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STAR method | Example STAR answer | SCARL technique
There are common interview techniques, or formulas, to help structure your responses during an interview. These techniques include the STAR interview technique, SCARL approach, or a mix of both.
The STAR method is a popular type of interview framework. It is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Results. Let’s walk through each:
Below, I share a story from my own professional experience using the STAR method.
Situation: “I led with influence when I identified a new target audience for Acme product but had no additional budget to spend on a campaign. I worked with the industry vertical team and the product team to have each department contribute 50% of my requested budget.
Task: My task was to deliver 1,000 new marketing attributed leads so that I would reach my quarterly goal.
Action: To accomplish my goal, I first drafted a campaign where the vertical marketing team and the product team could see where their respective budget contributions would be allocated, what evidence I had to support why I wanted to target this new audience, and the benefits each department would experience with their financing. Once securing the budget, I then worked with an approved content agency to develop material for web, social, blogs, and video. While the content was created, I simultaneously worked with my digital marketing team to develop a content publishing strategy.
Result: I led the execution of this campaign for 10 weeks and generated over 2,500 leads. A record for the company when compared to other campaigns ran previously. I ended that quarter 1,500 leads above my goal.
Another common interview approach is SCARL which stands for Stakes, Challenge, Action, Results, Lessons.
Similar to the STAR interview method, you can use this approach to structure your interview response. The only difference with SCARL is that the situation combines the “S” and the “T” of STAR into one where you quickly reveal your role and the critical need of the situation as related to the job environment. Challenge is an opportunity for you to describe what obstacles stood between your goal and delivering results. Actions and results remain the same between SCARL and STAR but, before you end your response, you add on what you learned. This can be a great opportunity to inform the interviewer of your takeaway from a project or how you might approach it differently next time. If we take the example from earlier and apply a learning statement, it might go as follows:
The STAR method and SCARL approach are great methods for structuring your interview responses. Referring back to the previous section, “Story Selection”, as you build your Story Library, apply either method to your practice. Take each story you have listed, and work through each one using the STAR or SCARL method. Neither method is better or worse. The selection often comes down to your own preference, but be sure to practice. Your goal is to tell your stories naturally, with each part seamlessly woven throughout your response. The method you choose is your guide, so if ever you feel lost in your response, you can pause, think of what step you are on, and pick right back up in your story.
In the next section, Positioning, we walk through how your Story Library can be molded to fit any behavioral question, and how you’ll be ready with a response when you’ve applied STAR or SCARL to your process.
Get sample interview questions & example answers from PMs and consultants at Bain, Microsoft, BCG & more. Plus, guidance on how to structure your answers!