STAR examples
STAR organizes an experience by its setting, your responsibility, what you did and why, and what happened.
These are fictional teaching examples, not accounts of real events.
Example 1
Tell me about a time a plan did not fully work.
I organized a monthly briefing for colleagues on three different shifts. Attendance was low, and the night team had never been able to come.
I needed to find a format every shift could attend.
I checked each shift’s hours with the team leads first, because the single lunchtime slot only suited the day team. I then offered two shorter sessions, at noon and at six, and recorded both.
Over the next three briefings, attendance averaged 22 of our 30 staff, up from 9, but the night shift still could not come. That part of the task is still open, and I said so in my report.
How the answer works
- Situation
- Orient the listener to the particular experience.
- Task
- State the goal or responsibility in that experience.
- Action
- Show the specific contribution, including relevant decisions.
- Result
- Report the outcome, including limits or an unsuccessful result.
Why it works: The Action is the fullest part: the steps and the reason for them. The Result gives real figures and keeps the unmet part of the task in view.
Example 2
Tell me about a time you helped a group finish something.
Our community newsletter had contributions from six volunteers. By Tuesday, the articles were in, but several photos had no captions and we had not checked the final layout.
I was responsible for getting the final version ready by Thursday.
I made a list of what was missing so we could deal with it without another long meeting. I collected missing captions and asked each writer to check their own section. Then I read the assembled issue once more to make sure the names matched the articles.
We sent it on Thursday with every contributor credited. It was the first issue we had finished without asking anyone to make a last-minute correction after sending it.
How the answer works
- Situation
- Orient the listener to the particular experience.
- Task
- State the goal or responsibility in that experience.
- Action
- Show the specific contribution, including relevant decisions.
- Result
- Report the outcome, including limits or an unsuccessful result.
Why it works: The deadline defines the task; collecting and checking explain the contribution; the ending answers the deadline and completeness goals.
What makes the difference?
The same kind of answer can sound complete while leaving an important part unclear.
What was your role in the charity sale?
Not quite
Our team ran a charity sale. We made signs, served visitors and raised enough for new equipment.
The speaker’s responsibility and contribution are hidden inside the team account. The outcome is clear, but the listener cannot tell which part this person owned.
Make it clearer
Our team ran a charity sale.
I was responsible for making prices clear at the book table.
I grouped books by price and wrote a sign for each group.
Visitors could pay without asking me to price each book, and the team reached its fundraising goal.