When a client found an ad for his perfect job, he was unsure of how to give meaningful examples for the selection criteria responses. Each criterion was quite broad, with multiple sub-elements to consider, and with strict page limits, he wanted to ensure his examples were impacting and meaningful. As he was already going to be working with us, he decided to have his resume updated at the same time.
Though it can be tempting to simply add new jobs or referees to a resume, it is a good idea to give the entire document a read through. This way, you can check that all of the information is still relevant and remove unnecessary information as needed. Remember: you do not need to include every job you have ever had, especially if they were over ten years ago and unrelated to your current career focus.
Working through the client’s resume, I found additional changes that could be made and elements that were no longer useful to the client’s job-seeking efforts. Discussing them with the client during the consultation call, we were able to work together to create the strongest possible resume for him.
The key selection criteria required responding to five domains:
- Direct Comprehensive Care of Provision of Direct Care
- Supports of Systems
- Education
- Research
- Professional Leadership
As well as these domains, the client needed to respond to a list of technical skills and capabilities, many of which were incredibly similar to the domains. For example, the research domain was partially focused upon professional development, which was mentioned within the technical skills list.
As there was a two-page limit, I suggested that we include the technical skills within the domains, rather than having a separate section that used similar examples to those already given. Italicising these additional elements within the domains allowed the reader to easily see them within the context of the domain examples, while also demonstrating that the client understood the ways his skills and knowledge impacted his ability to uphold each domain.
By effectively utilising the examples to respond to multiple criteria elements, I crafted the client engaging, dynamic and meaningful examples that showcased his skills, experience, and passion for his work. I look forward to hearing about how his application progresses.
