Star Methoed

Utilizing the STAR Method in Your Resume & Interviews

Your resume is a quick summary of who you are and what you’ve done in your career. It identifies and articulates your strengths and key accomplishments – which in turn will help you communicate your value confidently to a new company. It isn’t enough to say you are a leader, an effective communicator, a team-player and so on; you need to show it. In a traditional resume, you would probably itemize your job description, detailing what was expected of you in each role. However, this approach tells an employer nothing about you as an individual. An accomplishment-based resume, on the other hand, gives an employer more accurate information by describing how you made a difference in that role, as opposed to anyone else that might have held that position. Moreover, it tells an employer that you are somebody who gets things done and therefore, would potentially bring value to the job or internship. One of the most effective ways for you to communicate your accomplishments is by using a brief narrative structure that includes a targeted beginning, a short explanatory middle, and a strong ending that illustrates clearly what you can do for an employer.

STAR TECHNIQUE: 1.) SITUATION: • Define the general context. • Who/What/When • Mention the problem you had to overcome. 2.) TASK: • Identify the key objective and issue that you have addressed. 3.) ACTION: • Describe the action you took or initiated, emphasizing the skills you used to complete the task. 4.) RESULTS: • Summerize the outcome in business terms.

Remember: It is very important to include your results. This is a common mistake. Your statement will be more effective if you can summerize the outcome.

USING THE STAR METHOD DURING AN INTERVIEW: Sample Question: Have you ever lead a team before? SITUATION: “Yes; a relevant example being at my last company, where I was initially a software developer, in a team of 6 developing a new finance module for our...