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Selection Criteria ArticlesSteps to take when hiring a Professional Selection Criteria Writer Finding a professional, experienced and qualified selection criteria writer to write your selection criteria is tougher than it sounds. Unfortunately, here in Australia the industry is largely unregulated which means that anyone can establish a business, create an online presence and claim that they are able to secure and win jobs on behalf of their clients. This is just not possible! Whilst hiring a professional selection criteria writer will greatly improve your written application, enhance your chance of interview and even boost your interview performance, no-one will be able to guarantee success. There are just too many unknown variables that form part of the short-listing process that are beyond the scope of the professional selection criteria writer or selection criteria specialist. In saying all of this, selection criteria writers are not created equal and there are some critical steps that you can take to ensure that you safeguard yourself and hire the best person for the job based on YOUR unique needs. Step One A professional selection criteria writer will be committed to high standards in personal and professional ethics and should encourage and welcome questions and scrutiny from prospective clients. For those that don’t, you may question whether they are the right person for the job! Examples of questions to ask them include: Do they use subcontractors or ghostwriters? These are people who either work directly for or are subcontract their services to resume and selection criteria writers. They may be qualified or unqualified and can be very good at their jobs. However, if you choose to use a particular resume or selection criteria writer don't you want to know who is actually going to be writing your response and who will have access to personal and confidential information. Some ghostwriters and subcontractors are locally based and therefore have good insight into the local Australian job market however others can be based overseas with limited knowledge of local job markets. Do they have writing credentials? A professional selection criteria writer will be committed to personal and professional development and will seek to better serve their clients by furthering their knowledge and expertise within their specialist field. Those individuals with resume writing credentials will be best-equipped to assist you. These global resume writing qualifications will ensure that the selection criteria writer that you hire is part of an international network of career management professionals with access to modern resume writing trends and cutting-edge industry expertise. Examples of these qualifications include: CARW (Certified Advanced Resume Writer), CERW (Certified Expert Resume Writer), CRS (Certified Resume Specialist) and CPRW (Certified Professional Resume Writer). Do they have experience in recruitment and selection? This may seem like a really obvious one, however not all selection criteria writers have ACTUAL experience in recruitment and selection. Writers who have worked within recruitment and selection, as recruiters, hiring managers or Human Resource professionals will be able to offer you unique insight into the recruitment and selection process and will have a really good understanding of what employers are looking for in a winning selection criteria statement. Are they members of any industry associations or professional organisations? Membership of an industry association or professional organisation will safeguard your interests and give you access to greater client protection, improved levels of service, enhanced quality products and a forum to gather further information or seek recourse if you are not satisfied in any way. Examples of industry associations include: Career Directors International, Association of Online Career and Resume Professionals, Career Development Association of Australia and Australian Human Resources Institute. Step Two Most qualified selection criteria writers will have a page of their website dedicated to testimonials. Read through these and you’ll get a sense of the selection criteria writer and what sets them apart from other providers out there. Remember, testimonials will vary widely from writer to writer however should at the very least contain basic information about the client. This ensures that the information contained as part of the testimonial is true and accurate and comes from a real person and is not made up by the business-owner! Step Three Will you need to find time out your hectic schedule to attend a face-to-face meeting? Are they based locally? Does this matter? Some professional selection criteria writers will offer a face-to-face consultation or overnight service (where they guarantee that your selection criteria statement will be ready within 24 hours.) This usually comes at a premium and you will be charged more for express jobs. Other selection criteria writers may offer an online consultation where you will have time to reflect and brainstorm your key accomplishments as well as undertake this preparation whilst juggling your work/life and family commitments. They should guide you through the process providing detailed informational interview questions which will help you to identify your achievements and "unique selling points" - those things that set you apart from other job-seekers with similar backgrounds and experience levels. Sitting down and answering specific questions tailored to your experience and skills will help you to uncover your unique accomplishments and will also serve as great interview preparation. Where possible, give yourself and the selection criteria writer enough time to put together a top quality application. Selection criteria are time-consuming, even for qualified selection criteria writers, so it makes sense to give all parties as much notice as possible. This will ensure that you are able to book the writer that you want to work with in advance, as well as have input into the final document. Qualified selection criteria writers will encourage your input and consultation into the development process and will welcome feedback and comments. After all, this is your selection criteria response so you need to make sure that you are happy with the result. Step Four Because of the time involved in writing selection criteria answers you will find that most providers are not cheap! If they are, you will need to ask yourself whether their service offers you the best chance at winning an interview. It is common practice for selection criteria writers to charge based on the time required to complete the application. As part of their quote they will consider the number of criteria that need answering, their complexity or technicality, any associated word limits or application requirements which ultimately relates to the time required to complete the application. Realistic quotes will range from as little as $200 for expressions of interest to well over $500 for full-blown selection criteria statements. Consider the amount of time it would take YOU to complete the application.....what is your hourly rate? And is your time better spent on something else? Remember, in most cases you will be able to adapt this material for future applications if you need to. A professionally written response is an investment in your future and could mean the difference between winning a new job or earning that well-deserved promotion. All the best in your search for a selection criteria specialist and selection criteria writer! Happy Hunting!
For an obligation free quote and assessment please feel free to contact me on nikky@CareerPro.net.au or call me on 0404 427 212 PO Box 7180 Mount Crosby QLD 4306 ABN: 82 720 953 027
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Having held a range of diverse and varied roles as Recruiter, Human Resources and Hiring Manager, and selection panel member, having sat on hundreds of selection panels, it seemed only natural that 
