My Fisher Grad Life
Stories from graduate students at Fisher College of Business
2 min read

Following the STAR Method: MHRM

In preparation for the ongoing internship recruitment season, I will be discussing two ways MHRM helps students with interviewing and how students can improve communication during interviews overtime.

By Jonny Delegram

September 3, 2026

Tags: #MHRM, Interview Advice, Career Support, Informational

Sitting on Fisher bench

CareerCore

The CareerCore is an early professional preparation style class completed over the summer before starting the first MHRM semester. During CareerCore, one of the assignment's was surrounding organization of our six foundational STAR stories. For people unfamiliar with the star practice, STAR follows a format that organizes stories into four distinct parts:

  • S for the necessary details involving the situation 
  • T for the task you were presented
  • A for the actions you took to address the task
  • R for the result of those actions and what you learned from it.

The best practice is to use relevant experiences to showcase your character and strengths as an individual. Having a baseline for your STAR stories before entering the busy recruitment season allows for student's to prepare and adjust accordingly.

MHRM Practice Interviews

The MHRM program emphasizes the importance of incorporating the star method when answering interviewers questions. One way that MHRM prepares you for this is through a collaborative exercise where second year student's interview you and provide feedback once completed. The experience was a great way to get realistic practice before actually applying the STAR method during a real interview. 

Individual Practice

Individual practice of the STAR method is incredibly important for securing internships during the MHRM program. How you can practice is through revising and applying STAR stories tailoring them to specific questions. One STAR story can be modified to fit as a solid answer for multiple questions. Learning how to shift the story takes practice. I recommend reviewing your stories without looking back on your notes to simulate a realistic interview environment. 

Example STAR Story

I have included a short personal example STAR story to highlight how this informational is actually applied using the format.  Pseudonyms are used to protect confidentiality in the story. 

Interview Question: Describe a time when you had to solve a problem.

Situation: About a year ago I was working at my nannying position during the summer. The pool was open and the children I regularly watched, along with their friend named Alex were in the pool. I was standing on the side of the pool conversing with Alex’s mom Stacey. 

Task: Splashing noises instantly grabbed my attention. I looked down into the pool to see Alex struggling to keep his head afloat. He was close enough to the edge that both Stacey and I were trying to direct him, but he was flaring his arms for help. 

Action: I locked eye contact with Stacey who looked frozen. I realized quickly that I needed to act fast. I took one deep breathe to remain calm then dove straight into the pool. I was not in a bathing suit, I had my regular clothes on. I lifted Alex outside of the pool as he coughed up water he previously swallowed. 

Result: I was able to remain calm in a highly intense situation. Alex was saved due to my quick decision-making abilities and analysis of other people’s emotional states. I was proud of my crisis management abilities that showcased I work well under pressure. 

Although STAR is a great tool to utilize for interviews, it is also important to be as authentic as possible. Combining STAR with your true personality can be a great strategy to land your ideal summer internship in the MHRM program! 

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