Are you sitting on the fence regarding enlisting the help of a career coach or writer? Do you read this newsletter each month, and wonder how you could best use our services? The coaching business in general has exploded in recent years with an expert ready and willing to support you in achieving just about anything you set your mind to. But how do you determine what’s going to help you most?
We regularly hear from people who aren’t quite sure how to best take advantage of the vast array of career services available today. They think they need one service, when in fact they’d be better off with another. In order to take advantage (and get the best bang for your buck), we’ve put together a list of questions we get asked on a regular basis, with responses to indicate what might be your best path to success.
“I’m in a senior role but stuck in a serious rut. I just don’t know how to move forward.”
Mid life crisis happening right now? Perhaps you’re feeling like there must be more to life. If you are thinking of making a major career transition – but you’re not sure where to start, our Executive Career Coaches are trained professionals who’ll quickly put you at ease and listen to your concerns. They’ll help you develop goals, plans and action steps to take that all important first step, and support you throughout the process if need be. Click here for more information on Executive Career Coaching.
“I know what job I want and believe I have all the qualifications/skills needed but I’m not getting any interviews” That’s great that you’re clear about what you want to achieve – but perhaps you need a new Resume and Cover Letter that cuts through the clutter. Or maybe you’re trying for government jobs and need help addressing the Selection Criteria more concisely. If you would like to be short-listed for more jobs, take advantage of our free evaluation service. Send us your current Resume and we’ll let you know how it could be improved. For more information, see our Resume, Cover Letter and Selection Criteria Writing services.
“I’m in a great job but can’t help feeling like I’m missing out on opportunities” If you’re not already taking advantage of LinkedIn, now might be the time to investigate. As the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn recently announced it has more than 300 million members worldwide and more than 5 million members in Australia. If you don’t understand LinkedIn or think it’s not relevant for you, now might be the perfect time to explore it further and learn how you can use it to uncover new opportunities. The numbers speak for themselves – you will increase your chances of being headhunted by recruiters; as well as gaining the opportunity to uncover hidden job opportunities, contract/freelance work and word of mouth referrals. See our LinkedIn Writing and Coaching services for more information.
“I’m really unhappy in my job but don’t know what to do” Being unhappy in our job affects every part of our life, and it can be especially hard on our families. Sometimes confusion and fear take over and cause us to do nothing, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Career counsellors are trained professionals who can independently analyse where you’re at and what might be the ideal career. They’ll take into consideration personal and financial situations and help you on the path to happiness. Life is too short to stay in a job you hate! Click here for information on our Career Counselling services.
“My Resume seems to be working, because I’ve been called in for quite a few interviews now, but I’m not getting to the next stage” Congratulations on making it that far, many people don’t. If you’d like to improve your success rate in interviews, our interview coaching service is designed to help overcome nerves, build confidence and improve the effectiveness of your overall performance. You will get advice on how to answer common interview questions for your target job/industry and get feedback on your responses in a mock interview. See our Interview Skills Training service for more information.
“I’m a student and have no idea what I want to do when I leave school so am feeling anxious about my subject/university choices” Have you heard about personality profiling? By taking a formal test, you can gain invaluable insight into the careers that your personality type is most suited to. It’s helpful to individuals already in a career as well and can guide you with further career development. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) assessment tool is based on more than 50 years research and is one of the most widely used personality assessments in the world. Click here for more information about our MBTI® Assessment service.
Established since 2002, Katie Roberts Career Consulting has provided career consulting services to more than 10,000 individuals and companies across Australia and overseas.
If you are struggling to achieve the success you believe you deserve or simply need assistance to identify the direction you should be heading in, our team of consultants are experts in their field who provide advice, guidance, and support to people seeking career success. Visit our website for our full range of Career Consulting services.
So, you want to apply for a position that’s asking you to address Selection Criteria. What next? More often than not, government positions will require you to address Selection Criteria. The number of individual criterion will vary from department to department and job to job, but there are usually at least four, sometimes up to 15 or 20. The length of your responses also varies, depending on the specific requirements for the position you are applying for. Some roles specify maximum word counts (usually per response), others specify total page limits for the entire response, while some leave it open. Make sure you take note of any limits, since your application could be rejected based on non-compliance with these specifications. If there are no limits, half to 2/3 A4 page is usually ideal. Although, more senior executive roles may need up to a page.
Here are four simple steps for answering Selection Criteria:
Step 1 – Understand what’s being requested Read through the Selection Criteria in detail and understand what each one is asking for. The Job / Role Description or Statement of Duties will help you understand what’s required in terms of qualifications, experience and skills and this should help you shape your responses to the Selection Criteria. Take particular note of how the Selection Criteria are worded – you might need to have ‘well developed skills’ or ‘demonstrated capacity’, or ‘experience using’, or ‘knowledge of’ – you need to differentiate these requirements and understand that they all require a different approach. ‘Experienceusing’ requires a description of how you’ve used something to achieve a particular outcome or result, whereas ‘knowledgeof’ needs a demonstration of your knowledge about a particular area.
Step 2 – State your claim
You will generally be required to respond in writing separately to each criterion using an example (or two) to demonstrate how you can claim you have the skill, knowledge or experience. The best way to do this is by providing relevant examples from past roles or study – but first up, you need to state clearly and concisely that you can meet the criterion and give a brief reason why you believe that. For example, “I have proven written and verbal communication skills, further developed in my current role over the past five years, where I have communicated in writing, face to face and over the telephone with a broad range of stakeholders including clients, the general public and senior executives.”
Step 3 – Support your claim
This is the most important part of the process and will usually require specific examples to back up your claim. We recommend using the STAR model to help present your examples in a solid cohesive manner. See my previous article Standing Out With the STAR Model for more detail on what STAR stands for and how to best write examples using this approach. Briefly, you should brainstorm for examples – remembering the specific language used in the Selection Criteria to pick the best ones. Ideally, examples should be recent and relevant. Think of as many as you can, before using STAR to flesh them out and provide the detail. Many clients I talk to can’t initially think of any relevant examples, however once we start talking about projects they’ve worked on or regular tasks/responsibilities, the examples flow. Think creatively, and talk to colleagues or supervisors if you can to generate ideas about what you might be able to use. Don’t forget to summarise and state the benefit/outcome/result of your approach. Provide a brief (one – two sentence) summary on how you feel you will contribute in the area.
Step 4 – Be critical when checking your work
Read over your work and check for spelling and grammatical errors. Be hard on yourself and determine if you’ve used the best possible examples to demonstrate your ability to meet the Selection Criteria. Go back and re-read the wording of each one and make sure you’ve addressed everything it’s asking for. Make sure your responses are accurate and honest – don’t exaggerate or misrepresent your role. Make sure you used positive language; and the examples are clear with no ambiguity regarding your role. If you ‘assisted’ or were ‘involved’ in something, it may be better to think of an example where you can actually say “I did this”. Try to use examples where you can say “I” and talk in the first person. That way there is no uncertainty from the reader that it was you implementing the project, carrying out the work, achieving the goals, or receiving the praise.
Most importantly – give yourself time. This process can be lengthy and you will achieve the best result by thinking through your experience, achievements and successes in order to present the best possible examples. Try not to leave it until the last minute and you will be more likely to succeed.
Selection criteria need not be feared, but it is worth investing some time and effort to prepare winning responses that help get you noticed. It can be easy to get carried away with irrelevant facts, or worse, not provide enough detail to showcase your ability and experience to the selection panel.
When addressing selection criteria, it’s very important to understand some of the common words used:
demonstrated capacity
experience
proven ability
knowledge of
skills
All these words are asking for a different view of you and it’s vital that you read the selection criteria carefully then provide the specific information requested. Also, you should respond to each criterion individually, unless the application states otherwise.
When preparing your responses, the most important aspect is providing appropriate evidence or proof. It is essential that you take the time to think about specific, relevant examples from past work or other experience where you can demonstrate how your ability, skills, experience or knowledge helps you meet the criterion.
This is where the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) model comes into play. By thinking about your example in the context of STAR you can formulate a clear and concise answer. Use these points to brainstorm potential examples:
Situation – What was the circumstance, situation or setting you found yourself in?
Task – What was your role?
Action – What did you do and how did you do it?
Result – What did you achieve? What was the outcome and, if possible, how does it relate to the position you are applying for?
Once you have decided which examples to use, you need to craft your response. Be clear and concise – don’t confuse the reader and don’t skimp on detail. Remember to take into account any specified word count or page limits – make sure you stick to these or risk your application being culled before it’s even read. Prepare a brief introduction that sets the scene before referencing the example to support your claim. This is the most important part of your response and must be written with strong and positive language. The example should preferably be recent – and not older than five years if possible. Pay attention to the language used in the criterion to ensure you address specifically what’s being asked – remember there is a difference between phrases like ‘knowledge of’ and ‘demonstrated capacity’.
Of course, it goes without saying that you should also triple check your document for spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors since this is often another way of culling responses.
Most importantly – be honest – your responses should reflect your role without exaggeration or ambiguity. And remember, this is a process that requires time and effort – don’t leave it until the last minute and you will be more likely to succeed.
Are you sitting on the fence regarding enlisting the help of a career coach or writer? Do you read this newsletter each month, and wonder how you could best use our services? The coaching business in general has exploded in recent years with an expert ready and willing to support you in achieving just about anything you set your mind to. But how do you determine what’s going to help you most?