Addressing Selection Criteria

Applying for a position at CDRC

We ask that your written application address specific selection criteria. You need to respond to each criterion and explain how you have demonstrated the particular skill or quality. 

Provide relevant examples from your work, study or community roles. Be clear and to the point. Edit your responses for grammar, spelling and punctuation. It is important to provide evidence to back up your claims.

Where possible use actual, specific examples of what you have done, how well you did it, what you achieved, and how it relates to the requirements of the job. The STAR model can help you form your answer.

If you do not address the selection criteria, and the job is higher than a level 3, Council cannot proceed with your application.

The best responses are

• clear and to the point;
• honest and factual;
• use relevant examples; and
• provide all information requested.

Responses shouldn’t

• be lengthy; and
• rely on or refer to a CV.

Transferrable skills and experience

If you feel that you don’t have the specific skill, qualification or experience that the selection criteria requests, try to think of how your other experience adds value in the role you are applying for. Are there transferrable skills between jobs or industries? Is your qualification similar but still relevant?

Council is a unique place to work, and we realise that not everyone will have the exact skills and experience that is desirable – in your selection criteria response, you can write about what skills and experience you do have, how you’ve used them, and how you’d apply them to the role. Don’t leave it up to the Council to join the dots for you as we can only go on what information we have at hand.

What is the STAR model?

The STAR model is one way of presenting information against selection criteria. For each criterion, use these points to form sentences: 

the Situation, the Task, the Action, and the Result.

Using the STAR method, here’s an example of how you might plan and set out your evidence.

Situation - role as Research Support Officer at XYZ Bank.

Task - needed to ensure that managers were kept informed of policies and procedures.

Action or approach - initiated monthly newsletter, which was emailed to each manager. Took responsibility for writing the main articles. This involved obtaining ideas and input from other stakeholders to ensure that the articles reflected managers’ needs in terms of content and language.

Result - led to improved lines of communication between managers and the Research Support Unit. Feedback was consistently excellent. Received divisional achievement award for newsletter quality.

Once this has been achieved, you can then write the draft paragraph in full. For example:

As Research Support Officer at the XYZ Bank, I needed to ensure that managers were kept informed of policies and procedures. To do this, I initiated a monthly newsletter, which was emailed to each manager. I took responsibility for writing the main articles in each publication. This involved obtaining ideas and input from other stakeholders to ensure that the articles reflected the needs of managers, both in terms of content and language. I received consistently excellent feedback in relation to the newsletter from these internal stakeholders and my own manager. I received a divisional achievement award for the quality of the newsletter. Importantly, this initiative resulted in improved lines of communication between managers and the Research Support Unit.

Remember to use only one or two of your strongest examples to respond to the selection criteria.

JOB DONE!

For a PDF version of this fact sheet, click Selection Criteria Fact Sheet.

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