Jobs at UWA

Your written application

Further information

  • Quality of the written application

Your written application is the only information available for the panel to use to decide whether to shortlist you for an interview.

It provides a summary of your education, qualifications, skills and experience relevant to the position for which you're applying.

  1. Importance of a written application
  2. What to include
  3. Describing skills and competencies

Importance of written application

The selection panel does not have access to your staff file or to details about you from previous applications, nor do they normally contact referees until after interviews have been held. Even if there are some members of the selection panel with whom you work, there may be others on the panel who know nothing about you.

Your written application also indicates:

  • how clearly you are able to express yourself
  • your ability to be brief and to the point in describing your skills and experience
  • your ability to exclude irrelevant information
  • your use of grammar, spelling and punctuation, and appropriate use of language
  • your ability to present information neatly, logically and clearly

Your aim is to persuade the selection panel that you are the best person for the job and worth interviewing. The application's quality is important.

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Describing skills and competencies

You will need to describe your skills and competencies.

It is important you describe them accurately. Often we undersell our skills by using 'inactive' verbs, such as 'do' (do the mail, do minutes).

Sometimes we go to the other extreme and use terms that come across to the reader as bureaucratic jargon ('utilise interpersonal communication'). Occasionally we give an inflated indication of our level of responsibility for a task and use 'manage' and 'control' when we actually 'administer' and 'monitor'.

These verbs, and examples, may be helpful in labelling your skills.

administer
programs, enrolment records, budgets, functions, exams
adapt
procedures, systems, programs
analyse
information, applications; qualitative, quantitative, statistical or scientific data
anticipate
needs, trends, requirements
assess
applications, information, options, feasibility, impact
assist
in preparing, designing, establishing, organising, evaluating
apply
policy, rules, regulations
approve
applications, expenditure
budget
money, time, resources
build
systems, programs
calculate
expenditure, results, risks
carry out
research, duties
catalogue
information, books
circulate
minutes, reports
classify
information for record-keeping purposes
coach
staff, teams
collate
data, information, results
communicate
orally, verbally, in writing
compile
information, data, files, records, financial reports, statements, agendas
conduct
experiments, surveys, courses, inventories
control
finances, waste
co-ordinate
people, events, information, appointments, meetings, work flow, activities, functions
counsel
staff, students, clients (personal, educational, financial, technical, career counselling)
create
systems, programs
deal
with sensitive issues, staff, students, complex enquires
delegate
responsibility, accountability, tasks, assignments
deliver
programs, reports, speeches, presentations, seminars
design
layouts, systems, procedures, training programs
distribute
minutes, mail, pamphlets, information, materials
draft
routine correspondence, non-standard correspondence, minutes, memoranda
edit
manuscripts, newsletters, documents
ensure
access, accuracy, quality, standards
entertain
visitors, individuals, groups
establish
programs, standards, guidelines, office systems, priorities
estimate
income, costs, expenditure, time-frames, outputs, space requirements
evaluate
programs, services, applications, group and individual performance
explain
determinations, policy, procedures
filter
information for senior staff
follow up
complaints, overdue accounts
formulate
procedures, guidelines, experiments, budgets
forward
calls, requests, information to appropriate sections
gather
data, information, opinions
generate
ideas, information, opinions, income
handle
cash, workloads, enquiries
help
other individuals, teams, organisations
identify
causes, needs, problems, solutions
implement
programs, systems, policy, recommendations
initiate
ideas, change, methods, approaches, contacts, schemes, programs, discussion
interpret
policies, guidelines, rules
interview
candidates, students, applicants, clients
investigate
causes, problems, options
lead
task forces, working parties, teams, groups, discussions
liaise
with clients, other departments, service providers
maintain
equipment, systems, supplies, machinery, accounts, resource collections
make
travel and accommodation arrangements, bookings
manage
staff, team or group activities
manipulate
text, lay-outs, data to final report or camera-ready stage
modify
procedures, systems, guidelines, forms, manuals
monitor
records, accounts, expenditure, consumption, information, trends
motivate
others
negotiate
contracts, conditions; with suppliers, groups, individuals
operate
equipment, machines
participate
in planning departmental activities, in evaluation and selection of systems
persuade
others
plan
events, programs, schedules, itineraries, directions
prepare
reports, summaries, agendas, minutes, statistics, recommendations, documentation, background research
process
complex and detailed accounts, non-standard applications
produce
reports, summaries, results, documents, tables
program
computers
programme
events
promote
services, books, ideas, people
provide
service, information, guidance, interpretation; advice based on policy
purchase
equipment
record
transactions, proceedings of a meeting, data
recommend
changes to procedures, purchases
refer
complex enquiries, people to external providers
report
on projects, expenditure
represent
the organisation, the department
resolve
discrepancies, conflict
respond
to special requests, complex enquiries
review
systems, procedures, work area guidelines, structures
schedule
appointments, meetings, work flow, activities
screen
calls
supervise
staff, students, functions, property, programs
take
decisions, responsibility, minutes
teach
school groups, students
test
equipment, systems
train
staff, students
type
manuscripts for publication, statistical tables, technical documents
undertake
research, secretarial functions for formal meetings
use
software, computers, equipment, information systems
vet
applications
write
minutes, reports

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