The “STAR” Method
The “STAR” Method
When was the last time you updated your resume? Has it been a while? If so, are you familiar with the “STAR” methodology? You should be. Those who hire you, while possibly impressed by your degrees and certifications, will also ask themselves, “What will this candidate be able to deliver for my company?” “How can I be sure they have the talents they claim that they have?” “What makes them a better choice than the other candidates that I may select?”
While certainly a part of “fit” for a particular job is whether you will fit into the culture of the company, the other big factor is can you demonstrate your accomplishments to the perspective hiring company. Here are some tips on how to present what you offer for a company that may be looking to hire you.
- What was the problem, need, or challenge that a past employer needed addressed?
- What was your role in the process, (not your team’s or department’s), what did you specifically do?
- How did you go about specifically doing what you did?
- What positive, tangible, results did you produce? Quantify them, in dollars, time savings etc.
- What skills did you demonstrate?
Basically, what the acronym, STARS stands for is Situation, Task, Action, and Result. If you look at the bullets above, they step by step align with the acronym STARS in defining what it is that you were involved in doing. When you have a solid understanding of your accomplishments in your career, they serve you in several ways. It helps make you aware of the things you have done well. One gains insight into their natural talents. They help you identify your skills and strengths. The preparation you do in using the STAR method, assists both in developing your resume and preparing the interviews you will be doing. The STARs method and applying it is a platform for your career development.
The principles of the STAR methodology, are used in development of your resume, preparation of your interviews, in one’s Linked In profile both in the About section and the Experience section and in your cover letters. A STARS method approach should be used when you are looking to convey how you were the one to help improve quality, reduce costs, improve operations, and reduce the time of an operation. It is a great way of expressing how you established an administrative process, overcame an overlooked process, or handled an emergency or crisis. The STAR method is used when you are conveying messages on events of which you feel proud, a situation you went above and beyond the job responsibilities, where you showed an example of personal initiative, or when you may have received special recognition or praise. Most importantly, the STAR method used in your resume, and your job search preparation is meant to display successful outcomes.
Therefore, the next time you look to sit down to upgrade or refresh your resume, (and often that is when you either suddenly find yourself in job search, or realize it is time to leave where you are currently working), just do not “dust off” the old resume you have. Look to give it a total makeover. Additionally, in adding what you have done in your more recent job experiences, look over those performance reviews you may have received. See if there were any awards or letters of commendation you received. And, look to distinctly capture them in a precise bullet format describing the Situation you Faced, the Task you Performed, the Actions You Took and make others aware of the Results you accomplished.
