Help pease with Cicil service application using STAR technique

[Britsy]

Hello,

I'm applying for a job with the civil service and the application states to use the STAR technique when answering questions.

The criteria is things like: ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines/good time management skills with the ability to use iniative and prioritise.

I think I'm okay with answering sections using the star tecnique but it's the first criteria that has me confused, which is: Qualifications that evidence a good standard of general education inclusing literacy and numeracy.

How do I answer this question using the star method? Or can I just list down all my qualifications?

Try chat gPT for this?

To answer this question using the STAR technique, we’ll focus on demonstrating your qualifications and skills related to literacy and numeracy. Here’s how you can structure it:

Situation:

Start by briefly outlining your educational background or any specific situation where your literacy and numeracy skills were important.

For example:

• "During my time at [School/College/University], I completed [specific courses] that required a strong foundation in both literacy and numeracy."
• "In my previous job as [Position], I regularly worked with numerical data and written reports, which required me to utilize both my literacy and numeracy skills effectively."

Task:

Next, describe a specific task where your literacy and numeracy were key to success.

For example:

• "I was responsible for completing written assignments that required clear communication and attention to detail, while also managing financial data for budget planning."
• "I was tasked with analyzing data and presenting it in written reports, which required both numerical accuracy and the ability to communicate findings clearly."

Action:

Then, explain the steps you took to accomplish the task. Focus on what you did to ensure high standards of literacy and numeracy.

For example:

• "I ensured that all my written reports followed proper structure and grammar, and I used software like Excel to organize data and check my calculations."
• "I reviewed my written work for clarity and correctness, and cross-referenced data to ensure accuracy before submission."

Result:

Finally, describe the positive outcome that resulted from your actions, focusing on the benefits of your strong literacy and numeracy skills.

For example:

• "As a result, my reports were consistently praised for their clarity, and my budget management was accurate, leading to a 10% reduction in expenses."
• "The clarity of my written reports led to improved understanding among the team, and my ability to manage numerical data contributed to more informed decision-making."

Full Example:

Situation: "During my time at university, I completed a degree in Business Management, where I regularly worked with both written assignments and numerical data analysis."

Task: "One of my key tasks was preparing reports that combined qualitative analysis with financial data, requiring a strong ability in both literacy and numeracy."

Action: "I paid careful attention to the structure and accuracy of my written work, ensuring my reports were well-organized, error-free, and easy to understand. I also used Excel to track and analyze data, double-checking my calculations for precision."

Result: "This approach led to consistently high grades in my assignments and presentations, and I was praised for my ability to clearly communicate complex data to my professors and peers."

Does this help? Feel free to adjust the details to match your own experience!

Is this for the personal statement part of the application or is it a standalone question on the online portal? Ive never used STAR for the qualifications question. I've always just outlined my qualification - eg. "I have a degree in X from Y and A-Levels in X, Y, Z. I have also completed professional qualifications in A, B, C."

Agree, I put everything into Microsoft co pilot these days and then whatever it spits out I say ‘make it less formal/more natural’

i would also make sure you double proof read everything you type. There is an error in your title.

Two errors in the title and at least two in the post.

It will usually specify in the job description where you do and don’t need to use STAR. For my department you do not use STAR for anything relating to specific technical skills and qualifications because it’s not appropriate - it’s not a situation or a task!

Do not use ChatGP! They use a software to filter out the ones that use it

We've been talking about this at work with the HR/training teams.

Since so much of our work requires us to be able to write, any hint of Chat GPT results in the application being sifted out.

Sorry to clarify...I didn't mean use Ai content word for word. It is just helpful in giving a structure or an idea of how to go about this specific approach.

oP can do it in her own words but the example given was a useful start?

But it would be completely wrong for this specific situation. Like I said, qualifications are not situations where a task took place (other than passing whatever tests were required for the qualification). It’s different to having competence/a skill that you can demonstrate through examples from your work/personal life.

Also worth noting that the majority of jobs on CS Jobs also contain a paragraph about use of AI and plagiarism so I would be very careful about using it to provide examples for competencies. It’s usually pretty obvious and won’t do you any favours.