Creating Your Job Selection Criteria

Creating Your Job Selection Criteria

Treat your job search as a focused selection process rather than applying to every plausible opening. Before reviewing job ads, define what you want in a role. Use those criteria to shortlist opportunities, and track each application to stay organized and make a professional impression.

Job-selection pyramid

Write down your criteria and assess job ads from the bottom of the pyramid upward.

• Key requirements and non-negotiables: Identify four to six essentials a role must meet. If a job misses a non-negotiable, don’t apply. Examples include:
  • A minimum acceptable salary, such as a $50,000 walk-away salary, distinct from a higher “dream salary.”
  • At least two work-from-home days per week.
  • A commute of 30 minutes or less.
  • A relevant job title or function, such as payroll manager or a similar role.
• Nice-to-haves: List preferences that would be valuable but aren’t essential. Examples include working for an employer with a strong social conscience, occasional remote work, a preferred industry, or learning and development support.
• “Cherry on top”: Note bonuses that would make a role especially appealing, such as additional annual leave, working for a sports organization, or Friday lunches.

Keep your criteria personal: different candidates may classify the same feature differently. Revisit them as you learn more from job ads and interviews; a new discovery may become a non-negotiable.

Application-selection playbook

• Apply the pyramid to multiple ads before submitting applications. A role should meet all your non-negotiables; don’t apply just because it satisfies most of them.
• Use your judgment based on how many relevant openings are available. When there are many options, be more selective.
• Shortlist first, then prioritize the best-fitting roles. For example, review 15 roles and apply to the strongest matches rather than sending 15 applications immediately.
• Aim for a maximum of two applications per day, allowing about two hours per application to prepare a meaningful submission.
• If you’re looking for work full-time, set aside about four hours per day for job searching and applications. The presenter suggests using days such as Monday and Tuesday to review ads and build a shortlist.

Application tracking process

Use a spreadsheet or printed tracker to record:

• Job title and employer
• Link to the advertisement; consider saving or printing the ad in case it expires
• Interest level, scored out of 10
• Application date
• Current status
• Notes and next steps, such as the application closing date or an interview appointment

Suggested status stages include applied, application acknowledged, phone interview, waiting for feedback, first interview, second interview, reference checking, awaiting outcome, withdrawn, and unsuccessful.

Keep the tracker current so you can respond confidently when an employer or recruiter contacts you.

Timelines and practical guidance

• Record advertised closing dates, particularly for government roles. You don’t necessarily need to wait until the deadline to apply.
• After two to three weeks without a response, the likelihood of hearing back may be lower. After four weeks, hearing back is described as extremely unlikely for many roles. Government recruitment can take longer.
• Keep unsuccessful applications in the tracker rather than deleting them.

Key recommendation: Favor a small number of well-matched, carefully prepared applications over mass-applying. This makes the process more manageable and helps you remember which roles you’ve applied for.

Presenter and source

• Presenter: Not identified in the subtitles
• Source: The Candidate Coach, “Creating Your Job Selection Criteria”