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About the Department

Practical Application Tips

The application is an assessed example of your written communication skills. The time invested in preparing and writing your application is often an indication of your desire to participate in the program. Below are some practical tips as a guide to help you in your application preparation.

Preparation

  • allow yourself a minimum of 45 minutes to prepare and complete the application
  • do not leave your application to the last minute. You may have difficulty submitting your application, as the system can become very busy and the server may fail. Please note that late applications will not be accepted
  • printing the application prior to completing can be useful, especially for questions that require detailed answers
  • be prepared and read the instructions and questions carefully
  • after completing your application review and check for spelling, grammar and punctuation. You would be surprised by how many applications we receive with errors.

Personal details

  • complete all of your personal contact details
  • include an email address that is current, reliable and accessible
  • if possible provide your home number as well as a mobile as an alternative contact number. It may be useful to have voicemail if you are not contactable during business hours
  • save your login information, and update your personal details as they change.

Referees

  • include referees who have known you in a professional capacity, for example your manager or lecturer. Your referees may be contacted to substantiate your responses to the selection criteria.

Addressing selection criteria

The responses provided against each of the selection criteria are the most important part of the application, as this information will be used to shortlist applicants for further consideration.

When addressing the selection criteria please ensure you:

  • restrict your responses to the word limit specified
  • identify and address the specific elements of each selection criteria
  • use an example for each question that best addresses relevant skills and abilities in relation to the selection criteria. Your responses can draw on work, volunteer, university or personal experience
  • where appropriate use dot points to aid explanation.

When addressing the selection criteria you should refer to the department’s Capability Development Framework. The Capability Development Framework for APS3 sets out the core capabilities, skills and behaviours required by a generalist graduate.
See: APS3 – Capability Development Framework ( 65KB PDF file)

When describing your examples it is recommended you apply the STAR model, outlined below.
Example: If describing a task you have been involved with, use:

  • S = Situation – (Describe the Situation)
  • T = Task – (Give an outline of the task)
  • A = Actions – (Discuss what actions you took to complete the task)
  • R = Result – (Describe the result and what outcomes you achieved.)