Some Handy Hints
The following are some handy hints to keep in the back of your mind when you are preparing your application:

• Imagine that the selection committee has no knowledge of you
• You must address all of the selection criteria as listed against the role you are applying for
• You must address each of the selection criteria individually
• You can write in prose or in dot points as long as you provide enough information to support your claims
• You should aim for between half a page and a full page of claims against each selection criteria – no more
• Make sure that the font you use is large enough and clear enough to be easily read
• Mark the various sections of your application clearly
• You don’t need to attach evidence of courses you have attended or the qualifications you have achieved. If we need to see them, we will ask you to bring the originals to the interview with you.

Read the Selection Documentation
The selection documentation is available for each role in the “Vacancies” section. The selection documentation has four parts:

• Job Description
• Selection Criteria
• Duties
• Any other relevant information

It is important that you read all of the documentation before you prepare your application as all of the information should be used to shape your application. More detailed descriptions of each part of the selection documentation are provided below:

Job Description - The information contained in the job description is unique to the role. It will provide you with an overview of the tasks to be undertaken and the outputs expected of the person in the role. It is important that you shape your claims against the selection criteria so that the selection panel can clearly see how you would be able to successfully achieve these tasks and outputs.

Selection Criteria - The selection criteria is the most important information for your application. It sets out the criteria against which your suitability for the role will be tested. AUSTRAC has adopted the Australian Public Service Commission’s (APSC) five core capability clusters as our core selection criteria. In order to better understand these criteria, you are strongly encouraged to visit the APSC’s link at http://www.apsc.gov.au/ils/index.html.

Please note that you are not expected to address each of the sub-elements of the five capabilities but rather to reflect the theme of each capability in your claims against the selection criteria.

Talk to the Contact Officer
Every role advertised in the Vacancies section of this website will have a nominated contact officer. You are encouraged to speak to the contact officer when considering whether to apply for the role. The contact officer can give you first hand, detailed information on the role and can answer any of your questions on the tasks to be performed and the team

within which you will work. By speaking with the contact officer, you will be better able to decide whether you are suited to the role. The contact officer can give you valuable information about the role that is not contained in the selection documentation.

What to Include in Your Application
There are a few things you should include in your application such as:

• A covering letter to the AUSTRAC Recruitment Officer that clearly states the role for which you are applying
• A completed AUSTRAC Job Application Cover Sheet. A copy of the cover sheet is available in Microsoft Word format by clicking on the link above.
  The Word version can be used when submitting your application online.
  A PDF version is available here
• Your claims against the selection criteria for the role
• A curriculum vitae or an outline of your work history.

Preparing Your Statement of Claims Against the Selection Criteria
Your statement of claims against the selection criteria is the most important part of your application. It sets out the criteria against which your suitability for the role will be tested. Please give due care and attention to making your statement the best it can be. The following points will assist you in preparing your statement of claims.

• The statement must address each of the selection criteria.
• The statement should address each of the selection criteria separately.
• You should write between a half and one page against each of the criteria – definitely no more than one page for each criterion!
• In addressing each of the criteria, you should consider what each criteria is asking. To do this, you should visit the Australian Public Service Commission website link that explains the core capability clusters upon which AUSTRAC has based its selection criteria http://www.apsc.gov.au/ils/index.html
• Please note that you are not expected to address each of the sub-elements of the five capabilities but rather to reflect the theme of each capability in your claims against the selection criteria.
• When you write your claims against each criterion, you should provide examples of your experience, how you have applied your skills in a situation or how you have contributed to the successful completion of a task or outcome. You should use examples that relate to the selection criterion you are addressing, the job description and the duties for the role.
• You should read the job description and duties for the role. You should keep this information in mind when you are choosing examples to put in your statement of claims. You should choose examples that are most relevant to the job description and duties so that you can clearly show your ability to do the AUSTRAC role successfully.

Get Started!
You should now have all the information you need to put together your application. If you have any questions, you should contact the AUSTRAC Recruitment Officer. Click on the link above for contact details.

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