Cover letters
How to plan a one-page pitch for an APS application
Choose the examples that explain your fit for the role, then use the agency’s instructions to decide what belongs on the page.
An APS vacancy asks for a one-page pitch as well as a resume. You have several examples, a long employment history and little space. The first decision is which evidence explains your fit for this particular role.
The Australian Public Service Commission’s application guidance says a pitch should explain your interest and relevant contribution, using specific achievements rather than duplicating the CV. The agency’s actual instructions take priority over any suggested layout.
Read the limit before choosing a structure
Check whether the pack asks for one page, a word limit or answers in separate fields. Also check whether it names capabilities or questions that must be addressed. Do not turn a requested criteria response into a general pitch.
Our selection-criteria guide explains the difference between those documents. The government resume guide covers the dated employment evidence that belongs in the separate CV.
For a one-page pitch without a prescribed structure, use the worksheet below to plan the argument. It is an editorial starting point, not an agency template or a required paragraph count.
| Part of the pitch | Question to answer | Evidence to use |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Why this role and this agency? | Your actual interest and the work you want to contribute |
| Main example | What relevant work have you done? | A specific situation, your action and the result |
| Further evidence | Which important requirement is still uncovered? | A different example, or another relevant part of the first |
| Closing | What does the evidence mean for this job? | A clear connection to the advertised responsibilities |
Choose examples by relevance, not by size
A large project is not automatically your best example. Ask which part of the work matches the duties, what you personally contributed and whether you can explain the result.
An evidence sheet can help you choose before writing full paragraphs. Put the main duties down one side and your possible examples beside them. Remove any example that sounds impressive but does not answer an important requirement.
Use the same facts across your pitch, resume and interview notes. The pitch can explain a decision in more depth; it should not turn a supporting role into ownership of the whole project. Our STAR guide helps separate context, responsibility, action and result.
A worked example: choosing what to keep
This fictional planning example extends the program-support scenario in our published government resume guide. Jordan Example, the vacancy and the work described are invented for teaching.
Jordan’s resume includes this evidence:
Reconciled monthly service returns from six delivery teams, clarified inconsistent definitions with team contacts and prepared an exceptions brief for the program manager.
For a hypothetical program-support role involving reporting and coordination, Jordan could build a pitch paragraph around the following notes:
| Keep | Why it helps the pitch |
|---|---|
| The returns used inconsistent definitions | Establishes the problem behind the routine reporting task |
| Jordan checked the differences with team contacts | Shows the applicant’s action and communication |
| The output was an exceptions brief for the manager | Makes the work and its audience clear |
| The connection to the advertised reporting duties | Explains why the example belongs in this application |
Jordan should leave out unrelated employment history already covered by the CV. The pitch also needs an honest explanation of interest in the actual agency; a generic claim about being passionate about public service will not supply that detail.
The example does not establish a measured service improvement. Jordan should use a result that can be substantiated, rather than attaching a percentage or claiming a policy decision the applicant did not make.
Edit the page for evidence and readability
Read each paragraph against the pack. Check that the most important duties have evidence and that a reader can distinguish your contribution from the team’s work.
Cut repeated background before cutting the action. Keep unfamiliar acronyms understandable and remove confidential operational or client details. Follow the requested formatting instead of shrinking the text to force in another example.
Keep the examples you remove in your story bank. They may be useful for another criterion or an interview even when they do not belong in this pitch.
Before submitting, open the exported file and check the vacancy reference, page or word limit, dates and requested attachments. Your pitch and resume should describe the same experience consistently.
Questions about APS one-page pitches
Is every APS pitch one page?
No. Follow the length and format in the vacancy’s information pack. If the instructions are unclear, ask the named contact officer rather than assuming a universal limit.
Can I use a cover letter instead?
Prepare the document the employer asks for. Some useful evidence may overlap, but a generic cover letter should not replace requested questions or a role-specific pitch.
How many STAR examples do I need?
Choose enough relevant evidence to address the requirements within the stated limit. The worksheet is a way to plan; it does not prescribe a fixed number of examples for every application.
Can the pitch and CV use the same achievement?
Yes. Keep the facts consistent, then use the pitch to explain the selected achievement’s relevance and your decisions. Repeating the full employment history uses space without adding that explanation.