Interviewing & Communicating
Preparing for an interview involves more than just showing up and answering questions. To stand out, you need to research the company, understand the role, and practice structured responses. I’ll be talking more about this last thing, here.
When I was interviewing for fellowships as a senior at Bryn Mawr College, I had never thought of applying a framework to how I answered questions. Yes, I was generally well-spoken, but I had issues organizing my thoughts and often babbled on for too long. While preparing for my Gates Cambridge Scholarship interview, an extremely helpful grants office worker at Bryn Mawr pointed me toward the STAR interviewing method, and I've used it ever since. It's secured me multiple fellowships (including a Fulbright Scholar Award in 2025) and, overall, made me both a better interviewee and interviewer.
The STAR Method
The STAR method is a structured approach to answering behavioral interview questions. It ensures that your answers are clear, organized, and relevant.
Situation – Describe the context or background of the challenge you faced.
Task – Explain your role and what needed to be accomplished.
Action – Detail the steps you took to address the situation.
Result – Share the outcomes of your actions and what you learned.
Example STAR Responses
(These aren’t real — but they’re based off of some experiences I’ve had)
Can you tell me about a situation where you excelled as a leader?
Situation: During my PhD, I led a research team investigating language as a biomarker for early cognitive decline.
Task: My role was to coordinate the team, manage data collection, and ensure timely analysis for a high-impact publication.
Action: I implemented structured weekly check-ins, assigned clear roles, and facilitated data analysis workshops to address bottlenecks.
Result: The team successfully published in a top-tier journal, and two members received fellowships based on our work.
Can you tell me what motivated you to apply for this job?
Situation: I’ve been following the work of your research team on AI-driven language analysis for clinical diagnostics.
Task: I wanted to apply my expertise in language biomarkers to contribute to advancing early diagnostic models.
Action: I took courses in machine learning, collaborated with interdisciplinary teams, and attended conferences on AI in healthcare.
Result: My combined expertise in linguistics and AI positions me to make a meaningful contribution to your team’s research.
Can you tell me about a time that you failed?
Situation: During my first year as a research assistant, I was responsible for coordinating data collection for a large-scale study on language biomarkers.
Task: I underestimated the time required to complete participant recruitment, which led to delays in data processing.
Action: After realizing the mistake, I communicated the issue to my team, revised the timeline, and sought guidance from senior researchers on streamlining recruitment.
Result: Although we faced an initial setback, the revised plan allowed us to complete the study successfully. I learned the importance of proactive planning and early risk assessment.
Practice Your STAR Responses
Choose a common interview question (e.g., “Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure”).
Write a STAR response using the structure above.
Practice saying it out loud to improve clarity and confidence.
💡 Want to test your responses? Try explaining them to a friend or mentor for feedback. Or, ask your favorite AI system during the writing process.
Before my Gates interview, when I was very new to STAR, I wrote down at least 10 answers to every question, then practiced them out loud. It was highly iterative. Now that I’m a practiced “STAR-user,” it only takes me 1-2 written drafts and then a few aloud practices to feel confident.
Final Tips for Interview Success
✅Be prepared with key experiences that showcase your strengths.
✅ Keep responses focused on the most impactful details.
✅ Always connect your experiences to the role you’re applying for.
✅ Saying your answers out loud helps refine your delivery and builds confidence.