Marketing Tool | Key Selection criteria: Selection Criteria Examples

Undeniably, addressing selection criteria effectively is a skill. Much like any other ability, in order to write a job-winning written application, it takes time, patience, hard work and practice to develop.

With this in mind, however, it has to be said that there are ways candidates can shortcut the process of writing and learning the skill of writing job winning and compelling written applications. Applicants can arrive at the results quickly and successfully.

At the outset, addressing selection criteria should be approached from a holistic perspective. Rather than just seeing the writing of government job applications as a frustrating and time-consuming process, recognise that selection criteria are in place for very good reasons.

If you consider the selection panel when creating written responses, you will be able to tailor your writing and have a significant advantage to being shortlisted.

Points to Remember When Addressing Selection Criteria

Selection criteria:

• are used to measure candidates for job suitability and guide the selection
• provide a standardized tool for objectively selecting the right candidate. It is important to realize when addressing criteria that you are competing against other candidates with the same sets of abilities
• benefit both candidate and the selection panel. Your written application is the perfect opportunity to effectively market your skills and abilities
• provide evidence to the selection panel that a candidate can perform the position. You must provide real examples that are compelling
• can be weighted by percentage for importance. The candidate should be aware that weighting demonstrates the relative importance of what is required to successfully perform a role and what will be focused upon when selecting an appropriate candidate

Once you have entered that mind set where you see the process as a marketing tool and guide, there are a number of basics that must be considered when developing written responses. Ignoring some of these basics will potentially discourage panel members from shortlisting you for an interview.

Addressing Selection Criteria: Common Oversights

Some oversights to avoid when developing your written responses during the job application process are:

• Spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. If the candidate doesn’t get it right when addressing selection criteria, why would they get it right on the job?
• Convoluted written responses. Does this drawn-out waffle reflect the candidate’s job performance?
• A lack of convincing real examples. If the candidate can’t provide examples of claims, does this mean the claims aren’t true?
• Not responding to the actual criterion which surprisingly is very common. Is this an avoidance strategy because the candidate does not possess the criterion?

Listed below are five tips to successfully addressing selection criteria:

Tip 1 Carefully select the top three keyword phrases in each selection criteria statement and use these keywords in your responses

Tip 2 Call the interview panel Chairperson before you begin writing your responses and find out more information regarding the position. Ask a question like: ‘What is the focus of this position over the next twelve months?”

Tip 3 Effectively showcase your personal strengths and professional skills by matching these carefully to each job description statement

Tip 4 Avoid broad non specific language such as ‘I believe’ and ‘I think’. Ensure that your language is specific, clear and confident

Tip 5 Provide panel members measurable facts regarding your skills and experience. When describing timeframes and outcomes, make sure you provide this information in a measurable way so that panel members can gain a clearer picture of the depth of your experience

Addressing Selection Criteria – Is there a better way?

Instead of spending late nights and possibly entire weekends writing job application responses, many applicants have used a fully integrated software system that enables government job applicants to easily create high quality written responses in much less time.

About The Author

Glenn Ayrton is an Australian nationally accredited workplace trainer and assessor with over 20 years experience in local and state government. He has performed a range of roles including project management, government recruitment and training including interview technique and job application writing.

He is also the designer and creator of Australia’s first software package that assists in writing government job applications called ‘Selection Criteria Writer’. For more information please visit http://www.selectioncriteriawriter.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glenn_Ayrton

Share and Enjoy:

Improve Your Resume “Simple Do’s and Dont’s”

The resume is a tool with one specific purpose, to win an interview. A resume is a brochure, nothing more, nothing less. It presents you in the best light. A good resume is a document that shows the real you — without embellishment — but most certainly in the most attractive light! In this highly competitive job market, your resume has to do more than provide a simple outline of your previous work experience – it needs to be strategically developed as a personal marketing tool.

To have the absolute best chance of getting that role, I recommend talking to a reputable resume writing consultant, someone who makes an art of creating the best resume.

The word resume comes from the French word “resumer” which means to summarise. So the exact purpose of a resume is to summarise your experience, knowledge, and accomplishments. Therefore, you must avoid being too wordy. Say exactly what you mean in the least number of words possible. The length of your resume is important. Resumes should be from 2 to 5 pages long. Don’t be tempted to make your resume longer than 5 pages, even if you have a lot to tell. Remember that a resume is supposed to be a summary. A resume that is too long simply will bore the reader. There will be so much material that nothing will stand out and be remembered.

Following are some tips that will help you improve your resume, get it through the screening process and make it more appealing to potential employers

Don’t lie. It’s that simple. And don’t be tempted to embellish the truth. Of course, you would be foolish to include in your resume anything remotely unflattering But the risks of fudging the truth in your resume far outweigh the benefits, particularly when it comes to specific facts, such as credentials and titles.

Objective Statement That Is Flowery or Too General. Many candidates lose their readers from the very beginning of the resume — the “objective statement.” The worst objective statements start with, “A challenging position that will enable me to contribute to organisational goals while offering an opportunity for growth and advancement.” This type of statement is overused and too general, and therefore wastes valuable space

Too Short or Too Long. Too many people try to squeeze their experiences onto one page, because they’ve heard that a resume should never be longer than one page. When formatting the resume to fit on one page, many job seekers delete their impressive achievements. The reverse is also true. Take the candidate who rambles on and on for pages about irrelevant or redundant experiences — the reader will easily be bored. When writing your resume, ask yourself, “Will this statement help me land an interview?” Only include information that elicits the answer “yes” to that question.

Too Focused on Job Duties. One of the most prevalent resume blunders is to turn a resume into a boring listing of job duties and responsibilities. Many people even use their company job descriptions as a guide to developing their resumes. To create a resume that is a cut above the rest, you should go beyond showing what was required of you, and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company. Provide specific examples of how the company benefited from your performance.

Typos! One typo can land your resume in the garbage. Two typos or more, and your chances are greatly diminished. Proofread, proofread, and proofread. This document is a reflection of you and should be absolutely perfect.

Use dates to show when you did things, not just the vague “one year”.

Many people include their interests, such as reading, hiking, snowboarding, etc. These should only be included if they relate to the job objective

Personal information, such as date of birth, marital status, height and weight, should normally not be included on the resume.

Make sure your resume is complete with an e-mail address as well as a phone number

In a short, your resume can be described as a thoughtfully organised personal “brochure” that summarises your experience and highlights your achievements. It should present your skills, capabilities and strengths in the best possible light, without resorting to embellishment

This is a great post from the Whirlpool forum by Brad

Source http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/59476.html

Share and Enjoy: