Behavioural interview questions can sometimes feel like an interrogation. Instead of a casual chat about your skills, you’re suddenly expected to relive your past experiences in excruciating detail, hoping you don’t sound like a bumbling fool. The good news? You can absolutely nail these questions with the right approach. The trick is structure—because rambling is the fastest way to bore an interviewer into a premature “we’ll be in touch.”

​

The STAR Method: Your Lifeline in Interviews

If you’ve ever found yourself mid-interview, staring at a recruiter like a deer in headlights, STAR is your new best friend. You've probably heard of this method before, it's by far the most popular (and for good reason, btw). However, in case you haven't heard of the STAR method, it stands for:

• Situation – Set the scene and give enough context for your story to make sense.

• Task – What needed to be done? What problem were you facing?

• Action – What you did. Not your team. Not your manager. YOU.

• Result – What happened because of your actions? (Ideally, it’s something good.)

Example Answer Using STAR

Question: Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer.

Response:

• Situation: I worked in customer service, and a client was upset over a delayed order.

• Task: I needed to turn their upset into satisfaction and keep them as a customer.

• Action: I acknowledged their frustration, gave them real-time tracking updates, and threw in a discount for the inconvenience.

• Result: They appreciated the transparency, and continued to do business with us.

See? Clear, structured, and actually answers the question.

​

Other Ways to Nail Your Responses (Because STAR Isn’t the Only Game in Town)

​

1. CAR Method (Challenge, Action, Result)

Think of this as STAR’s slightly edgier cousin—less scene-setting, more getting straight to the point.

Example Question: Tell me about a time you had to meet a tight deadline.

Response:

• Challenge: A VIP client wanted a detailed report with a 24-hour turnaround.

• Action: I prioritised the work, delegated tasks, and cut out unnecessary steps.

• Result: The report was done ahead of schedule, the client was thrilled, and I got a shoutout from senior management.

​

2. SOAR Method (Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result)

Perfect for when you had to push through a major challenge.

Example Question: Describe a time you faced a significant obstacle at work.

Response:

• Situation: Our company faced a sudden budget cut, impacting project resources.

• Obstacle: I had to deliver the same results with way fewer resources.

• Action: I streamlined workflows, negotiated better deals with vendors, and automated repetitive tasks.

• Result: The project was completed successfully, under budget, and on time.

​

Interview Success Hacks

• Have Your Stories Ready: If you try to wing it, you will ramble. Prepare a few killer examples in advance.

• Keep It Punchy: No one wants a five-minute monologue about that one time you fixed a printer. Stick to the relevant details.

• Own Your Achievements: “We did this” and “The team decided” won’t cut it. Yes, it's great to know you can work in a team and it's not wrong to talk about it, but hiring managers want to know what you did.

• Practice Without Sounding Like a Robot: Rehearse your answers, but keep them natural. You’re not delivering a TED Talk—just having a conversation.

​

Behavioural interviews don’t have to be a nightmare. Get your answers structured, keep your stories sharp, and walk into that interview ready to own it.