Interviews can be tricky, especially when you're asked to describe a real-world project and your mind goes blank. Suddenly, you’re juggling thoughts about that huge programme you were on last year and all those late nights you worked to help save the project from disaster . . but how do you explain it all without rambling?
That’s where the STAR technique comes in.
It’s a simple yet powerful way to structure your responses so you sound clear, confident, and results-driven. And trust me, whether you’re applying for a technical, admin or consulting role, STAR can be an invaluable tool to get the best out of your interviews.
What is STAR?
STAR stands for:
- Situation - Set the scene. What was the problem or challenge?
- Task - What was your role? What were you responsible for?
- Action - What did you do to solve it?
- Result - What was the outcome? Bonus points if you can quantify it.
It’s a storytelling technique, but instead of telling a long-winded tale, you hit the key points that make hiring managers take notice.
Example: Solution Architect - Migrating Legacy Systems to the Cloud
The interviewer asks: "Tell me about a time you led a cloud migration project."
Here’s how STAR helps you craft a strong response:
Situation: "At a UK central government department, they were stuck with legacy on-premise systems that were expensive to maintain and lacked scalability. The goal was to migrate to AWS microservices while ensuring security and compliance with strict government regulations."
Task: "As the lead solution architect, I was responsible for designing the migration strategy, reducing downtime, and ensuring a seamless transition that met compliance standards like ISO27001."
Action: "I led the discovery phase to assess existing infrastructure, identified critical dependencies, and designed an AWS Kubernetes-based architecture to maximise resilience. I also collaborated with security teams to implement IAM best practices, automated CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions, and trained engineers to ensure a smooth transition."
Result: "The migration reduced infrastructure costs by 35%, improved system reliability with 99.9% uptime, and secured compliance approvals from government regulators. More importantly, the engineering team was successfully onboarded to the new environment, improving deployment efficiency and reducing operational overhead."
Making STAR work for you
- Be specific - Avoid generic answers. Focus on the exact steps you took.
- Use numbers - Metrics make your impact tangible. How much did performance improve? How much downtime did you reduce?
- Keep it relevant - Tailor each STAR answer to the role you're applying for.
- Practice, but don’t memorise - You want it to sound natural, not rehearsed.
The STAR technique is about telling your story in a way that proves your value.
For any role where details matter, STAR ensures you don’t miss the key points.
So, next time you're in an interview, ditch the long-winded explanations, use STAR, and watch how much more confident and impactful you sound.
