Resumes, Selection Criteria
and Cover Letters
Strategies for Getting
Employers’ Attention
Careers Centre, UWA
July 2006
Getting an Employer’s Attention
No employer is interested in what you
want until you can interest him or her in
what you can offer!
Your job application must convince him or
her that you are the person they need for
the job!
What Employers Want

Skills to do the job
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A good track record

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Technical knowledge (eg IT, physiotherapy)
Transferable skills (eg communication,
team-work, problem-solving, planning
organising, self-management)
Relevant experiences such as academic studies, work
experience, extracurricular activities
Positive personal qualities

Commitment, enthusiasm, confidence, motivation,
adaptability, reliability, willingness to learn
and
Gathering the Facts

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Think about and identify your work and study
experiences. Make a list of them.
Know what your technical knowledge and
transferable skills are. Make a list.
Find evidence of your strengths eg
 Academic grades, personal and work
achievements
 Details of activities, tasks or projects you have
undertaken
Identify your Experiences
Achievements Skills
Evidence
What I have
What I can do
Here’s my proof
2004 - 2005
Part-time work
Sales Assistant
Harvey Norman
* Customer service
* Interpersonal skills
* Supervisory skills
* Advised customers
making computer &
software purchases
* Resolved customer
complaints
* Supervised two new
staff members
Identify your Experiences
Achievements
What I have
2005 – 2006
PSA Vice-President
Skills
What I can do
* Teamwork
* Administration
* Organisation
Evidence
Here’s my proof
* Managed budget for
social programs
* Planned careers
forum for postgraduate
students
* Arranged employers
as guest speakers
Are you suitable for the job?
Job Requirements Examples of Relevant Experience/Skills
Strong interpersonal
skills
Tutorial presentations, customer service
Research & analysis
Assignments, papers, internship at ….
Teamwork &
leadership
Group projects at uni, sports, professional
collaborations, PSA rep, managed a tutorial
High-level writing skills Contribution to publications, newsletter for
community group, written assignments
Information
technology
Intermediate skills with Word, Excel & databases.
Some web skills & desktop publishing
Commercial awareness Part-time work
Project management
Thesis, volunteer work for …
Key Application Documents

Cover letter


provides a personal introduction.
Resume or CV


(if asked for)
provides specific details of your experiences.
Selection Criteria

provides specific examples to demonstrate you have
the skills and abilities needed for the position.
CV and Criteria must be
easy to read

CV - no more than 3 pages long (2 is best).

Selection Criteria - each 300-400 words long

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Use active verbs and keywords which will appeal
to the employer.
Format your CV and Selection Criteria clearly so
they are easy for the employer to read.
CV

Contact Details
Name:
 Address:
 Telephone:
 Mobile:
 Email:

Education
Education
 List all University qualifications - degree,
post-graduate award, honours

Include the name of the University.

Include dates of your study.
Relevant Skills/Experience
Relevant Skills/Experience

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Chinese – fluent oral and written
Oracle Database skills (Intermediate)
MS Word (Advanced)
Internet research skills (Advanced)
Work History
Date: August 2005 – Sept 2006
Western Power Pty Ltd, Perth
Position: Systems Consultant
Duties:
 Managed the Data Warehouse Group
 Business Intelligence Project Management
 Implemented new WEB-based Business
Intelligence Tools
Referees


Three is plenty. If you are a new graduate,
ask a lecturer or tutor if he or she is happy to
be a referee for you.
List your referees, including:


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Full Name
Position
Address
Contact telephone, mobile & email
A Good Cover Letter
 Write a cover letter only if the job
description asks for one.
Say who you are and why you’re writing
State why you are suitable for the job
Say why you are interested in the job or
the organisation

Cover Letter Guidelines
Your name
Your address
Your phone number
Date
Name of Addressee
Their Position Title
Organisation
Address
• Use formal
business letter
format
• Find out name of
contact to whom
application is
being sent
Dear Mr/Ms ________________
1.Introduction gives your reason for writing and states where and when
you saw the position advertised.
2.Where & what you’re studying, any relevant work
experience. Include anything else in your experience
that is appropriate.
3.Highlight & expand on your skills, interests,
experience, ambitions in relation to the requirements of
the job/organisation.
4.Explain why you are interested in the position
and the company and what makes you a suitable
candidate for them.
5.Final paragraph
 Make reference to any enclosures.
 Thank them for considering your application.
Yours sincerely,
Print your name under your signature
Selection Criteria

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
This is the most important part of your job
application. Look carefully at the list of
Selection Criteria. (criterion/criteria)
If you cannot meet the criteria, you do not
have the skills or experience the employer
wants. Your application will go in the bin.
You must answer all criteria and answer each
part of each criterion.
Selection Criteria contd
Qualifications, skills and experience


Essential criteria – you must meet these to
gain an interview.
Desirable criteria – you do not need to
have them, but if the employer receives
many applications, he will consider these
criteria in deciding who to interview.
Demonstrating Your Skills


Address each criterion separately. Write it as
a heading, in bold. Now write a paragraph
showing how your experience meets this
criterion.
Use the STAR technique to give specific
examples of your past behaviour.
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Situation
Task undertaken
Actions or behaviours exhibited
Results or outcomes of those actions
Criteria – keep it simple!
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This is not an academic essay. You must
describe a situation in clear, straight-forward
English (like a simple story).
Use the first person – I, me, my, our.
Use active verbs – I wrote, I organised, I
prepared, I solved, I advised, I decided ….
STAR Method
Situation
and
Task
Action
The context of the example being used.
 Describe the situation you were in.
 What was the problem you had to solve or
the task you had to do?
 Use a specific event or situation.
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Result
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What did you think about the situation?
Describe the actions you took and why.
Keep the focus on what you did.
Relate to the skills/abilities asked for.
What happened? Did you use your skills
well? Were you successful?
What else did you achieve or learn?
Context of Your Actions
(Situation & Task)

“An integral element of my postgraduate
studies in IT was to design a …..”

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“During my 4 years part-time work in the
hospitality industry……”
“As a member of the Postgraduate
Student Association Committee ……”
What You Did
(Action You Took)

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“My skills were evident in the projects I
undertook as part of my Masters in IT
research. These included: …….”
“Duties in my part-time job included….”
“To produce the student association
newsletter, I commissioned articles from
student writers, organised editorial meetings
…”
How Well You Did It
(Result)
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“As a result of my efforts, two of my articles
have been published in the Australian Journal
of Communication.”
“After only 6 months, I was promoted to
Deputy Project Team Leader because of my
strong IT abilities.”
“The Club’s President commended me on my
success in increasing the club’s membership.”
Examples of Criteria
Proven capacity to work effectively as part of a
multidisciplinary research team.
Evidence of ability to take initiative, make informed
decisions and take responsibility for them.
Proven ability to operate independently, prioritise and
organise own workload.
Knowledge, understanding and commitment to principles of
Equal Employment Opportunity & Occupational Health &
Safety.
Helpful Hints

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Do not say anything that is untrue or which
you cannot substantiate in your CV.
In your Criteria, focus on your actions and
their results.
Support your claims with clear, relevant
examples of your past conduct in situations
If you can, use examples linked to the
duties in the job description.