Best practice in responding
How to Use the STAR Method
Remote encourages candidates for employment opportunities to respond using the STAR method. It is a framework that helps you tell a story about your past experiences in a structured way.
We find that the more candidates specifically reference actual examples of their contemporary experience, the more chance they have of being successful in gaining employment.
SITUATIONS
An event, project, or challenges faced and overcome
TASK
Your responsibilities and assignments for the situation
ACTION
Steps or procedure taken to relieve or rectify situation
RESULT
Result of action taken significantly improved performance metrics
How to use the Star Method
- Choose Relevant Examples: Think about your past experiences and choose examples that best demonstrate your skills and abilities in relation to the selection criteria. Make sure your examples are relevant and recent.
- Structure Your Response: Use the STAR method to structure your response. Start by describing the situation, then move on to the task, followed by the action you took, and finally, the result of your actions.
- Be concise and specific. Keep your responses concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details and focus on the key aspects of your example. Be specific about your actions and the results you achieved.
Example of a good STAR Response
| Criteria | Response |
|---|---|
| Provide Business Analysis support to a multi-disciplined team engaged in the progression of various capability projects from inception to delivery |
Sarah is an experienced Project Manager. Sarah is able to leverage multiple certifications and qualifications with real-world experience across various industries to provide advanced project management services. Sarah consistently demonstrates project management capabilities at or above the SFIA level 4.
In support of her clients, Sarah has initiated and managed multiple ICT, cyber, physical security, and Operational Technology (OT) projects and designed clear Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) for projects ranging from development of information management policies to off-shore server stack upgrades and generative AI app development. Recently, Sarah was engaged as the Cyber Program Manager for a significant expansion and infrastructure development project with Telstra. Sarah identified a major, unmitigated risk in the IT and OT networks of a national infrastructure asset and Origin Energy. If this risk were realised, it could cause significant operational disruption and multi-million dollar delays to the infrastructure development project. Sarah was tasked with managing the risk and mitigating potential impacts by designing a project to assess and address the identified vulnerability. The project required defining a clear approach, aligning with stakeholders, securing funding, and delivering the solution in a time-sensitive environment. Sarah applied PRINCE2 methodology to develop a comprehensive business case, gain the approval of stakeholders within Telstra, Origin and the Federal and State Governments of Victoria and NSW, and secure funding. She created a clear project plan, including a WBS, and developed detailed scope, schedule, quality, risk, and communication plans in a Project Initiation Document (PID). Sarah assembled and led a small team of technical experts, assigning clear tasks with staged work packages in the PID, and tracking activities against the schedule. Sarah led the project through two key stages: Stage 1: Assess the current state of IT/OT controls, identify gaps, and understand the full extent of the risk. Stage 2: Develop a roadmap to enhance existing controls and design new ones to mitigate the risk. She collaborated with Telstra's Head of Legal Services to ensure the project aligned with existing commercial agreements with the third-party. Sarah also led workshops in Sydney, Brisbane and Melboure with technical and non-technical teams to gather data, analyse results, and refine the project approach. Sarah successfully delivered the project on time and under budget. The risk was effectively mitigated through the identification and development of multiple new controls, resulting in a reduction of the risk rating for the asset's development project. The outcome also strengthened the relationship between Telstra and Origin and led to improved ongoing collaboration. |
Feedback from Remote:
Sarah uses the STAR Method to focus on specific examples and her role in the outcome.
Nice job Sarah. If you want to make it to interview …. be like Sarah!
Example of a bad STAR Response
| Criteria | Response |
|---|---|
| Assist in planning, design development and configuration tasks. |
Over 20 years in telecommunications engineering, project engineering and project management, Tim has consistently worked on high-stakes projects involving fibre network design and deployment for leading firms such as Telstra, NBN, and Optus/Uecomm. Tim was tasked with overseeing the design, planning, and deployment of complex telecom infrastructure, including large-scale fibre networks, while ensuring projects were delivered on time and within budget. Tim utilised his expertise in configuring Cisco switches, managing civil works, and leading technical teams. He implemented tools like MS Project and Primavera 6 for efficient project planning, and introduced automation through MS SharePoint, Power BI, and Power Automate to enhance productivity, report generation, and project tracking. His leadership in managing multi-million-dollar projects resulted in the successful, timely deployment of telecom solutions, often exceeding performance expectations. His innovative technical and managerial strategies significantly improved reporting efficiency and resource management. |
Feedback from Remote:
- Tim doesn’t reference specific Situations.
- Tim doesn’t explain what he was Tasked to do.
- Tim doesn’t explain what Actions he took.
- Tim doesn’t explain what the Results of his actions were.
This kind of response, or worse, is very common when candidates use Large Language Models (AI) to write selection criteria. Because the AI doesn’t know your background, it is inherently limited to motherhood statements and generic descriptions of what a person in a role might have done.
You won’t get to interview with this Tim.