The document discusses the STARR method for answering behavioral interview questions. It describes structuring answers using the Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection framework. Examples are provided of using STARR to answer common interview questions like "have you ever led a team before?" and "describe a time you were successful." The document emphasizes practicing STARR answers out loud to ensure continuity and staying within a 2 minute limit.

1. How Leaders prepare
for Job Interviews
STARR Method: An Effective Framework for
answering Tough Interview Questions

2. S.T.A.R.R. Method for Behavioral
Interviewing
 Behavioral interviewing is a technique employed by
interviewers to evaluate your past behavior in order to predict
your future behavior in a particular situation.
 Answering behavioral questions is not an easy task, but proper
preparation will assist you in answering them successfully.
 Utilizing the S.T.A.R.R Method will help you construct an
organized, specific, thoughtful, and concise answer.

3. S.T.A.R.R. Method…
 The STARR method will enable you to answer tough job interview
questions in a compelling and powerful manner.
 This is a great method for closed-ended questions! (“yes” or “no”
questions)
 People like hearing stories. Facts are easier to remember if wrapped
in a story and gets the message across!
 Listeners will remember more of your answers, and the messages
within them. Also, your message will be delivered in a friendly likable
style.

4. S.T.A.R.R. Method for
Interviewing:
S(Think of a work situation you were involved in that had a positive ending. A
specific story or event.)
T(Describe the tasks involved in the situation)
A(Specify what actions you took in the situation to complete the tasks and
achieve your results. Focus on YOU)
R(What resulted from your actions?)
R(Reflection, what did you learn. What did you achieve?)

6. How to Build a S.T.A.R.R. Method
Story…
 A STARR story should be about 2 minutes long
 Delivered with energy and enthusiasm about a real experience you
have had (it should describe a relevant skill or behavior).
 Example Question: Have you ever led a team before?
 The above question is a terrible closed question. In an interview you
want to make the most out of every closed ended question.

7.  Situation:
During my third year of college, I was elected
Vice President for Professional Programs for my
student association. The duties of the position
included securing speakers for our meetings,
advertising the programs to the campus
community, introducing speakers, and
evaluating each program.
“Have you ever led a team
before?”…

8. Task:
Previous attendance at meetings had
decreased substantially due to a decrease
in the overall student population. The goal
was to implement programs to address the
professional development of our association
and increase attendance by 25%
compared to the prior year's figures.
“Have you ever led a team
before?”…

9.  Action:
I assembled a team to help with the program
design and speaker selection. I developed a
survey to determine the members' professional
interests and ideas for possible speakers and
topics. My team and I had each member
complete the survey. Then we randomly
selected members for a focus group interview. I
had learned about this research technique in
my marketing class and thought it would help us
identify why attendance had dropped.
“Have you ever led a team
before?”…

10.  Result:
Because of the information we gathered from
the surveys and interviews, we selected speakers
for the entire year, produced a brochure
describing each program and the featured
speaker. Under my leadership, attendance
increased 150% over the previous year.
“Have you ever led a team
before?”…

11. Situation:
 A relevant example would be when I
organized a campus wide canned food
drive for a local food bank as President of
Alpha Lambda Delta.
“Describe a time you were
successful”…

12.  Task:
It was the holiday season and successful
completion of this project would mean
providing meals for multiple less fortunate
people in the community. As we had not done
a food drive like this before in our organization,
most of the officers were reluctant to work on
this project
“Describe a time you were
successful”…

13.  Action:
However, as I had been President of the Key
Club in high school and involved in multiple
other community service organizations, I already
had an understanding of what was necessary to
carry out a project of this scale as well as an
ability to motivate the team. Leading by
example, I drew up a plan of the tasks that
needed to be accomplished such as marketing
the food drive and reaching out to students, to
the technicalities of food storage and delivery
and then delegated them to each of the officers
“Describe a time you were
successful”…

14.  Result:
By delegating the tasks to everyone, no one
person was burdened with an excessive load of
work and the food drive was carried out
smoothly and efficiently. The overall project was
seen as a great success as the additional food
was a great help to the families and individuals
visiting this local food bank. Without our
donations, the holiday season could have been
lacking. With this success, my entire team of
officers continued to work together and plan
new projects.
“Describe a time you were
successful”…

15.  Reflection:
I believe being a leader includes motivating
others to achieve new goals, organizing a plan
to carryout these goals.
“Describe a time you were
successful”…

16. S.T.A.R.R. Method:
 You need to practice your answers out loud, to
ensure it's continuity and that you don't go over 2
minutes.
 Answer also conveys that you have other skills and
behaviors any interviewer would be interested in.
 Answering tough interview questions like this will
work wonders, but answering poorly worded
questions will really set you apart.
 Try it yourself!

17. STARR Video
 STARR video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nN7Q7DrI6Q

18. Service Learning and Leadership
on a Resume:
“Do employers really care about volunteering?”
Yes!
 The Corporation for National and Community Service (govt
agency) tracked 70,000 jobless people from 2002 -2012
 Those that volunteered had a 27% higher chance of getting hired!
 Center for Economic and Policy Research:
 Those who volunteer 20-99 hours are 7% more likely to find a job
that following year
 Represents work experience and transferrable skills
 Builds network
 Grow resume depth and Linkedin profile

19.  Volunteer experience requires strategic placement in a
resume
 Resume not just for paid work history
 Need to balance space based on experiences
 Don’t leave all volunteer work for a closing section headed
“Other Interests” or possibly “Community Work” at the end!
Service Learning and Leadership
on a Resume:

20. There are two options for where to place
volunteer experience on a resume:
 Two options for volunteer experience on a resume:
 Chronological order
 Present volunteer experiences along with paid work in reverse date
order (most recent experience first).
 Highlight that the person has been doing many things since their last
paid job.
 Appropriate for students seeking their first “real” job, since it places
their valuable volunteer/internship experience front and center,
rather than low-level jobs without any professional relevance.
 Different Categories:
 Separate paid work experience from volunteer work experience.
 This presentation highlights how the job seeker has demonstrated
valuable skills in each category.

21. Career Services
 Career Services Resume and Cover letter guide (Do’s and Do not’s
and resume action words)
http://www.oakland.edu/upload/docs/Career%20Services/ResumeG
uide2014.pdf
 List of Employers:
http://www.oakland.edu/upload/docs/2014-
2015/2015%20Winter%20Career%20Fair%20Registered%20Employers-
9.pdf
 Need specific career guidance? Make an appointment with
Career Services: (248) 370-3250
http://www.oakland.edu/?id=14838&sid=68