Write criteria in your own words

The trials of selection criteria – not for us!

Once upon a time, when dinosaurs ruled the earth, we used to write government and NGO selection criteria.

We charged the standard fee of $40.00 per criteria. We didn’t write many in Adelaide because of the price. They were a lot of work and while we had success, I had some ethical issues.

I stopped writing them for two reasons: a senior recruiter in the Australian Public Service (APS) said they wanted – she used the word “demanded” – the applicant to write them, not a professional writer. The reason was selection criteria has a subjective component. The employer wants to read the lived experience of the applicant.

The other reason is government recruiters can tell when an applicant has hired a writing business to write the selection criteria.

Cover letters are short. Maybe half to three quarters of a page, stating why you want the job, your qualifications and special skills and capabilities.

Selection criteria look like this (below) and the word length is around 250-400 words (check the job specification) per criteria.

  • A degree or postgraduate qualification, in library and information services/management with substantial relevant experience; or extensive relevant experience and management expertise; or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training.
  • Demonstrated experience with a national bibliographical utility such as Libraries Australia, and a unified resource management system such as Alma.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of principles of authority control.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of cataloguing rules, metadata schemas, standards, tools and their applications, and data interchange standards.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively with evidence of flexibility and the ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

Etc, etc…

Here is a link to the APS which shows how to write government selection criteria: https://www.apsc.gov.au/working-aps/joining-aps/cracking-code/3-applying-aps-job-cracking-code

If you want it edited or some advice, I can help out. But remember, we don’t write selection criteria.

Put your best foot forward

Malcolm builds expert resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles, which unleash an unbeatable business case to promote you as a ‘must have’ asset to an employer.