Acing the Fit Interview:
- Strategy and Approach
- Motivation Questions
- Effective Storytelling
- Finessing Negative Stories
In the third article of this series, you will learn about personal experience questions that demand a different approach from motivation questions.
The START Framework
Many interviewing guides out there espouse the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) that purportedly outlines the components of an effective story. I propose the addition of a further Takeaway element (hence “START” instead of “STAR”) to conclude the story compellingly. In a sense, this is an adaptation of Freytag’s Pyramid, a paradigm of dramatic structure proposed by Gustav Freytag.
Here is a brief concrete example of how the START framework can be used in practice.
Question
“Tell me about a time when you pushed yourself to overcome a huge challenge.”
Response
A successful respondent must persuade the interviewer that (i) they faced a real and difficult challenge, and (ii) they handled it appropriately.
We will break the response down into five sections to show how it fits the START framework.
1. Situation (Freytag’s Exposition)
Provide a topic sentence that succinctly situates the story and summarizes the nature of the challenge faced.
“As Chief of Staff at a boutique strategy consulting firm, I had numerous overlapping responsibilities with short deadlines.”
2. Task (Freytag’s Rising Action)
The task should be elaborated on to convince the interviewer that you faced a real challenge. It’s crucial that the extent of the challenge is sufficiently underscored. If the interviewer fails to see the significance or relevance of the challenge, your story of triumph will lose its impact.
“Specifically, I was tasked to write proposals, edit articles, and launch a blended learning program. Outside of work, I was also concurrently driving a project as part of a sustainability-focused consulting group. The convergence of these stressors put me under a huge deal of pressure, and I felt incredibly overwhelmed.”
3. Action (Freytag’s Climax)
As the climax of your story, it is imperative that you delve deep into how you thought of and approached the challenge. By outlining your broader considerations, the interviewer gets insight into your thought process. This must be followed by concrete, tangible actions so that it’s not just all talk but no action.
“Instead of simply buckling down and working longer hours, I took a step back and undertook a more nuanced overall approach, recognizing that the consequences if I were to burnout would be far more disastrous. First and foremost, I categorized tasks based on urgency and importance (this is sometimes referred to as the Eisenhower matrix, but I typically don’t mention this lest I come across as pretentious). I used Google Calendar/Tasks and Trello to help me with time management and task prioritization. Throughout the day itself, I applied deep breathing and positive framing techniques I learn in yoga in order to stay calm and focused.”
4. Result (Freytag’s Falling Action)
Don’t be a jerk and end your story on a cliffhanger! This is where you talk about how your efforts paid off and convince your interviewer that you handled the challenge appropriately.
“With my overarching strategy and practical techniques, I successfully juggled my numerous work and non-work commitments, receiving strongly positive feedback on all professional fronts while meeting my other responsibilities and avoiding burnout.”
5. Takeaway (Freytag’s Resolution)
Most guidelines would stop at Result, but it’s incredibly important to wrap the story up neatly with a bow…
When children are told stories, the storyteller often ends with the moral of the story to ensure the listeners receive clear insights. For instance, Little Red Riding Hood teaches young children not to talk to strangers. Similarly, it is useful to highlight what consulting-related insight you gained from the experience to demonstrate your introspective nature and familiarity with the expectations of consulting.
“Through this challenge, I learnt the importance of keeping calm when overwhelmed, and of making the act of prioritization itself a key priority. Consultants often rely on the 80-20 rule (also known as the Pareto Principle) to focus on the most crucial elements of a project. This experience helped me to better understand why, and to practice applying it in real-life.”
Tricky Questions
While the “START” framework is a useful foundation, it might be difficult to apply this framework to negative interview questions such as those asking about your biggest failures or weaknesses. In an interview setting where every candidate wants to showcase the best version of themselves, the bulk of preparation is concentrated on strengths, achievements, and triumphs. Consequently, the most complex questions to tackle are negative ones that directly inquire about the very things we might be tempted to sweep under the rug. In the next article, we will dissect these kinds of tricky questions!
Lucas Foo is a Philosophy and Linguistics Undergraduate at the University of Oxford. He enjoys drawing insights from ambiguity to create real and positive impact.
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