A growing number of Australian Public Service (APS) job ads now include instructions like this:
Your application will need to include a resume tailored to the advertised role. Your resume should include job titles and dates and specific examples that demonstrate outcomes achieved relevant to the advertised role. Include your strongest and most relevant accomplishments.
On the surface, this sounds straightforward.
No cover letter. No pitch. No separate selection criteria. Just a resume.
In practice, this instruction is one of the most misunderstood parts of the APS recruitment process.
A resume is still being assessed as evidence
Although the term selection criteria is not used, the assessment process does not change.
Applications are still reviewed against:
- The role requirements
- APS Work Level Standards
- Capability expectations for the classification
The difference is that assessors expect to find the evidence within the resume itself, rather than in a separate document.
That means the resume is no longer just a summary of experience. It becomes the entire assessment document.
Why “specific examples that demonstrate outcomes” matters
This line is easy to skim past, but it carries significant weight.
APS assessors are not looking for:
- Lists of responsibilities
- Broad claims about skills
- General descriptions of past roles
They are looking for clear examples that show what you did and what changed as a result, and those examples must be directly relevant to the advertised role.
That expectation is very different to a standard private sector resume.
Where many strong applicants come unstuck
We often review applications from people who have:
- Solid government or APS experience
- Relevant technical backgrounds
- Roles at the appropriate classification level
Yet they are not shortlisted.
In most cases, the issue is not capability.
It is how the resume presents that capability for assessment.
Common problems include:
- Accomplishments that sound strong but are not clearly linked to the role
- Outcomes that are mentioned without enough context to be assessed
- Content that reads well but does not meet APS evidence expectations
When the resume is the only document, there is no room for the assessor to fill in the gaps.
Why “resume only” does not mean simpler
From an assessment perspective, this format often demands more precision, not less.
The resume must balance two competing roles:
- Reading naturally as a professional document
- Functioning as an assessable claims document
That balance is where many DIY applications (often with the use of AI tools like ChatGPT) fall short.
Final thought
When an APS job ad asks for a tailored resume with examples and outcomes, it is not simplifying the application process. It is consolidating it.
Understanding how APS assessors read, score, and compare resumes is what turns a well written document into a shortlist outcome.
That difference is rarely obvious from the job ad alone.
A quiet next step
If you are applying for APS roles and are not getting traction despite strong experience, it is often worth having your resume reviewed through an APS assessment lens.
At Rev-Up Your Resume, this is exactly the type of application we work on: helping experienced candidates translate what they have done into evidence that assessors can actually score.
Sometimes, a small structural shift makes a very real difference.
If you would like a confidential review of your APS application or want to understand whether your resume meets assessment expectations, you can get in touch at:
info@rev-upyourresume.com.au
