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Things You Hate & Stuff That Annoys You...

Regarding writing job applications - coming from the perspective of someone who has been on the other side of hiring people, selection criteria are really important. I hope the following might be useful, it's not meant to be condescending or bossy, so I hope it doesn't read that way!

I work in a pretty competitive and specialist industry, so can often receive around 110 job applications for a single position. (most recently, a part time and low paying role).

I like to treat each and every application as worthy and read each of them (as opposed to skimming). It's a time consuming process (often takes 1.5 to 2 days to shortlist). It's really disappointing when an applicant looks to have some glimmer of skills (based on their resume) but they haven't taken the time to respond to the selection criteria.

Not responding to selection criteria does a number of things:

1. It suggests you're not serious about the job and may just be filling a Centrelink enforced quota on the number of jobs you have to apply for.

2. It doesn't tell us what we need to know about you. Selection criteria are often scenario based, it's your opportunity to tell us your experience and put all those dot points in your resume into some sort of context based on real time experience.

3. Your response to the selection criteria shows how well (or not) you understand and have read the position description. There's nothing more frustrating than cutting down 100+ applicants to a shortlist (generally no more than 6) and interviewing someone who just hasn't connected with the role and understood it.

4. Almost always, applications which do not address the selection criteria do not progress to interview. I understand it can take some time to write them, but not writing them shows you value your own time more than you do the potential employer. The potential employer is then forced to make those pesky phone calls trying to find out more about you - You need to consider what is so special about your experience that an employer should chase you? You need to set your application up to be successful.

5. Every resume we see will be a different layout and different writing style. Selection criteria evens out the playing field a bit, with every applicant answering the same set of questions. It's quicker and more accurate for employers to read a key selection criteria than it is an assortment of non-standard resumes.

6. The more time you spend responding to selection criteria, the better you'll get at responding to them. I've written enough of them, that if I am applying for other jobs, I'll often cut, paste and refine older responses. Depending on the types of jobs you're applying for, there will often be similar criteria across them. For instance, your computer skills, use of particular programs, ability to work in a team ... all these things will be asked again and again, so once you develop a decent response, it's done and apart from checking your writing fits the question (and updating it with any new experience you have) you're all good to go :)

Hi Jordan. Do you mean where to put the Selection Criteria? If so, generally people will submit three documents:

1. A brief cover letter with your contact details and the position you're applying for
2. A standard resume
3. A response to the key selection criteria. Standard practice is to put each selection criteria in bold and then your response underneath in standard text.

You can merge them into one PDF if you want, but applications with Selection Criteria are generally in three parts as above.

Great Information - Thank You for sharing :)
 
Tony Abbott. I still hate him.

Agreed! There was an article in The Age a couple of days back speculating he would challenge for leadership down the track. I find it highly unlikely the challenge would be successful, but at the same time I'd really just like him to go (far) away. His lack of perspective and inability to reflect with humility is astounding!
 
I'm not sure what to think about it. This comes every year around the cup.

It does seem somewhat unnecessarily cruel. But is it really the worst thing to happen to horses, let alone animals?!?

No it's not the worst thing. Still, living your entire life in a cage (for example) is not the worst thing to happen to animal but it doesn't detract from their suffering. I do get your point though. The horse racing industry has huge fatalities, it really should get focus all year around. Well not just rose racing but dog racing as well. I guess I take particular issue with it being solely for human entertainment and profit, the same as the circus. I am a hypocrite as I could probably subsist on a diet of 90% meat and I own leather and fur and other "unethical" materials and I of course don't agree with the practices via which these are obtained, but my own convenient moral compass lets me overlook this.

Defibiteoy within the animal world there are bigger issues. If there was a genuine mission to end animal cruelty of any kind horse racing would not be the first thing that was tackled.
 
I actually had a conversation about the whole should racing be banned with a friend of mine last year when that horse had to be put down. She's a huge horse lover - been riding since she was a kid, has two of her own, and attends comps like every second weekend - and she said these sort of tragedies do put an unfair shadow over the whole thing. She said it may be big money but that doesn't necessarily make it wrong or unethical because sure they put a lot of money into the horse and stand to make a lot too but that just means the horses are treated extremely well. Plus racing a horse isn't cruel or unusual because they're creatures that are designed to and enjoy to run. The downside of course is that as with any sport be it human or animal sometimes there's injuries and unfortunately horses just aren't good with them. Her opinion is that nothing is without risk and horses can be injured on the track or in the wild and that the few tragedies that do happen shouldn't outweigh or overshadow all the good it does for the sport (which isn't just racing) in general.
 
I actually had a conversation about the whole should racing be banned with a friend of mine last year when that horse had to be put down. She's a huge horse lover - been riding since she was a kid, has two of her own, and attends comps like every second weekend - and she said these sort of tragedies do put an unfair shadow over the whole thing. She said it may be big money but that doesn't necessarily make it wrong or unethical because sure they put a lot of money into the horse and stand to make a lot too but that just means the horses are treated extremely well. Plus racing a horse isn't cruel or unusual because they're creatures that are designed to and enjoy to run. The downside of course is that as with any sport be it human or animal sometimes there's injuries and unfortunately horses just aren't good with them. Her opinion is that nothing is without risk and horses can be injured on the track or in the wild and that the few tragedies that do happen shouldn't outweigh or overshadow all the good it does for the sport (which isn't just racing) in general.

yeah I think I agree with your friend.
However I'm not all that convinced that they actually are treated all that well. Winners are post win, not so sure about the rest.
 
Websites like Buzzfeed or LifeBuzz & all the bazillion others that don't have their stories on 1 god damn webpage. SERIOUSLY! Why do I have to click through 15 pages to read 30 most cringe worthy tweets.. 2 per page? WHY? Urgh... so annoying.
 
...I'm driving along in a 80 kilometre zone... there are double white lines for the next 10 kilometeres so obviously I cannot overtake anybody... there's only 1 car behind me and as I'm approaching a corner a car pulls out in front of both of us... it could've waited until we passed it but no!!!!... the wanker pulls out in front of us and then stays on 50 kilometeres all the way!... what a bastard!!!... why not wait until we went past?... the worst part was that I didn't even get to see what the tosser looked like because I had to turn off before I had the chance to see who it was!... grrrrrr!... some people are such wankers!... that really grinds my grits that does!... cheers.
 
...I'm driving along in a 80 kilometre zone... there are double white lines for the next 10 kilometeres so obviously I cannot overtake anybody... there's only 1 car behind me and as I'm approaching a corner a car pulls out in front of both of us... it could've waited until we passed it but no!!!!... the wanker pulls out in front of us and then stays on 50 kilometeres all the way!... what a bastard!!!... why not wait until we went past?... the worst part was that I didn't even get to see what the tosser looked like because I had to turn off before I had the chance to see who it was!... grrrrrr!... some people are such wankers!... that really grinds my grits that does!... cheers.

That is so frustrating! I hate when that happens!
 
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