Selection criteria
When applying for a position in the public sector or in education you must address a number of selection criteria. This method may also be requested by any employer.
It means attaching a separate document to your application: ‘Responses to Selection Criteria’ or ‘Selection Criteria Addressed.’ Depending on the number of selection criteria and the length of your answers, this document may be three pages or more. While there is no strict guide to length, consider a third to half a page for each response. It can be in prose or point form, or a combination.
Here are some examples:
Example 1 – Point form response
Criteria – Demonstrated high quality oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
My high quality oral communication skills have been demonstrated by:
- Consulting with members of my team at McDonalds, representing them at managers meetings and presenting their concerns and new ideas.
- Presenting weekly talks on progress and challenges within my Honours project to audiences of between two and twenty peers and academic staff.
My high quality written communication skills have been developed through:
- Preparing research summaries, updates and reports for both technical and non-technical readers throughout my degree.
- Drafting letters and promotional material during my work as a volunteer for ...
- Editing and revising articles sent in to the University magazine prior to publication.
Interpersonal skills have been developed to a high level through:
- Cooperating with and supervising my colleagues in part-time employment.
- Approaching and talking to people about the voluntary cause I support and imparting information to people with different levels of understanding.
top of pageExample 2 – Paragraph format response
Criteria – Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and work as part of a team in a dynamic environment with limited supervision.
My ability in these areas has been demonstrated by working in a fast food restaurant over the past two years and was rewarded with promotion to team leader. In this role there is constant pressure to work quickly and efficiently with a focus on satisfying customer demands. Food must be served to high hygiene standards within a time-frame to both drive-through and in-restaurant customers. In doing so, I oversee and work within a team of eight staff providing support and encouragement and solving roster problems. Whilst there is a duty manager present at all times, I work autonomously requiring little supervision within my role and I am responsible for my team.
Top tips
- Address all parts of the selection criteria – don’t leave anything out!
- Support claims with relevant, concrete examples - be results-oriented
- Avoid credibility-reducing words – such as “I always / never / totally /completely”