PREPARING A JOB APPLICATION

cover letter

resum selection criteria work experience

Preparing a job application 1

Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Analysing the position............................................................................................................................. 1 Preparing a job application ..................................................................................................................... 1 Submission of a job application .............................................................................................................. 1 Tips for writing job applications.............................................................................................................. 2 Writing an effective cover letter ............................................................................................................. 2 Tips in writing the cover letter ................................................................................................................ 3 Sample cover letter ................................................................................................................................. 3 Addressing the selection criteria (if applicable) ..................................................................................... 4 Tips in addressing the selection criteria ................................................................................................. 5 Samples of statements of claims addressing the selection criteria ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 Writing your chronological resume/curriculum vitae/CV....................................................................... 8 Tips in writing your resume .................................................................................................................... 9 Sample resumes............................................................................................................................ 10 Administrative Assistant ............................................................................................................... 10 Programs and Information Officer................................................................................................ 12 Glossary of terms used at CSU .............................................................................................................. 14 References ............................................................................................................................................ 15

Introduction
Preparing a job application is a time-consuming task. The content and quality of your formal written application is fundamental in determining whether you are short-listed for an interview for a position at Charles Sturt University (CSU). Only those applicants who best demonstrate in their written application their capacity to meet all the essential requirements of the position will be considered for an interview. These guidelines are presented to assist you in preparing your written application and to enable you to plan for the interview. At CSU we utilise e-recruitment and prefer for you to view and apply for positions online at the following address: http://www.csu.edu.au/jobs As well as advertising our current vacancies, this web site also includes information on how to submit your application, tips for applicants, and some of the benefits of working for CSU. You can also subscribe to our fortnightly job newsletter on this site.

Analysing the position

Prior to applying for a position at CSU, thoroughly read the advertisement and position description. Consider the following questions: Do you have the education, qualifications, skills, experience and personal qualities necessary for the position? Does the position suit your goals and values? Will you need to telephone the contact person to find out more about the position? Will you need to undertake research about the position, Division, Faculty or School by speaking with the contact person or searching the CSU website? If you feel there is a match between your needs, skills and abilities and the position being offered, you should prepare a job application.

Preparing a job application

When submitting an application for a position at CSU, you will need to complete the online application form and attach the following supporting documentation: A covering letter A detailed description indicating how you meet each of the selection criteria, if selection criteria apply. A current copy of your resume or curriculum vitae. Photocopies of relevant supporting documentation, e.g. results or qualifications. Applicants for academic positions should also include a list of publications and research or consulting activities and a four-page response to the teaching guidelines.

Submission of a job application

Applications should be submitted online, however, if you are unable to access the internet, there are other methods to apply, including posting or faxing your application. For further information on non-online application methods, please contact the Division of Human Resources via hr@csu.edu.au or phone 1800 688 117. Applications must be received by the closing date specified in the advertisement.

Tips for writing job applications

Make the layout easy to read (use font Times New Roman or Arial, 12 point size) with 2-3 cm margins on the top, sides and bottom of the page. Pay attention to accuracy, clear and logical expression, tone, spelling, grammar and punctuation by editing and proofreading. If the position requires you to address selection criteria, put your name, and the title and position number of the position for which you are applying, in a header or footer of each page and number each page. Address each criterion separately, paying attention to ensure that you clearly answer each aspect of the criterion. Avoid acronyms and jargon. Write in plain English so you are clearly understood by anyone reading your documents. Use action words e.g. revised, managed, negotiated - rather than vague language such as contributed to or involved in. Ensure you give an honest representation and do not exaggerate facts.

Writing an effective cover letter

The cover letter highlights and discusses your strengths in relation to some of the important aspects of the position, whilst your resume provides details of your experience and how you are an appropriate match for the position. From your research of the advertisement, note words such as an understanding, knowledge of, and proven experience and concentrate on pointing out your strengths in these areas. The cover letter is usually one page long, with three to six paragraphs, and should be specific to the position and the organisation. The following checklist will help you to assess and improve the structure and content of your cover letter.

The top section of your letter includes:

Your name, address, preferred telephone contact, fax number and email address. The date. A formal greeting, e.g. Dear Sir/Madam. A heading, e.g. Re: [Name of position] or Application for [Name of position], with the position number of the position.

The introduction section is where you:

Identify the job you are applying for and where you saw it advertised or how you found out about the position.

The middle paragraphs enable you to sell yourself. This is where you:
Describe how you have the qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience that meet the requirements for the position. These might be skills gained through your work experience, education, courses, or other professional or personal activities. Focus on three to five of the most important aspects for the position and generally keep to one theme per paragraph. Prove your points by providing examples and match the terms and words used in the position description. Write persuasively and explain why you are interested in the position or working within the Division, Faculty or School, the value that you will bring, and how your achievements and skills qualify you for the position. You could note the three best attributes that make you most competitive for the position and how these features will enable you to add value to the University.

The last paragraph needs to be short and to the point

Provide information about the attachments included in your application. This will include your statement of claims addressing the selection criteria (if applicable), your resume and any attachments of references, qualifications or courses relevant to the position. Indicate when you will be available for an interview and your contact details (or refer to these at the top of the page), with the best times to reach you. Sign off with Yours faithfully when opening with Dear Sir/Madam or Yours sincerely when addressing a specific person (e.g. Dear Ms Brown), and include your name.

Tips in writing the cover letter

Avoid mentioning negative ideas and negative words such as although and however. Stress the qualifications you have for a position rather than mentioning those you do not have. Mention the benefits you will bring to the organisation or the position. Make statements about your experience, skills and abilities, and expand upon the information, giving examples as evidence. Close with a strong paragraph, inviting action from the selection committee (i.e. to consider your application highly and recommend your eligibility for an interview).

Sample cover letter

Position: Administrative Assistant, Reference No. 0007
Your name and address Ms Linda Smith 59 Nottingham Crescent Randwick NSW 2001 Phone: (02) 9412 7861 (home) Fax: (02) 9412 8350 Email: lsmith@yahoo.com.au 1 August 2009 Division of Human Resources Charles Sturt University Dear Sir/Madam RE: Administrative Assistant, Reference No. 0007 I would like to apply for the above position, advertised on your website on 1 August 2009.

Date Addressee

Greeting Subject Introduction (identify the job and where it was advertised)

Middle paragraphs (interest in the Division, Faculty or School and/or the position, summary of major strengths relating to the selection criteria to support your application)

I am particularly interested in securing employment with the Division of Marketing at Charles Sturt University as my skills and abilities are well-suited to your internal and external customers. My strong administration and organisational skills have enabled me to work in increasingly challenging roles throughout my 10 years of secretarial experience. I have several years of administrative experience in a wide variety of businesses, including computing and the travel industry. In addition to my extensive office experience, I have excellent communication and

negotiation skills. Customers have commented that my major strengths are my mature, gracious and professional manner when communicating with people during difficult situations. My training includes a Certificate III in Office Administration and, as you can see by my resume, I have an ongoing commitment to professional development. Last paragraph (information about attachments, contact details and thanks to the selection committee) Sign-off (correct sign-off and typed name) I have attached a copy of my resume and claims to support the selection criteria. I look forward to hearing from you in order to discuss this opportunity in further detail. I can be reached on the above email address or telephone number, and a message can be left on my telephone if I am not available. Thank you for considering my application. Yours faithfully, Linda Smith

Addressing the selection criteria (if applicable)

Selection criteria are developed for most positions within the University and need to be addressed by applicants where required as part of the application process. Selection criteria are developed by reviewing the duties of the position to identify the core skills, knowledge, experience and abilities required of the position. They assist to provide the selection committee with a merit basis upon which to select an applicant. Where applicable, the most important document in your application is your statement addressing the selection criteria, which supports why you are the best applicant for the position. You will need to meet all essential criteria to be short-listed for an interview. It is not essential that you meet any of the desirable criteria to be short-listed for an interview, but it is beneficial if you meet some of them. You must clearly show how you meet each of the selection criteria and provide examples of your experience and qualifications to support your claims. If there is a list of key responsibilities or duties, this can be used as a basis for addressing the selection criteria. Reference to experience can be discussed via paid and unpaid work, including voluntary and community work, and experience gained in the personal or private domains (e.g. in the family or home environment). Applications that refer to relevant, concrete work examples, such as those listed in the key responsibilities or duties, are likely to be highly regarded. Frequently sought skills, attributes and abilities listed in the selection criteria often include: Proven ability to work within a team environment and unsupervised. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Proven ability to prioritise a range of demands, meet deadlines and maintain accuracy in a high volume work environment. Proven proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite of products, including Word, Excel and Outlook. Understanding of and ability to apply occupational health and safety principles. When addressing selection criteria, provide evidence of the skills and abilities being sought. A useful guide for answering each criterion is the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach, commonly used in behavioural interviews. Your statement about the action you took is most important in this process, and the selection committee will use this part of your response to assess your application. Situation Think of a challenging situation, preferably in your work life, that best describes your ability to address the criterion. The position description will give you an idea of a situation that would be appropriate. Briefly outline this situation or scenario. Task Describe what tasks were required in this situation and how you identified that these tasks were necessary. You can combine the situation and task into one sentence.

Action Mention how you took action to meet the condition in the selection criterion. Discuss your specific action and not the action undertaken by the team. Describe the action you actually took and not what action you might take. Result This refers to the outcome of the situation and how others responded to the situation. This may incorporate your reflection on the issue and feedback from supervisors, customers, work colleagues or others. It may also involve noting what you learnt from the experience and how your action could be improved in the future.

Tips in addressing the selection criteria

Ensure that your document addressing the selection criteria is a separate attachment from your cover letter and resume. Include a header or title on each page, which includes your name, the position title, the reference number, and a brief title indicating the purpose of the document (e.g. Statement of Claims Addressing the Selection Criteria, Selection Criteria Statement or Selection Criteria Summary). List each of the selection criteria in bold, in the same order as listed in the position description and use numbers if the criteria has been numbered. Under each heading, write an explanation of how you meet that criterion and provide evidence where you can. Describe how your relevant or transferable skills and knowledge gained from training or experience meet the requirements of the position. Recognise the meaning of terms such as experience in, knowledge of and demonstrated ability, and indicate that you can meet the qualifying statement in your application. Start with a positive claim and expand on your skills. If the result was unsuccessful, discuss what you learnt from the experience and how it could be modified in future. Emphasise your major achievements. Keep the language positive. Instead of writing, I would..., write I did. Link your statements to at least one key responsibility in the position description to reiterate that you are a suitable applicant for the position. The closer your examples are to the position description, the better the chance you have of gaining an interview.

Samples of statements of claims addressing the selection criteria

Position: Administrative Assistant Reference No. 0007
Essential criteria: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Using the STAR approach
Situation Task I have been secretary to a number of senior level organisational committees. My responsibilities have included organising meetings, researching background information, taking minutes, and preparing and distributing agendas, reports, minutes and action sheets. In my current position I am required to brief my manager on new matters as they arise to ensure he is informed about relevant issues being discussed by subcommittees outside his responsibility. At the beginning of each financial year I book meeting venues to make sure all committees have a suitable and regular meeting venue. I have participated in a training course, which has assisted me to take minutes in a style agreed to by my organisation. This has guided me in ensuring agendas and minutes follow a prescribed order of business, and motions, amendments and resolutions are noted accurately. This facilitates prompt and efficient retrieval of information. Two weeks prior to each meeting I contact the designated members of each subcommittee to assess if actions have been undertaken and whether they require extra resources or support. I am often required to undertake significant responsibility for some of these actions, and find it necessary to negotiate the parameters of my assistance with some committee members. This involves good listening and paraphrasing skills to accurately understand what is being requested of me, and appropriate use of assertion skills so committee members dont overload me with their own tasks. Result Feedback from most committee members has indicated that they feel I am a competent secretary, performing tasks accurately and on time. Some committee members appreciate my direct manner and have commented on my excellent negotiation skills.

Action

Linda Smith, Administrative Assistant, Reference No 0007 Statement of claims addressing the selection criteria

Position: System Programmer, Reference No. 0008

Essential criteria: A proven ability to write scripts and short programs. Using the STAR approach
Situation In my current position I am responsible for web development of the internet banking system with the Australian Commercial Bank. The system is based on J2EE architecture, using a Windows NT 4.0 server. A thin client is developed, using HTML, XML and XSL. A major aim of the information technology team was to improve operability and customer access to commercial business products. During my Bachelor of Information Technology I attained a distinction in the subject Object Orientated Software and used C++ and Java to interface with mainframes and Oracle whilst on a placement with Ford Credit. At the Australian Commercial Bank I was involved in analysis, design and development of EJB components, socket communication and produced server side scripting using JSP and Java Beans. As a team member I undertook responsibility for developing unit and integration test plans and coordinating system testing. Feedback from national and international banking customers indicated that the website enhancements have increased accessibility to products and profit margins. I have also met with focus groups to assess their changing needs and develop strategies to continually improve the usability and quality of the system.

Task

Action

Result

Position: Research Grants Officer, Reference No. 0009

Essential criteria: An ability to empathise with researchers and academics. Using the STAR approach
Situation In my current role as Information Services Librarian I liaise with a number of higher degree students and academic staff who are undertaking research. Research and academic staff are often time poor and need timely access to recent peer reviewed literature. Some researchers comment that it has become increasingly difficult to access literature as many higher education libraries have cancelled print journal subscriptions in favour of electronic access via aggregated databases that may not provide full content articles. Whilst working with academic staff and researchers of the Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering at the Be Better Educated University, I received many comments from academic staff and researchers about the lack of journals to support research. This was particularly evident in Physics and Molecular Biology. I contacted several academic staff in the School of Physics to ascertain their concerns and to inform them that their key issues would be reported to senior library staff for action. During discussions I listened closely to their concerns and paraphrased their statements to ensure I could accurately understand their issues. Some academic staff acknowledged my efforts and were appreciative of my attempts to understand their issues and raise these with senior library staff. My action contributed to the establishment of co-operative networks between academic staff and library staff and between academic libraries.

Task

Action

Result

Writing your chronological resume/curriculum vitae/CV

A resume is a summary of fundamental information about your career and qualifications. A chronological resume is a listing of your work history in reverse chronological order (most recent to oldest). It is the most popular resume format, and is suitable when you have held progressive job responsibilities or positions resulting in increased responsibility, and your work history follows a specific career path. A curriculum vitae or CV is generally prepared for academic positions or positions that require detailed information about your publications. This may include books, journal articles and reports published, details of conference presentations and subjects taught. Each resume you write should be tailored to meet the criteria of each position for which you apply. Your resume should be about two to four A4 pages long (depending on your work experience) and typed for professional appearance.

The resume generally includes the following sections:

Personal data Your name, personal address, telephone contact numbers (home, mobile and business if applicable), fax number and email address. Career objective This is an optional section in a resume. If you are focused on a particular type of position or Division, Faculty or School, then include a career objective in your resume. It is a paragraph that outlines how you intend to use your skills, knowledge and experience to meet your long-term career objectives. It should be written to inform the selection committee about what you can offer the University or bring to the position. Phrase the statement in terms of the position you want by job title (e.g. Liaison Officer, Systems Programmer) or employment area you desire to work in (e.g. Division of Student Services, Division of Information Technology). If you are not certain about your career focus, or if your career goals and ambitions dont match both the specific job and the future prospects in the Division, Faculty or School in question, then do not add this section to your resume. Knowledge, skills and abilities This section is sometimes referred to as a competency statement where you briefly outline your skills, knowledge, attitude or abilities relevant to the position for which you are applying. This is a section where you can highlight your ability to fill the position advertised. Look at the keywords used within the role statement or advertisement and generate statements that demonstrate your ability to meet the requirements of the position. Formal qualifications This section outlines your formal qualifications. List tertiary, secondary and other qualifications that you have completed. List the level of education attained, the name and place of the educational institution, years of attendance or year of completion/graduation, and subject results (optional). Relevant training If you have attended short courses that are relevant to the position for which you are applying, list these and provide the year, course name and training providers name. Course length should be provided if it was undertaken for several days or weeks. Employment history A chronological resume commences with your current employer and lists in reverse order the organisations you worked for, the length of employment, the position you held, job status (e.g. full/part-time, permanent, contract, casual), an overview of your duties or responsibilities, and key achievements.

Other activities and interests You may want to include some extra-curricular sub-headings such as Awards/Scholarships/Achievements, Interests/Activities and Memberships. This section may also include volunteer work and community involvement. Once again, list the name and place of the organisation, your length of involvement, duties, and key achievements if appropriate. Referees Referees are people who are willing to testify confidentially to an employer on your behalf. They are preferably people who have recently supervised you and who can be relied upon to give an accurate and fair representation of your skills and abilities. Referees must be able to articulate their views succinctly and be credible in the eyes of the potential employer. Always seek the agreement of a person acting as a referee before listing their details so that the phone call is not a surprise to them. When you complete your application form, you will be asked to provide the details of three (3) professional referees, at least one (1) of whom is your current or most recent supervisor.

Tips in writing your resume

Consider the position within the Division, Faculty or School, and what they are looking for in an applicant. Include relevant information by using the position description as a guide. Include only details about your work history, duties or transferable skills that are relevant to the position for which you are applying. Use highlighting and dot points to make your resume easy to skim read. Avoid excessive repetition by writing succinctly.

Sample resumes
Position: Administrative Assistant, Reference No. 0012

John Brown
23 Fairfield Crescent Leichhardt NSW 2040 Phone: (02) 9400 2345 (home) Fax: (02) 9400 9876 email: jbrown@yahoo.com.au

Career Objective
I am seeking a challenging position in an innovative, flexible organisation that will allow me to use my excellent organisational and administrative skills to their fullest potential.

Summary of skills and abilities

Highly motivated and qualified with 20 years of experience and excellent judgement. Ability to multi-task, prioritise and work well under pressure, with minimal or no supervision. My strengths are outstanding communication skills, both in written and verbal form, strong planning, and organisational and computer troubleshooting skills. Accomplished in Microsoft Windows XP Pro 2002, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access and PowerPoint) and the Internet. Experience with both Macintosh and PC platforms, Lotus 1-2-3 and Quicken. Data entry skills of 75+ key strokes per minute.

Education
2003 - 2005 2001 - 2002 1991 - 1995 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, XYZ University Certificate III in Office Administration, Oxley TAFE Campus High School Certificate, ABC High School

Relevant training
Year 2008 Course Occupational Health and Safety for Office Staff Website Design Team Building Provider DEF Health Department Length 1 day

2007 2007

IT World Wasley Business Services

1 day 1 day

10

Employment history
05/2000 current
Office Assistant, Acme Corporation This role involves maintaining all daily office operations, including management of the head office and facilities, and providing a high standard of secretarial support to three busy senior managers in a hectic environment. I am responsible for assisting with the planning and organising of conferences, seminars and meetings, drafting and word processing correspondence, researching issues, and developing papers and reports for consideration. Key Achievements Four-time recipient of the Companys Employee Performance Award, and received two performance-based raises during a two-year period. Scheduled and organised a business planning meeting for over 30 staff in various New South Wales offices, which was under budget by $1,000.

06/1997- 04/2000
Receptionist, ABC Hotel I was responsible for generating department reports for the hotel manager and reservations for conventions and travel agencies. During supervision of the nightly reservation department, I performed administrative duties, including emergency bookings due to weather, flight cancellations, and preparing for the morning shift. Key Achievements: Enhanced efficiency by creating an improved confirmation system and a centralised list for guest arrivals. Prepared a manual and trained 10 staff in the use of the CPR hotel booking system.

Memberships
Associate Fellow, Australian Institute of Office Professionals National Speakers Association of Australia

Referees
Ms Patricia Smith Managing Director Acme Corporation 123 Brown Street Sydney NSW 2000 Phone: (02) 2691 7650 Fax: (02) 2695 3333 Mobile: 0401 560 897 Email: psmith@yahoo.com.au Mr William Knight Manager ABC Hotel 340 Round Road Randwick NSW 2031 Phone: (02) 2380 5467 Fax: (02) 2386 7834 Mobile: 0401 597 897

11

Position: Programs and Information Officer, Reference No. 0013

Kyly Nguyen
12 Pringle Avenue Bankstown NSW 2200 Phone: (02) 8725 7861 (home) Fax: (02) 9412 8350 email: knguyen@yahoo.com.au

Career objective
I am seeking a challenging position in an innovative, flexible organisation that will allow me to use my excellent organisational and project management skills to their fullest potential.

Summary of skills and abilities

Highly motivated and qualified with 20 years of experience in program development, application assessment and evaluation. Well-developed research and analytical skills. High-level experience in implementation of customer support systems and building long-term customer relationships.

Formal qualifications
2003 - 2005 1997 - 1999 1998 - 1999 Diploma of Social Science (Social Welfare), XYZ University, Sydney Bachelor of Business, ABC University, Melbourne Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training, TAFE NSW, ABC Campus

Relevant training
Year 2008 2007 Course Occupational Health and Safety Team Building Provider NSW Health Department Wasley Business Services

Employment history
Project Officer
Jul 1995 current Victorian Smoking and Health Program Responsibilities Contribution to planning qualitative research, recruiting suitable market research companies and synthesis of results. Drafting of reports based on literature reviews and collection of information for campaign reports.

12

 Planning and coordination of events, including campaign launches, workshops, conferences and stakeholder briefings. Achievements Successful implementation and evaluation of Victorian and national health promotion projects to reduce the incidence of smoking (e.g. Trash the Ash, Quit Week, World No Tobacco Day). Establishment and chair of the Evaluation Reference Group to build on ideas, activities and priorities identified under national, regional and local initiatives to reduce the incidence of smoking in young people.

Project Officer
Jul 1989 Jun 1995 Council on the Ageing (NSW) Responsibilities Systemic advocacy on behalf of NSW senior citizens to enhance social equity in South Australian services. Preparation of speeches, correspondence and information for the Commissioner for the Ageing and the Council on the Ageing (NSW). Liaison with community groups and coordination of community based programs for senior South Australian citizens. Achievements Initiated, coordinated and monitored the Older Womens Advisory Speakout to identify and discuss strategies to improve access to South Australian services for senior female citizens. Secured ongoing commitment of grant funds from the Commonwealth to support the Seniors Information Service.

Associations
Committee Member of the National Speakers Association of Australia since 2000. Board Member of Community Information Strategies Australia (CISA) from 1996 - 1998.

Referees
Ms Patricia Smith Managing Director Victorian Smoking and Health Campaign PO Box 999 Carlton VIC 3053 Phone: (03) 2691 7650 Fax: (03) 2695 3333 Mobile: 0401 560 897 Email: psmith@yahoo.com.au Mr John Knight Council on the Ageing (NSW) Level 4, 280 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000 Phone: (02) 2380 5467 Fax: (02) 2386 7834 Mobile: 0401 597 897 Email: jknight@ozemail.com.au

13

Glossary of terms used at CSU

Cover letter
A cover letter is a one-page document that forms part of the job application for positions at Charles Sturt University. It is used to highlight your particular skills and experience with regard to the position for which you are applying.

Resume
A resume is a summary of fundamental information about your career and qualifications. It forms part of the job application for positions at Charles Sturt University, and is used typically by applicants applying for general staff positions up to management level.

Curriculum vitae or CV
A curriculum vitae or CV is prepared in place of a resume for applicants applying for positions at Charles Sturt University within academic, management or technical roles. In addition to including the information listed within a resume, the curriculum vitae provides an extensive listing of certifications, licenses, education, training, board appointments, publications, presentations and affiliations.

Key expressions used in the selection criteria

Demonstrated, proven experience or proven ability means you need to have practical application of the matter that is referred to. That is, you need to have undertaken the work rather than observed the practice. For example, A proven ability to write scripts and short programs means that you need to demonstrate those skills in your response. Demonstrated initiative in identifying problems and developing solutions to them means that you need to provide an example of how you used your initiative to identify problems, what steps you took to identify solutions, and the effectiveness of these solutions. An understanding includes knowledge of policy, legislation or theory and the application of the concepts. It requires having an understanding of the matter, perception of the significance of it, and how it is related to other operations, policies or strategic directions. Selection committees at CSU are guided to look for evidence of the applicants achievements when selecting staff for appointments. This may have been gained from a range of opportunities, including on the job experience, attendance at professional development workshops, higher study in the area, or professional reading or learning. An understanding can also be used in the application of technical competence. For example, the following University selection criterion may be applied at middle management positions: An understanding of customer relationship management business practice and the ability to lead and motivate staff to achieve divisional objectives.

Merit
Selection is determined through an assessment of an applicants qualifications, experience, standard of work performance and personal qualities relevant to the requirements for the position. Merit is applied in conjunction with the principles of equity and diversity.

Selection criteria
Selection criteria are used for most position descriptions, and there may or may not be a requirement to address the selection criteria as part of the application process. If it is a requirement, the advertisement and/or position description will state it. Where it does need to be addressed, it helps determine who should be interviewed for a position. There are essential criteria, which applicants must possess in order to meet the requirements of the position, and desirable criteria,

14

which would be useful in performing the duties of the position but are not vital. Applicants must demonstrate how (provide evidence) they meet each of the selection criteria.

Selection committee
A selection committee is established at the University to short-list applications and to interview and recommend applicants for employment. For general staff up to Level 9 the committee generally comprises two to five University staff members. Details of membership of selection committees for general staff and academic positions are available in the Charles Sturt University Staff Recruitment and Selection Procedure at: http://www.csu.edu.au/adminman/hum/RecruitProc.doc

References
Bolles RN 2000, What color is your parachute: a practical manual for job hunters and career-changers, Ten Speed Press, California. Bright J & Earl J 2004, Resumes that get shortlisted: Proven strategies to get the job you want, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW. Foxman LD & Polsky WL (ed.) 1993, Resumes that work: How to sell yourself on paper, John Wiley, New York. Garside P 1997, The secrets to getting a job, Hyland House, South Melbourne. Kaplan RM 2002, How to say it in your job search: Choice words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs for resumes, cover letters and interviews, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Morgan G & Banks A 1999, Getting that job: How to establish and manage your career into the next millennium, HarperBusiness, Sydney. Newlen RR 1998, Writing resumes that work: A how-to-do-it manual for librarians, Neal-Schuman, NewYork. Villiers AD 2000, How to address selection criteria: Improving your chances of being short-listed for a job, 3rd. edn., d.m. Press, Canberra. White L 2002, Write a winning job application: A guide to responding to selection criteria. 3rd edn., Lloyd White, Western Australia.

This document is intended as a general guide. Information in this document is current as at June 2010. Published by: Organisational and People Capability Directorate, Division of Human Resources, CSU Production by: The Office of Marketing Communications, CSU Printed by: CSU PRINT The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) Provider Numbers are 00005F (NSW), 01947G (VIC) and 02960B (ACT) for Charles Sturt University. Charles Sturt University 2010.

15