Using STAR to evidence your skills

STAR - Situation, Task, Action and Result

STAR is a framework that helps you to analyse experiences and articulate skills in the job application process, whether on an application form or in an interview. It gives you a solid structure to supply evidence of how you meet the requirements of particular roles.

Employers express their job requirements in terms of skills and competencies. During interviews and on application forms, you will often be asked to give an example of when you have demonstrated a specific skill, behaviour or competency. Competencies are skills or qualities that are needed to perform successfully in a job role. They are often defined in terms of behaviours. Employers usually outline required skills in a ‘Person Specification’ for the job and will score application forms/interviews according to the evidence that candidates provide.

When might you need to answer questions using STAR?

Typical examples include:

•Interview questions (e.g., ‘Can you give us an example of a time when you have had to solve a problem?’)

•Application forms (e.g., ‘Tell us about a time when you have worked in a team,’ or ‘Please give an example of a time where you have used skills of persuasion.’)

An application form might specify why an employer is asking, and potentially give you a word limit, for example:

The following questions are designed to encourage you to provide evidence of specific abilities. Your examples can be taken from your education, work experience, placements, spare time or other voluntary activities but do not write solely about coursework.

Give an example of a time when you successfully led a team. (250 words)
Describe a recent problem you faced. What did you do? What alternatives did you consider? What was the outcome? (150 words)
Tell us about an occasion when you dealt with conflict. How did you resolve it? (100 words)
What is your proudest achievement and why? (50 words)

Notice that the last example does not specify a particular skill or quality, though questions like this are still linked to a competency the employer has identified, such as drive or resilience. Always consider what the employer may be looking for by analysing how questions relate to the role and the person specification.

Questions can be phrased positively – ‘Tell us about something you’ve done well’ – or negatively: ‘Tell us about difficult situations and challenges’. You might be able to use the same example whether the question is phrased positively or negatively, as the greatest successes often occur when you’ve had to face challenges.

Whether in an application form or interview, the employer is seeking evidence that you match what they are looking for. That’s why it’s important to choose strong examples - which can be from any area of your life - and work them through. You will need to explain a situation where you used the competency, the key elements and facts of the situation, what your approach was and what actions you took, and finally what was achieved or what the outcome was.

The STAR acronym can guide you in structuring your answers:

S Situation: A specific experience or activity you have been involved in.

T Task: What was your objective? What were you trying to achieve?

A Action: What did you do and how did you achieve the task? Use ‘I’.

R Result: The outcome of your actions and how you measured your success.

Common causes for rejection include:

•Examples are all taken from the same part of your life;

•Either not supplying enough detail or (in an interview) too much;

•Vague or woolly answers (be specific and avoid irrelevant detail);

•Not following instructions (including the word limit).

N.B.: Please don’t actually write S, T, A and R in your answers!

Try this exercise:

Showcasing your skills

Choose your favourite or strongest skill(s).

Add it into the question below:

Give an example of a time when you successfully demonstrated …

Write about it in no more than 200 words, being guided by the STARs:

Situation

Task

Action

Result

Variations:

Try again, using different word limits.

Repeat this exercise for other strengths you possess.

Practise writing about other attributes which employers ask for. Communication skills, analytical ability, initiative, problem solving, leadership and teamwork are all common requirements.

More example competency-based questions can be found here:

‘The Job Interview’ leaflet, available here.

Prospects

Finally

Don’t forget we are always happy to help you with every aspect of your career planning and development, wherever you are in your journey. If you are unclear about where to start or what to focus on first, just make an appointment with a Careers Consultant via Surrey Pathfinder and we can help you develop a plan for moving forward.

Visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion careers resources to find out more about diversity initiatives, employer perspectives and support at Surrey.

If you would like more information, visit MySurrey Help to find answers to the most common questions and details on how to ask us a question if you require more support.