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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