Business Studies

Selection Criteria

Addressing selection criteria You must clearly show how you meet each selection criteria and provide examples of your experience and qualifications to support your claims.

‘Past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance’ – so, to claim something without evidence (an example/evidence of past behaviour) is a worthless exercise.

• Selection criteria – the basis for selecting applicants to interview • You must meet all the essential selection criteria to be short-listed for an interview • Try not to leave any desirable criteria blank, but they are not a “must have” like the essential criteria

Selection criteria terminology To define a body of knowledge the following terms are used.

• Knowledge of… or Awareness of… Demonstrate you have a reasonable level of knowledge about particular concepts and provide detail with regard to your level of knowledge

• Understanding of Demonstrate an understanding of particular concepts and provide detail with regard to the various linkages, roles and purpose and how you developed your level of understanding

• Detailed understanding of… Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of particular concepts and provide detail with regard to how you have applied this understanding in a work environment

When measuring for level of competence in relation to specific skills or abilities required, the following terms are used.

• Ability to… Demonstrate you have the ability to develop a particular competency set through past experiences in applying similar competencies or through professional development, study or training

• Demonstrated ability… Demonstrate you have a particular competency set and have regularly applied this through past experience either through study, in the workplace, or within a non- workplace environment

• Proven ability to… Demonstrate you have a particular competency set and can prove the application of this competency set through extensive experience in a work environment

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Future

Selection Criteria

A useful guide for responding to each selection criterion A useful guide for answering each selection criterion is the S.T.A.R. technique (Situation, Tasks, Actions, Results). Applicants are commonly expected to use the S.T.A.R. technique in a behavioural type job interview. Behavioural interviews are aimed at identifying ‘past behaviours as predictors of future performance’.

Think of a challenging situation, preferably a work situation,

Situation which best describes your ability to address the criterion. Briefly outline this situation as a scenario.

Tasks Describe what tasks were required in this situation and how you identified that the tasks were necessary.

Discuss your specific actions you took, not what you

Actions might have taken, and not the actions of others.

The most important element, ie., What you did. What your behaviours were!

What was the outcome of the situation and possibly

Results include how others responded to your actions. This can also include your reflection (what worked, what didn’t work, what could be done better) as well as feedback from supervisors, customers, work colleagues or others.

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Selection Criteria

“Demonstrated ability to communicate at various levels” An example which follows S.T.A.R to the letter

Throughout my time at university I have been employed on a casual and part time basis by Bunnings. Originally I started working there when I was at high school, and

Situation continued as the money earned helped pay for some of my study and living expenses at university. I was first employed in the gardening section, however, I was asked to work on the information desk owing to what my supervisor said was – a good way of helping customers.

Communication is an essential part of working at Bunnings. Firstly, there is the communication that is necessary for organising all the day’s work tasks, and that translates into how you communicate and work in

Tasks your section’s team. Bunnings prides itself on its customer service and I have learned a great deal from talking to all kinds of people throughout the store, especially when I was promoted to work on the information desk. Handling customer concerns and complaints is something I’ve been trained in, and it’s something I believe I do well.

The part of communication that I do well, something I recognised when I was trained at Bunnings, is my listening ability. I always make sure that I understand what I’m being asked. If needed I’ll ask for clarification, and I might also summarise what someone has said to me to make sure I’ve got it right. This has been an important part of working with difficult or unhappy

Actions customers, they like to be heard properly. If you show them they have been, they calm down.

Communication is also an essential part of university study. Aside from verbal communication, my university studies have required me to write coherently and present information in various formats. I am able to write reports, construct multimedia presentations and I can be persuasive if I need to promote an idea or make recommendations.

As a member of the Agricultural Club at university I was part of a team that successfully organised and ran its own

Results Careers Fair. Communications played a large part in this.

At Bunnings, as well as continuing to work there, and my promotion to the information desk, I was also an employee of the month on three occasions.

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“Demonstrated ability to communicate at various levels” A different, brief, example: one that doesn’t follow S.T.A.R. to the letter.

Selection Criteria

Situation

Tasks

Actions

Results

One of the strengths of my university degree was the subject Reasoning, Values and Communication. It covered a range of skills as well as effectively enabling my critical thinking and analytical abilities. As the foundation of my undergraduate work this subject helped me to recognise, research and communicate key themes. I have already put some of these abilities into practice. My vacation internship with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, presented me with various opportunities to read government reports, collate data, and present to small groups. I was commended for my communication skills. Also, while working as a sales assistant, I was recognised for my customer service skills, particularly my ability to calm difficult people.

Selection Criteria Tips • Do not attach your résumé or cover letter to your statements addressing

selection criteria

• The separate document can be titled, ‘Statements Addressing Selection Criteria’

• Cut and paste the company’s section criteria into your document and use each criterion as a sub-heading

• For each criterion consider the applicability of using the S.T.A.R. technique

• Explaining how you meet each criterion

• Describe your relevant/transferable skills and knowledge gained from training or experience meet the internship requirements

• If your “R” in S.T.A.R. cannot be a Result, make it a Reflection – what would you do better next time?

• Emphasise your major achievements – these can become “Rs”

• Use your best examples and/or S.T.A.Rs for your written statements

• If you can, use different examples and/or S.T.A.Rs at your interview

• Keep your language positive. Instead of writing, ‘I would...’, ‘write ‘I did…’

• If a job description (duty statement) has been provided in addition to selection criteria, use it to help you think about what could be written about. The closer your examples and/or S.T.A.Rs are to a duty statement, the more chance you have of gaining an interview

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