The client had been working for a Council as a Park and Garden Attendant since May 2018 on a contract basis and had the chance to apply for a permanent position that had been made available on an internal basis only. The client had a diverse range of experience, including sales and leadership positions, but their passion lies in horticulture, and so he was very eager to secure this position. The application asked that the client put forward a resume, cover letter and selection criteria, outlining the following:
- Knowledge and experience in the use of small plant operations and other maintenance items (includes ride on and walk behind mowers, edger’s, brush cutters, blowers, hand tools etc.)
- Experience in Turf Maintenance including mowing, edging fertilising, installation and establishment, weed and pest identification and herbicide/pesticide/fungicide application for control of various turf weeds/pests/diseases.
- Knowledge and experience in amenity horticulture including plant identification, tree/shrub planting and maintenance, pruning and herbicide/pesticide/fungicide for control of plant weeds/pests/diseases in various situations.
- Knowledge of safety issues relevant to horticultural operations.
- Sound verbal communication and interpersonal, literacy and numeracy skills.
During the consultation, I first worked to establish the client’s motivation for applying for this role and discussed the overall message he wished to convey in regards to the documents. Beginning with the resume and cover letter, I worked to tease out the achievements of the client’s career, focussing on those that aligned with the prospective position. Next, I went through each of the selection criteria, asking the client to provide explicit examples in relation to each one. Breaking the examples down using the Situation, Task, Action and Result (STAR) technique, I was able to present substantial evidence that the client would excel in the role. In addition, by building an understanding of the client’s motivation, as well as their experience, I was able to create a resume that reflected their expertise and attributes.