How to Write a STAR Method Resume (With Examples)

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 (and should) also use the STAR method in your resume, too?

Why? 

Because plain bullet points don’t show what you’ve actually done. A well-written STAR method resume highlights your impact, not just your job description. And that’s exactly what hiring managers are looking for. 

What is the STAR Method?

The STAR method gives you a simple way to structure career achievements on your resume. STAR is an acronym that stands for:

• Situation

• Task

• Action

• Result

You've heard that resumes should focus on accomplishments, not just responsibilities. Saying you were “responsible for training staff,” for example, just doesn’t cut it anymore. Hiring managers want to see what you did, how you did it, and what happened. 

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.

Enter: the STAR method. It helps you dive deeper into your career story to turn vague duties into clear, results-driven achievements. 

• 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: Explain how you tackled the problem to help recruiters understand your approach and working style.

• Result: This is the shining moment where you talk about your achievement.

In a STAR method resume, you won’t include every single detail, just enough from each step to show the value you delivered.

What is the point of using the STAR method?

It’s easy to think your career history is enough to impress employers. But in today’s job market, that’s not enough. To stand out, your resume needs to show what you achieved, not just what you were assigned. 

A STAR method resume helps you do exactly that. It gives hiring managers a reason to pause and pay attention because now they’re seeing proof that you can deliver results. A great STAR method resume 

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

• Presents yourself as an achiever rather than a doer

• Lays 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: Your resume isn't supposed to be a narrative of everything you've done – keep it concise by focusing on the last 10-15 years of experience.

To write a strong STAR method resume, start by breaking your achievements into simple STAR elements. You won’t include every detail, just the essentials that prove your value.

Here's how to think through each part as you're writing bullet points:

• Situation: What challenge or context were you facing?

• Task: What were you responsible for?

• Action: What did you actually do?

• Result: What happened because of your actions?

If you can spark their curiosity about your career achievements, 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.

Where to use the STAR method on your resume

You don’t have to limit STAR to bullet points. The structure is flexible enough to use in multiple parts of your resume, basically anywhere you want to show results and back up your claims.

Here are the best places to use the STAR method on your resume:

• Resume profile or summary: Use a condensed STAR story to showcase your biggest win right at the top.

• Professional experience bullet points: This is the most common place; weave in STAR to show how you handled challenges and delivered impact.

• Key achievements or accomplishments sections: If your resume includes a standalone list of highlights, STAR is the best way to make them meaningful.

• Project descriptions: If you include major projects, use the STAR method to break down what you did and why it mattered.

When you apply STAR across different sections, you build a resume that’s achievement-focused from top to bottom and that works to help you make a perfect first impression. 

Here’s a quick example of a STAR-style resume profile line:

Instead of this:

• Experienced operations manager skilled in logistics and team leadership.

Try this:

• Improved fulfillment efficiency by restructuring shipping workflows, retraining warehouse teams, and reducing delays by 32% within six months.

That second version sounds more like someone who gets results, not just someone who manages processes.

Tips to create a STAR method resume

To write a strong STAR method resume, start by choosing a keyword or key responsibility from the job description. Your goal is to show how you’ve tackled that task in the past and the results you achieved. 

Let’s say you're applying for a job as a Claims Adjuster, one of your main tasks could center around determining liability. This seems easy enough, but if your resume says:

• Assessed damage to determine liability

…you’re not standing out. Every other Claims Adjuster can say the same thing – which means your resume is no more compelling than theirs. That just won't cut it in today's competitive labor market.

How to turn that into a STAR method resume bullet

The good news is that there's a solution. Let's turn that statement into something that adds action to pack a little more punch.

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

• Task: I gathered and analyzed documentation, created cost estimates, and wrote proposals to mitigate risk.

• Action: I monitored claims volumes and analyzed trends to root out unwarranted claims.

• Result: 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 you can use the STAR method to help tell the story in a more concise manner. Here are two options:

Option 1: a single bullet

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

Option 2: Bullet + sub-bullets

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.

What makes the STAR method so great for resumes?

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

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

• Easy to follow: STAR provides a simple and clear structure for telling your story, minimizing resume space

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

• Customizable: 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

• Quantifies your impact: 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 resume strategy allows you to deliver that message in an organized way.

Pro Tip: Not every bullet needs to be a full STAR story. Use it for the achievements that really show what you bring to the table.

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More STAR method resume examples

If you need some STAR method resume examples you can borrow from, you’re in the right place! These examples can help you turn real work into strong, results-focused bullet points, no matter where you are in your career – just starting out or have years of experience.

1. Entry level or recent graduate 

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 

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%

STAR method bullet point:

• 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

STAR method bullet point:

• 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%

STAR method bullet point:

• 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 for your resume profile

You can also use a STAR-style structure in your resume profile. Just keep it short and in the present tense.

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:

• Deliver high-impact mobile applications by leading fast-turnaround dev teams, redesigning flawed codebases, and meeting 100% of client goals ahead of deadline.

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 and Marsha Hebert.