Government
12 guides for the Australian job market.
APS resume example: what a public service panel needs on the page
An APS resume is a different document from a private sector one. What to include, what classification and clearance detail panels look for, and what to leave off.
Key Selection Criteria for Victorian Government jobs: how the VPS differs from APS and NSW
Victorian public sector roles use Key Selection Criteria written into each position description, and the rules for answering them are not the same as Canberra's or Sydney's. What to expect and how to respond.
Seven selection criteria mistakes panels see every round (and the fix for each)
Selection panels in Australian government, health and education read the same errors in application after application. Here are the seven that cost the most marks, why they happen, and what to write instead.
The Queensland Government two-page statement: how to write 'how you meet the criteria'
Most Queensland Government and Queensland Health roles on SmartJobs ask for a resume and a short statement, usually two pages, on how you meet the requirements of the role. Here is what panels want in it and how to structure it.
How long should each selection criteria response be?
Word limits, page limits and what an Australian selection panel actually reads. The length rules for individually addressed criteria, APS pitches, NSW targeted questions and the two-page state statements.
What 'demonstrated experience' actually asks for
A plain-English guide to what 'demonstrated experience' and similar phrases mean in an Australian selection criterion, and how to write a response that actually proves it.
How to answer selection criteria with the STAR method (with a real example)
A plain-English guide to answering selection criteria using the STAR method, with a full worked example for Australian public sector applications.
13 selection criteria examples, with model answers you can adapt
The thirteen criteria that turn up in almost every Australian government, health and education job, each answered in full, with a note on what the panel is actually scoring.
NSW government jobs: how to write to the focus capabilities
NSW does not use traditional selection criteria. It assesses you against focus capabilities and rates you Did Not Meet, Met or Exceeds. Here is how that changes what you write.
How to address selection criteria in an Australian job application
Selection criteria decide most government, health and education jobs in Australia, and almost nobody is taught how to write them. Here is the structure panels are scoring you against, with worked examples.
How to write an APS pitch, from APS4 to EL1 (with worked examples)
The one page pitch has replaced individually addressed criteria across much of the Australian Public Service. Here is what the panel is scoring, how the levels differ, and worked examples at APS5, APS6 and EL1.
APS merit pools explained: why a rejection can still get you the job
Merit pools run for 18 months and can fill ongoing, non-ongoing and casual vacancies. Understanding them changes which APS jobs are worth applying for.
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