How many times have you sat down to write your CV skills section and then given up? How many times has an application asked “Tell me about when you worked in a team?” and you’ve thought “I don’t know how to answer this”? Well in both these cases it’s because most people find it very difficult to write about their skills. But having made an attempt, the one common mistake is to provide a long description of “where” they did the skill and not much else. A good answer, and what employers are looking for, is a brief mention of “where” you did the skill, then loads of detail about “how” you actually do the skill.
The STAR technique is an acronym that provides a structured way of describing a skill. It is versatile enough to be used on CVs, on application forms and even in interviews. Indeed, some employers actually suggest you use the technique when providing guidance on how to complete their application forms.