Your application will be used to decide whether or not you are short listed to attend an interview. It should demonstrate why you are the best person for the job and how your skills, knowledge and experience match the selection criteria outlined in the position description.

Your application should contain:

• a brief covering letter (optional)
• your resume, and
• your claim for the position (how you meet the essential and desirable criteria).

Your Claim for position

This should demonstrate how you meet the criteria for the position. In other words, that you have the right mix of skills, knowledge and experience to do the job.

The essential criteria describe the minimum level of qualifications, skills and experience required to do the job.

The desirable criteria describe qualifications, skills and experience that we would hope the successful applicant would have in addition to the essential criteria.

When addressing the essential and desirable criteria it is recommended that you make a separate heading for each criterion and how you meet it through your skills, knowledge and experience.

Some key words used in selection criteria:

• Demonstrated knowledge:
  You need to give examples that prove you have this area of knowledge.
  
  
• Ability to:
  You do not need to have done this kind of work before, but your skills, knowledge and experience must show that you are capable of doing this part of the job. Describe things you have done which prove you could do this kind of work.
  
  
• Experience in:
  You have to show you have done this work before. Give examples.
  
  
• Effective, Proven, Highly developed, Superior:
  These are all asking you to show your level of achievement. Give as much detail as you can, using examples of your achievements to show your level of skills, knowledge and experience.
  
  
• Good communication skills:
  This is about showing you have the communication skills needed to do the job. You could include examples such as experience in dealing with people, details of things you have written, and examples of problems you have solved using your communication skills.

What happens next?

Once you have submitted your application you will receive confirmation that it has been received. If you have applied online or provided an email address this will be an email confirmation, otherwise we will respond in writing.

If your application is short listed you will be contacted to attend an interview.
If you are not contacted to attend an interview it may mean that your application was not as competitive as other applications. We would encourage you to apply for other positions at Council that you feel suitably qualified for.