STAR Method: How to Answer Behavioral and Competency-Based Interview Questions

Questions that begin "Tell me about a time when..." are called behavioral questions in the US and competency-based questions in the UK. The STAR method is the most reliable way to answer them clearly. This guide explains STAR step by step, with complete example answers and the most common questions to prepare for.

What is the STAR method?

Behavioral vs competency-based interviews

They are essentially the same idea under different names. US employers say "behavioral interview"; UK employers, the civil service, the NHS, the police and many large organisations say "competency-based interview" and often score each answer against a set framework. In Australia, the same method is used for interviews and for written selection criteria responses.

STAR method examples

"Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem."

S: In my role as an operations coordinator, our warehouse started missing next-day delivery targets after a new system was introduced.
T: My manager asked me to find the cause and get us back on target within a month.
A: I tracked every late order for a week and found most delays came from orders entered after a 2 pm cut-off that the old system had handled automatically. I worked with IT to add an alert, changed the picking schedule for late orders and trained the team on the new process.
R: On-time delivery went back above our 97% target within three weeks, and the alert is now part of the standard setup.

"Describe a time you dealt with a difficult customer." (competency: customer focus)

S: While working at a mobile phone retailer, a customer came in upset because his repair had been delayed twice.
T: I needed to calm the situation and find a solution within store policy.
A: I listened without interrupting, apologised for the delay, checked the repair status with the service centre while he waited, and arranged a loan phone until his device was ready. I called him two days later with an update.
R: He collected his phone the following week, thanked the team and left a positive review naming the store.

"Give an example of when you worked as part of a team."

S: In my final year at university, I was part of a five-person group building a marketing plan for a local charity.
T: I was responsible for the social media strategy and for keeping the group on schedule.
A: I set up a shared timeline, ran short weekly check-ins and offered to help a teammate who was struggling with the budget section.
R: We submitted a week early, received a first-class mark, and the charity used two of our social media ideas.

These examples show structure only; build your own answers from real experiences.

Common behavioral and competency-based questions

• Tell me about a time you made a mistake. What did you do?
• Describe a time you had to meet a tight deadline.
• Give an example of when you disagreed with a colleague.
• Tell me about a time you led a team or project.
• Describe a situation where you had to adapt to change.
• Give an example of when you went above and beyond for a customer.

How to prepare a STAR story bank

1. List 6–8 situations from work, study or volunteering that show different strengths.
2. Write each one in STAR form in bullet points, not a full script.
3. Map each story to the competencies or requirements in the job description.
4. Practise out loud until each answer takes about two minutes.

Conclusion

The STAR method turns stories into clear evidence. Prepare a bank of real examples, keep the Action section detailed and finish with a result. Then rehearse with the Interview Questions tool and our guide to answering "tell me about yourself".