Tips for Behavioural Interviews & STAR Framework

Welcome to the series of daily tips on job hunting! In today's tip (6/7), I will?discuss one of the common interview type - Behavioural or Situational interviews. Interviews are crucial to the job search process, so the more you are familiar with the type and structure of these interviews the better your chances of avoiding common mistakes. This article will also outline the STAR framework and provide tips on how to respond to behavioural questions.

Behavioural Interviews are designed to assess how the candidate handled past situations that are relevant to the job they are applying for. The STAR framework can be helpful in structuring your responses to behavioural interview questions. The acronym STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

? Situation: Provide the interviewer with the context of the problem, opportunity, or situation. Spend about 10-20% of your time on this step.

? Task: Share what the goal or objective was in the situation. Spend about 10-20% of your time on this step.

? Action: Discuss what you (not others) did to address the situation. This is the most critical part of the STAR framework, and you should spend about 50-70% of your time on this step.

? Result: Share the outcome, learning, or result of your actions. Spend about 10% of your time on this step.

Tips for responding to behavioural interview questions:

1. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail: Before the interview, identify the top 5-7 skills/experiences required for the position based on the job description, previous interviews, and other research. Prepare examples for these skills/experiences using the STAR framework mentioned above.
2. Details matter: Ensure that you have enough details in your responses to provide a clear picture of the situation, your actions, and the results. This can make your response more convincing and provide the interviewer with a better understanding of your abilities. Here is an article I wrote earlier to help you with the type of content you may want to populate your answers with.
3. Role-play: Practice your responses with an experienced interviewer to identify common follow-up questions or blind spots. This can help you to be better prepared for the interview.
4. No prior experience: In situations where you have no prior experience, or you cannot recall an example in time to respond, it is acceptable to talk hypothetically about how you would approach the situation. However, it is best to be transparent and share the most suitable experience from your past first before you do that.
5. Perfect examples: Do not wait for the interviewer to ask you about your top examples. Sometimes, interviewers may not be experienced in extracting the best responses from you. Therefore, you can find ways to incorporate your best examples into the conversation by asking follow-up questions and leading the interviewer, OR checking if it is okay to provide a similar experience then followed by your your perfect example.

In conclusion, behavioural Interviews are an effective way for employers to assess a candidate's abilities and experiences. Using the STAR framework can help structure your responses and make them more effective. It is also essential to prepare for the interview, practice your responses, and take the initiative to share your top examples with the interviewer where possible.