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Esther Low

Showcase Your Skills as a Student using STAR Method & Achievements

Getting a job as a student is tough, right? You're competing with tons of other applicants who have similar qualifications. You all have similar degrees, similar CGPAs, and you've all listed "problem-solving skills", "communication skills" and the same technical skills on your resumes.


So, how do you stand out? How do you make a recruiter think, "This is the candidate I need to talk to?"


That's the key question. Every student claims to have those sought-after skills. But just saying you have them isn't convincing. You need to show them.


You need a way to showcase your wins and make them memorable. That's where the STAR method and achievement-based storytelling work like magic! They'll transform your resume from average to impressive.


The STAR Method

The STAR method is a simple framework for telling compelling stories about your experiences, both on your resume and in interviews.


Here’s how it works:


  • Situation: What was the situation or challenge you faced?

  • Task: What were the tasks involved? What needed to be done?

  • Action: What actions did you take? How did you solve the problem?

  • Result: What was the outcome/results? How did you contribute?


Example 1

  • Situation: I was the Leo Club president and I led a committee of 10 students.

  • Task: I was responsible for organising activities and motivating 100 members to participate.

  • Action: We organised a fundraiser where our members volunteered to teach painting classes.

  • Result: We successfully raised RM2,000. This experience also strengthened my collaboration and event management skills.


Example 2

  • Situation: During my internship, the team was struggling to keep track of social media engagement.

  • Task: Though it wasn't assigned, I took the initiative to help.

  • Action: I researched and implemented a new social media analytics tool, training the team on its use and integrating it into our workflow.

  • Result: We increased engagement by 15% and gained 200 followers in 1 month.


List Achievements, Not Tasks

Recruiters look at hundreds of resumes a day, and they only spend just 6 seconds scanning each resume. You need to grab their attention fast. The secret? Showcase your achievements, not just your duties.


Think about it: 10 students apply for a marketing role. 9 of them would list tasks like "Managed social media accounts." But you write, "Created 3 viral posts that reached 500,000 views and gained 1,000 followers." Who gets the call? You!


Focusing on achievements:

  • Shows your impact: Achievements prove you’re results-oriented and driven.

  • Catches attention: In a sea of words, numbers catches attention instantly. Quantify it!

  • Sparks curiosity: Strong achievements make recruiters want to learn how you did it. Hello, interview invite!


Example 1

  • Task: Organised a fundraising event.

  • Achievement: Successfully raised RM3,500 by securing 4 corporate sponsorships and implementing a new online donation platform.


Example 2

  • Task: Demonstrated strong leadership skills

  • Achievement: Led a team of 4 in a 24-hour hackathon and won third place out of 15 competing teams.


You can use action words such as: Achieved, Boosted, Drove, Elevated, Enhanced, Expanded, Generated, Improved, Increased, Launched, Led, Managed, Optimized, Pioneered, Spearheaded, Strengthened, Transformed.


STAR Method + Achievements

Now, let's put it all together with examples across different student experiences:


Assignment

  • Project: Market Research for New Tech Product

  • Achievement: Conducted surveys and interviews with 50 tech users to identify customer needs. Analysed findings through a SWOT analysis to recommend a new product and presented results and insights to the class.


Final Year Project

  • Project: Smart Home System Prototype

  • Achievement: Designed and implemented a prototype smart home system integrating IoT devices and sensors for automated appliance control and security. Achieved a 95% reliability rate through rigorous testing.


Student Club

  • Role: Career Fair Event Committee Member

  • Achievement: Successfully organised a career fair, attracting 30+ top companies and 500+ student attendees. Implemented marketing strategies that doubled event attendance compared to previous years and garnered positive employer feedback on student engagement.


Part-Time Job

  • Role: Cashier

  • Achievement: Served an average of 150 customers daily, maintaining accurate transactions and positive customer experiences. Developed strong communication and customer service skills in a fast-paced retail environment.


Internship

  • Role: Tech Startup Intern

  • Achievement: Collaborated with developers to improve UI/UX for onboarding, resulting in a 25% decrease in drop-off rate. Contributed to user testing and feedback sessions, enhancing overall app usability.


Volunteer Work

  • Role: Tutor

  • Achievement: Designed and delivered STEM lessons to 50 underprivileged youth, sparking interest in science and technology. Improved participants' academic performance by 15%.


Passion Project

  • Role: Founder - Instagram Salted Egg Chip Shop

  • Achievement: Launched an Instagram store selling premium salted egg chips, merging passion for food and entrepreneurship. Managed product development, branding, and digital marketing. Generated RM3,500 in sales within 3 months.


Now, it's your turn! Think about your own experiences – part-time jobs, internships, volunteer work, class projects, extracurricular activities, even passion projects. Brainstorm how you can use the STAR method and achievement-based storytelling to make them shine. What challenges did you overcome? What impact did you make? What did you learn?


Remember, numbers are your friends! Quantify your achievements whenever possible to make them more impactful. Did you increase sales? Improve efficiency? Boost engagement? Decrease cost? Let the numbers tell your success story.


Get 4x more interests with your STAR stories

Adding these impactful achievements to your Kabel profile can significantly increase your visibility and attract more 4x interest from employers. Make it easy for recruiters to see your value and potential. Let's go!


Student getting a job when she lists achievements on resume

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