The Secret to Nailing “Tell Me a Time…” Interview Questions Using the STAR Method

Have you ever frozen during an interview when asked, “Tell me about a time you faced a challenge” or “Tell me about a time you worked in a team”?

These behavioural or competency-based questions are the ones that make or break your interview. The good news? There’s a simple method that helps you answer confidently every single time — and it’s called the STAR Method.

In this article, I’ll break down how to use STAR the right way, show you real-life examples from my coaching clients (that have landed them jobs at the UN and top NGOs), and give you tips to craft your own powerful stories.

What Is the STAR Method?

STAR is an acronym that stands for:

• S – Situation: Set the scene. Give just enough context.
• T – Task: What was your responsibility or the challenge?
• A – Action: What exactly did you do? Focus on your steps.
• R – Result: What was the outcome? Quantify if possible.

This structured method helps you share compelling, clear, and concise stories that show interviewers how you think and act in real situations.

Real STAR Method Examples

1. Problem Solving

Interview Question: “Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem.”

STAR Answer:

• Situation: “At my previous job, our donor reporting system was outdated, and every quarterly report took nearly a week to compile manually.”
• Task: “As the project coordinator, I was responsible for delivering accurate financial and narrative reports on time.”
• Action: “I proposed using a simple Excel automation tool to consolidate key data. I worked with our finance officer to redesign our templates and trained the team on how to use them.”
• Result: “We cut reporting time from 5 days to just 1, and our next report received zero revision requests from the donor. The system is still in use two years later.”

👉 Why it works: This answer shows initiative, problem-solving skills, technical knowledge, and long-term impact — all within 60 seconds.

2. Teamwork

Interview Question: “Tell me about a time you worked in a team.”

STAR Answer:

• Situation: “During a national health campaign rollout, our NGO partnered with two county governments and three other organizations.”
• Task: “I was assigned as the logistics focal point to ensure timely delivery of supplies across 10 remote clinics.”
• Action: “I initiated weekly coordination calls, created a shared delivery tracker in Google Sheets, and personally resolved conflicts between our procurement and county transport teams.”
• Result: “We completed 100% of deliveries on time, and the campaign reached over 50,000 people — exceeding our target by 20%.”

👉 Why it works: This example demonstrates collaboration, planning, and initiative — all highly valued in NGO and UN settings.

3. Conflict Resolution

Interview Question: “Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a colleague.”

STAR Answer:

• Situation: “While working on a regional proposal, a colleague and I disagreed on the data source to use for our needs analysis.”
• Task: “As the team lead, I needed to ensure we had a unified, evidence-based proposal to meet the submission deadline.”
• Action: “I set up a short meeting where we each presented our sources. Then, I facilitated a discussion and proposed combining elements from both to increase credibility.”
• Result: “We submitted the proposal two days early, and it was approved for $1.2 million in funding — with positive feedback on our comprehensive data approach.”

👉 Why it works: Conflict isn’t a red flag — if handled well, it can show leadership, diplomacy, and emotional intelligence.

Common STAR Mistakes to Avoid

Many candidates know the STAR method but still don’t get it right. Here are three common mistakes:

1. Too much background: They spend too long on the Situation and Task.
   ✅ Tip: Focus 70% of your time on Action and Result.
2. Being too vague: “We worked hard and succeeded.”
   ✅ Tip: Be specific. What exactly did you do?
3. No clear result: They forget to show the impact.
   ✅ Tip: Always include the outcome. Quantify it if you can — money saved, people impacted, time reduced.

How to Prepare Your STAR Stories

Now it’s your turn to create strong STAR stories that highlight your unique strengths.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. List key competencies: Leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, communication, conflict resolution, adaptability, etc.
2. Recall examples: Think of real moments from work, school, or volunteering.
3. Write in STAR format: Use bullet points or short paragraphs.
4. Practice aloud: Get comfortable telling your story naturally — not like a script.
5. Customize to the job: Align your examples with the job description.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the STAR method isn’t about memorizing perfect stories. It’s about learning how to tell your story in a way that’s clear, credible, and compelling.

When you structure your answers this way, you don’t just “answer a question” — you demonstrate your value.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”—George Eliot