The Painkiller: The STAR Method

Hello Fellow Veterans,

A few months back I was discussing tactics to help Veterans in quantifying military experience on a resume. I found this is a pain-point, not just with veterans, but with everyone. The painkiller? The STAR method. This method helps to quantify and explain experience on a resume for any individual with complicated job experiences, veterans included. In this post we will focus in on quantifying military experience on a resume, however, remember this works for all of you, spouses, children, and the like. So, without further hesitation, let’s jump into it.

What is the STAR Method?

The STAR method is pretty simple to put into practice and it has a simple explanation:

• S – Situation – this is the explanation of what was happening, such as “Directing a team of 9 into combat situations” (much of my experience is in Infantry so forgive the direction)
• T – Task – These would be the combat simulations or real life situations handled by our military teams
• A – Action – This is what you did to handle your teams in these high stress situations
• R – Result – How did your handling of the situation, task, and actions taken impact your team?

There is so much more to the STAR method, it can have a huge impact on what your resume tells future employers. When you are quantifying military experience on a resume, this method will help you grab the attention of the employer and guide them through the rest of your resume. I run into it a lot where it is clear that resume writers, even professional writers, are so caught up in explanations of what happened they can go off the deep end. The STAR method will help you keep your focus and be as concise as possible.

That focus is key. The STAR method is a powerful tool because it forces you to think like a hiring manager. They don’t have time to read a lengthy explanation of your duties. They need to see, at a glance, what you’ve achieved. This method helps you extract the most impactful information from your experience, ensuring every bullet point on your resume works hard for you when quantifying military experience on a resume.

To put this into practice, let’s take a common military duty and break it down. We’ll show you exactly how to transform a generic description into a powerful, results-driven statement. By breaking it down, you’ll see how to tell a clear and concise story that will get you noticed and help you succeed.

S – Situation

Alright, let’s start with the first step of the STAR method: the Situation. This is your opportunity to set the scene for the person reading your resume. Think of it as the opening line of a story—it needs to provide just enough context to be interesting, but not so much that it becomes a long-winded explanation.

The key is to give the hiring manager a clear picture of the environment you were operating in without using any military jargon. This is a crucial first step for quantifying military experience on a resume, as it frames the scale of your responsibilities. Keep it brief and focused on the challenge or scenario at hand.

When quantifying military experience on a resume, setting the stage is key. Instead of writing that you “Worked with all members of the Hierarchy to accomplish missions”, tell the employer what missions you were a part of. For example, in my MOS our team leaders took their teams of 4-5 to practice runs in the fields near our barracks to do drills on a regular basis without gear.

They then reported to their Staff Sergeants on the effectiveness of their teams and what practice was further needed. They also wrote reports to report the status of their teams gear where they controlled $150,000-$300,000 worth of gear per team member this is a direct way of quantifying military experience on a resume. This is a great way a team leader can put together their own job description.

When you are putting together your executive summary you could do something similar to grab the employers attention, maybe with some other aspects such as other job duties you may have had at the same time. So, when quantifying military experience on a resume for those of you that worked in the office, something similar with an explanation of the types of duties you had in the field when not in the office. This is a great opportunity to throw a short and concise summary at the employer to grab their attention and make them want to read the rest of your resume.

T – Task

Now, we move on to the T for Task. This is where you explain the specific mission or goal you were given within the situation you’ve just described. While the situation is the broader context, the task is your personal objective. It’s what you were held accountable for—the particular job you had to do to solve the problem or achieve the mission.

Clearly defining your task is crucial because it sets up the rest of the story. It shows the employer your specific responsibilities and what you were expected to accomplish. This step is a critical part of quantifying military experience on a resume, as it provides a clear benchmark for the results you’ll discuss later. By focusing on your specific task, you’re preparing to show exactly how you went about completing it.

In the previous example of quantifying military experience on a resume, let’s keep this information and grow it to meet each one of our objectives in the STAR method. So, to explain your task in this explanation, you could tell the employer exactly what your goal was with the additional training to show why the training was necessary. Add in that keeping your team up to your squad and platoon sergeants standards to keep the team effective and combat ready at all times. Task is a bit simpler when quantifying military experience on a resume, but it still explains to the recruiter what you did in an effective way.

This is also an effective way to put together your job descriptions. Keeping your team effective by regularly running training drills to ensure team is constantly ready for deployment anywhere in the world at the drop of a dime. One thing I want to point out here, is that I am avoiding using military jargon. Military jargon will really confuse an employer. Avoiding it at all times on a resume is key to helping an employer understand what you are saying. Fire drills, field training, and full deployment are going to go over the employers head when quantifying military experience on a resume.

Another thing worth mentioning is that you do not want to indicate exactly what you were training for. For example, an employer does not need to know that your job was a ground pounder, field fodder, or a grunt. Not only will they not understand it, but they will probably be a little uncomfortable in those job descriptions reading it. So keep it simple and easy for the employer to grasp without getting a knot in their stomach.

A – Action

Now with quantifying military experience on a resume we move on from defining your task clearly, you can now move on to the A for Action. This is where you detail the specific steps you took to accomplish your task. This is the most crucial part of your story, and you need to focus on what you did. Use strong, active verbs like “led,” “managed,” “developed,” or “implemented” to describe your specific contribution. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your skills and decision-making abilities.

This step is about showing initiative and responsibility. When quantifying military experience on a resume, you’ll want to highlight how you took command of the situation. Did you create a new training protocol? Did you mentor a team member? Did you implement a specific strategy? These details prove that you are a doer, not just someone who followed orders. The more specific and action-oriented you are, the more powerful your resume will become.

R – Result

Now let’s get to the most important part of the STAR method: the R for Result. This is where you close your story by proving your value. Without a clear result, your impressive actions are just a list of duties. The Result is your proof of concept—it shows the employer the direct outcome of your efforts and the positive impact you had on your team, unit, or mission. This is where you directly address the challenge of quantifying military experience on a resume.

When thinking about your results in quantifying military experience on a resume, don’t just say, “It was a success.” Think in terms of numbers and metrics. Did you save time or money? Did you increase efficiency? Did you improve safety? For example, instead of saying, “I improved maintenance,” you could say, “Reduced equipment downtime by 15%.” Another example could be, “Achieved a 100% success rate on all missions for one year,” or, “Trained 30 new recruits, resulting in a 20% increase in team readiness.” Numbers are the most effective way to communicate your achievements.

With both A and R you want to make sure the action lead to the result. For example, you might tell the employer that you increased team exercises for new recruits to bring their abilities to that of the rest of the team increasing the efficiency with new recruits by 50% in the first 5 weeks before tight deadlines. Employers love this part. It is quantifying military experience on a resume in the exact way an employer needs to be able to understand how you meet their needs.

Bringing It All Together

So, to bring it all together, let’s focus on another way to put this all into a resume. Quantifying military experience on a resume is crucial, so here is an example. Let’s say I were putting together my executive summary and my job descriptions for a position I held as a bus operator just to outline how to detail it for employers when quantifying military experience on a resume.

“10 years as a bus operator has prepared me to operate the streets of Denver on tight deadlines. Tactfully handled 5 customer complaints per day while keeping on schedule 90% of the time. Smoothly dealt with heavy traffic, detours, and improving customer satisfaction by 15% to safely deliver passengers across Denver.”

The job description for the previous position held is always in short bullets and could read:

• Detailed reports about any accident within 24 hours to supervisors
• Navigated Denver traffic daily while following FMCSR To decrease customer complaints by 15 percent
• Operated a 40Ft bus in smooth and effective manner to decrease customer accidents by 40% within a 2 year period

By adding in the Star method into each of these areas increases the impact on the recruiters making you more memorable and effective by showing exactly what you are capable of. All recruiters want this from every employee. Make it hard for them to decide on a new employee by increasing your resume with this highly effective method of quantifying military experience on a resume.

As you can see from this powerful example, the STAR method is the key to turning your resume into a strategic tool that gets results. It transforms a simple job description into a compelling narrative of your accomplishments. This is precisely how you succeed at quantifying military experience on a resume—by providing clear, concise evidence of your value that an employer can immediately grasp, making you a more memorable and effective candidate.

Final Thoughts on Resume Building

Ultimately, this method gives you control over your professional story. By focusing on your actions and the measurable results they produced, you are showing employers that you are a problem-solver and a valuable asset, not just someone who filled a role. This is a skill that will serve you well in any interview and will make your resume stand out in any pile.

The STAR method makes it easy to follow a direct path for the employers to follow you through your experience as a military professional. Quantifying military experience on a resume in this manner will make it easier for you to explain and detail your jobs and military experience in a way that not only makes sense, but effectively shows the employer your value to them. The more value you show to the recruiter the more likely it is you will obtain those coveted interviews to get you in the door.

Last thing I want to point out here, Never overdue it on a resume. Turning your resume into a book for recruiters to read, even two pages of a book, can put your resume in the trash instantly. No recruiter wants to read a life story, or a play by play of exactly what you did from day to day. Keep the entire resume short, concise and easy to follow. I don’t want any of your resumes to end up in the trash after all the effort each of you has put into these.

When quantifying military experience on a resume it is always best to weigh each thing you put into the resume at each step. A great way to be able to do this is with the help of LinkedIN because you have all the information already put together. All you have to do at this point is paste the key information, throw in an executive summary and some skills and education and you have a 2 page resume with relevant information.

Your battle buddy, Andrew Ortiz – For more information on the services I provide, check out this page!

Disclaimer

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional career advice. The information provided about quantifying military experience on a resume is a general guide and is not a substitute for personalized guidance from a qualified career professional. The strategies discussed, such as the STAR method and the use of metrics, are proven techniques for quantifying military experience on a resume, but they should be adapted to your specific skills, experience, and the job you are applying for.

While the advice here can be highly effective for quantifying military experience on a resume, it does not guarantee job placement or an interview. The success of your resume depends on many factors, including the specific industry, the hiring company’s needs, and the overall competitiveness of the job market. You are responsible for ensuring your resume and job application meet all requirements for a given position.

The information on quantifying military experience on a resume is based on publicly available data and best practices in the hiring industry. However, it may not apply to all situations, and is not a representation of any official or legal standards. We are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information.

We disclaim all liability for any actions taken or not taken based on the content provided in this post. You should conduct your own comprehensive research and, if needed, consult with a professional who can provide advice tailored to your unique circumstances. By reading and using this information, you acknowledge and agree to these terms.