Components of a STARR Response
Situation
Task
Action
Results
What the listener is expecting
Describe the context. Include
enough context that the
listener knows how hard (or
easy) the situation was.
Describe what you were asked
to do. Note that this may be
different from what you chose
to do. (For instance, maybe
your boss wanted you to
calculate an answer, but you
thought you needed better
data or more complete data.)
You might also include
constraints like “I was given 2
weeks to solve the problem.”
You might also describe
resources or the goal you set
for yourself.
Describe what you actually did.
Perhaps this includes problem
solving (how you identified the
critical steps) – if it does, then
explain your decision making.
Define your outcomes. This
might include the outcomes
for the project (was able to
answer the boss’s question)
but it should also include
outcomes for the company (it
saved the company money,
time, or resources; it helped
the company better meet
An example
I was working for a Fortune 500
company in X sector. I was a new
intern, and I had only been on the job
for a few weeks.
My boss asked me to complete a data
analysis project where I needed to
understand where we were losing
customers. I had access to good data,
going back 3 years. My boss also told
me I could come back and talk to him if
I had problems.
First, I had to decide what the best
method would be. I chose to do X
because of [give the reasons]. Next,
once I started doing the work, I ran
into two problems: A and B. To solve
these problems, I had to [how you
solved]. I also had to talk to my
colleagues, because some of the
results seemed a bit strange. Once I
made some modifications, I was able to
solve all the problems and get good
outputs.
I had been hoping to complete the
work in a week, even though my boss
had given me two weeks. I completed
the project within 10 days, and I was
happy about that. More importantly,
though, I was able to help retain
customers. First, I explained my
findings to my boss and my colleagues.
Then, I made some recommendations
client or customer needs; it
allowed the department to be
more efficient, etc.). If you
don’t have strong results, you
may want to choose a different
story.
based on the data. Specifically, I
suggested that [your
recommendation]. They implemented
my recommendation at the end of the
summer, and they saw good results. In
fact, they gave me a return offer based
on my results. My boss was pleased
with how quickly I worked and with my
results.
Recommendation Describe what you learned
I learned how important it is to have a
from completing the project.
strong team to support you. Also, I
The listener is trying to make a learned how you can always look for
judgment about what kind of
better data – and that the quality of
work you will do for them, so
your data will have a huge impact on
help them see that you learned the results you achieve. Next time, I’ll
a lot and will continue to make work to begin my project with the best
improvements over time.
data I can get, so that I don’t lose time
working with suboptimal data. I loved
that my boss gave me such a great
opportunity – I would like to be that
kind of boss in the future.