Selection Criteria. If you are seeking work especially within large corporations, the job application process has become even more onerous and tricky.

The process often requires you to possess a huge amount of critical thinking, analysis and the qualities of a best selling author.

In the past, the expectation was that you responded to selection criteria. That was tough enough. Now there is a whole new world of potential suffering that manifests into paralysis and sheer fright! The expectation is that you can read between lines,and interpret any job description, and be able to respond with creative intelligence to “capability statements” or articulate answers to seemingly innocuous key questions within a cover letter (no more than 2 pages allowed)

As you wade through the pages of corporate guff, (some of which is not useful) which often includes the now trending competency percentages for the role, you are expected to interpret how you can match these required job attributes to your experiences. Sometimes you are required to be almost a literary genius!  All the responses require you to demonstrate how you encompass your competencies and your experience into great, meaty examples that relate to their job.

In the past, most applications were initially screened and handled by HR administration or  HR professionals, these were the people who first eye-balled your application and would shortlist by simply skimming  your application, searching for certain phrases or buzzwords. Here’s the tricky thing … not all applications are read by human eyes anymore. Many employers and HR departments that employ large numbers of staff, utilize scanning software to search for keywords in job applications and ONLY  when the computer pings with matches,  will they read the applications!

Regardless, it’s vitally important to make sure your application has the right keywords contained within, so that a match or a “hit” happens in the search. Please note that this is not an excuse to implant your application with a loads of random buzzwords or make it obvious that you have copied phrases and sentences into your application.

The computer searches rely on verbs and also nouns. If you were applying for a accountancy role, then you’d want to make sure you included keywords your job application, like profit and loss statements, along with using niche terms that are relevant and are integral to the role advertised.

The easier you make it for the recruiter or the scanning software to find and match your skills and qualities to the job, the quicker and easier it will be that you are shortlisted,  and the more likely it’ll be that they’ll ask you for an interview.

YES! The application process now requires a huge amount of critical thinking, analysis and the qualities of a best seller author.

Ivana Agapiou  resume writer and career adviser

The post Your job application needs to be smarter, shorter, smoother and simply match the criteria appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Don’t ignore the Capability statements, levels and frameworks.

Tread slowly and carefully, as responding to these can be a minefield.

Capability (or ability) frameworks describe the skills and behaviors that employers want their people to demonstrate if they are doing high quality work. These frameworks provide an over-arching list of the skills required in particular work settings or contexts. They are broad descriptions, against which specific skills can be mapped. Typically they cover a range of job roles andor work contexts.

Many organisations have critically analysed the role/s and formulated the necessities to perform the roles. Not only is there a LIST of what is required, they also have graded the capabilities in priority groups. These levels reflect a progressive increase in complexity and skill that may be required from the candidate. Job applications for  many public sector jobs  now require you to address “capability statements” in your application. These were developed using a capability framework and have replaced the old “selection criteria“. NO application will be considered seriously unless your application incorporates the capabilities.

So, you find “that” great job and you eagerly apply.  You notice that they only have a few application requirements, that is, a resume and responses to a few “target questions“.

Often the target questions seem quite simplistic, innocuous even, just like the following examples:

1. We are all faced with challenging deadlines. Could you describe a scenario where you had competing deadlines. How did you manage your workload? What was the end outcome?   OR
2. Please describe a situation where you had a complex issue that had to be resolved. What was the issue? What factors did you have to consider in resolving it? What was the outcome?

Then you notice other documents, like the position description; a table with capability framework and capability statements.  All these documents need to be thoroughly analysed prior to your application. DON’T assume that they are just background chatter! The “trick” is to incorporate the capabilities into target question responses .YEEK – not as easy as it sounds!

This is my advice for tackling target questions

1. read and analyse all documents
2. visit the public sector website for handy hints
3. note the “weightings” on specific capabilities – some are more important than others
4. create responses that reflect the capabilities, in fact adapt and use some the wording used to describe the capabilities for example in response to a target question on the capability, challenging deadlines

“I self managed the work load by formulating a clear and simple Business plan that followed measurable and achievable goals and included priorities and deadlines. I arranged the project into bite sized projects and whilst investigating and researching the project I proactively encouraged “excellence in trade operators” to gain their T A E qualification. This ensured that I had a workforce plan with capable resources.  Once I set the operational targets, I consulted and evaluated the progress with the customer demographic, along with the team and executives. I solicited feedback, gathered more ideas and resolved potential problems”. The outcomes were,  job ready staff, new products delivered on time; increase in student numbers .

NOTE the following: The items in “bold” all reflect the abilities required to handle challenges BASED on the capability statements that are clearly outlined in the application documents . Also note that it was all set in the past and the story had the following formula or structure

1. a scenario or situation 2. what you did in the scenario 3. the results or outcomes

Many organisations, especially those that all on-line applications, also use software programs that check for KEY words and phrases as they pertain to the capability statements and grade your application accordingly!!!

Computers now conduct searches for the vital key words in a resume and the targeted responses to  find the more qualified candidates in a few key strokes.  They don’t care how long  or detailed your resume is (now) because they let the search engine do the identification based on what THEY ARE LOOKING FOR and believe that the software will identify the more qualified candidates to interview.

So start the process of updating and obtaining a rewrite of your resume TODAY with the best resume writer in the marketplace so you, as the job seeker, can be ready to actively (or passively) search for that next exciting career job!

Ivana Agapiou Resume Writer 

Extensive experience in Education, Training and Employment services both in private and public sectors – 0404056278

The post What are Capability Frameworks and how to treat them seriously… appeared first on Eather Recruitment.