The ‘Situation’ component is your first opportunity to engage the interviewer and set the stage for a compelling STAR story. Getting it right means providing just enough relevant context without drowning the listener in unnecessary details. Knowing exactly what information to include (and exclude) is key to a powerful and concise opening.

This article will break down the essential elements that should be part of your STAR ‘Situation’, ensuring you provide clear, concise, and impactful context every time.

The Core Purpose of the ‘Situation’

The ‘Situation’ is designed to establish the background for your narrative. It’s the “who, what, when, and where” of your story, providing the necessary foundation for the interviewer to understand the challenge or event you’re about to describe. Its primary goal is clarity and relevance.

For foundational strategies on scene-setting, refer to Tips for Setting the Scene Effectively.

Essential Information to Include

• The Setting (Where/When): Briefly describe where and when the situation occurred.
  • Example: “In my role as a Project Lead at Acme Corp, during the final quarter of 2024…”
• The Players (Who): Identify the key individuals or teams involved, especially those relevant to the challenge.
  • Example: “…my team was tasked with…” or “…I was collaborating with a cross-functional team and a key client…”
• The Core Challenge/Event (What): Clearly state the central problem, project, or event that forms the basis of your story. This should directly relate to the behavioral question being asked.
  • Example: “…we encountered a critical system outage that directly impacted our major service delivery platform.” or “…we were launching a new product with an aggressive deadline and limited resources.”
• Brief Context/Stakes: Provide a very brief hint at why this situation was significant or challenging. This helps the interviewer understand the importance of your actions.
  • Example: “…which threatened to severely disrupt client operations and incur significant financial penalties.”

What to Avoid Including

• Excessive Company History: The interviewer doesn’t need a detailed background of your former employer.
• Irrelevant Personal Anecdotes: Stick to professional details that advance the story.
• Overly Technical Jargon: If technical terms are essential, explain them concisely.
• Detailed Solutions: Save the ‘how’ for the ‘Action’ section. The ‘Situation’ is just the setup.
• Emotional Overload: While the situation might have been stressful, describe it objectively.

To ensure you’re not overdoing it, consider How Much Context is Needed for STAR and be aware of Common ‘Situation’ Mistakes to Avoid.

Example of a Focused ‘Situation’

Question: “Describe a time you demonstrated strong communication skills.”

Ineffective: “So, in my last company, which was a startup, we had this really important project, and the team was having trouble. There were a lot of disagreements, and everyone was getting frustrated, and we just weren’t communicating well because people had different ideas about what to do.”

Effective: “As a Marketing Coordinator at a fast-paced tech startup, I observed significant friction between our sales and product development teams regarding upcoming feature prioritization, which was delaying our Q3 launch plans.”

The effective example quickly provides who (Marketing Coordinator, sales/product teams), what (friction over feature prioritization, delaying launch), when (upcoming Q3), and where (tech startup), without unnecessary backstory. For a helpful checklist, see Checklist: STAR Situation Essentials.

By meticulously curating the information you include in your ‘Situation’, you create a solid, clear, and engaging foundation that primes the interviewer for the rest of your impactful story. This focused approach ensures your key message is never lost.

For a complete understanding of all STAR elements, return to Deconstructing the STAR Method: Each Component Explained.