When crafting your ‘Action’ statement in a STAR response, it’s incredibly easy to fall into the habit of using “we” to describe team accomplishments. While collaboration is valuable, interviewers are primarily interested in *your* specific contributions, decisions, and impact. This quick tip focuses on a simple yet powerful technique: consistently using “I” to highlight your individual role.

Why ‘I’ is Your Best Friend in the ‘Action’ Section

• Personal Accountability: It demonstrates ownership and responsibility for tasks and outcomes.
• Clear Skill Demonstration: Interviewers are assessing your competencies. “I analyzed,” “I led,” “I developed” directly showcases *your* skills.
• Differentiation: Many candidates use “we.” By focusing on “I,” you stand out and make your contributions clearer.

For a more in-depth look at this, read Focusing on Your Individual Contribution (‘I’).

How to Make the Switch from ‘We’ to ‘I’

• Conscious Editing: When you’re practicing your STAR stories, actively listen for “we” and rephrase to “I” wherever appropriate.
• Specify Your Role: Even if it was a team effort, articulate what *your specific part* was.
  • Instead of: “We successfully launched the product.”
  • Try: “As the lead developer, I spearheaded the backend integration for the product launch.”
• Describe Your Decisions: Focus on the choices you made and the rationale behind them.
  • Instead of: “We decided to pivot the strategy.”
  • Try: “Based on market data, I recommended and then implemented a pivot in our marketing strategy.”
• Acknowledge Team, Then Pivot to Self: It’s perfectly fine to start by acknowledging the team, then quickly shift to your contribution.
  • Example: “My team worked collaboratively on the project, and my specific contribution was to manage the client communication stream…”

Example: Power of ‘I’

Question: “Tell me about a time you improved team efficiency.”

‘We’ Focused (Less Impactful): “We improved our team’s workflow by implementing a new tool, and it made us much faster.”

‘I’ Focused (More Impactful): “I observed bottlenecks in our existing project management system. Recognizing the need for a change, I researched several alternative tools, presented a proposal to management, and then led the implementation and training for the new platform, ultimately improving our team’s workflow and increasing efficiency.”

The ‘I’ focused example clearly outlines the candidate’s proactive initiative, research, leadership, and implementation skills, directly answering the question with personal accountability.

By consciously making ‘I’ the star of your ‘Action’ section, you ensure that your unique capabilities and contributions are clearly articulated and fully appreciated by your interviewer.

For a complete understanding of all STAR elements, return to Deconstructing the STAR Method: Each Component Explained.