Aug 29 2007
How to Address Australian Job
Selection Criteria
The public service, universities and, increasingly, private organizations use a candidate’s ability to address selection criteria to assist them to shortlist applicants for interviews. Some organisations, such as those in the public sector, go to great lengths to ensure that candidates fit their view of the ideal employee for a particular job.
Australian Job Selection criteria often include the knowledge, skills, attitudes, abilities and education sought in a preferred candidate. Australian Job Selection Criteria are treated almost with reverence in the public service, so ensure you state exactly how you measure up to each one. Failure to address the criteria explicitly is the chief reason why people are not called for interview when applying to the public service and similar organisations. (The importance of addressing Australian Job Selection Criteria is indicated by the fact that much of the information in this section was provided by the University of New South Wales Careers and Employment Service, which has extensive advice on the subject at www.careers.unsw.edu.au)
The document addressing Australian Job Selection Criteria is usually submitted with your cover letter and résumé. The three documents should be written to complement each other, each reinforcing the others without replicating each other exactly. Think of them as marketing documents that present an opportunity to reinforce what is presented elsewhere.
Paying due attention to such subtle differences in meaning can be crucial to your chances of selection. Australian Job Selection Criteria for all positions in the public service are available from the relevant human resources department or website, often under headings such as ‘Employment’, ‘Positions’ or ‘Human Resources’.
In some cases, criteria are summarised in the job ad. If you telephone the human resources department on the number in the advertisement, it will usually send an information package containing:
• Australian Job Selection Criteria
• Job description
• Employment forms
• Other employment-related and policy information such as equal
employment opportunity (EEO) and occupational health and safety
(OHS) guidelines
• Other legal requirements such as police checks for people working with
children and young people.
If you are not clear about some aspect of a job that you are considering applying for, request an information package, analyse it and the job advertisement, and speak to the contact officer or recruitment consultant. If possible, telephone the contact officer to discuss the criteria in more detail. This person may be your potential new boss or co-worker, so be prepared for a mini-interview. This is your first opportunity to make a good impression by being professional and focused on the information being sought, and demonstrating your verbal communication skills.
Addressing Australian Job Selection Criteria in writing is similar to compiling competency statements in that you write cogent, succinct statements that clearly demonstrate the knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes you possess. A handful of criteria (note that criteria is the plural use while criterion is the singular use) tend to apply across nearly all job vacancies and, not surprisingly, are referred to in numerous parts of this book:
• Well-developed communication skills
• Teamwork skills
• Commitment to customer service
• Flexibility and willingness to change
• Enthusiasm and a positive attitude
Because these criteria become so familiar to job hunters, they can be easily overlooked. But their frequency makes them no less important to prospective employers. Make sure you address ALL the criteria as effectively as you can.
Addressing criteria step by step
1. Create a new document separate from your résumé. Include a header or title with your name, the job title and position number, and a brief title indicating the purpose of the document—such as ‘Selection criteria statement’, ‘Australian Job Selection Criteria summary’ or ‘Summary addressing Australian Job Selection Criteria’.
2. Use each of the Australian Job Selection Criteria as a heading for a statement addressing it.
3. Prove your ability to meet each criterion. Summarise how your
skills, qualifications, experience and personal attributes are relevant. Ensure you address all parts of the criterion. The competency statements discussed earlier in this chapter will help you with this step. Particularly with public service applications, step 3 requires use of the appropriate phrases and concepts.
You will need to pay attention to: • Understanding the key phrases. For example, ‘experience in costing of construction work’ means you have performed jobs requiring the task, whereas ‘knowledge of construction work’ means you know what is involved in construction. Paying due attention to such subtle differences in meaning can be crucial to your chances of selection.
• Understanding the levels of qualities being sought and providing evidence and examples to illustrate that you meet them. For example, “I have six years’ experience in…�
• Understanding the differences in key roles or functions as described. For example, the roles of managing, leading, supervising, organising and administering are often confused or articulated poorly. You may need clarification of what is meant before you can effectively address the criteria.
• Demonstrating, with concrete examples, the skills and abilities being sought. Common areas include contributing to the work group, interacting with people, and managing your own performance. Evidence needs to be tangible—“I contributed to the workgroup by proposing an effective solution to the problem� or “I worked effectively in a range of cross-functional and project teams,� or “I worked independently on projects, developing my own project plan and progress checkpoints for management.�
• Supporting claims or sales pitches about your skills. Avoid statements such as, “I have well-developed presentation and liaison skills.â€? A better approach is to include evidence from your employment history or education to support assertions of competence. For example, “My excellent management ability is demonstrated by…â€? The best examples illustrate the complexity and demands of the tasks. If you write, “I have excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills,â€? you might follow with something like, “This was demonstrated by my teacher-effectivenessrating of ‘x’ from students after I had delivered an online module across five countries and three time zones.â€?
• Using direct, active verbs that indicate exactly what your contribution was. For example, “I designed and delivered a training course to new employees.� Be positive and specific, and try to make measurable claims—“I developed a targeted marketing plan which resulted in a 100% increase in course enquiries and a 65% increase in enrolments.�
Smart move — When addressing criteria, you can sometimes use bullet points to summarise what would otherwise be overlong paragraphs, but don’t overdo it. This document is also important as evidence of your writing skills. The style and clarity of your writing speaks for itself— especially if it’s bad!
Excerpted from Land That Job in Australia: Successful job-hunting for Migrants
by Jim Bright and Karen Bright
 Learn More…
 Land That Job in Australia
©Tribus Lingua 2007 This excerpt may not be copied without the permission of the publishers. Please contact us for permission rights Tribus Lingua
