Resume and Selection
Criteria
HDR
Nina Perry
Career Counsellor
Careers and Employment Service
Aims of this session:
 Know what employers are looking for in a
resume and selection criteria
 Know what a good (and bad) resume looks
like
 Understand how to tailor a resume to meet
employer expectations
 Know what content can evidence skills,
experience, accomplishments and potential
 Know how to respond correctly to selection
criteria
Careers and Employment Service, Student Services
But first…..
 Have you come today with any burning
questions?
 Did you bring a copy of your resume?
Careers and Employment Service, Student Services
The recruiters perspective on
resumes
Q. What is the main purpose
of a resume?
Best way to eliminate?
Recruiters scan for:
 Suitable qualifications / training for the specific role
 Skills, experience and /or abilities that fit the role
 Interest and keenness (objective statement, free from
errors)
Where to start? With a wide sweep….
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What do you have to offer – where’s the evidence? Think of yourself
in terms of skills, knowledge and experience.
What experience do you have? This includes research experience,
previous work or professional experience, other activities in your
social life. Focus on key responsibilities and achievements.
What knowledge do you have? If your subject knowledge is
relevant, this should be a major part of your CV, for jobs unrelated to
your specialism, try to explain research briefly in plain English.
What skills do you have? Systematically reflect on all aspects of your
life and consider what skills you have gained from them. Don’t ignore
skills gained outside of your research or your department.
Who are your writing this for? Move away from the history of your
life to focus on what the employer wants.
Taken from http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/students/handouts/postgradcvsresearch_08.pdf
Tailor your
resume to suit
• Different industries
• Different countries
• Different jobs
Comparing Resumes
Jobs using your specialist area:
• Focus on your subject specific achievements, ability to deliver
end results, your education, any projects and resources
managed, relevant techniques and knowledge, and skills such
as team work, problem solving and creativity
Academic jobs
• Focus on your subject specific achievements and education,
your past, current and future research interests, any teaching,
demonstrating or departmental administration activities, and
anything to demonstrate your research skills and professional
standing
Unrelated jobs
• Focus on your key transferable skills which are appropriate to
the job, particularly highlighting achievements which have
been gained outside of an academic research context and avoid
over-technical descriptions.
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Taken from http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/students/handouts/postgradcvsresearch_08.pdf
Top Tips for Academic
resumes…
 Activity – brainstorm what information/headings
should be in an academic resume
Top Tips for Academic resumes
 Profile academic achievements, research interests,
teaching experience
 Consider creating an appendix list of your
publications and an abstract of your research work
 Check out resumes of other researchers in your
faculty as styles and norms vary from field to field
 Highlight your research achievements!
Examples:
Prospects UK Academic CV Guide
Post Graduate Resume Sample- QUT
Template- Curtin University
Top tips for non-academic
resumes
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Tailor to job requirements
Include only relevant information
Spell out transferable skills
Focus on achievements/outcomes
Do not include too many details on publications etc
Examples- AGCAS
Transferable Skills for Phd’s
Skill
How it transfers
Information Management
Applying analytical skills to a large
volume of data and coming up with
actionable intelligence
Time Management
Management of self and team
Project Management
Complex projects that need to be well
planned and managed
Teamwork & Collaboration
Working with people across multiple
divisions
Leadership
Ability to step forward and get the job
done
Communication
Written and oral communication
Creative problem solving
Identifying a problem, clarifying it
and researching possible solutions
Focus on what they want to see, not
what you are proud to show
7 advantages PhD’s have over other job candidates..
• They know how to find answers – industry is
looking for people who can identify problems, find
the right problem and then find the right answer
• They don’t fear failure, they learn from it
• They know how to deal with demanding bosses
• They are comfortable with uncertainty – you know
that without uncertainty, discovery would be
impossible
• They are used to being creators of information
• They thrive on both competition and collaboration
(Thank you to the Cheeky Scientist)
Presentation is everything….
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Non academic resumes – 3 pages
Academic – can go up to 6+ pages
Use distinctive headings
Use bullet points
Use strong action words e.g.
initiated, coordinated, managed,
developed
Clear and consistent font
No large blocks of text
Use white space
Appropriate order
You be the judge….
Resume check
activity..
Professional Profile
• Highlight key experience &
knowledge for the role- be specific
• Convey enthusiasm
• Consider the mutual benefits
The Application Letter is
important
Four key parts:
1. The reason for your letter and your
present circumstances
2. Indicate your interest in ‘this’
organisation and support your interest
3. Match what the advertisement
indicates is required with what you can
offer
4. Closing remarks (‘meeting you’ &
contact details)
Respond Effectively to Selection
Criteria
 Critical to selection process
 Require evidence
» Evidence from experience incl. graduate
skills
» Outline your knowledge or approach
» Be specific
» Add dimension or quality
 Don’t leave points blank
 Proof read
 Always keep a copy (for interviews)
Example of Selection Criteria…
 A Phd in…..
 Demonstrated evidence of high quality learning and
teaching outcomes at the tertiary level and
demonstrated ability to teach and manage large class
sizes
 Demonstrated ability to engage students in learning
activities
 Demonstrated evidence of achievement in research
 Demonstrated capacity for the innovative use of digital
technology in course delivery (particularly in
developing online courses)
Ways of responding
Start by stating your claim:
Proven record of successful teaching experience within
a tertiary environment.
“I have … years experience teaching ….undergraduate
students in … and have achieved very positive course
evaluations in this regard”
Back up with evidence either using
• STAR technique – providing a detailed example
• Bullet points – providing multiple examples
Using STAR
What was the Situation?
“ As a tutor for ….
What was the Task?
“Students were demonstrating difficulty
understanding…
What Action did you take?
“I took a creative approach to helping them understand
by…
What was the result?
“Students responded well & commented on my
effectiveness in the course evaluations”
Example using DOT POINTS…
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Phone the employer to ask about the required length of responses, format and so on.
•Careers and Employment Service
www.griffith.edu.au/careers-employment
•Careers and Employment Service
Resources covered in this seminar
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Vitae Researcher Careers information- https://www.vitae.ac.uk/researcher-careers
Understanding yourself as a researcher- https://www.vitae.ac.uk/researcher-careers/careermanagement-for-researchers/understanding-yourself
Graduate Careers Australia Post Graduate Destinations 2014 http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/research/researchreports/postgraduatedestinations
The Scientific Century, securing our future prosperity, The Royal Societyhttps://royalsociety.org/~/media/Royal_Society_Content/policy/publications/2010/4294970126.
pdf
Griffith Higher Degree Research Graduate Attributes- https://www.griffith.edu.au/higherdegrees-research/research-degrees/graduate-attributes
University of Reading, what employers want from PhD grads http://www.reading.ac.uk/careers/postgrad
Identifying transferable skills- careers outside of academia employability lenshttps://www.vitae.ac.uk/vitae-publications/rdf-related/employability-lens-vitae-researcherdevelopment-framework-rdf-may-2012.pdf
What Job Can I Get - By Discipline- https://www.griffith.edu.au/careers-employment/forstudents/what-job-can-i-get-with-my-degree
Resources
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Careerboardhttps://www115.secure.griffith.edu.au/careerboard/students/config/viewas/selectrole?returnUrl
=%2Fcareerboard%2F
Tips for conducting workplace interviewshttps://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/562262/Workplace-Interviewing.pdf
Networking in the research community http://resource.unisa.edu.au/course/view.php?id=3252
LinkedIn for Higher Education- https://university.linkedin.com/
file:///C:/Users/s384289/Downloads/university_researchers_job_market_effective_job_selectio
n_vol2.pdf
From Scholar to Dollar – Job guide- http://fromscholartodollar.com/
http://www.academiccareer.manchester.ac.uk/
Prospects UK Academic Resume Templatehttp://www.prospects.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/cv_academic_2015.pdf
Academic resume example- QUThttp://www.careers.qut.edu.au/student/postgrad/Academic%20Resume%20template.pdf
Resources
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Non-academic resume exampleshttps://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/specialistsupport/researchers/agcas_cvexamples
Bureau of Meterology Guide to addressing selection criteriahttp://www.bom.gov.au/careers/guide2SC.shtml
PhD Interview Preparation Guide- http://postdoc.unl.edu/documents/interview_prep.pdf
The changing PhD- Discussion Paper 2013, The Group of Eight