Competency questions ask for evidence from your past. The STAR structure keeps your answer focused.
Situation
One or two sentences of context. Where were you, and what was going on?
Task
What were you responsible for? What was the challenge?
Action
The heart of your answer. What did you do? Use "I", not "we". Explain your reasoning.
Result
What happened? Quantify it if you can, and say what you learned.
Example
"Tell me about a time you handled a difficult stakeholder."
- Situation: Our largest client was unhappy with delays on a system migration.
- Task: As project lead I needed to rebuild trust without derailing the plan.
- Action: I set up weekly calls, shared a transparent risk log and agreed two quick wins.
- Result: We delivered two weeks later than the original date but within the revised plan, and the client renewed for three years.
Prepare six to eight stories that you can adapt to different questions.