|
|
|
Practical Skills to Find Work
Addressing selection criteria
In other instances you will be required to provide a written response to questions that has been posed around selection criteria. This standardised format allows an employer to evaluate applications based on information that is most relevant to them.
Some questions will be straightforward ones, such as level of experience or qualifications. Other questions will relate to “transferable” work skills and seek to find out the level of ability you have by evaluation of your written responses.
To produce a clear statement of how you meet selection criteria, firstly show you have comprehended the meaning and can relate your own skills to the criteria.
Support your claim with evidence of meeting criteria, explaining how you have applied your skills in practice or the ways your skills have been developed. Remember one specific and detailed example can sometimes be stronger evidence of your abilities than a lot of general comments.
Here’s an example:
A large multinational organisation that produces and markets consumer household products is looking for a Regulatory Affairs Associate. The selection criteria is:
- A degree in biological sciences
- A critical eye for detail and computer literacy
- Strong presentation and written communication skills in English
- Excellent collaboration skills with ability to build strong relationships with key business and government contacts including senior management as well as working in a team environment
In applications students often try to incorporate all of the messages into one or two sentences, leading to confusion over how the selection criteria is met and making it hard for the reader to absorb information.
Applications can also come under criticism if responses repeat criteria and do not provide sufficient evidence of how skills have been developed.
Let’s use the example of “Strong presentation and written communication skills in English” to demonstrate this.
| Typical response |
“I have strong presentation skills and written communication skills in English as a result of my tertiary course of study. I completed written assignments and was required to do a class presentation on my third year project.” |
| A Better Response |
I have developed effective communication skills through tertiary study and extra-curricular activities and am confident of my abilities to tailor information to different audience groups. For example:
- I was required to complete a presentation on my 3rd year project as part of subject assessment. I decided on a powerpoint presentation and discussion format, setting objectives for the session, using powerpoint to highlight key points and make closing statements and identified key questions for discussion. As it was a peer and academic audience I could use more technical language in the presentation. I received a high mark for this assignment.
- As OHS representative in my workplace I have negotiated with my manager regular times at staff meetings to provide an OHS report and to update staff on current issues and encourage better compliance. To support this I have produced posters to remind staff of the importance of OHS. This has resulted in improvements to the number of staff who wear the right protective clothing.
- Writing with clarity and being able to produce assignments that are well researched, grammatically correct and without spelling errors has resulted in good academic results and little correction to my written work. I pride myself on my use of the English language.
|
| Why is it Better? | Good lead in sentence offers a clear statement of being confident of abilities. This is then supported by specific and detailed examples that make it understandable how your skills have been developed and applied in practice. |
TIP! In written applications stick to set word limits, use active language (words such as produced, generated, analysed sound more active than expressions like “I did”) and ensure you answer the question.
|
|
|
| Tip! |
- In written applications stick to set word limits, use active language (words such as produced, generated, analysed sound more active than expressions like “I did”) and ensure you answer the question.
|
|
