How to structure responses to key selection criteria in an application letter

Question

The job I am applying for lists several selection criteria, some of which overlap in their scope and most of which overlap in the experiences I would draw from to respond to them. Is it preferred that I list the selection criteria as separate headings and respond directly to each; revisiting most of my actual experiences under numerous headings? Or, shall I structure the letter so that it would read more fluently if you weren't specifically looking for these criteria, while making sure to informally address each criteria throughout the letter?

Answer 1

Is it preferred that I list the selection criteria as separate headings and respond directly to each

Yes. Make this as structured and as easy to read as possible. Often a table works great. In many cases the first person to read your resume is an HR staffer, who may have very little knowledge about the job and the field. They may have to scan dozens of resumes per day for all different types of jobs.

Avoid any type of jargon are acronyms. Keep it short. Make sure you clearly state whether you meet or do not meet the requirement. It's ok to have a few holes, that's expected. But don't leave it up to the staffer to decide or expect them to plow through your resume in great detail. The easier you can make it for the staffer the higher is the chance that your resume will end up in front of someone with actual knowledge about the job and the skills.

Answer 2

Your application might be scored based on the criteria. This is more likely to happen in a large public organisation in "the west".

If you think this is plausible then you should answer the criteria under separate headings. This makes it easier to score and significantly less likely that the reader will skim over a key detail that contributes to one of the scores.

The person assigning a score may not be your prospective manager. They could be a random manager, a HR goon, or even an intern.