STAR

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Engineering manager interviews focus heavily on behavioral assessments, and using a structured response framework like STAR can help clearly demonstrate leadership competencies and impact. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result and is widely recommended for leadership roles due to its clarity and depth.

• Situation: Set the context of your story—when, where, and why it happened—so the interviewer understands the environment and background.
• Task: Define your responsibility in that situation and any challenges you faced while addressing it.
• Action: Detail the specific steps you personally took, what you owned, and how you worked with others.
• Result: End with measurable outcomes like cost savings, quality improvements, time to market, or customer/team impact. Show the success and its scale.