New South Wales

Fire Brigades

PREPARATION GUIDE FOR JOB APPLICANTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword from the Commissioner

1.APPLYING FOR A POSITION

1.1.BEFORE YOU START

1.2.The Application Format

1.3.Addressing the Selection Criteria

1.4.Common Selection Criteria

1.5.Review what you have written

1.6.Guidelines for writing a resume

1.7.Application Checklist

2.Preparation for Interview

2.1.The Interview Process

2.2.Interview Questions

2.3.Approach the interview with confidence

2.4.During the interview

2.5 Interview preparation checklist

3.POST INTERVIEW

3.1.Post Selection Feedback

3.2.Appeal Mechanisms

4.OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES

5.CONTACT LIST

FOREWORD

To perform our many roles in the interests of community safety for the people, the environment and the economy of NSW, The NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB) requires a professional, flexible and responsive workforce capable of realising corporate priorities.

In order to achieve these priorities, the NSWFB is committed to human resources strategies which provide our staff with the opportunity for career paths and skills development, and ensure progression and promotion are conducted in accordance with NSW Government policy and industrial agreements.

NSW Government policy requires recruitment and selection processes which fairly and equitably identify the most suitable people to fill available positions. The principle of recruitment and promotion on merit is fundamental to EEO and to the NSWFB commitment to making fair and equitable decisions. It means that when the best person for the job is selected, the services provided to the community by the NSWFB are enhanced.

The aim of this document is to set out a framework of principles and practices to provide staff with a practical tool to assist them to effectively apply for positions.

The Job Application Guide can be used as a reference document but is most effective as a support for the training program which has been designed to meet the specific needs of NSWFB staff.

I encourage staff to use this Guide and participate in the associated training program to assist them to pursue their career goals and thereby ensure that NSWFB has the right mix of skills now and in the future.

Greg Mullins AFSM
COMMISSIONER

1.APPLYING FOR A POSITION

1.1. BEFORE YOU START

First Step - Research the job

Before you start writing your application, you must obtain an information package and read everythingin it, including the position description. This information assists in putting the job and the organisation’s policies, procedures and directions into a wider perspective. When reading this information, consider:

  • the specific requirements of the position
  • how you can demonstrate you meet (in a competitive field) those requirements, and
  • how the position fits in terms of the corporate goals and objectives

Speaking to the inquiries person will help you decide whether to apply for the job, and what to emphasise in your application. Speak to them after you read the information package so your questions will be more relevant.

The designated inquiries person is responsible for:

  • explaining and answering questions about the job and the workplace,
  • informing potential applicants about special conditions affecting the job such as a requirement for travel or frequent overtime
  • arranging to meet particular needs such as wheelchair access and translation services including signing for people with a hearing impairment.

Prepare the questions you intend to ask beforehand as the contact officer will probably be on the selection committee and their first impression of you, albeit on the telephone, should indicate good organisational skills and keen interest.

Questions you could ask the inquiries officer are:

  1. What are the business plans or future directions for the work area?
  1. What are the main challenges facing the work area?
  1. Which duties take up the most time?
  1. Of the accountabilities listed in the position description, which are the most critical?
  1. To what extent would I be liaising with other government agencies, the general public and the community?
  1. Is there anything you can tell me about the clients or the community that is relevant to this role?
  1. Is it a new or an established position?
  1. To whom would I be reporting?
  1. As it is a supervisory position, what are the main responsibilities of the people I may be supervising?
  1. What personal attributes do you think are necessary to do this job?

Key Words and Phrases in Selection Criteria

‘Appreciation/ awareness of’ means that you need to demonstrate familiarity with the topic to some extent.

‘Ability or ability to’ means you must be able to demonstrate potential to perform a task you may not have performed before. This may be demonstrated by training courses you have undertaken or by indicating competency in a similar field.

‘Capacity’ means that you have the ability or the qualifications to perform a task.

‘Demonstrated’ or Proven means’that you have experience and are able to provide specific examples.

Second Step - Research your knowledge, skills and experience

Examine your current and past position descriptions, particularly the key accountabilities, knowledge, skills and experience. This will be a useful comparison with the position description of the job for which you are applying. It will allow you to determine very quickly how closely you meet the requirements of the position.

Reviewing your current or past position descriptions can also helpyou to remember particular work experiences that are of relevance to your application. It is useful also to access any documentation (eg diaries) which indicate specific work events and remind you of the contributions and achievements you have made in the job.

The BEST method is an effective means of determining the relevance of your skills and experience to the selection criteria.

BBrainstorm your ideas and think about your work experience in its entirety.

EExample. Jot down the examples of where you have acquired or

demonstrated the relevant knowledge, skills or experience.

SStep by step process where you list the component parts of what you did so

that you can indicate how you used your knowledge, skills and personal attributes.

TThe outcome. Highlight the end result of each experience and your

achievement.

These examples that you have brainstormed will assist you to construct effective responses in your claim for the position. As you will have to condense your response to up to one page for each selection criteria, you will need to choose those experiences that demonstrate the most relevance and value.

Third Step - Preparing your application

You should devote time and effort into preparing your application and ensure that yourapplication will reach the designated contact officer by the specified time. Start preparing your application as soon as possible as it is not unusual for applicants to devote up to two full days in putting an application together.

Your application can be typed or hand-written – but it must be legible. Keep the layout and design clear, consistent and easy to follow with clear headings and by using a typeface such as Times New Roman, Arial or Microsoft Sans Serif.

In the first instance the selection committee is screening applications to determine those who meet the selection criteria. If they cannot easily obtain this information from your application, you are at risk of being culled from the selection process. You must address all the criteria, including the common selection criteria. To ensure you do this, use the criteria as subject headings, and write the relevant information under each heading. This way the selection committee can see at a glance the degree to which you have met the criteria.

Be careful of the expressions you use and try to be as specific as you can. For example, the expressions “assisted” or “contributed to” don’t mean very much and from a selection committee’s perspective this sort of statement could mean that you “photocopied documents” or “organised morning tea”. Not that there is anything wrong with those tasks, but if your ‘assistance’ or ‘contribution’ was of greater significance, you need to specify by expressing it as “I assisted by monitoring the resources expended during the project” or “I contributed with my specialist knowledge of dispute resolution by suggesting a range of strategies”.

Keep it brief as the Selection Committee will not have the time to read ‘long-winded’ applications particularly if they receive a large number of them. As a general rule, the average length per selection criteria is up to one page in the Claim for the position. The Resume should cover no more than four pages. So an application for a job with six selection criteria should be no more than 10 pages in length, not including the official application form and the covering letter.

A clear, concise and succinct application demonstrates your written communication skills. Make every word count and use short pithy sentences. Don’t use jargon, initials or abbreviations as not all the selection committee members may be familiar with them and it could count against your application. All of the selection committee must take part in all of the selection processes including short listing. Be mindful of the fact that one of the committee members must be an independent who will be unaware of NSWFB terminology or the complexities of the functions of the organisation. Therefore your application should be considered carefully as it must be clear to someone who has scant knowledge of the experiences you are attempting to describe.

1.2. The ApplicationFormat

Applications are made up of four parts and should follow the format set out below:

OFFICIAL APPLICATION FORM / This is the standard official NSW Public Service Application for Employment/Transfer/Promotion. Make sure that you sign and date the form on the second page.
COVERING LETTER
(a sample has been included in the following pages) / This comprises 3 or 4 main paragraphs:
  1. introducing yourself and your current position and location,
  2. a brief statement advising how your skills and/or experience make you suitable for the position
  3. close by thanking the committee for their consideration and stating that you look forward to an interview.

CLAIM FOR THE POSITION
( a sample extract has been included in the following pages) / This is the most critical part of your application as it will be examined by the selection committee for relevance to the job and from which a decision is made to call you for interview or cull your application. The layout of the claim for the position consists of the selection criteria as headings, with each criterion covered in approximately half a page each.
RESUME:
  • Work History
  • Educational History
  • Relevant skills and qualifications
  • Referees
(Some samples have been included in the following pages) / This section is a chronological account of your employment beginning with the most recent. It should also include the relevant responsibilities of each position and your achievements in that role.
It should be followed by your education history and a list of your relevant skills and qualifications. You may include anything which may be of relevance eg. Drivers Licence, volunteer work, community activities, languages.
Provide the names and contact details of at least two people who have supervised you in recent positions. Ensure that you have obtained the agreement of the referees and that you explain the nature of the job and the selection criteria to them.

1.2.1 Sample Covering Letter

John Smith

22 Main Street

GLADESVILLE NSW 2111

Telephone: 9817 1122

Mobile: 0401 651133

Email

1 March 2004

Ann Jones

Recruitment Manager

NSW Fire Brigades

Level 11

227 Elizabeth Street

SYDNEY NSW 2000

Dear Ms Jones,

I wish to apply for the position of Project Officer, Position No. FB 2004/32 that was advertised in the Public Service Notices of 16 February 2004. Please find attached my application containing my resume and claim for the position which I have submitted for your consideration.

In my current position as Assistant Project Officer in the Lands Department, I have acquired extensive experience in the management of large, complex, multi-disciplinary projects for a diverse group of clients. In addition I have relevant qualifications in engineering and I am currently undertaking a Master of Business Studies.

The extensive range of projects I have managed in my current job and in previous positions, demonstrates that I have the relevant knowledge, skills and experience to successfully perform the roles and responsibilities of the advertised position.

I look forward to providing you with information about my abilities in greater detail at interview. Thank you for consideration of my application.

Yours sincerely

John Smith

1.3. Addressing the Selection Criteria

The advertisement asks you to address a number ofselection criteria. To do this effectively, you should make a separate heading for each selection criterion and for each one, you should describe the relevant skills, knowledge and experience particularly in relation to any achievements. As a rough guide, approximately a page should adequately cover each selection criterion, depending on the level and complexity of the position.

Under each heading jot down points you want to cover and consider:

  • both your paid employment and volunteer work,
  • your personal qualities and qualifications, and
  • how you can demonstrate, using these, that you meet each criterion and to what standard.

Once you have established points under major headings, form these into properly constructed sentences, and re-order them if necessary. Make your statements specific so that the reader is in no doubt as to what you did or what your particular contribution was. Don’t sell yourself short by relying on dot points, and do not rely on the resume. Assume that the selection committee knows nothing about you or your work, study or life experience.

Remember that you are competing against others, and you must let the selection committee know what you can bring to the position for which you are applying. You can do this in many ways, but it is important not to make broad statements which do not substantiate your understanding of the role or your ability to perform it.

For example, merely informing the selection committee that you are a good ‘team player’ adds little in the way of value to an application. An applicant needs to demonstrate an understanding of what team work is all about, and how they have contributed to a team environment. The same principle applies to having gained a qualification. You need to demonstrate how a qualification gained or work done can be linked to the criteria you are addressing.

Be very sure that you address each criterion completely. For example if one of the criteria is ‘communication skills’, then you will need to consider both oral and written communication skills and their applications. Are your oral communication skills related to interpersonal skills, negotiation, supervision, on-the-job coaching, presentations, interviews, customer service, liaison with other agencies, the public or community groups? In what form have you exercised your written communication skills - writing letters, submissions, reports, manuals, training materials? Have you undertaken any communication skills training? Which communication skills would be most important to the job for which you are applying? Having determined these issues, you will be better equipped to focus on the most relevant skills and experience.

1.3.1Extract from a sample Claim for the Position

Below is an example of how a job applicant might apply for a position requiring ‘sound planning and organisational skills and high level communication skills. It is provided to give a sense of how a claim for the position can be approached. The level of detail provided will be dependent upon the level of the position.

Sound planning and organisational skills

For the past three years I have been responsible for ensuring Brigade assets and equipment are properly maintained and accounted for by the preparation of zone financial estimates and budgets and monitoring expenditure. These activities have involved considerable planning and organisational skills to ensure appropriate and timely levels of service.

I have also supervised the attendance and availability of retained fire fighters and juggled the staffing and resources to maintain operational effectiveness. These duties require me to establish and maintain a tight work schedule. This schedule incorporates contingency planning.

Outside work, I am a member of the Harriers Group. For the past six months I have taken on the responsibility for coordinating runs and social activities for the Group. I identify suitable runs and write, publish and disseminate a fortnightly newsletter.