When you ask us to write a government application, the first thing we usually ask for is examples.
That can feel like a strange place to start. A lot of people expect an application writing service to take the job ad, take the resume, and simply write the cover letter or targeted responses from there. Sometimes that is enough for a basic draft, but it is not enough for a strong government application.
Government applications need evidence. The panel is not just checking whether you sound professional. They are looking for proof that you have done the kind of work the role requires, at the right level, in a way that is easy to assess.
That is why our process starts with the role first, then your examples.
Quick summary: send rough examples early
If we ask you for examples, send them as soon as you reasonably can. They do not need to be polished, perfectly written, or in final application language.
Dot points are fine. Rough notes are fine. A quick email reply is fine. What matters most is the real detail from your experience: what happened, what you were responsible for, what you did, and what changed because of your work.
The earlier we have your examples, the more time we have to choose the strongest material, shape it properly, and turn it into a polished application pack before the deadline.
We start by analysing the role
Before we ask you for examples, we review the job ad, role description, application instructions, and any other available information. We are looking for what the hiring manager is really trying to assess.
That includes the obvious parts, such as the required documents, page limits, targeted questions, and closing date. But it also includes the deeper parts of the role: the problems the team needs someone to solve, the capabilities that are likely to matter most, and the evidence the panel will expect to see from a serious applicant.
This is important because a government application should not be built around a generic list of your strengths. It should be built around the role. A good application makes the panel’s job easier by showing, clearly and directly, why your experience matches what they need.
Once we understand the role, we can tell you what examples will help.
If you want the deeper explanation of this part of our method, you can also read why we focus on the job ad rather than starting with the Focus Capabilities.
We map the application requirements
Every government role asks for something slightly different. One role might need a two-page cover letter and resume. Another might need a statement of claims. Another might ask for two targeted questions with strict word limits. Some applications are simple on the surface but still need carefully chosen examples to make the written material strong.
We map this before writing because format matters. If the job ad asks for targeted responses, we do not treat the application like a normal cover letter. If the role asks for a statement against selection criteria, we structure the evidence differently. If the portal only allows a short response, we make the writing tighter and more direct.
This stage also helps us work out what information we need from you. We are not asking for examples randomly. We are asking because the role has specific requirements, and the final application needs to prove those requirements through your own experience.
That is the part people often miss.
We show you what kind of examples we need
Once we have reviewed the role, we break the requirements into simple prompts. These prompts are designed to help you remember useful examples from your previous roles.
For each key capability or role requirement, we may ask you for a situation where you demonstrated that kind of skill. For example, if the role needs stakeholder management, we might ask about a time you worked with difficult stakeholders, managed competing expectations, or helped different groups reach an outcome. If the role needs problem solving, we might ask about a time you identified an issue, analysed information, and recommended a practical solution.
The point is not to make you write the final answer yourself. The point is to help you find the raw material.
Most people have stronger examples than they realise, but those examples are often buried inside day-to-day work. A prompt helps bring the right experience back to the surface.
Your examples do not need to be polished
This is the part I want new clients to understand clearly.
When we ask for examples, we are not asking you to send perfectly written STAR responses. We are not expecting the examples to sound like a finished cover letter. Dot points are fine. Rough notes are fine. A quick email reply is fine.
What we need is the detail that only you know.
As a guide, try to cover the situation and task, the actions you took, and the outcome. Tell us what your role was, what you were responsible for, what you actually did, and what changed because of your work. If there were measurable results, include them. If there were no numbers, explain the practical outcome.
For example, instead of writing:
I have strong stakeholder management skills and work well under pressure.
It is more useful to tell us:
- system change with operations team and vendor
- delays happening and staff were getting frustrated
- I was doing weekly updates between both groups
- made a simple issue tracker so everyone could see what was outstanding
- held short check-ins
- escalated two unresolved issues
- rollout got back on schedule
The second version is not polished, but it gives us something real to work with. It shows the context, your actions, and the result. We can shape that into strong application language.
Why we need your help with the examples
We can analyse the role. We can identify what the panel is likely to care about. We can structure the application, sharpen the language, and make the final document read clearly.
But we cannot invent your experience.
That is why your input matters. The best applications are built from real examples that show what you have actually done. If the example is vague, the final application will feel vague. If the example has practical detail, the final application becomes much easier for the panel to trust.
This does not mean you need to know which example is perfect. You can send more than one option. You can tell us you are not sure which one fits. Part of our job is to review what you send, choose the strongest evidence, and connect it back to the role requirements.
We use STAR, but we do not need you to write in STAR perfectly
The STAR method is useful because it gives government panels the structure they need: Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
But when you are sending examples to us, do not get stuck trying to make them perfect. If thinking in STAR helps, use it. If it makes you freeze, just tell us the story in plain language.
The most important part is usually the action. What did you do? How did you do it? What decisions did you make? Who did you work with? What steps did you take? What changed because of your work?
The result matters too. A measurable outcome is helpful where you have one, but not every good example has a neat number attached to it. Sometimes the result is that a process became clearer, a risk was managed, a deadline was met, a client received better support, or a team was able to make a better decision.
If you want to see how examples can be structured, our STAR method guide has practical examples for government jobs: STAR method examples for government jobs.
What happens after you send your examples
Once you send your examples through, we review them against the role.
We look at which examples are strongest, which ones best match the role requirements, and whether anything important is missing. Sometimes one example can support a cover letter paragraph. Sometimes it is better suited to a targeted question. Sometimes it needs to be reframed so the panel can see why it matters.
From there, we write the tailored application. Depending on the role, that might include a cover letter, applicant pitch, statement of claims, selection criteria response, targeted question responses, or other application documents.
The goal is not just to make the writing sound better. The goal is to make the application more useful to the panel. Clear structure, strong examples, and role-aligned evidence are what give the application its weight.
We refine the application into a polished final pack
Your rough examples are the starting point. The final application should not read like rough notes.
After we have the material, we refine the wording, remove unnecessary background, strengthen the link to the role, and make sure the application is cohesive. We also check that the documents match the stated requirements, stay within the relevant limits, and present your experience in a clear and professional way.
This is where the application becomes more than a collection of examples. It becomes a tailored document pack that responds to the role, follows the instructions, and gives the panel a clear reason to keep reading.
Revisions are included, but our goal is to get the application close the first time by doing the analysis properly at the start.
What to send us
If we have asked you for examples, you can reply directly to the email with your notes. If you are working with us through the membership dashboard, you can add your examples there instead.
You do not need to write long paragraphs. You do not need to worry about perfect grammar. You do not need to make it sound like an application. Just give us the useful detail.
For each example, try to include:
- the situation and task: where this happened, your role, and what you were responsible for
- the actions taken: what you personally did, how you approached it, and what decisions or steps mattered
- the outcome: what happened in the end, including measurable results where possible
If you are not sure whether an example is strong enough, send it anyway. It is usually easier for us to assess an imperfect example than to guess what might be sitting in your experience.
The whole process is built around making the application easier to assess
The best government applications are not the ones with the most impressive adjectives. They are the ones that make the evidence clear.
That is what our process is designed to do. We analyse the role first, work out what the panel needs to see, ask you for the right examples, and then turn those examples into a polished application pack.
Your job is not to write the final document.
Your job is to give us the real material. Our job is to shape it into an application that is clear, role-aligned, and ready to submit.
If you have a current role you want help with, you can request your application here. We will review the role, map what is required, ask for the examples we need, and write the application around the evidence that best shows your fit.