KSCs, Resumes, Advice and Warnings Derek Whitehead Swinburne University of Technology.

KSCs, Resumes, Advice and Warnings

Derek WhiteheadSwinburne University of Technology

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About Swinburne

> Dual sector university – in Australia 13,000 higher education students (EFTSU), 13,000 TAFE (technical and further education) (FTE)

> Rapid growth based on international students

> Five campuses in Melbourne, one in Malaysia

> Technological university – engineering, Information and communications technology, design, life and social sciences, business.

> Strong research focus

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Swinburne Library, Swinburne Circus

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Hiring a new person is stressful

> New people are a risk – selection processes not an exact science

> A new person is a large investment – maybe $250K plus supervision and management time over 5 years

> A new person has an impact on the team – good or bad – so impact has a ripple effect

> Known people have an advantage over unknown because we are risk averse

> Stressful for the person being hired too

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Universities

> Bureaucracies with thousands of staff

> They have HR departments – 25 people in Swinburne’s

> They have business degrees

> At La Trobe University HR is called People and Culture

> There may be more than one layer – e.g. a separate library HR unit

> The hiring process may be quite slow – up to two months

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More about universities

> Universities have lots of rules – e.g. La Trobe has a rule that you get 10 working days notice of your interview, if you get an interview

> Selection panels may be quite large – 5 is common even for junior positions

> Seek is the most common location for advertisements

> Processes may be automated

> Processes are formal. Why? (a) control, (b) risk aversion, (c) HR department has expertise to share.

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Universities are big

> University libraries have between 60 and 300 staff.

> Universities all have probation periods – rarely used to get rid of mistakes

> Universities account for about 25% of Australian library employment

> Universities have the best superannuation

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More about universities

> Universities mostly have plenty of information – e.g. how to apply http://cerebus.sss.monash.edu.au/employ/how-to-apply.asp

> Swinburne has an e-recruitment service – you can ONLY apply online.

> You must upload a letter of application, a statement addressing KSC, and a CV or resume, or it won’t let you apply. Very unforgiving.

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Universities – Swinburne

> My HR department provides heaps of stuff to me

– Recruitment checklist and guidelines

– Referee report form

– Sample applicant evaluation form

– Instructions on using the software

– Advice on conducting interviews and Sample questions

– More than I can use

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Which jobs to apply for?

> One you really want – do some research so you can say why

> It is VERY bad to give the impression that you just want a job, any job. You must want THIS job.

> A job within your capabilities – maybe stretch jobs, but not fantasies. Be realistic, ask for advice

> A job for which you have experience – bad luck about that

> What to do if you lack experience?

> Are 60% (or whatever) of jobs never advertised? Not true for libraries. Why do agencies say its true?

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The interview

> You have to get an interview – many processes use a filter

– Qualifications– Experience– Key selection criteria– relatives

> Early is better than late. Have a look around if you haven’t

> Look whatever you think the panel will think is nice

> Intelligence (intelligence like spies) is good – know about the place, the panel, use your networks

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The selection criteria

> Some people won’t interview you if you don’t address KSC specifically

> Old style PDs and KSC are comprehensive – I have seen PDs with almost 100 tasks listed – modern style is spare.

> Now called key selection capabilities

> But in ours there is detail about OH&S and equity to make a point – but the point isn’t about selection

> Two kinds of criteria – objective / personal. What can you do? What kind of person are you?

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The selection criteria

Experience / Knowledge / Attributes

1 Excellent customer skills across a range of internal and external customers

2 Awareness of and interest in developments in collection management

3 Ability to develop knowledge and understanding of information requirements and resources in relevant discipline areas.

4 Good organisational skills and proven ability to respond flexibly to evolving requirements.

5 Relevant technical skills such as use of library management systems, online learning systems, standard PC applications and web skills.

6 Ability to work independently and to contribute effectively as a member of a team.

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The selection criteria

1 Substantial knowledge of and experience in providing customer services, preferably in an academic library setting

2 Substantial hands on technical experience resolving issues with wireless network connections, common PC issues and printing.

3 Experience in team supervision.

4 Excellent negotiation skills and ability to use judgement and discretion.

5 Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multiple teams, to provide team leadership, to supervise others, and to work independently.

6 Strong customer service focus and skills, including ability to deal equitably and sensitively with customer diversity.

7 Demonstrated problem solving skills, including ability to exercise initiative and achieve creative solutions,

8 Good organisational skills and proven ability to respond flexibly to evolving requirements.

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The selection criteria

1.Relevant experience within a library, university or publishing environment

2.Knowledge of information resource licensing

3.Demonstrated skills in using and developing spreadsheets and databases

4.Demonstrated skills in using email and web publishing software

5.Demonstrated ability to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines

6.Demonstrated analytical and problem solving skills

7.Demonstrated attention to detail to ensure accuracy in documentation

8.Demonstrated ability to work positively as a member of a team as well as on an individual basis

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The selection criteria

> Mandatory and desirable. e.g.

> A tertiary degree / qualifications in a relevant discipline with subsequent relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training. Essential.

> What does it mean

> Often the difference between important and less important

> Qualifications vs attributes

> Qualifications vs Experience / Knowledge / Attributes: Required by the incumbent to successfully perform the position’s key responsibilities

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The selection criteria - *STAR*

> Support all claims with evidence, not unsubstantiated claims > All aspects of your life can be used to illustrate that you fulfill the

key selection capabilities.

> Use the STAR approach in providing concrete examples that demonstrate your skills and abilities and illustrate the complexity and demands of the task– Describe the Situation – Identify the Task/problem that needed to be

performed/solved– Explain the Action you took and what skills you used– Specify the Results.

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The unstated selection criteria

> What do we really want?

– Someone who will fit into the team and work harmoniously with their colleagues and boss

– Some capability too

> Scoring the candidates

– Usually on a scale of 1-3 or 1-5

– Not usually weighted, so therefore meaningless

– The supervisor has the most weight

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Much more complex than you think

> The process is more than application + interview + referees, for example:

> Feel free to telephone the contact person – but your conversation will be part of the process. Take care.

> Cut and paste can be dangerous

> Don’t use Times New Roman, it looks fussy and old-fashioned. Use something webby.

> Use good grammar, take care with expression, punctuate appropriately.

> Applying at the last minute is fine. But not late.

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Much more complex than you think

> What about your Facebook site? Your friends of Goths site? Do employers do a Google search on you? Is that fair?

> You should assume that they will.

> But you have to be yourself, in the end.

> Always tell your referees what you are doing and send them a copy

> Always give your current supervisor as a referee – their absence looks bad

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Thank you

Derek Whitehead

Swinburne University of Technology

[email protected]

Tel. (03) 92148333