-samples-answers-with-the-carl-formula 20 questions to ask to build stories with right example during interviews. ?? https://www.teachndo.com/post/questions-to-ask-in-job-interview

These questions usually sound great but aren’t , unless you have set up job-based interpretation guidelines, based on many incumbent experiences. Too often interviewers interpret people’s answers subjectively, or based on unclear criteria. It’s no use asking a great question unless you’re clear on what the answers predict the real world.