STAR methodAfter your CV: the interview5 min read
The STAR method, built from your CV
“Tell me about a time when…” questions decide many interviews. The STAR method gives your answer a shape, and if your CV bullets show results, you already have the hardest part of every story.
Updated 12 October 2026
Situation, Task, Action, Result
- SituationThe context, briefly: where you were and what was at stake.
- TaskWhat you were responsible for, or the goal you were given.
- ActionWhat you did, step by step. The longest part, and the one being judged.
- ResultWhat changed, with a number if you have one, and what you learned.
Interviewers ask these questions because how you acted before predicts how you will act again. Many score your answer against a list of what they hope to hear, and STAR makes sure you cover every piece.
Your CV bullet is a STAR answer, compressed
A good bullet already holds the Action and the Result: “Reduced ticket handling time by 35% by writing 40 reusable answers.” What you cut to fit the page is the Situation and the Task. In the interview, you put them back.
Situation + TaskActionResult
“After a launch doubled our tickets, our team of eight missed its response target every week, and I was asked to save time without hiring. I went through a month of tickets, found 40 questions behind more than half of them, wrote an answer for each and trained the team. Handling time fell 35% in six weeks.”
Say “I” for your part
Most people spend too long on the situation and rush the result. Aim for about two minutes, with most of it on the Action. The other common mistake is hiding inside the team.
Instead of
- We decided to build a library of answers, trained everyone, and our numbers went up.
Write
- I analysed a month of tickets and proposed the library. I wrote the first 40 answers myself and ran two training sessions for the team.
The interviewer is hiring you, not your team. Use “we” for the shared goal and “I” for what you did.
How to prepare
- Pick 6 to 8 bulletsResults that show different strengths: delivery, teamwork, problem solving, leadership.
- Know the keywords, not a scriptRemember the S, T, A and R of each. Memorised sentences sound recited.
- Say them out loudTime yourself. If an answer runs past two minutes, cut the situation first.
End with one sentence on what you learned. It answers the most common follow-up before it is asked.
Common mistakes
Avoid
- “I would…” when the question asks what you did.
- A long situation that leaves no time for the result.
- No result, or a number you cannot explain when asked.
- About 2 minutes
- Most time on the Action
- “I” for your part
- End on a result