Melbourne – Responding to Key Selection Criteria Workshop Wrap Up

The Victorian ALIA SNGG team hosted its first tool building seminar for 2017 on responding to Key Selection Criteria at RMIT University on June 28.

The event was well attended, and those who bared the winter cold heard from our panel of experts:

• Romany Manuell, Subject Librarian for Art, Design and Architecture at Monash University (Watch Romany’s Key Selection Criteria video)
• Laurie Atkinson, Director Law Library of Victoria and Supreme Court Librarian (Watch Laurie’s Key Selection Criteria video)
• Kathryn Donkin, Library and Operations Team Leader, City of Melbourne (Watch Kathryn’s Key Selection Criteria video)

The presenters drew on their wealth of experience to give attendees their best advice for compiling job winning key selection criteria. Here’s a summary of their top tips:

One:

Read and follow the ‘how to apply’ instructions. Overseeing this simple detail and submitting something that does not respond to what the employer has asked for will almost certainly see your application go to the ‘No’ pile.

All three presenters mentioned this so it’s our number one tip.

Two:

Make your application easy for the employer to see why they need you in their organisation. Your job isn’t just to tell them how great you are, but how great you will be for them once you are in the role.

Three:

Some simple layout changes are easy ways to increase your chances of getting that job:

• Use an easy to read font, such as Arial.
• Address the application to the correct person (by name, and spelt correctly) – if there is a name on the ad – use it!
• Write out each key selection criteria as headings on the document (don’t just number them).
• Send your application as a pdf to ensure the employer will see it correctly formatted – Word is not safe.
• And of course, show off your attention to detail by ensuring there are no spelling or grammar mistakes!

Four:

Don’t skirt around the content of the key selection criteria, show you are capable of writing on topic. Break down the different points of the each key selection criteria and answer them separately if this will help. Consider using bullet points to clarify, or hyperlinks to online projects in order to showcase your skills.

Five:

If you’d like more advice on your application remember that ALIA SNGG offers a National Resume Review Service where you can email your resume through to receive feedback from an industry professional. This service is available to ALIA members, including student members.

If you missed the event or have forgotten something, you can watch videos of the three speakers from the event on our YouTube channel.

You can find more great tips from the night by checking out the tweets posted on the night, #SNGGthatjob and by viewing the slides from our presenters on the evening

ALIA SNGG have more information to help you get that job on our Resume Review Service: Job Site. Check it out.

VIC ALIA Student and New Graduates Group (SNGG) will hold their annual Tool-Building Seminar #2: Interview Skills on Wednesday 30 August at RMIT Uni, Building 80, Level 3, Room 15. 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start. Hope to see you there!