Learn how to apply the STAR method and pass your DELF B2 or DALF C1 French oral exam the 1st time

What is the STAR Interview Method?

When applying for employment opportunities within organizations, such as the United Nations, Interpol, or the World Bank you will likely find that there are many types of interview styles, which can range from informal in nature to more formal. One interview style that is well suited to language evaluations is the competency-based interview. Competency based interviews are designed to make the job application process as objective as possible, removing any conscious or subconscious bias by the interviewer by asking each candidate the same questions. Some people feel this type of interview is more stilted – there can be less opportunity to build rapport. However, they are very common, especially in large organizations and the public sector, so it’s worth refining your technique. One technique that is popular is called the STAR method.

STAR is an acronym that stands for situation, task, action and result. In the STAR Method, an answer is assessed for including a clear statement of: Situation or Task, Action Taken, Result or Outcome. The STAR method can be used as a tool to help you structure your responses for language evaluations based upon the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Using this method will help to ensure that you structure your responses so that you are well understood and it also forces you to demonstrate an ability to use a wide variety of French terms, thereby showing your lexique, ability to transition between past/present/future and to logically construct your response with the type of question being asked. For instance, a candidate for an analyst role with the United Nations may be asked: “Tell me about a time in which you solved a problem with a tight deadline.” By following the STAR method, a candidate can be prepared to structure their response in the following format.

– Situation – the first required element is to set the context for the story. For example, “Three years ago, while working in the Central Division as a Lead Analyst, my team was tasked to produce an economic forecast report however our chief financial analyst was too busy on other projects in order to lead the effort. I was then nominated to do the work, however I had very little experience in this domain, so I….. ”

– Task – what was required of you. For example, “It was my responsibility to lead a multi-functional team of analysts in order to complete the report.”

– Activity – what you actually did. For example, “I met with each of the Divisional Directors so that I could request a percentage of their time to contribute to the task. I had to develop a workplan and time estimate so that I could ensure that no one was idle during this period because all of the teams were already over worked and a three week deadline is considered very short for this type of task.”

– Result – how well the situation played out. For example, “I was able to obtain support from the majority of the teams, and each of the members were able to make their contribution on time, since we followed a detailed work plan and had approval to work overtime for two weekends. As a result, I was able to deliver the report on time even though the pressure to deliver was very stressful and demanding.”

STAR Interview Preparation

When applying the STAR method for your language evaluation, there are some basic recommendations to follow. Include details: Ensure that you focus on describing what aspect of the organization was impacted either negatively or positively. For example, does the story speak to the ability to increase or decrease the motivation of the employees or their level of productivity? Don’t speak in general terms, such as “we did a lot better than the last time we tried” and use concrete descriptions to explain the result and the effects that it had on the organization. Avoid beating about a bush: Relate the story to demonstrate the competencies or the skills that you had to employ and what was learned or experienced as a result of this activity. Focus on describing the cause and the consequence related to the situation that you are describing. Don’t rush: If a candidate makes use of the STAR method to answer the interview questions, it is best if they avoid rushing through the interview as it may give the impression that the candidate is nervous or not confident of what they are explaining. Taking too much time to answer is the other extreme of time. A general guideline, is that a candidate can take 2-3 minutes to answer each of the interview questions. Use first singular person when required: A language evaluation interview can be treated differently than a normal job interview where the emphasis is to highlight yourself and the benefits that you bring to the organization. Therefore, you may be prepared to respond to each question with “I”, however in a language evaluation you would be expected to respond with “I” for direct questions and to speak more abstractly for non-direct questions. This concept will be further elaborated within the following section of this guide named “Types de questions d’entretien”.

Types de questions d’entretien

The preceding section introduced the STAR method to help you prepare for behavioral based interview questions. These questions are intended to have you discuss how you approached a common challenge in a work place environment, and the STAR method allows you to have a structured response so that you clearly communicate all of the key elements of an ideal response – the situation, the tasks that were required, the actions that were taken, and the final result. In most interviews you are expected to clearly define what actions you did in order to achieve the final outcome, so that the interview assessor can identify your strengths and weaknesses. They are seeking to separate the actions that you influenced versus the actions of the organization that you simply followed with very little contribution or influence. However, there is another style of interview that can also benefit from the STAR method. In this style, you can use the STAR method to structure your responses but instead of focusing on what you individually did, you are expected to focus on generalities and the ability to note the existence of multiple points of view. This style means that you are not expected to have direct experience being in the situation based upon your previous work experience but that you are capable of understanding the context of the situation and you are able to discuss the situation from multiple perspectives, such as: the perspective of the employer, the perspective of the employee, or the perspective of the client. This interview style is much more flexible for the party doing the interview because they can use the same interview questions for a much broader audience candidates in order to assess their French communication skills. If the objective of the interview is to assess French communication skills and not direct experience working on a specific type of project or situation, then it is acceptable to speak in generalizations, rather than the interviewee simply stating that they have no direct experience or the limited set of candidates that could recount their vast experience with a specific topic. This also means that candidates must consider changing their response structure from being personal (i.e. Je suis, J’ai, Je vais, etc..) to a response that is broader (i.e. Il est essentiel que, On doit, Nous sommes, Il faut que, etc…). Therefore, this guide will emphasize the scenario where candidates are encouraged to speak in generalities concerning a broad range of topics, which will be visible in the following list of plausible interview question types and their associated response structures.

Do you want to learn more?

In our French oral exam study guide series we explain the common types of interview questions and we provide recommended response structures that help you to demonstrate strong French oral communication skills. The 3rd study guide in the series titled “Le Conseil” is a great fit for anyone looking to learn more about how to apply the STAR method to help them pass their DALF C1 or DELF B2 French oral exam.

If you are not able to purchase the ebook or would like to learn more then you can get started for free by reviewing our previous blog post series named “Follow 3 Simple Steps to be ready for French oral exam questions.