Its use means agencies will describe jobs using the same language and employees can see what behaviours they need to demonstrate for different jobs at different levels.

In addition to the framework (NSW Public Sector Capability Framework) a library of position descriptions for the most commonly recruited jobs in the sector has been developed. The library represents a starting point for agencies to develop their own capability-based position descriptions.

A feasibility matrix is available to agency HR staff to assist in developing position descriptions – please email workforceplanning@dpc.nsw.gov.au.

Agencies should use their existing job evaluation system to evaluate positions and may now undertake ‘desktop’ rather than panel evaluations of position descriptions, as agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding (cl 5.2) between the NSW Government and the Public Service Association and Professional Officers’ Association Amalgamated Union of NSW. 

For more info and article source NSW Public Sector Capability Framework

NSW_Public_Sector_Capability_Framework PDF

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.

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.

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

The Importance of Getting Selection Criteria Examples Right

Landing that dream government job can sometimes feel like it is out of reach. Continual job applications and persistent knock-backs can be disheartening.

Instead of finding the real source of the problem, we often look to ourselves and wonder what is wrong with our abilities. Forget this.

Have you ever considered that you are looking in the wrong place? Perhaps you have all the prerequisites for the role, but the problem likely lies in the writing of your selection criteria examples.

Are your examples letting you down?

Although there can be a number of valid reasons why that ideal job is eluding you, the fact is that often the writing of selection criteria examples may possibly be ruining your chances.

The most common reasons for this are:

1. Poorly worded examples
2. Insufficient written evidence
3. Wording that is unfamiliar with the panel members

As long as you have the skills, qualifications, experience and personal qualities, there is no reason why you aren’t, at least, being shortlisted.

The common reason applicants are not making it to the interview stage is because they’re not writing compelling examples and evidence that directly relates to the position description.

Providing those all-important selection criteria examples are one area that often lets candidates down. Well written examples must achieve the following:

1. Written using language that is familiar to the panel members
2. Provide rich examples that address principles, strategies and benefits
3. Clear description of the step by step strategy that is crystal clear

Well written examples demonstrate to panel members that you are competent and possess the skills and abilities required for the position. In short, the response you want to achieve with all readers of your examples is that ‘this person can do the job’.

Employers want to know candidates have either performed the necessary skills in a prior role; that they’ve the knowledge to do so; or, that they can easily pick up the new skill. This is shown by selection criteria examples.

The Importance of Writing Good Selection Criteria Examples

• Selection criteria examples form a significant part of the STAR (Situation, Task, Actions, Results) method of writing a selection criteria statement. Your selection criteria example should include in which role or situation you performed the skill; what you actually did; how you performed it; and, what the outcome of you performing this skill was.

• The examples you write must support your claims that you meet a certain selection criterion. As such, you need to provide actual examples that you can elaborate upon in the interview.

• Examples can be sourced from almost any aspect of your life – even if not from a similar role as the one you are applying for. Draw selection criteria examples from anywhere you’ve shown these abilities or personal attributes. The key is to use language that panel members are familiar with and talk their language.

• Written examples must clearly describe the positive outcomes and benefits achieved. What was the result of you performing this action?

Here’s a list of top tips to help you write high quality selection criteria examples:

Tip 1 Use their words in your examples

Tip 2 Make sure your language is specific and active

Tip 3 Clearly articulate the benefits achieved at the end of each example

Tip 4 Choose examples that are as closely aligned as possible to the role you are applying for

Tip 5 Research carefully both the department’s webpage and the position description in order to carefully select the most relevant keyword phrases to use in your written examples

Many government job applicants have been relieved to discover that there is a much better solution to spending entire weekends writing selection criteria applications by using software templates that can reduce and simplify the task significantly.

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

Selection Criteria – The Australian Government Recruitment Process

Selection criteria are the list of requirements that are seen when reading through a job advertisement. Whether it is for a high-level government position or an entry level role in a private organisation, more than likely a number of criteria will be included in the advertisement.

The Importance of Effective Marketing

Candidates are required to describe their skills and experience and make claims about their skills, qualifications, experience and personal attributes that are required for the role. This is often called a selection criteria statement and is unquestionably the most important aspect of the recruitment process. It gets you noticed and assists in getting your foot in the door. A good or poorly written response can certainly be the difference between realising your dream job and losing out to a less qualified candidate.

Job specific criteria are used by both the employer and the candidate. An employer will use the criteria to guide their decision-making process when it comes to choosing or short-listing candidates. It provides an objective tool for employers to gauge a candidate’s suitability and their competitiveness against other applicants. It is essentially a tool for measuring how suitable one is for the position.

In addition to this, written responses are the perfect opportunity for a candidate to showcase their abilities and talents. It is one of the crucial times in the job application process where they can market themselves. Every successful product needs an effective marketing campaign. You are the product and the individual written responses are your marketing tools. A significant part of your marketing is providing sufficient evidence of your skills and abilities when addressing the specific requirements of the role.

TIP: Ensure you use clear active language when writing examples of your skills and experience.

The Categories of Selection Criteria

Sometimes these lists are quite lengthy and sometimes they are short. There are also different types of position related criteria, including:

• Previous Experience. This selection criterion often relates to past experience in a similar role or one aspect of the position. In this situation, the candidate can refer to prior roles in a dissimilar job. As long as the applicant performed similar duties and responsibilities, a reference to it is acceptable.

• Education and Qualifications. This type of selection criterion relates to the candidate’s level and type of education. Any professional recognition is relevant in this criteria type as well.

• Skills and Expertise. This denotes the actual level and type of abilities an applicant possesses. Candidates should include their proficiencies in both current roles and those that they have performed in the past.

• Personal Qualities. This criterion relates to the applicant’s own characteristics.

TIP: When describing your previous experience, ensure you use words from the position description you are applying for

The Importance of an Effective Selection Criteria Statement

In terms of applying for and landing that dream job, you can’t go past recognising the importance of a well written selection criteria statement. The good news is that there are resources available to help you write that job-winning statement such as templates, guides and actual examples.

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

So you should know the different types and why you should choose them. For an easy to use software solution check out the Selection Criteria Writer which generates Cover letters as well as your resume.

There are three different types of Resume

• Functional
• Chronological
• Combination or Hybrid

Function Resume – A functional resume groups your work experiences by skills and abilities rather than specific positions. This is the type of Resume you would go for if you have been a job hopper or been out of work like back to work mums.

The reason for this is because you are highlighting your skills and abilities rather than your employment record, this makes it harder for your prospective employer to find gaps in your employment. Further down the page is an example of a Functional Resume and a template you can download, if you use the template please let us know what you think by leaving a comment.

Chronological Resume – This is the preferred Style of resume as it presents your employment history in reverse chronological order, with your most recent job being first. This makes it easier for the panel or potential employer to see a natural progression in your career.  This is the best format for you to use if you feel that there are a good natural progression, don’t use this format if you are over qualified or have employment gaps. There is also an example and download for the Chronological Resume template further down the page.
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Combination or Hybrid Resume – As the name suggests this style if a combination of both Chronological and functional styles. This format highlights your strengths by presenting your skills, abilities and experiences at the beginning and towards the end you finish with your chronological list.

Functional

FIRSTNAME LASTNAME

Street address | suburb state postcode | phone number | mobile number | email address

OBJECTIVE/

Write a paragraph or two that summarises your career objective.

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

• Outline a summary of your key qualifications
• That relate specifically to the position you are applying for
• This is where you focus on the key skills
• That will be of benefit to the position
• And organisation that is offering the position

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Field or area of accomplishment e.g sales and marketing

• Duty / responsibility / achievement
• Duty / responsibility / achievement
• Duty / responsibility / achievement

Field or area of accomplishment e.g leadership and management

• Duty / responsibility / achievement
• Duty / responsibility / achievement
• Duty / responsibility / achievement

Field or area of accomplishment e.g financial budgeting

• Duty / responsibility / achievement
• Duty / responsibility / achievement
• Duty / responsibility / achievement

Chronological

COMPANY NAME Dates of Employment

Position Title

Brief 1-2 sentence description of your role including why you were recruited / what your main priority or goal was / what your main achievement was.

Responsible for ….(introduce responsibilities):

• Responsibility / achievement
• Responsibility / achievement
• Responsibility / achievement

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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
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