How to write an APS one-page pitch.

What is a one-page pitch?

A one-page pitch, sometimes called a statement of claims, is a short written case for your suitability for a role. Many Australian Public Service agencies now ask for a pitch instead of separate responses to each selection criterion.

Rather than addressing criteria one by one, a pitch weaves relevant evidence into a connected piece of writing, usually covering the capabilities that matter most for the role rather than every listed criterion in equal depth.

Typical limits are around 500 to 750 words, or one A4 page, but agencies vary. The advertisement or applicant guide's stated limit always wins over any general figure, including the ones in this guide.

Agencies usually move to a pitch format to reduce the time panels spend reading repetitive answers, and to give applicants room to show how their experience connects across a role rather than in isolated fragments. That does not make a pitch easier to write than separate criteria responses, since it still needs the same specific evidence, just organised differently.

Some advertisements ask for a pitch alongside a short resume, while others ask for a pitch on its own. Read the applicant guide carefully, since the expected format is not always obvious from the advertisement heading alone.

A four-part structure

A pitch usually reads more naturally when it follows a simple shape: an opening, two or three evidence paragraphs, and a short close. Each evidence paragraph should connect to a capability named in the advertisement.

These proportions are a starting point for drafting, not a rule to measure your finished pitch against.

Within the evidence paragraphs, it usually helps to lead with the capability rather than the story, so a reader knows what point the paragraph is making before the detail arrives. A short linking sentence between paragraphs can also show how your experience covers more than one capability at once, without repeating the same example twice.

Worked example: APS6 policy officer

This example is entirely fictional and written to show structure, not to be copied into a real application.

Opening paragraph, in full:

I am applying for the APS6 Policy Officer role because it matches my experience coordinating policy advice across multiple stakeholders under tight timeframes. Over the past three years I have drafted briefings, managed consultation processes and supported evidence-based decisions in a similarly fast-moving policy area.

Evidence paragraphs, shown as skeleton notes:

• Capability: stakeholder engagement. Situation: conflicting feedback from three external groups on a draft policy position. Outcome: consolidated feedback into one briefing that the director used to finalise the position on schedule.
• Capability: written communication. Situation: a technical report needed to be understood by a non-specialist committee. Outcome: rewritten summary was adopted as the standard format for later committee papers.
• Capability: working under pressure. Situation: a policy deadline moved forward by two weeks after a machinery of government change. Outcome: revised drafting schedule met the new deadline with sign-off from two divisions.

In a finished pitch, each of these notes would become a short paragraph in the same style as the worked selection criteria example, written in first person with a specific situation, your own actions and a clear outcome.

Tailoring a pitch to the role

Read the advertisement, the role description and the relevant APS work level standards before drafting. These usually name the capabilities the panel is most interested in, even when a full criteria list is not provided.

It can help to keep a short list of the role's stated capabilities next to your draft, and check off each one as you write an evidence paragraph for it. This is a simple way to notice a gap before submission, rather than after a panel has already read the pitch.

Mirror the agency's own language where it fits naturally, rather than copying phrases directly from the advertisement. Keep the writing in first person throughout, since a pitch is a personal statement of claims, not a team report.

Use numbers where you actually have them, such as team size, timeframes or measurable results. Do not estimate a figure you cannot support if asked about it later.

If the advertisement lists specific capabilities or a work level standard reference, try to cover the ones most relevant to daily duties in the role, rather than the ones easiest for you to write about. A pitch that ignores an obviously important capability can leave a panel wondering whether you read the advertisement closely.

Pre-submission checklist

• Word count sits within the advertisement's stated limit, not a general figure from a guide.
• File name matches what the application system or advertisement asks for.
• Contact details are correct and match your other application documents.
• The pitch covers the capabilities named in the advertisement, not just the ones easiest to write about.
• Formatting is plain: clear paragraphs, no unusual fonts, headers or embedded images.
• The document has been proofread, ideally by reading it aloud or asking someone else to check it.

Related templates and guides

The APS Job Application Pack includes three worked pitches and an editable pitch template. The free worked selection criteria example and the selection criteria guide use the same STAR and SAO evidence approach that underpins a strong pitch.