cover letter with star method

How to use STAR in selection criteria & cover letters

• Post author: Joel Smith
• Post published: September 29, 2021
• Post category: Cover Letters / Selection Criteria

How to use STAR

How incorporate STAR into your own writing process.

By Joel Smith

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This piece will give you a general overview of what selection criteria is and it’s application.

Check out our articles on everything you need to know about selection criteria ,  and on writing  cover letters addressing selection criteria if you want more detailed pieces and examples.

These will give you insights, examples, and great detail on how to choose your best examples.

Why use the STAR method?

The STAR method is the best way to structure your responses to criteria, and in general, to write a cover letter. Your application is meant to give the recruiters insights into your behaviour in the workplace. Therefore, the best way to write a good application is to give them examples of your capability. In other words, you need to tell them about particular times you’ve demonstrated the capabilities needed for the job.

And the best way to give them your examples is to use the STAR method.

Before you start: Read the fine print

The job you’re looking at may have clear or vague directions on how to respond. Generally, there will be information available on the word limit per response, or the page limit in total. You can find this information by looking thoroughly through the candidate information pack or equivalent. If it’s not there, you can contact the officer listed on the job ad.

For example,  for f ederal government jobs , it is a common requirement to submit a  one- or two-page summary, or 600 word pitch . This is meant to address not only address any present selection criteria, but your skills, attributes, qualifications, and general capability to do the role. So, they are asking for a selection criteria that is more like a covering letter, with the responses weaved in. You can find out ore about that  here .

Things to look for are:

• Formatting requirements (margins, font, font size)
• Should documents be in the one file, or separate files
• If the responses will be uploaded online separately
• How many referees are required

In the absence of clear directions, use STAR responses and use your judgement.

Planning your responses using STAR

Look at the capabilities. Are they asking about your ability to manage projects? If so, think of a time you’ve successfully managed a project. This will be your example.

And it needs to be specific – you cannot just say “I regularly manage projects.” Think of a real doozy where you had to work really hard, and then use the STAR method to talk them through that experience.

Have a look at all the criteria, and come up with at least one example for each.

Using the STAR method

After you have identified good examples for each criteria, it is time to get writing. The STAR method is the universally agreed-upon method for responding to selection criteria and for writing cover letters. The four elements of a good STAR response are:

S – Situation

Explain the situation you were in. This should take up about  10 per cent  of your response.

“I managed a range of different projects i n my role as Senior Officer with XYZ Incorporated . This included projects in IT, business improvement, and policy implementation.”

T – Task

Explain the specific task you undertook in this situation. This should also take up only  10 per cen t  of your response.

“As a particular example, I managed the implementation of a new customer relationship management system.”

A – Action

Detail the approach you took to the task. This is where you really have the opportunity to get creative and demonstrate your expertise. Below you will see that we have detailed the candidates project. However, we have not focussed solely on their skills in project management. It also shows related skills like time management, written communication, and stakeholder engagement. 

This action part of your response should take up about  60 per cent of your word count.

“ I conducted independent research and analysed organisational requirements to identify appropriate solutions. I developed a business case for senior management which compared options and prices to minimum specifications requirements. This included a recommendation to implement ABC Solution, which was agreed to by the board. I then developed detailed project documentation in consultation with the client relationship management team. In these documents, I established and negotiated deadlines, milestones, budgets, and key dependencies. This allowed me to closely manage the project outcomes. From there, I worked with the vendor to design the customised user interface and modules of the system, and worked with senior managers to test the performance of the system. This ensured that the system met specifications before roll out. Once the system was designed, I developed and delivered a suite of training. I also created technical documentation and standard operating procedures to further support the implementation.”

R – Result

What was the result of your action? What were the outcomes your achieved, and how were things improved by your actions? This should take up about  20 per cent of your response.

“As a result, the system was successfully implemented, met organisational requirements, and staff were appropriately trained in it’s use. Additionally, the project was delivered on time and under  because of my careful planning .”

Pieced together, this response would be satisfactory response to a project management capability.

Word processing software has become more and more user friendly. It’s also a lot more flexible with it’s designs. Therefore, there is little excuse to not have a beautifully presented document. There are a number of templates you can use in Word itself, or you can find inspiration online.

Edit, review, repeat

This step is simple. Review what you’ve written. Reading out loud what you have written will help you detect issues.

It’s also always best to get a second set of eyes on your application. So, ask someone you know to have a look over it.

Carefully follow their directions for submission and recheck all information. Make sure that all names, phone numbers and contact details are correct.

By this point, you should be totally finished with your submission. However, it never hurts to give them a call and ask for more information if you need it. This can be a valuable tool, as the Contact Officer may give you tips and tricks for your submission that get you ahead of the other applicants.

We hope this has given you the boost of confidence you need to get a start on your selection criteria and cover letters. If you need more help, fill out our  form for a personalised quote .

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The star method.

Use the STAR method to plan your answers to interview questions and to show your skills and experience on a CV or application form.

What STAR stands for

• Situation - the situation you had to deal with
• Task - the task you were given to do
• Action - the action you took
• Result - what happened as a result of your action and what you learned from the experience

When to use STAR

You can use the STAR method in your:

• cover letter
• application form - usually in a further information section

How to use STAR

You can use the STAR method to structure the examples you give to questions, especially in interviews.

A job description lists the skills and qualities the employer is looking for. You can use the STAR method to show how you meet these. 

It can help to look at common interview questions when preparing.

When using STAR, remember to:

• use examples that work for you - these could be from work, home or volunteering
• keep examples short and to the point
• try to get your points across in a conversational way so as not to appear too rehearsed
• be prepared to answer follow-up questions about the examples you give

Example 1 - leadership skills

Tell me about a time when you have shown leadership skills.

Situation - in my previous digital marketing job, the company wanted to get more people to sign up to a newsletter which was not receiving a lot of attention.

Task - my job was to find a way of getting more people to sign up.

Action - I organised a meeting with other members of the marketing team to come up with creative ideas, and I led the social media campaign to generate interest in the revamped newsletter.

Result - over a period of 3 months, there was an 25% increase in sign-ups to the newsletter and the approach I took was used by the management team in other departments.

Example 2 - teamwork

Tell me about a time you have worked as part of a team?

Situation - when I was at school, I was part of the netball team. We needed to raise funds to buy more equipment for the team.

Task - my job was to work with the rest of the team to set up a bake sale to raise money.

Action - I took the lead and found out who wanted to help with the bake sale. I then held a meeting so we could work out dates and what tasks each person would do. I made sure that we were all clear what our role was and everyone who wanted to, got a chance to get involved.

Result - the bake sale was a success due to the team all pulling together. We raised £200 and were able to buy new equipment for the netball team.

Example 3 - problem solving

Give me an example of when you faced a problem at work. How did you handle it?

Situation - I was working in a florist shop with the manager and we were arranging an order of flowers for 2 weddings. The manager, who had taken the order, had mixed up the customers’ addresses and the flowers were delivered to the wrong venues.

Task - I had to get the flowers to the right place and apologise to the customers.

Action - I told my boss that I would deal with the mistake, leaving her to take care of the shop. I spoke to both customers on the telephone to explain, and reassured them that we would put things right straight away. I drove to both venues, swapped the flowers in time and apologised in person. I gave both customers a voucher for a bouquet as compensation.

Result - the customers were grateful that we had acted quickly. Later on, they both came back to the shop to spend their vouchers and have since recommended us to their friends.

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• How to Create an Effective...

How to Create an Effective STAR Method Resume (With Examples)

11 min read · Updated on February 26, 2024

The best way to get your story across is to use the STAR method

You've likely heard about using the STAR method to answer behavioral interview questions . Those are the questions that begin with something like, “Tell me about a time when…” But did you know that you can also use the STAR method to qualify and quantify achievements in your resume? 

Since your resume is largely made up of single-sentence bullet points, how do you use the STAR method to tell a story? This article will show you how and will provide example bullet points to guide you along. 

What is the STAR Method?

The STAR method is the best, most concise way to tell a story in your resume. As you might imagine, STAR is an acronym. It stands for:

You've probably heard that your resume needs to present your history in a way that shows achievement. No longer is it good enough to say that you are “responsible for training staff,” for example. You must dive deeper by highlighting the things you achieved in each job role. Using the STAR method is a straightforward yet humble way to brag about those achievements on your resume. 

Let's face it, there are a lot of things people are responsible for doing that just do not get done. Moreover, employers understand that every job candidate has been tasked with certain responsibilities. They want to know how you used your skills to meet those responsibilities and accomplish results that provided real value for your employers.

Situation: Everything you accomplish in your career starts with a situation that needs to be handled. Discuss what was happening and what was being affected by the issue. 

Task: What goal did you have in mind as you worked to address that situation? Were you assigned specific tasks to overcome related challenges? 

Action: This is your time to talk about specific steps you took to solve the problem. Explaining the way that you tackled the problem helps recruiters to understand your approach and working style.

Result: The result is the coup de grace, or deathblow, to the problem that you, your team, or your company faced. This is the shining moment where you talk about your achievement. 

What is the point of using the STAR method?

Many people think that all a prospective employer needs to know is your career history. While it's important to detail the things that you've done in your career to get you to this point, that's not all that employers want to see. The job market is fiercely competitive! To stand out from the competition, you'll need to differentiate yourself from rival candidates - and the best way to do that is by highlighting your achievements. 

Using the STAR method can offer several benefits that will help to shine a spotlight on you, including:

Demonstrating that you understand how your qualifications can make an impact on operations

Presenting yourself as an achiever rather than a doer

Laying the groundwork for talking points that you can use during the interview

How to use the STAR method in your resume

You may have a few stories in your head now. They're probably lengthy stories, however, which may make you wonder how you're supposed to fit everything into a one- or two-page document. 

PRO TIP: Remember that your resume isn't supposed to be a narrative of everything you've done. It's supposed to be a summary of your career, showing what you can bring to the table at a new company.

The fact is that you're not going to be able to fit every detail of your STAR stories into your resume. Instead, you should include just enough information about the S ituation, T ask, A ction, and R esult to capture the reader's interest and make them want to learn more about you. If you can spark their curiosity about a career achievement, they'll be more likely to call you for an interview. Then, during the interview, you can expand on the story and give the rest of the details. 

In addition to using the STAR method resume technique in your work achievement bullet points, you can also use it in your resume profile. Simply use the STAR storytelling structure to describe any achievement that you include in that profile. That will help to ensure that your introduction paragraph tells a more compelling story about who you are as a person and a professional.

Related post: Make the Perfect First Impression with Your Resume

Tips to create a STAR method resume

The first thing to do is to pick a major keyword from the job description, remembering that your resume needs to focus on demonstrating your qualifications for that job. For example, if you're applying for a job as a Claims Adjuster, one of your main tasks could center around determining liability. 

This seems easy enough. All you need to do is write a bullet that says you understand how to assess damage to determine liability. Unfortunately, every other Claims Adjuster will be able to say the same thing - which will mean that your resume is no more compelling than theirs. And that just won't cut it in today's competitive labor market.

The good news is that there's a solution. Let's turn that statement into something that packs a little more punch. 

1. Situation

I worked on residential and commercial claims processes, which could be a significant cost to the business. 

I had to gather and analyze documentation and photos of the damage. I completed cost estimates, researched market rates for new construction, and authored proposals for underwriting and financial institutions to mitigate operational risk. 

I monitored claims volumes for severity and analyzed trends to root out unwarranted claims.

I saved more than $1.2M within 6 months by finding and eliminating more than 250 fraudulent claims. 

Of course, all of that won't fit on a resume, but we can use the STAR method to help to tell the story in a more concise manner. You can do that by writing a single bullet point that contains key elements of the story. That would look something like this:

Slashed claims costs by $1.2M+ in 6 months, after assessing damage, analyzing trends, and monitoring claim volumes to reveal over 250 fraudulent claims

That already looks far better than simply stating that you know how to determine liability. You could also use the bullet / sub-bullet method. This allows you to start the story off and then break it down into sections:

Led unprecedented effort to research and eliminate fraudulent claims:

Performed deep-dive analysis of damage photos and claims documentation

Compared cost estimates and market rates with claims severity and trends

Saved over $1.2M within 6 months and eliminated more than 250 fraudulent claims

Whether you choose the single bullet or bullet / sub-bullet option, you're telling a story that lends value to your career history. You now stand out from the crowd of job seekers and a hiring manager will have a clearer picture of what you have to offer to his or her team. 

Related post : 100 + Keywords, Verbs and Action Words for Your Resume

What makes the STAR method so great for resumes?

There are many obvious reasons why the STAR method is such an effective tool for any resume. For example:

The STAR method can help you to focus on what you did and the results you produced, rather than just reciting your job duties

STAR provides a simple and clear structure for telling your story, minimizing resume space

Bullet points that use the STAR method can be easily customized to align with any job you're seeking

Using this narrative technique enables you to draw attention to the benefits you provided for that employer, which is important since prospective employers are always interested in the value you can add to their organization

If you use real numbers in your STAR method resume achievements, you can quantify the results that you achieved to really highlight your value

Just like those behavioral interview questions, your resume is an open-ended story about your career. It allows you to provide as much or as little information as you deem necessary to convey your message. The STAR method allows you to deliver that message in an organized way. 

In revisiting the concept that your resume is a summary of your career, keep in mind that you may not need to develop every achievement using the STAR method. You can reserve STAR method resume bullet points for critical events that will make you stand out from the crowd. 

More STAR method resume examples

To further demonstrate how effective STAR method resume bullet points can be, we've compiled several other examples of this technique in action. They include examples for an entry-level resume, as well as several other job titles. We've also included an example of how you can use the STAR technique to cite an achievement in your resume profile.

1.     Entry level or recent graduate STAR method resume bullet point example

Situation : Group lab project in college

Task : Design an online marketing campaign for local business

Action : Led team in collaboration with company's Office Manager, building new site, social media presence, and customer engagement campaign

Result : Increased company's website and social media engagement by 180%, with 200% boost in customer total online and in-store visits

STAR method bullet point:

• Led university team project that revitalized local business partner's online marketing, expanding total on- and offline customer engagement by 200%

2.     Sales STAR method resume bullet point example

Situation : Company leaders set a 15% sales growth target

Task : Needed to expand customer base and sales conversions to meet goals

Action : Increased upsell efforts with high-value customers, while doubling cold call activities

Result : Boosted client acquisition by 20% and total sales by 19%

• Led sales team effort that exceeded company sales goals, increasing customer acquisition by 20% and boosting sales revenue by 19%

3.     Accounting STAR method resume bullet point example

Situation : Company costs needed to be reduced

Task : Identify waste, redundancies, and project cost overruns to reduce expenses

Action : Conducted month-long internal audit of all departments

Result : Identified more than $15k in monthly waste and cost overruns, reducing annual expenses by $180,000

• Conducted internal financial audit that reduced annual expenses by $180,000 through elimination of waste, project cost overruns, and redundancies

4.     IT Manager STAR method resume bullet point example

Situation : Company network was creating inefficiencies and increasing employee errors

Task : Identify and set up a new network system

Action : Researched potential replacement systems, purchased chosen solution, and implemented new network

Result : New network system reduced troubleshooting time by 61% and reduced employee errors by more than 80%

• Selected and installed a new network system that resulted in 80% improvement in employee accuracy while reducing IT troubleshooting time by 61%

5.     STAR method resume example for resume profile

Situation : Client needed a new mobile application to replace faulty program

Task : Create a new mobile app in eight days, eliminating previous app's programming errors

Action : Led 3-person design team in development project that required careful analysis of previous app, redesign of app interface, and repurposing of brand graphics

Result : Redesigned mobile app within assigned deadline, earning 10% early bonus from client and 100% satisfaction rating

STAR method resume profile text:

Redesigned client's faulty mobile app on expedited schedule, delivering new application that met all expectations and with client expressing 100% satisfaction.

Related post: 47 Accomplishment Examples for Your Resume: Expert Picks

Give your resume impact

By using the STAR method resume approach, you can help your achievement bullet points deliver an even more compelling narrative to employers. Instead of leaving them to wonder how much value you might be able to deliver for their company, you can demonstrate that value in a clear way, providing them with a real reason to schedule an interview with you.

If you need help, that's not a problem. TopResume has a talented team of professional resume writers ready to take on the task of making you look like a career achiever. Why not submit your resume for a free review today?

This article was originally written by Marsha Hebert and has been updated by Ken Chase.

Recommended reading:

How to Write a Resume for an Internal Position

How to Say You Trained Someone on Your Resume

How to Effectively Use Resume Action Words

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