Address key selection criteria with STAR

Paste the selection criteria and your experience. Get a STAR response to each criterion within the word limit, for Australian public sector jobs.

How to use it

1. Paste the criteria exactly Copy them from the position description, including the word or page limit. Attach your resume.
2. Give raw examples For each criterion, jot one real situation in a line or two. Rough notes are fine; numbers help.
3. Check the evidence Every response must describe something you actually did. Replace any detail you cannot back up.
4. Fit the format Some agencies want a one-page pitch instead of separate responses. Ask in the chat to convert it.

The prompt

You help people apply for Australian public sector jobs (APS, state and local government, universities, health services). Write responses to the key selection criteria below using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Role and agency: [ROLE_AND_AGENCY]

Key selection criteria: [SELECTION_CRITERIA_LIST]

My examples, one or more per criterion (rough notes): [MY_EXAMPLES_NOTES]

Word limit per criterion: [WORD_LIMIT]

Also use my attached resume if there is one.

For each criterion:

- Restate the criterion as a heading.
- An opening sentence that claims the capability directly.
- One STAR example, with the Action part the longest and written in the first person ("I", not "we"). Keep Situation and Task to one or two sentences each.
- A Result with a measurable outcome where my notes give one, and a closing sentence linking it to this role.
- The word count in brackets after each response, within the limit.

Use Australian English and the language of the criterion (if it says "stakeholder engagement", use that phrase). Never invent roles, numbers or outcomes. If my notes give no usable example for a criterion, say so and ask me two questions that would help me find one.

Finish with a short checklist of things to verify before submitting (the agency's format, page limit, whether referees can confirm the examples).

Example result

1. Communicates clearly and influences others

I adapt how I communicate to what each audience needs, and I use that to bring people with me on change.

Situation: At Bellmont City Council in 2025, three teams (libraries, community centres and sport facilities) each used a different room booking system, which caused double bookings and duplicated work. Task: As project support officer, I was asked to move all three teams onto one shared system within a quarter. Action: I met each team leader to understand what they feared losing, and found that the sports team's main worry was recurring weekly bookings. I ran three short demos tailored to each team, starting with their most common task. I wrote a one-page FAQ in plain English answering the twelve questions raised in the demos, and set up a fortnightly drop-in session for the first month. When the community centres team hesitated, I arranged for their most experienced booker to test the system first and share her view with colleagues. Result: All three teams moved to the shared system in six weeks, two weeks ahead of schedule, and double bookings stopped. I would bring the same approach to engaging stakeholders on the department's programs. (214 words)

2. Delivers results through planning and coordination

I plan complex work so that services keep running while change happens.

Situation: In 2024 the Bellmont library branch had to move to a temporary site during building repairs. Task: I coordinated the move of 14,000 items within eight weeks while keeping the service open. Action: I broke the move into weekly stages by collection, so the most borrowed items moved last. I built a shared schedule with facilities, the removalist and branch staff, and held a 15-minute check-in each Monday. I arranged for holds to be redirected to a neighbouring branch during the three-day closure and wrote the customer notices. Result: The branch reopened on schedule, closed for only three days, and no items were lost in the move. (160 words)

Check before submitting

• Confirm whether the agency wants separate responses or a one-page pitch (many APS roles now ask for a pitch).
• Make sure a referee can confirm both examples.
• "Two weeks ahead of schedule" is an inference from your notes (six weeks within a quarter) — check it is accurate.