If you’re having trouble answering specific selection criteria for a job, a scholarship or any other position, here is how to leverage your hard work and nail it:
Step 1
Copy and paste the selection criteria into a document and write your answer underneath each criteria heading. Applying online? Draft in Word first.
Step 2
Start your answer with a positive claim: Eg “I gained considerable experience in customer service while working in hospitality for three years.”
Step 3
Provide evidence of how your skills and experience meet the criteria. Do this using actual, specific examples using the STAR method:
S – [SITUATION]
Set the context for your example: who, what, when and where
T – [TASK]
What your role was
A – [ACTION]
What you did
R – [RESULT]
What you achieved/learnt
Remember:
- Focus on what you did (not your team). The people looking over your application want to see what you did and how you responded to certain challenges.
- Avoid general claims that are not backed up with an example
- Answer ALL criteria (both essential and desirable) – they can’t review something that isn’t in your application.
- If there are two parts to a criterion address both in your answer
- Proofread for typos and grammatical mistakes.
Follow all these steps and you should have a cracker application.
Happy writing and good luck!
