Writing your application

Writing a cover letter

Good cover letters use the STAR method to structure your work examples by explaining the Situation, Task, Action and Result. Your cover letter should:

• include any specific information requested in the job ad
• address the focus capabilities listed in the job ad, look through the Capability Framework for details on what these mean
• showcase your achievements in past jobs or from other contexts, for example volunteer work
• show us that you have most of the skills we are looking for
• tell us about your passions and interests
• explain why you want the job
• show us how your current skills are transferable to new situations
• show why you are a good fit for the agency and NSW Public Service.

If the job involves managing a team, tell us about important things you did before such as how you supported your team to deliver for the business.

A good cover letter:

• is brief (usually 1 to 2 pages)
• uses plain English
• is well structured
• is specific to the job you are applying for
• uses specific examples of what you’ve done and what you’ve achieved.

Writing a resume

Your resume (also known as curriculum vitae or CV) is a summary of your:

• qualifications
• experience
• skills
• qualities.

A resume needs to be up-to-date, clear, concise and well organised. It is best if you can tailor the content to the job you are applying for.

As a guide, your resume could include the following sections:

• Personal details – your name and contact details.
• Summary – a brief introduction about you, your work experience, training and interests.
• Education – qualifications and relevant training.
• Work experience (paid and volunteer) with most recent experience first. Give details on your most recent and relevant work experience and include:
  • job title
  • employer / organisation / agency
  • dates of employment
  • your responsibilities
  • your achievements.
• Other information such as skills, achievements, and relevant memberships.
• Referees – name, title and contact details.

Do not include copies of qualifications with your resume or application unless asked.

Answering targeted questions

Targeted questions are open-ended questions. They may ask you to:

• explain how you’ve shown your knowledge, skills, and abilities in a certain situation
• describe why you’re interested in working for the agency or in the NSW Public Service.

They are often designed to find out about your capabilities and if these suit the role. Capabilities are:

• transferable knowledge (theoretical or practical understanding of a subject)
• skills (developed through training, experience, or practice)
• abilities relevant to a job.

They come from the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework.

Responding to targeted questions on capabilities

A targeted question on capabilities asks you to describe how you used your knowledge, skills, and abilities in a certain situation.

To answer this type of question you should:

• Read the question to identify the information you need to give us, looking for key words.
• Review the role description to help you understand the capability and other important things about the job. The following are especially helpful:
  • capability description explains what the capability covers
  • behavioural indicators describe the behaviours or actions at different levels for each capability
  • key accountabilities give a high-level summary of the outcomes the role is expected to deliver.
• Use the behavioural indicators to help you think of a relevant example of what you did in other jobs or contexts.
• Be specific – don’t tell us what you think you might do in the situation – tell us what you did.
• Use full sentences, check your spelling and grammar, and stay within the word limit.
• Remember communication skills are important for all jobs.

Use the STAR method to structure your work examples by explaining the Situation, Task, Action and Result.

Example: Responding to a targeted question about your capabilities

The following question is about the 'Commit to Customer Service' intermediate capability.

Question:

Give an example of a situation where you provided services that were customer-focused.

How to respond:

1. Use the behavioural indicators to prompt you on customer service actions and responsibilities
2. Describe the situation:
   • Where were you working?
   • What was your job?
3. Tell us about something you did to serve customers in that context. For example:
   • Describe a customer problem you identified.
   • Explain why it was a problem.
   • Tell us what you did to resolve it. If you did something as part of a team, be specific about your role
4. Tell us what happened because of what you did – describe the impact on the customer experience.

Responding to targeted questions about your interests

Sometimes targeted questions ask you about:

• your reasons for applying for a job
• why you want the job
• why you want to work in the agency
• why you want to work in the NSW Public Service.

These types of questions give you the chance to tell us about what drives and motivates you.

To answer this type of question you should:

• Read the question and look for key words that will help you respond. These questions are often framed to get a personal response.
• Review the role description to help you think about what’s involved in the job.
• Think about what we are looking for in asking this question. Our merit principles put importance on fit for the role and agency. Not only on capabilities, knowledge and experience.
• Write your response with honesty and passion.
• Use full sentences, check your spelling and grammar and stay within the word limit.
• Remember communication skills are important for all jobs.

Example: Responding to a targeted question about your interests

Question:

Tell us why you want to work for the NSW Public Service.

How to respond:

1. Explain what attracted you to want to work for the NSW Government.
2. Describe why the job stood out for you.
3. Tell us why you suit the job.
4. Ask yourself questions like:
   • How does the job fit with my values and standards?
   • Have I always wanted to work in this occupation or sector?
   • Is this the next step in my career journey?
   • Will the job help me to serve my community?
5. Relate your passions and interests to what the job offers you.