Cover letters
How to address selection criteria and write a pitch
Answer government selection criteria or a pitch with STAR examples, including a complete worked response.
Government and some university, health and not-for-profit jobs ask for more than a resume. You may be asked to address selection criteria, sometimes called key selection criteria or capabilities, or to write a short "pitch" explaining why you suit the role.
Selection criteria or a pitch?
The Australian Public Service Commission's guide to applying for APS jobs says your CV alone will usually not be enough. You will typically be asked for either a statement addressing particular selection criteria or a short pitch about how your skills, abilities and experience fit the job.
| Selection criteria | Pitch | |
|---|---|---|
| What you write | A separate response to each criterion | One statement covering your claims for the role |
| Typical limit | Set per criterion or overall in the information pack | Often one or two pages, or a word limit |
| What the panel looks for | Evidence for each listed quality, skill or qualification | Why this agency, why this role, what you offer |
| Structure | STAR example for each criterion | Two or three STAR examples linked to the role's main duties |
The APSC notes that long, complicated selection criteria are becoming less common, and suggests calling the contact officer if the pack is unclear. The Queensland Government's application guide adds that criteria may also be called core or key capabilities.
Read the information pack before writing
Mark three things in the pack:
- The format: separate criteria, one statement, or answers to set questions.
- The limit: words per criterion, total pages, or characters in an online form.
- The role's main duties: these tell you which examples the panel will value most.
Use STAR to structure each example
The APSC suggests the STAR model for presenting evidence, and recommends using only one or two of your strongest examples per criterion.
- Situation: the context, in one or two sentences.
- Task: what you were responsible for.
- Action: what you did, in detail. This should be the longest part.
- Result: what changed, ideally with a measure, and what it shows about your fit for this role.
A worked example
Fictional applicant Aisha Rahman is applying for an APS 5 policy officer role. One criterion reads: "Communicates with influence: communicates clearly, listens to others and adapts the message to the audience."
| STAR step | Aisha's notes |
|---|---|
| Situation | Council was changing its waste collection days; 4,000 households affected |
| Task | Lead the community information plan as project officer |
| Action | Tested a draft letter with five residents, rewrote it in plain English, added translated versions in three community languages, briefed customer service staff with a one-page Q&A |
| Result | Calls about the change were lower than for the previous service change; the Q&A was reused for two later projects |
Finished response (about 130 words):
As project officer at Example City Council, I led communication for a change to waste collection days affecting about 4,000 households. Residents had found earlier notices confusing, so I tested a draft letter with five residents and rewrote it in plain English based on their questions. I arranged translated versions in the three most common community languages and briefed our customer service team with a one-page Q&A so they could give consistent answers. Calls about the change were noticeably lower than for the previous service change, and the Q&A format has since been reused for two other projects. In this role I would bring the same approach: test the message with the people who need to act on it, then adapt it for each audience.
Notice that the last sentence links the example back to the job.
Writing a pitch instead
If the agency asks for a pitch, the APSC says it should explain why you want to work for them, why you are interested in this role, what you can offer, and how your skills and experience apply. A practical structure for a one-page pitch:
- One paragraph: the role, and why you want it.
- Two or three paragraphs: one STAR example each, mapped to the main duties.
- One closing paragraph: what you would focus on first.
The Department of Education's application guidance also recommends STAR for pitches and notes that one well-chosen example can show several capabilities.
Questions about selection criteria
How long should each response be?
Follow the information pack. If no limit is given, aim for a focused paragraph or two per criterion rather than a page. A clear example is more persuasive than a long list of claims.
Can I reuse the same example for different criteria?
You can, if it genuinely shows each quality, but describe the part of the example that matches each criterion. Using different examples across criteria gives the panel a fuller picture.
Should I repeat the criterion's wording?
Use the key terms naturally so the panel can see you have addressed them, then show the behaviour with evidence. Repeating the criterion without an example adds nothing.
Do state government jobs work the same way?
The structure is similar, though terms vary: capabilities, key selection criteria or role requirements. Always follow the specific advertisement and pack.
Where else does STAR help?
Behavioural interview questions use the same structure. See our guide to STAR interview answers, and keep your best examples in a story bank.
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Keep your best examples ready
Store STAR stories once and reuse them across criteria, pitches and interviews.
Open the story bank