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Selection Criteria Examples V4.1
Selection Criteria Examples V4.1
AU 1
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prior written permission of the editor.
Disclaimer
This publication is the opinion of the editor and authors, and is a guide only. As opinions
will differ between recruiters, the reader should not take all statements as fact for all
recruiters and all situations. The author does not take any responsibility for the use or
application of the information provided. People and companies mentioned are fictitious
and any resemblance to real people or companies is purely coincidental.
This publication is provided on the understanding that: The editor and authors expressly
disclaim all forms of liability to any person (purchaser of this publication or not) in respect
of the publication and any consequences arising from its use.
INTRODUCTION
Book overview
This free examples book is an extract from our full book, Selection Criteria Exposed: 200
Examples of Statements Addressing Selection Criteria.
This sample contains a long response (standard length responses where no word limit is
specified) followed by a short response (where 250-word or half page word limits are
requested).
There are five of these selection criteria statement examples, and two letter examples.
SECTION 1: “Traditional” statements addressing selection criteria, both long criteria and
short criteria (250-word limit) statements.
Since the first edition of our selection criteria examples book in 2008, government job
applications have changed quite a bit. Once, every applicant was required to write
between six to eight selection criteria statements, each being close to a page long. Now,
the format of your application will depend on which department you are applying to, often
with very different requirements between the states.
Cover letters, one-page pitches and statements of examples and experience when
considering the position description and duty statement are now commonplace, as are
selection criteria with strict word limits. Sometimes the words “selection criteria” are not
even used, which can be confusing for government employees who are used to the
government recruitment system. It is important to note that no matter what the “selection
criteria” are called; be it experience and skills statements, cover letters, competencies or
something else, the purpose of your written document and your end product will be
exactly the same.
The current edition of this book has been released to help applicants with the changing
nature of government job applications.
The included statements have been written by career counsellors, application writers,
résumé writing teachers, government recruitment consultants and real applicants. Some
criteria are brand new, some are previously published, some are fictional and some have
won real people real jobs.
Others just want to see what selection criteria responses should look like, how long they
should be, or what kind of examples they should be including.
Feel free to use the wording, concepts, ideas and structure in your own application. But,
don’t forget to provide examples of your own knowledge, skills and abilities.
Whether you're writing your first ever selection criteria answers, or have done it many
times but are struggling with writers block, or writing something good enough to get an
interview, then these are sure to help you. Hopefully just by looking at this document you
will learn something about how to write your own government job application, both in
content and format.
And if you really like them and want a whole library of selection criteria at your finger tips,
our book Selection Criteria Exposed, could just be the book for you!
ACHIEVES RESULTS
Standard Response
My key results at the executive level have been achieved by identifying and harnessing
resources, setting direction and implementing appropriate strategies. When I first joined
the department, one of our key delivery areas was not meeting its KPI and its deliverables
were considerably below standard. I restructured the staff of 20 in this area into four
distinct teams, each with a team leader who was given a mandate to upskill the staff in the
team, champion the goals, motivate staff to achieve outcomes and closely monitor
performance.
By using this strategy, we (the team leaders and me as their manager) were able to identify
key staff who required performance counselling as well as some deficiencies in the
processes that were being used to meet the targets. With some additional training and
changes to work procedures through the process of collaboration with the staff, the KPIs
rose to above the standard required within a three-month period.
Former roles that I have held have involved identifying and mobilising resources, driving
change, managing projects and building organisational and professional expertise. For
example, when employed as a senior adviser to the minister for X, I was involved in the
development of an X program in order to achieve the government’s objectives against the
X policy. Prior to this, I took a leading role in providing advice based on business analysis
regarding a number of major government initiatives, such as X, Y and Z. My leadership in
these positions has achieved the following results against key performance indicators:
• Review of staffing for initiative Y and recommended restructure for a salary savings
and funding reallocation of over $800,000 per annum
I have a strong professional drive and hunger for success that can be demonstrated
through these examples. My commitment to action, proactive outlook and ability to
produce and follow through on clear and realistic plans while identifying and eliminating
barriers to success has led to a career with outstanding results.
Short Response
(This is an example of how the previous achieve results selection criterion has been edited to
meet a strict page limit of half a page per selection criterion).
My key results at the executive level have been achieved by identifying and harnessing
resources, setting direction and implementing appropriate strategies. When I first joined
the department, one of our key delivery areas was not meeting its KPI and its deliverables
were considerably below standard. I restructured the staff of 20 in this area into four
distinct teams, each with a team leader who was given a mandate to upskill the staff in the
team, champion the goals, motivate staff to achieve outcomes and closely monitor
performance.
My leadership in former positions has achieved the following results against key
performance indicators:
CUSTOMER SATSIFACTION
Customer satisfaction can cover a whole range or similar skills including customer service,
customer focus and customer related service delivery. Selection criteria can be very
specific, for example specifying that the customer service be phone based, or very broad
and include other aspects of the job such as meeting deadlines with completing client
priorities.
Standard Response
I often come across competing client priorities in my profession. For example, most clients
have deadlines for the procurement of items for their organisation and need advice
regarding options and legislative requirements within a specific timeframe so they can
complete their procurement. In these instances, I have to make a well-informed decision
as to the priority of clients based on their deadlines and the necessity of the procurement.
For example, if the Department of Defence require advice regarding the procurement of an
item for an overseas operation, this would be considered a higher priority than the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade requiring advice about the acquisition of a new
photocopier. Once I have made a decision regarding client priority, I inform them of my
turnaround time, explain any delays or higher priority issues that may affect the timeliness
of advice and then make an appointment with them for a later date to discuss the issue
either over the phone or in person.
While partnering with current customers, I also build networks with potential customers. I
believe this represents a tremendous opportunity to create solid working relationships,
improve the image of my organisation and present as an organisation with a high customer
service focus. By discovering untapped areas, needs and opportunities to deliver our
products and services, not only does our image and perceived effectiveness improve, but
output and deliverables across the organisation are maximised. I have had incredible
success in this area of partnering and have high levels of customer satisfaction, as
measured by feedback surveys. I would be happy to provide copies of these surveys for
your perusal at an interview.
Short Response
(This is an example of how the previous selection criterion has been edited to meet a
250-word limit).
I often come across competing client priorities in my profession. For example, most clients
have deadlines for the procurement of items for their organisation and need advice
regarding options and legislative requirements within a specific timeframe so they can
complete their procurement. In these instances, I have to make a well-informed decision
as to the priority of clients based on their deadlines and the necessity of the procurement.
I became passionate about patient-focused care in my first role as a nurse when I worked
in palliative care at the X Hospital. In this position, Advance Care Planning held a solid focus
in the implementation of patient care plans and comes under the Natural Death Act 1988
(Northern Territory) which is designed to document an individual’s wishes or directions.
Advance Care Planning enables patients to discuss options with care providers and families
regarding treatments they want undertaken or withdrawn in the event that their health
makes them unable to make decisions or communicate wishes. Through research, it has
become apparent that families rarely have a clear or accurate understanding of the
treatment their loved one would prefer to receive or not receive, and healthcare
professionals who do not have clear guidelines will resort to standard treatment options.
This often leads to patients being treated without dignity and extending suffering. Advance
Care Planning, therefore, provides an environment for structured discussions and shared
communication to ensure that the patient’s end-of-life care is conducted according to their
wishes. As such, I am also meticulous with regard to my documentation, with its potential
use in complaints or legal action always forefront in my mind.
I have also undertaken Respecting Patient Choices (RPC) training, a model of Advance Care
Planning which has recently been implemented at the X Hospital in response to recurring
issues of patient competence in decision-making and the capacity to consent to treatment.
The RPC model is aimed to impact the level to which consumers are involved in decisions
regarding their future care and increasing the involvement of health service providers in
facilitating future care and health processes. I was selected to participate in the initial RPC
implementation trial, and through feedback it was observed that patients perceived an
improvement in the understanding of their health condition and quality of their
subsequent care. I will be involved as an official advocate when the RPC model is rolled out
to the rest of the hospital.
Short Response
(This is an example of how the previous selection criterion has been edited to meet a
250-word limit).
I became passionate about patient-focused care in my first role as a nurse when I worked
in palliative care at the X Hospital. In this position, Advance Care Planning held a solid focus
in the implementation of patient care plans and comes under the Natural Death Act 1988
which is designed to document an individual’s wishes or directions. Advance Care Planning
enables patients to discuss options with care providers and families regarding treatments
they want undertaken or withdrawn in the event that their health makes them unable to
make decisions or communicate wishes. As such, I am also meticulous with regard to my
documentation, with its potential use in complaints or legal action always forefront in my
mind.
I have undertaken Respecting Patient Choices (RPC) training, a model of Advance Care
Planning which has recently been implemented at the X Hospital in response to recurring
issues of patient competence in decision-making and the capacity to consent to treatment.
I am serious about my obligations under Occupational Health and Safety legislation and
company policy, and commit wholeheartedly to the principles and practices of
Occupational Health and Safety. I understand that there are general requirements that
must be met by every workplace in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of
employees, and that in New South Wales these are set out in the Work Health and Safety
Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.
During my duties, I ensure that I take care of the health and safety of others by reporting
any incidents I witness or notifying the Occupational Health and Safety officer of any
hazards I might come across. In the past, I have reported a leaking pipe in the ladies’
bathroom that was creating a pool of water on the floor which could lead to a fall or slip,
and I have reported on an unsafe extension cord that crossed a major walkway between
workstations. I also cooperate with my employer, the (Government Department), in their
efforts to comply with Occupational Health and Safety requirements by attending regular
training, participating in fire drills and abiding by the policies set out by the (Government
Department).
Short Response
(This is an example of how the previous selection criterion has been edited to meet a
250-word limit).
I am serious about my obligations under Occupational Health and Safety legislation and
company policy, and commit wholeheartedly to the principles and practices of
Occupational Health and Safety. I understand that there are general requirements that
must be met by every workplace in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of
employees, and that in New South Wales these are set out in the Work Health and Safety
Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.
During my duties, I ensure that I take care of the health and safety of others by reporting
any incidents that I witness or notifying the Occupational Health and Safety officer of any
hazards I might come across. In the past, I have reported a leaking pipe in the ladies’
bathroom that was creating a pool of water on the floor which could lead to a fall or slip,
and I have reported on an unsafe extension cord that crossed a major walkway between
workstations. I also cooperate with my employer, the (Government Department), in their
efforts to comply with Occupational Health and Safety requirements by attending regular
training, participating in fire drills and abiding by the policies set out by the (Government
Department).
Standard Response
I use several tools to organise and prioritise my work including the Outlook diary, Outlook
reminders and the Outlook to-do list. I spend time each morning planning the day ahead of
me and prioritising tasks in order of importance and due date; however, I remain aware of
the need to reprioritise these tasks as the day progresses and workflow changes. If I am
unsure of the urgency of the task, I will clarify it with a colleague or supervisor, and I often
discuss my workload with my supervisor in order to receive feedback on my plan of attack.
If faced with conflicting deadlines, I will confirm the importance of each task. While I
realise that multiple stakeholders may insist their task is the most important, this is not
always the case. I have excellent negotiation abilities and am able to renegotiate deadlines
where possible. I have also asked for support from others and worked late in extreme
circumstances where deadlines were not possible to meet on my own due to an excessive
workload.
One example that demonstrates my flexibility and dedication when meeting strict
deadlines would be when I was working for a chief of staff organising staffing for a new
division. The manager required immediate help with a critical recruitment exercise;
however, there were no HR staff available in Canberra to assist. My division only covers
New South Wales, but since I had worked for this manager previously in New South Wales
and he had specifically asked for my services, I negotiated with my manager due to the
critical nature of the issue. With approval, I flew to Canberra at short notice and worked
overnight to complete the associated report for submission. I received much positive
feedback and have been requested back to Canberra by this manager and his colleagues on
numerous occasions.
This is not an isolated event. While working in the (Company) environment, I have been
exposed to many deadlines that are not flexible due to (Company)’s activities overseas,
and in a more general sense, I understand the importance of ensuring immediate attention
to critical issues in order to smooth the organisation’s operation.
Short Response
I use several tools to organise and prioritise my work including the Outlook diary, Outlook
reminders and the Outlook to-do list. I spend time each morning planning the day, but I
remain aware of the need to reprioritise these tasks as the day progresses and workflow
changes. While I realise that multiple stakeholders may insist their task is the most
important, this is not always the case. I have excellent negotiation abilities and am able to
renegotiate deadlines where possible. I have also asked for support from others and
worked late in extreme circumstances where deadlines were not possible to meet on my
own and the workload was excessive.
While working with (Company), I have been exposed to many deadlines that are not
flexible and I understand the importance of ensuring immediate attention to critical issues
in order to smooth the organisation’s operation.
One Page
When I first joined the department, one of our key delivery areas was not meeting its KPI
and its deliverables were considerably below standard. I restructured the staff of 20 in this
area into four distinct teams, each with a team leader who was given a mandate to upskill
the staff in the team, champion the goals, motivate staff to achieve outcomes and closely
monitor performance.
My leadership in these positions has achieved the following results against key
performance indicators:
I have well-developed judgement, initiative, analytical and investigative skills and the
ability to assess situations to create positive solutions. This includes the proven ability to
analyse complex issues and prepare detailed reports for senior management in my current
role.
I possess the right combination of professional drive and hunger for success that can be
seen in more detail through the achievements and successes listed on my résumé.
I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss my qualifications for the position further and
look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Applicant
Two Pages
To help you learn more about my track record, I have enclosed my résumé, in which you
will see I have a strong background of over ten years in providing administrative services in
a health setting.
My claims for the position include excellent verbal and written communication skills and
strong experience in developing and maintaining internal and external business
relationships with staff at all levels of the organisation.
With regard to my written skills, I have drafted contracts and legal paperwork, and written
reports, presentations, journal papers, tenders, policies, procedures, letters and minutes
throughout my university studies and career. In my current position, I regularly write
reports for (Company A) senior management and have received positive feedback on many
occasions regarding my writing skills and timeliness.
While working for (Company B), a health consulting firm, I was responsible for initiating
relationships with new businesses, winning business, maintaining the business and
ensuring repeat business. I believe my success here was due to my strong communication
and relationship management skills and ability to ensure that everyone was headed
toward the same goal.
My key achievements in this area have been a successful tender for the ABC project (worth
over $5million annually) gained through solid business relationship development and
maintenance, and the development of the DEF Consultative Committee that brought
together key health sector stakeholders into discussion forums and initiative sharing
meetings.
I have used my initiative and organisational skills in this environment to improve processes
and procedures which boost the efficiency and functionality of the work area. In this
current area, we use one Microsoft Access database, two key Microsoft Word documents
and a Microsoft Excel file for registering work that comes in and out of the area. I used my
strong computer skills to turn the Word documents into merge documents (with the
Access database as a data source) and linked the Excel file to the access database. This
means that we can now use the Access database as a central “control board” and navigate
through the other systems by clicking on the links in the database. This saves time looking
for documents and creating new files, as it now happens automatically through a central
database. While this is a simple idea, it saves me and all my work colleagues considerable
time in our day-to-day duties, cuts down on errors and ensures consistency across our
work practices.
I understand that your organisation has articulated six leadership values: professionalism,
loyalty, integrity, courage, innovation and teamwork that are consistent with the Public
Service Act 1999 and a corporate governance framework that is characterised by a
commitment to be a results-focused, values-based organisation. My current organisation
has a set of Workplace Values and Expected Behaviours that outline conduct in the
organisation. I am not only aware of what is expected under these policies, but I commit to
and uphold these values on a daily basis. I display these values in the workplace by acting
professionally, respecting and trusting colleagues, striving for positive results, acting with
honesty and integrity and working not only with my immediate team, but with all
(Company A) personnel. In addition, I understand that many of the workplace values are
underpinned by legislative requirements and I have acted as an Equity Adviser and OHS
Representative at (Company B).
I meet all the mandatory requirements of the position. I am available to work outside of
normal business hours, travel as required and I have a current class C driver’s license.
Yours sincerely,
Applicant
Attachments:
1. Application form
2. Résumé
Following is the Table of Contents for the full guide, Selection Criteria Exposed: 200
Examples of Statements Addressing Selection Criteria.
This guide comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, so if it doesn’t help your selection
criteria, you can get your money back.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cross-Reference Index ................................................................................................... 12
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 14
How to use this book ........................................................................................................... 15
Achieve Results.............................................................................................................. 30
4. Achieve results. .......................................................................................................................31
4b. Achieve results (short response). .........................................................................................33
5. Achieve results. .......................................................................................................................34
6. Achieve results. .......................................................................................................................36
6b. Achieve results (short response). .........................................................................................38
7. Achieve results. .......................................................................................................................39
8. Achieve results. .......................................................................................................................41
9. Deliver results. ........................................................................................................................43
9b. Deliver results (short response)............................................................................................45
10. Achieve outcomes. ................................................................................................................46
11. Achieve positive work outcomes (short response). .............................................................49
Administration .............................................................................................................. 50
12. General administration. ........................................................................................................51
13. General administration. ........................................................................................................52
13b. General administration (short response). ..........................................................................53
14. Administration skills. .............................................................................................................54
Decision-Making ...........................................................................................................142
60. Make complex decisions. ....................................................................................................143
60b. Make complex decisions (short response). ......................................................................144
61. Make difficult decisions. .....................................................................................................145
61b. Make difficult decisions (short response). .......................................................................146
62. Decision-making and strategic thinking. .............................................................................147
63. Decision-making:.................................................................................................................148
Graphic Design..............................................................................................................149
64. Experience as a graphic designer. .......................................................................................150
65. Demonstrate experience in graphic design using Adobe Creative Suite 6 to develop
concepts and deliver press-ready artwork. ..............................................................................152
Engineering ..................................................................................................................153
66. Undertake engineering design tasks...................................................................................154
67. Document engineering design tasks. ..................................................................................156
68. Control engineering projects. .............................................................................................158
69. Undertake engineering tasks (short response). .................................................................159
Finance .........................................................................................................................180
81. Finance experience. ............................................................................................................181
81b. Finance experience. ..........................................................................................................182
82. Financial business practices and processes. .......................................................................183
83. Accounting. .........................................................................................................................185
84. Process financial transactions. ............................................................................................186
Health ..........................................................................................................................188
85. Health service management. ..............................................................................................189
86. Mental health services. .......................................................................................................191
86b. Mental health services (short response). .........................................................................192
87. Nursing. ...............................................................................................................................193
87b. Nursing (short response). .................................................................................................195
88. Nursing. ...............................................................................................................................196
89. Patient-focused care. ..........................................................................................................198
89b. Patient-focused care (short response). ............................................................................199
90. The ability to manage the workloads of yourself and others in a healthcare setting. .......200
91. Psychology registration (short response). ..........................................................................201
92. Medical administration / reception. ...................................................................................202
Legal.............................................................................................................................271
127. Legal experience that would allow the incumbent to perform the duties of the role. ...272
Management ................................................................................................................287
134. Commercial acumen. ........................................................................................................288
135. Management experience. .................................................................................................290
135b. Management experience (short response). ...................................................................291
136. Management experience. .................................................................................................292
137. Leadership capacity. .........................................................................................................294
137b. Leadership capacity (short response). ............................................................................295
138. Stress management. .........................................................................................................296
138b. Stress management (short response).............................................................................297
139. Commercial knowledge (short response). ........................................................................298
Problem-Solving ...........................................................................................................337
158. Problem-solving. ...............................................................................................................338
159. Develop solutions. ............................................................................................................339
159b. Develop solutions (short response). ...............................................................................340
Procurement ................................................................................................................341
160. Procurement knowledge. .................................................................................................342
160b. Procurement knowledge (short response). ....................................................................343
161. Procurement knowledge. .................................................................................................344
162. Procurement experience. .................................................................................................346
163. Procurement experience. .................................................................................................347
Supervision ...................................................................................................................385
181. Supervise staff...................................................................................................................386
181b. Supervise staff (short response). ....................................................................................387
182. Supervise staff...................................................................................................................388
183. Plan workloads. .................................................................................................................390
183b. Plan workloads (short response). ...................................................................................392
Teamwork ....................................................................................................................406
190. Work in a team. ................................................................................................................407
191. Work in a team. ................................................................................................................408
191b. Work in a team (short response). ...................................................................................409
192. Work in a team or as an individual. ..................................................................................410
192b. Work in a team or as an individual (short response). ....................................................412
193. Collaborate........................................................................................................................413
194. Work in a team: What are the most important factors when working as part of a team
and how do you believe you possess these attributes? (Targeted question). .........................414
Time Management........................................................................................................415
195. Planning skills. ...................................................................................................................416
196. Organisational skills. .........................................................................................................417
197. Organisational skills (short response). ..............................................................................419
198. Organisational skills and confidentiality. ..........................................................................420
199. Time management. ...........................................................................................................422
199b. Time management (short response). .............................................................................424
200. Manage priorities. .............................................................................................................425
200b. Manage priorities (short response). ...............................................................................426
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................435
Template ...................................................................................................................................435
204. Two-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................437
205. Two-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................439
206. Two-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................441
207. Two-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................443
208. Two-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................445
209. Two-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................447
210. Two-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................449
211. One-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................451
212. One-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................453
213. One-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................454
214. One-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................455
215. One-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................456
216. One-page letter / statement / pitch. ................................................................................457
SECTION 3: PARAGRAPHS