Selection Panel | My Selection Criteria

Archive for Selection Panel

Understanding Key Selection Criteria

Posted by: admin | Comments (0)

Friday, November 20th, 2009

What are Selection Criteria and why are they used?

Key Selection Criteria are used to seek out the best possible applicant based on skills, abilities, knowledge and experience to fulfill the roles requirements. In order to be considered for a position you must be able to demonstrate through your application that you meet the key selection criteria. If you do not meet the key selection criteria, most likely you will not make it through to the interview process.

Your selection criteria statement will assist the selection panel to assess your application against your fellow applicants and the requirements of the position. Many applicants are overlooked because they don’t clearly address the key selection criteria, they assume that the panel will be able to read between the lines in the cover letter or Resume.

For a better understanding of the Key selection criteria i reccommend you view the Selection Criteria Writer Package.

Categories : Addressing Selection Criteria, Key Selection Criteria

Comments (0)

Key Selection Criteria

Posted by: admin | Comments (1)

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Writing selection criteria

How to Write Effective Written Responses

Key selection criteria (commonly referred to as KSC) are essentially road signs to guide both job applicant and the selection panel. They are core characteristics and qualities considered essential for carrying out the position competently.

These requirements also allow the selection panel to objectively choose the right candidate for the job. That is, the candidate that fulfils the position requirements the best is selected.

Types of Key Selection Criteria

There are a number of different types of KSCs that a candidate will come across in a job application summary. Those key selection criteria that relate to experience refer to the actual performance of a task.

You will need to provide specific details and relevant evidence demonstrating the level of experience you possess. It is important to also provide panel members with clear details regarding strengths, skills in a way that is familiar to them.

To achieve this level of impact it is essential that the keywords and phrases from the position description feature in written responses.

Knowledge and understanding are also common position requirements. In support of this claim, a candidate should provide concrete examples of when these skills were demonstrated. Skills and abilities should also be supported via the use of examples.

It is not enough to write that you possess these talents; you also need to show when and how they have been demonstrated. Once again, you can’t simply state you are honest or fair, you need to prop up your claims with compelling practical examples.

A Common Misconception: The Importance of Desirable Key Selection Criteria

Key selection criteria also come in two different types – essential and desirable. There is a common misconception that desirable key selection criteria are not all that important to the overall success of the application.

As such, candidates don’t often spend as much time writing and thinking about these requirements. This, actually could be the reason why a candidate misses out on their dream job.

Well written desirable key selection criteria are vital to the success of the statement and being awarded the job.

Although a candidate could still be considered if they lack desirable key selection criteria, it is misleading to believe that the strength of your essential key selection criteria will get you past that winning post.

That is, if the interview panel is having difficulties choosing between two candidates, it could very well be the desirable key selection criteria that makes all the difference.

Tips When Preparing Written Responses

Tip 1 Don’t have different fonts and layouts for each criterion. It will only make it look unprofessional

Tip 2 Key selection criteria statement should incorporate a heading that includes: the job name; position reference number and your name featured in the footer

Tip 3 Preferred font styles are Arial, Times New Roman, Tahoma and Verdana. The most common font size is 11 points. Written responses should feature minimum font size of 9.5 points

Tip 4 Carefully select the top 3 or four keyword phrases in the key selection criteria statement and ensure you use these phrases at least once in your written response

Is There An Easier Way?

There in no questioning that writing compelling written responses is tricky. There is a lot to remember; the actual writing process is time consuming; and, it can take frequent writing attempts to develop the required skills to write that job-winning statement.

Many government job seekers have discovered a much more effective and efficient way using software that guides job applicants with easy to use templates that make the job much easier.

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 click Here

Categories : Key Selection Criteria

Comments (1)

Addressing Selection Criteria

Posted by: admin | Comments (1)

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

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

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

Categories : Addressing Selection Criteria

Comments (1)

11 Great Tips for writing Selection Criteria

Posted by: admin | Comments (0)

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

(1) Focus on your successes and achievements which are relevant to the criterion.

(2) Include power words in your statements. The three most effective power words are, Success, Results and Achieve.

(3) Try not use bullet points unless absolutely necessary to get your point across; carefully constructed sentences are far more effective. The key to successfully responding is to provide examples from your own experiences and use active language; an example would be “I implemented a system…” not “A system was implemented…”

(4) Your sentences should be short and concise; generally shorter sentences demonstrate better writing communication skills and will be favoured by the selection panel.

(5) Surveys indicate that the average successful Resume is two and a half pages long with emphasis on the work experience related to the Selection criteria under application.

(6) Once you have completed your first draft replace any sentences stating “we” and replace with “I” but be careful not to use the same phrase over and over again.

(7) Keep paragraphs between three and five sentences and try to duplicate your structure for all paragraphs. This will create a good sense of balance and flow for the reader. (also see tip #10)

(8) Start each criterion on its own page with the criterion as the title.

(9) Consistency is the key! Your cover letter, resume and statements against selection criteria should appear as if they are one document. Make sure all of the fonts, colour, spacing etc. Are fluent.

(10) A paragraph should contain some particular structure in the following order.

1 A topic sentence – motivates the reader to want to read more

2 The first main point – proves backs up or explains the topic sentence.

3The second main point – usually provides a reason for the last point made.

4The third main point – can help prove the topic sentence or backup the first or second main point of the paragraph.

5The conclusion – sums up the main points or ideas and usually completes the topic.

(11) Remember that your experiences can be from outside of your work life, an example would be under leadership skills, you may have been a team captain for your sporting team.

Categories : Uncategorized

Comments (0)

Getting a Government Job – Top 10 FAQs About Answering Selection Criteria

Posted by: admin | Comments (0)

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Getting a Government Job – Top 10 FAQs About Answering Selection Criteria
By Dawn Richards

Relax! We’ve got it covered. It’s really quite easy once you get started…

1. Do I need to complete Selection Criteria for non-government jobs?

For most private sector applications, you will need only a Resume and Letter of Application. However, many private sector organisations (universities, hospitals, etc.) now use Selection Criteria for appointment and promotion of staff.

2. Is a ‘Statement against the Selection Criteria’ the same as ‘Responses to Selection Criteria’ or ‘Summary of Responses to Selection Criteria’?

YES! This is a document in which you respond to Selection Criteria using concrete workplace examples to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and abilities in relation to the selection criteria.

3. What’s a Selection Criterion?

‘Criterion’ is the singular form of the word, ‘criteria’.

4. How much do I need to write for each Selection Criterion?

You need to write enough information to convince the selection panel that you have the knowledge, skills and ability to perform the job. Quality is more important than quantity. A rule of thumb is to write between half a page and one page in length for each criterion. In some cases, you are advised regarding word length required.

5. How long does it take to answer Selection Criteria?

This varies depending on your written skills and experience in writing applications. It usually takes many hours – even days – to write a professional application. People who say: ‘I’ll just throw together an application and see how I go’ rarely succeed.

6. How do I answer when there are double or triple barrel questions?

Each selection criterion may have several elements (eg oral and written communication skills and negotiation skills). Each section of the selection criterion must be addressed: Oral + Written communication skills + Negotiation skills.

7. If I can’t answer a criterion, what should I do?

Remember when you skipped a question on your exam paper at school and you scored zero points? Similarly, an unanswered criterion is worth nothing. If you don’t have the specific experience required, state how you have similar experience.

8. How many applications are usually received for each position?

It varies widely, but for positions such as an Information Officer, you may be competing with hundreds of other applicants for two or three available positions.

9. What is short-listing?

The selection panel develops a short list of applicants to be interviewed, based on how well their written applications meet the Selection Criteria or other selection tasks.

10. What is ‘weighting’ of criteria?

The selection panel nominates the rating of each criterion according to the requirements for performing the job. There’s no such thing as an unimportant criterion. Even one weighted at 10% deserves 100% effort and may be the difference between being selected for the position and being the ‘runner-up’.

Now, you have a basic understanding of what’s involved in applying for a government job. Remember when you learned to drive a car? It was really difficult trying to remember how to change gears … and steer…at the same time. But, soon you worked out how to do both tasks automatically.

Similarly, applying for a government job involves learning a range of new skills. In particular, you need to learn how to ’sell’ yourself in your application, while supplying workplace examples that demonstrate your skills and experience. Keep working at it – it’s a worthwhile journey.

Dawn Richards is a popular guest speaker at Careers Expos and is the author of best-selling career books, ‘Get That Government Job’ and ‘Selection Criteria Toolkit’ (hard copy and new electronic version for immediate download). She uses her background in marketing to teach applicants how to sell themselves in their applications and at the interview. For free articles on all aspects of careers, visit http://www.smartstartmarketing.com.au

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dawn_Richards
http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-a-Government-Job—Top-10-FAQs-About-Answering-Selection-Criteria&id=1533687

Categories : Uncategorized

Comments (0)