What STAR stands for
Situation: the context, briefly. Task: what you needed to accomplish. Action: what you personally did. Result: what happened, and what you learned.
Spend most of your time on Action
Interviewers want to know how you think and work. Say "I" for your part, even in team stories, so it's clear what you contributed.
Prepare a handful of stories
Pick five or six real experiences — a conflict, a mistake, a deadline, a leadership moment, a time you helped a customer. Most behavioral questions can be answered with one of them.
Practice out loud
Saying an answer aloud reveals where it rambles. Aim for about one to two minutes per answer.