Many job advertisements will list some requirements you need to write responses to. These can be called ‘selection criteria’, ‘prerequisites’ or ‘general requirements’.

What are selection criteria?

Selection criteria relate to the qualifications or knowledge you need to get the job.

For example, the criteria might ask if you have:

• a qualification, such as a certificate or degree
• knowledge of certain software
• a licence to drive a certain kind of vehicle, such as a truck.

The criteria might ask you to show your abilities.

For example, your ability to:

• meet deadlines and prioritise tasks
• communicate well with customers and deal with difficult people
• learn new skills and processes
• show leadership and work as part of a team.

Essential and desirable criteria

In many job advertisements, the selection criteria are broken into ‘essential’ and ‘desirable’ qualities.

• Essential qualities are the ones you must have for the job.
• Desirable qualities are ones you don’t need to have, but may give you a better chance of getting the job.

Even if you think you don’t have some of the desirable qualities, you can still apply for the job.

Tips for writing a good response

Do some research

Research the job requirements before you start your response. If there is anything you’re not sure about, you can contact the employer to ask for more information.

Keep it clear and to the point

Your response should be focused and clear. If the job advertisement gives a word limit, make sure you stick to it. For example, an employer may ask for no more than 100 or 200 words for each criteria. If there is no limit, try to write no more than two or three paragraphs for each criteria response.

Use the STAR method

For each criteria:

• give a specific example of what you did
• give details of how well you did it
• include what happened because of your action.

You can use the STAR method to do this. STAR stands for situation, task, action, result:

• Situation

  – Set the scene for your example, such as where you were working and when it happened.

• Task

  – Describe the task or problem you worked on.

• Action

  – Explain what you did and how you did it.

• Result 

  – Explain the outcome from your action.

Here is an example response to a selection criteria ‘Ability to work as part of a team’:

As an Admin Officer in my last job I was part of a team doing reception and administrative duties. The reception would become very busy in the mornings. This was sometimes confusing for customers and staff. I worked together with my co-workers to create a roster for answering the phones and helping customers walking in. I did both duties at different times and also filled in for other team members. This resulted in shorter wait times and a better experience for our customers. It also helped create a clearer system for team members.

Talking about your disability in a response

It is your choice whether to mention your disability in your job application. If you choose to mention it, you might do so as part of a response to one of the selection criteria. This can be an opportunity to show your unique strengths and skills.

Here is an example response to a selection criteria 'Demonstrated ability to learn new skills and adapt to change':

In my receptionist role I was responsible for taking and managing customer bookings. When I started in the role, I had to quickly learn how to use complex software that I had not used before.

In the first 2 weeks of the job I was able to become confident using the system. I also have low vision, so I am used to adapting and learning different ways to work. For example, as well as learning the new software, I had to learn how to use it with speech-to-text technology when I needed it. As a result, I had a detailed knowledge of the system. After 3 months in the role I was asked to help train new team members. I was also able to give advice to the business to help set up all software so it was more accessible to everyone on the team.

For tips at the interview stage, visit Talking about your disability at an interview.

Final checks

Always review and edit your application so you are presenting the most professional version of yourself.

Make sure you:

• format your document the way the job advertisement asks
• check over your responses
• ask a friend, family member or DES provider to also check for any spelling mistakes or other errors
• save your responses. You might need to refer to them at the interview for the job. Or you might be able to use them for future job applications.