STAR method for a supporting statement: plan one example

Use the STAR method in a supporting statement to organise an example around the situation, your task, the action you took and the result. Choose the criterion first, then work through those prompts using something that happened to you. Keep the application form's question and length instruction beside your notes.

What each part needs to explain

The National Careers Service recommends STAR for showing skills and experience on an application form as well as preparing for interviews. It defines the parts as Situation, Task, Action and Result, and includes what you learned within the result.

Use these questions to prepare a single example. The editing column suggests what to remove once the reader can understand your contribution.

STAR part	Question to answer	Evidence to retain	What to cut
Situation	What was happening, and where?	The setting and problem relevant to the criterion	Background that never affects your action
Task	What were you responsible for?	Your role and the outcome you were asked to achieve	A repeat of the whole job description
Action	What did you do, and why?	Your decisions, steps and conversations	Broad claims that hide what you did
Result	What happened after your action?	What you observed and what you learned	A guessed figure or outcome you cannot explain

Situation and task can be close together in your notes. Separate them while planning if you are unsure where the wider problem ends and your own responsibility begins. Once that is clear, write in the form the employer requests.

Start with the criterion

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT recommends STAR in its application guidance. It also tells applicants to demonstrate all essential criteria from the person specification in their supporting information. An example needs to answer a requirement even when it has a clear STAR sequence.

Copy the criterion into your planning notes. Underline the action or skill it asks about, then recall an occasion that shows it. A story about handling a difficult customer might evidence communication, but read carefully if the actual criterion also asks about accurate record keeping. Check whether the same occasion contains evidence of that part too.

For the full application process, use the supporting statement writing guide. Work through the remaining criteria after you have planned this example.

Work through one example as notes

The practice criterion below is made up. Replace it with a line from your own person specification. The prompts show the shape of an answer without supplying an applicant's experience.

Criterion: "Ability to organise work when priorities change."

• When and where: name the setting and explain what changed. Add the task you were responsible for and what needed to happen next.
• What you did: identify how you checked urgency, agreed a revised order and told the people affected. Include only actions you actually took.
• What happened: record what was completed, any work handed over and what you learned about planning the next task.

Now test the notes. If they say "helped the team cope", ask which task you took on and what you changed. If they say "everything went well", recall what you saw or what someone told you. Write that observation accurately, without adding a number to make it sound more impressive.

Make your part in a team clear

A team example needs enough context to show who shared the work. Describe your own responsibility, then the action you took with others. Credit a colleague's decision to that colleague. Where you asked for advice, explain how you used it.

If you cannot remember the result, choose an example you can explain more fully. A record, feedback or a completed task may help you recall it. Keep confidential material out of the statement and describe only the details needed to understand the example.

The National Careers Service says examples can come from work, home or volunteering. Select the setting that meets the actual criterion: a general teamwork example does not establish a qualification or specialist experience. The criteria guide helps you separate those requirements.

Edit the example for the form

The National Careers Service advises keeping examples short and to the point and being ready for follow-up questions. Read your draft with those questions in mind: could you explain the decision, the outcome and your own contribution in more detail?

• Remove background that does not help the reader understand your action.
• Check that the result follows from what you described and that any learning is specific.
• Follow any separate questions or headings the employer provides.
• Check the rest of the person specification for requirements still missing from your draft.

You can check your evidence against the job criteria once you have drafted the statement.