Selection Criteria Writers for Every Australian State and Territory Framework
NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, NT, TAS and the ACT — each has its own capability framework, its own communication conventions, and its own assessment criteria. We've spent a decade writing to all of them. No AI. No offshore. No templates.
Eight states and territories. Eight different frameworks.
Each Australian jurisdiction has its own capability framework, its own assessment language and its own conventions for what a strong selection criteria response actually looks like. Here's the landscape we work across.
Four capability groups — Personal Attributes, Relationships, Results, Business Enablers — each scaled across five levels (Foundational to Highly Advanced). Roles are advertised at a specific capability level, and your responses must match that level. Often paired with focus capabilities and complementary capabilities.
View the official framework ↗Six core capability groups — Specialist Expertise, Personal Qualities, Interpersonal Skills, Cognitive Skills, Self-Management, Outcome Focus. Levels are role-grade specific (VPS3, VPS4, VPS5, VPS6, EO). Responses are usually requested as one-page pitch or short STAR-style narratives.
View the official framework ↗Five core capabilities for all roles — Vision, Results, Accountability, plus role-specific technical capabilities. Increasingly applications request a one-page or 1000-word "statement of claims" rather than per-criterion responses, requiring tight prioritisation of the right examples.
View the official framework ↗Capability profiles vary by occupational stream and classification (Level 1 through SES Band 3). Strong emphasis on demonstrated experience and behavioural indicators. WA roles often request brief written responses plus an integrated work sample assessment.
View the official framework ↗South Australia's framework is structured around five competency areas with explicit behavioural descriptors. Applications typically request short-paragraph STAR responses listed in the same order as the position description, plus a structured cover letter (Introduction / Body / Conclusion).
View the official framework ↗Five capability domains scaled across role levels. NT applications also frequently include a referee statement and reasonable adjustment provisions. Strong cultural competency expectations across all levels — especially relevant for remote service delivery roles.
View the official framework ↗Capability descriptors are paired with a STAR-method response expectation. The Senior Executive Leadership Capability framework applies to executive roles. Tas applications often have shorter response word limits than mainland equivalents — brevity and precision matter.
View the official framework ↗Five capability clusters across all classifications (ASO2 through SES). Applications routinely request a "pitch" of one page or 1000 words rather than per-criterion responses. Tight integration with ACT Government merit principles and integrity expectations.
View the official framework ↗Strategic questions. Real examples. Structured responses.
Selection criteria responses aren't writing prompts — they're evidence. Our approach is built around extracting the right examples from your career, then structuring them to demonstrate the specific capabilities the framework is testing.
We start with the position description and capability framework
Before we ask you anything, we read the position description against the relevant state framework and identify exactly what's being tested at what level. For complex applications we research your industry, the agency, and the specific role context.
We develop strategic questions for our information call
For each criterion, we draft the questions that will pull the strongest example from your career. These are the questions a hiring manager or HR would ask in an interview — which is why our information call doubles as interview preparation.
We run an hour-long Teams or phone consultation
Verbal intake — no forms. We ask, you talk, we capture. By the end of the call we have the full structured evidence we need to write strong, specific responses. You'll find yourself remembering examples you'd forgotten you had.
We structure responses using STAR, CAR or SOAR
Whichever methodology fits the application format. Per-criterion responses, one-page pitches, 1000-word statements of claims, statement against major duties — we adapt to whatever format the role requests.
We write to the framework's language, not generic government-speak
Each state's framework uses specific behavioural descriptors, terminology and assessment criteria. We use the exact language the panel will be looking for, so your responses align with how your application will actually be scored.
14 days of uncapped revisions after delivery
Once drafts are sent, you have two weeks of unlimited revisions. No round limits, no per-edit fees. Your responses are finalised when you say they're finalised — not when we say they are.
"The process of asking these questions acts as interview training. We're asking you the questions the hiring manager will ask — so by the time the interview comes around, you've already articulated your strongest examples out loud."
— Marc Cayzer, Senior Selection Criteria Writer
Three real applications. Three different state contexts.
A graduate nurse, an executive property professional, and a finance officer — each with a different state framework, a different career stage, and a different challenge. Names changed, role contexts preserved.
Nursing graduate · Western Australia
Jess had worked as an Enrolled Nurse before completing her Bachelor of Nursing. She was applying for graduate roles nation-wide, with selection criteria covering interpersonal skills, continuous improvement, hygiene and PPE protocols, patient-centred care, and multi-disciplinary collaboration.
Examples from her EN experience where she'd assisted senior clinicians, adapted her approach to specific patient needs, and identified workplace improvements and hazards. We integrated relevant Nursing and Midwifery Board legislation and the Privacy Act 1988, with a focus on response brevity to fit tight word limits.
Property executive · Band 8 state government role
Adam was a property development and relationship manager in private enterprise, frequently working alongside government. Extensive achievements, consistent professional membership involvement. He was applying for a challenging Band 8 role in public property management.
We worked through the major duties together, mapped his major infrastructure deliveries, and developed each response with explicit Approach and Result sections using industry terminology. We focused on experiences that demonstrated innovation, aligning his commercial-sector achievements with the proposed challenges of the role.
Finance officer · State service application
Shoan was an accounting professional facing increasingly tough competition. CPA-qualified, with a Master of Professional Accounting and a completed professional year, applying for a Finance Officer role in the state service.
We focused on examples that were client-centric, demonstrated a sound approach to challenges, and could showcase ethical decision-making. The state service tests communication and contextual adaptation explicitly, so we carefully selected an example where he'd worked with a major stakeholder through a negotiation challenge.
Common questions about state government applications.
Do you write for all states and territories?
Yes. We've written selection criteria responses for all eight state and territory frameworks — NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, NT, TAS and the ACT — across roles from entry-level operational positions through to senior executive (Band 9, EO, SES, Senior Practitioner). Each framework has its own behavioural descriptors, classification structure and assessment language, which is why generic 'government' selection criteria writing services rarely produce strong responses.
Can you handle the new "one page pitch" or "1000-word statement" format?
Yes — and this format is now standard in QLD and ACT applications, increasingly common in VIC, and appearing more often in NSW. The shift from per-criterion responses to a consolidated pitch requires tighter prioritisation: which two or three examples best demonstrate the most capabilities, in what order, with what framing. We've adapted our methodology to the format. The principle stays the same: develop the responses well, demonstrate capabilities clearly, avoid padding, and emphasise your approach and actions above all else.
How is your process different from a federal APS application?
The methodology is similar (information call, structured responses using STAR / CAR / SOAR, capability-aligned writing) but the framework language differs significantly between federal and state systems. APS uses the ILS framework with specific language around 'shapes strategic thinking', 'achieves results', 'cultivates productive working relationships' etc. State frameworks use different domain names, different behavioural indicators and different classification structures. We use the exact framework language that the assessing panel will be looking for.
What's the turnaround time for a typical state government application?
Three business days from when invoice is paid to drafts in your inbox is our standard turnaround for a complete application package (resume + selection criteria + cover letter). Longer responses or executive-level applications may take an additional day or two. We also offer expedited turnaround for an additional fee if your application closing date is tighter. After delivery you have 14 days of uncapped revisions.
What if I don't have strong examples for one of the criteria?
Most clients arrive at the call thinking they have weaker examples than they actually do. Our information call is structured specifically to find examples you've forgotten or undervalued — including from previous roles, volunteer work, professional memberships, or projects that didn't feel significant at the time. If after a thorough call there's genuinely no example for a particular capability, we'll discuss with you whether to use a less-direct example with strong framing, or to draw on your broader career narrative. We don't fabricate examples.
Do you guarantee I'll get the job?
No — and we'd be cautious about any service that claims they can. Selection criteria responses are evaluated by a panel against a competitive applicant pool. Your interview performance, the panel's specific priorities, and applicant pool depth are all out of our hands. What we do guarantee: if you're not employed within 90 days of receiving your documents, we'll rewrite them at no charge. The rewrite guarantee covers the document; the role is decided by the panel.
Get state government selection criteria written by writers who know every framework.
Submit the quote form and a senior writer will respond within two business hours. Quote returned, no obligation. Or skip the form and book a free 15-minute call directly.
From quote form to signed-off documents.
Twelve defined steps. No "we'll be in touch when it's ready." As fast as 4 days from first contact to drafts in your inbox.
Get our 60-page Get Job Ready guide.
Submit the quote form and we'll send our complete Get Job Ready guide before your free 15-minute call. Sixty pages on the 2026 Australian job market — government applications, selection criteria, ATS, LinkedIn, position descriptions, the free training that actually counts, and the ten career quizzes we built on our site. Written in-house by senior writers. Not for sale.
Case studies
Nursing
Jess now works in Perth as a Graduate Nurse.