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A selection criterion can make an ordinary part of your work sound like a writing exam. “Demonstrated stakeholder engagement” might describe a task you perform every week, yet turning it into a useful response takes more thought than listing who you speak to. Begin by finding a particular occasion when your actions made a difference to the work.
Start writing your NSW Government selection criteria by checking the application instructions. Choose an example that answers the requirement, then develop it around your contribution and the result you can support. You can work through one requirement at a time while keeping the whole application and its length limits in view.
Establish what the employer wants you to submit
Read the application section of the advertisement and any attached instructions. Some vacancies request separate responses; others ask you to address requirements in a cover letter or statement. Targeted questions may be entered in the application form or included in a document, depending on the vacancy.
Make a working list of the documents and limits before drafting. Keep submission arrangements and the closing deadline alongside it so they remain visible. The employer's instructions determine the task, including whether additional material is wanted.
| Check | Record |
|---|---|
| Written documents | The CV, letter, statement or responses requested |
| Each response | The exact requirement or question to address |
| Length | The applicable word or page allowance |
| Evidence of eligibility | Qualifications, registrations or other conditions to confirm |
| Submission arrangements | File format, where to submit and the closing deadline |
Where instructions conflict or leave a material point unclear, ask the vacancy's contact officer a specific question. For Education teaching vacancies, the Department of Education guide explains the different open-merit formats. Those rules should not be transferred automatically to corporate or support positions.
Identify what each requirement needs you to show
Break a long criterion into its meaningful parts. “Written communication and accurate records” asks for evidence covering both. If your example only concerns speaking at a meeting, you still need to address the written work and records.
A qualification or licence can usually be stated factually, supported by whatever proof is requested. Behavioural requirements need examples of how you performed the work. If both appear in one criterion, state the factual position and develop the relevant experience separately.
Where the role lists focus capabilities, check their levels and indicators. The focus capabilities guide helps you interpret them. Keep the role's accountabilities nearby to decide which parts of your experience are most relevant.
Choose an example you can explain in detail
List a few possible occasions before choosing one. A useful example lets you explain the problem and your personal responsibility, including any decision you made. Check that you also know what happened afterwards and how the result was established.
An example from private-sector work or volunteering can fit where the required behaviour transfers. Consider the advertised level and any demand for particular experience. An entry-level applicant can use an appropriately scoped example without pretending to have managed the whole organisation.
Use these prompts to examine a candidate example:
- What required action, and why did it matter?
- Which part was your responsibility?
- What information informed your decisions?
- What did you do, including any advice or approval needed?
- What happened as a result, and what evidence supports that account?
If you struggle to remember your own contribution, consider another occasion before committing to the draft. Our selection criteria examples library shows the detail available in several everyday work situations.
Draft the response using STAR
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. Use it to organise evidence while keeping the emphasis on the criterion. The background should give the reader enough information to understand your responsibility and why the action was needed.
Develop the Action section through the choices you made. “I coordinated with colleagues” can be expanded by explaining what you needed from them and how their input affected the work. The Result section should describe an outcome you can support, including a qualitative outcome where figures are unavailable.
A fictional example of developing the action
Suppose you are responding to a requirement about clear communication. Your first notes might say:
I kept staff informed during a change to the roster and ensured everyone understood the new arrangements.
To develop that note, recall how the communication occurred and what you checked. A fuller fictional extract could read:
I checked the revised roster with the supervisor and identified which staff had changes to their starting times. I sent each affected person the approved details, explaining when the change began and who to contact about a conflict. Two people raised concerns about existing commitments, which I referred to the supervisor for a decision. After the arrangements were confirmed, I updated the shared roster and checked that the affected staff had received the final version.
The extract now gives the reader actions they can assess. A complete response would also establish the situation and describe the outcome. In your application, use your own sequence of events and identify any limits to what you could decide.
The STAR method guide provides further help with that structure. Keep STAR as a working aid; the finished response can read as ordinary paragraphs unless the employer asks for another format.
Make the result accurate and useful
Numbers help when they measure the relevant change and you can support them. Include the period and scope so the reader can interpret the claim. A team result should be connected to your contribution, with colleagues' work described fairly.
You can also report a reliable qualitative outcome. A completed handover or an issue resolved through the correct route can provide useful evidence. Explain how you know it happened, including the records available to support your account.
Where the outcome was mixed, describe what was achieved and how you dealt with the remaining issue. If the criterion concerns judgement under pressure, that part of the account may help the reader understand how you handled the work.
Edit within the advertised limit
Keep the criterion in view as you shorten the response. Remove background that repeats your CV and sentences that only praise your own skills. Preserve the decisions and actions that answer the requirement.
Check whether the limit applies to each response or to the whole document. A two-page statement needs space allocated across the requirements it must address. Follow any specified formatting rules and keep the text readable when you export it.
Targeted questions can ask for several details within one word limit. Read the full question again after editing and mark where each part is answered. Our targeted questions examples cover that written format.
Review the evidence before you submit
Read the application as someone unfamiliar with your workplace. Check that abbreviations and internal terms are explained where needed. The reader should be able to identify your responsibility without reconstructing it from several documents.
Before submission, confirm that:
- Each response answers every relevant part of the requirement.
- Your actions are distinguishable from the team's work.
- Results and qualifications are stated accurately.
- Confidential details have been removed or safely described.
- Word and page limits are met, with the required file format used.
- The CV and written responses give a consistent account of your experience.
Allow time to review the uploaded files and complete the portal's required fields. Keep a copy of what you submit so you can prepare consistent examples if an interview follows.
Decide whether to develop the application yourself
If you have a suitable example and time to work through it, begin with rough notes for the most demanding criterion. Develop the actions before polishing the opening. You can then use the same review method across the remaining requirements.
For done-for-you support with one open role, Team 3Thirty's Complete Government Application costs $497 incl. GST. Our selection criteria writing service develops the required responses from your experience, with the CV and the other written documents requested by the vacancy included.
You can request an application using the job ad and closing deadline. If you're still deciding which roles deserve your effort, review the Government Job Matching Report example and its current booking page; that separate service costs $299 incl. GST.
For a dated example of how application instructions vary, see Team 3Thirty’s analysis of 2,698 adverts returned by iWorkForNSW on 6 October 2026. The figures describe wording in captured adverts, with their denominators and source limits.