Is finding a new job one of your goals this year? Show your ideal employer that you’re right for their team by using this simple technique.
The STAR formula — Situation, Task, Action, and Result — is a powerful way to express what you’ve accomplished in your career. Instead of your resume being a laundry list of tasks and responsibilities, STAR will tell the story of your accomplishments, showcase your problem-solving skills, and prove your value to the hiring manager.
Before launching into what STAR is and how to use it, I want to answer precisely how it will demonstrate that you’re top talent in your job search.
STAR Stories Give You the Advantage
So, how can you benefit from creating STAR narratives when updating your resume and conducting your job search? Gathering detailed information about your work and expressing it confidently in a way that aligns with the employer’s needs makes a solid impression.
A resume packed with achievements and metrics will get you to the next step — the interview. Many hiring managers ask behavioral interviewing questions, such as “Tell me about a time when you solved a problem for a customer.” Or “Give me an example of how you handled a conflict with a coworker.” Using the STAR formula to write your resume will help prepare you to answer these questions confidently.
Specifically, writing a resume loaded with STAR bullet points:
1. Engages the reader: By creating a narrative around your experience, you draw the person reviewing your resume into your successes on a deeper level.
2. Demonstrates problem-solving skills: By recounting specific situations where you faced challenges, you show proof of your ability to handle tough situations — instead of listing empty claims of your abilities.
3. Quantifies impact: Numbers give concrete evidence of your achievements. The STAR formula uses metrics to make it easier for employers to grasp the tangible results of your efforts.
4. Highlights qualifications: Using the STAR formula and tailoring your bullet points to the position demonstrates that you possess the qualities and requirements the employer wants.
Let me tell you more about what the STAR acronym means and how to use it.
Remember STAR for an Outstanding Resume
In the career industry, we love using acronyms to teach new job search skills. Using the STAR formula will make it easier to write your resume and remember what you want to say when you’re under pressure in an interview.
STAR stands for: Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
Here’s the formula:
Situation: Set the stage by describing the context of the challenge or opportunity. What was the scenario, and why was it significant? Give details and numbers to illustrate your example.
Task: Outline your role and responsibilities in this situation. What tasks were assigned to you? What goals were you working toward? List the metrics involved for the challenges you were up against.
Action: Describe the steps you took to tackle the situation. What specific actions did you take? What was your approach to the problem? What numbers were involved?
Result: Share the outcomes of your actions. What were the quantifiable results? How did your efforts contribute to the successful resolution of the situation?
Reflection (Optional): Consider adding a reflective section to your STAR story. What did you learn from the experience? How did you adapt and grow as an employee? How did these insights benefit your employer?
Here’s Where You Begin
Creating STAR bullet points starts with brainstorming your most significant successes in the workplace. Make sure to use the following list of prompts to jog your memory.
Once you have those instances sketched out, fill in the details of what you were faced with (situation), your role responsibilities (task), what you did including relevant metrics (action), and the outcome (result and reflection). Then, you’ll be ready to put the information together as a bullet point or paragraph.
Here are more detailed steps for developing your STARs:
Step 1: Brainstorm with prompts.
In a new document, start a list of your achievements at work. I have my clients write about their “Top 10 Greatest Hits.” Keep this list of prompts handy.
Describe a time when you:
Set a goal and met it.
Showed initiative.
Went above and beyond the call of duty.
Took on a new challenge.
Collaborated with others.
Worked under pressure.
Persuaded someone.
Finished a challenging project.
Had a conflict with a co-worker or employee.
Dealt with an unhappy customer.
Experienced failure.
Demonstrated your time management skills.
Had to motivate others.
Prioritized certain tasks.
Made a difficult or unpopular decision.
Disagreed with a manager.
Made a decision with incomplete information.
Survived a stressful situation.
This is not a comprehensive list. Feel free to devise your own prompts to highlight what you accomplished at work.
Step 2: Fill in the details using STAR.
For each scenario, write out the details according to the formula:
Situation (S): Describe the context and background of the scenario.
Task (T): Outline your responsibilities and objectives in the given situation.
Action (A): Detail the specific steps you took to address the challenge or opportunity.
Result (R): Specify the measurable outcomes of your actions.
Reflection (R): Discuss what you learned from the challenge you faced.
Use this example (based on an actual client’s story) as a model for writing your own stories.
Situation: As the VP of the international engineering division, I managed the product development team of 40 engineers. I answered to the CEO. I had five direct reports and 35 indirect reports. I needed to shorten the time to market and lead time for new products, which was longer than industry standards. I wanted to improve product reviews that were a half-star less than our competitors.
Task: I restructured multiple engineering departments and improved the hiring process. I created new development and launch processes to improve efficiency and timing.
Action: I implemented the Accelerated Product Development (APD) system in less than one year.
Result: My system decreased time-to-market from 2.5 years to less than nine months and brought down new product lead time 50%. We brought products to production 45% sooner. Quality ratings went up a half-star on Amazon.
Reflection: I created specialized R&D, QA, and operations engineering teams, which allowed employees to focus on their expertise and speed things along. I hired high-quality internal and external professionals, bringing added talent to the process.
Step 3: Put your STAR parts together to form bullets for your resume.
Be sure to use action verbs, but avoid overused words such as led, managed, increased, and decreased. See my e-book, “The Best Verb for Your Resume Blurb,” for alternatives.
Here are the bullet points I created from the example above:
SCOPE: Oversaw International Product Engineering Department with 5 direct reports and 35 indirect reports. Recruited to redesign product development process. Reported directly to CEO.
Within first year of hire, refined efficiency and timing of development and launch processes by employing Accelerated Product Development (APD) system.
Slashed time to market from 2.5 years to less than 9 months. Cut new product lead time 50% while boosting quality ratings .5 star on Amazon.
Brought revolutionary products to production 45% sooner after directing restructure of engineering departments. Created specialized R&D, QA, and operations engineering teams from top-notch internal and external hires.
See how strong this candidate looks by using the STAR formula? Gathering comprehensive information and using a narrative can make you look like a stellar contender, too!
BONUS Step 4: Read out loud.
Reading your STAR narratives out loud to others can help you practice for the interviews you’ll surely get with your all-STAR resume. This exercise can provide valuable feedback to improve your wording and delivery.
Summary: You’ll be a Shining Star
In the competitive world of job hunting, storytelling is a powerful skill. Using the structured approach of the STAR method will give you statements that describe the challenge you were up against, the tasks you faced, the action you took, including metrics, and the result you got.
Resume bullet points written this way pack in compelling information and tell an employer that you are a winner in the job search game.
Need personal assistance with your resume or job search? Book a complimentary consultation today!
Kristin S. Johnson, CARW, CJSS, CCMC, COPNS, CG3C, CBBSC
Job Search Coach and Resume Writer
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