In your next job interview, telling a prospective employer a STAR story can highlight your job skills beyond your resume.

Networking Coach Dale Hinshaw is a local expert in helping people tell STAR stories. He is a member of the Society of Human Resource Professionals.

S is for a situation or circumstance that you encountered in your past work or personal life. It could be a problem requiring a unique solution that you develop on your own or with co-workers. T is for the task that you undertake to create steps to solve the problem. A is for your action or implementation of those steps or plan. R is for the result or final outcome of your action that leads to a solution.

Each business faces daily challenges and they need individuals with innovative ideas to resolve them. You can demonstrate your problem-solving skills by telling a STAR story in about two to three minutes. The story that you tell with an enthusiastic and upbeat tone can emphasize your individual strengths and attributes.

An example of my own personal STAR story is that I had not written for publication for a few years and wanted to start again. The task involved was seeking out a newspaper (in this case, the Broad Ripple Gazette) that might consider me as a contributing writer. The action undertaken was sending an e-mail inquiry to publisher Alan Hague. When we later met, he asked me to write two initial articles - a charity basketball tournament sponsored by Broad Ripple H.S. and Purdue University alumni Rosevelt Colvin and a biography on barber Paul Taylor. That was five years ago as the results were positive. The Gazette continues to provide local community news not found elsewhere as I've met a diverse group of incredibly talented business owners and individuals in and around Broad Ripple.

Although this is a basic example, think of past problems you or your company have faced and how you helped resolve them. Everybody should have at least a few samples, either in their working or personal lives. They can be inspiring narratives that increase the potential employer's interest in hiring you to utilize these same skills.

By relating a memorable STAR story to a future employer, they may remember you long after the interview, especially when making a hiring decision. Your ability to explain your accomplishments in an articulate, enthusiastic manner in a job interview could lead to your next career and that is something worth talking about!