A job interview: listening and the STAR plan
In an interview you may be asked to tell a story about something you did. The STAR plan helps you to answer clearly. S is the situation: where and when it was. T is the task: what you had to do. A is the action: what you did, step by step, using I. R is the result: what happened and what you learned. A STAR answer is short, honest and has numbers or facts. When you listen to an interview, note the question first, then the four parts of the answer. Use the past simple for the story (I helped, we finished) and the present perfect or the present for what you have learned now. Do not exaggerate. A good answer to Describe a moment when you worked in a team might be 60 to 80 words long. Practise it aloud with a grown-up.
| Letter | Meaning | Question to ask yourself |
|---|---|---|
| S | Situation | Where was I and what was happening? |
| T | Task | What did I have to do? |
| A | Action | What exactly did I do? |
| R | Result | What happened, and what did I learn? |
Describe a moment when you worked in a team.
Last spring our class held a plant sale. I was in a team of four. Our task was to make signs and sell the plants on one Friday.
What did you do?
I made six signs and borrowed my uncle’s table. During the sale I counted the money with a friend, so we made no mistakes.
And what was the result?
We sold all forty plants in two hours, and the garden got new tools. I learned that a team works best when everybody has a clear job.
Thank you, Yara. Can you start on the first of July?
Yes, I can. Thank you very much.
STAR practice. Think of a time when you worked in a team at school or at home. Write four short sentences, one for each letter of STAR, using the past simple. Then say your answer aloud to a grown-up in one minute without reading.