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

Picture21

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.
  • 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 Adam has significant experience leading Business Analyst teams across various NIC agencies. Recently, he has been the Business Analyst and engagement lead for Team A in ABC’s capability management department since 2023. As the lead, Adam developed an active artefact register for all ABC projects, supporting the Portfolio Branch during the planning phase, particularly through ODCS gates 0 and 1. He organized sprints for his team to:
- Review project documentation
-Conduct timeline analyses to prioritize efforts
-Develop a consistent workflow for Gate 0 and 1 approval

Adam was responsible for the analysis and review of project artefacts, collaborating with business planning and delivery teams to define high-level business requirements and deliver analytical workflows. His efforts resulted in stakeholders accessing a central repository of project planning artefacts, enabling the Portfolio Planning Team to schedule Gate committees aligned with the CapabilityOne timeline without secondary reviews. Adam is also pursuing a Master's degree in Project Management, leveraging his experience in business analysis and project management.

Feedback from Remote:
Adam uses the STAR Method to focus on specific examples and his role in the outcome.
Nice job mate.
Be like Adam!

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 fiber 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 fiber 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 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.
Do better Tim!!