Tips for Using the STAR Method on a Cybersecurity Resume

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Identify 2-3 key skills to highlight

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Creating a resume using the STAR method requires exemplifying behaviors that your employer desires. You can identify these by examining the job description and upstaging your matching, verifiable skills.

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If an employer is looking for a professional to manage a security team, play up your leadership abilities. If there’s a need for a worker that knows how to formulate and develop security protocols, lead with your process improvement skills.

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Your skill selection to highlight will only be impactful if it aligns with the scope of the role in question. Picking skills that are not in-demand will only help convince a hiring manager that you’re not the right pick of the litter.

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Outline a response to the desired skill

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Create a verbal answer to showcase your experience for the coveted skill using the STAR method. For example, if a job description calls for a good communicator and collaborator, a STAR method answer may look like this:

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Situation - “When I worked as an Info Security Director, I led the organizational goal of developing and implementing internal policies and procedures that help thwart unauthorized access, modification and destruction of data.”

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Task - “After working in this position for a year, I noticed there was no enterprise education on the importance and best practices of cybersecurity.”  

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Action - “As a result, I created a company-wide security test with a fake phishing email to routinely evaluate the current security posture. I also developed info security training modules with the leadership and development team for the new employee onboarding process and quarterly refresher courses to retain best practices.”

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Result - “After developing an Infosecurity-driven internal culture with routine education and tech updates, our cyberattacks declined by 29%.”

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Condense your response to bullet points

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Using bullet points, outline the components of the STAR response with a sentence or phrase for each point.

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Here’s an example of how you can take the above verbal response highlighting collaboration and communication skills and transform it into a work experience on your resume using the same STAR Method:

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Info Security Director

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• Worked with stakeholders to develop cybersecurity procedures and policies to protect private data against unauthorized access, modification and destruction. (Situation)
• Created infosecurity training modules and tests with the learning and development team to educate employees on cybersecurity best practices. (Task)
• Built relationships with field senior leaders to encourage enterprise-level adoption. (Action)
• Reduced risk of attacks by 29% with automatic tech stack updates and continual employee mentorship. (Results)

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Incorporating the STAR method in your resume will help a hiring manager quickly scope your skills and qualifications by showing your value with specific details that tell an interesting story of who you are.

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