How to Boss Your QPS 2-Page Statement

Applying for a promotion within QPS? Whether you’re going for Constable, Sergeant, Senior Sergeant,
Inspector or Superintendent, chances are you’ve been told to prepare a “2-page selection criteria statement” —
but no one really tells you how.

In this post, we’ll walk you through what QPS actually expects, how to structure your examples, and the sneaky
formatting trap most applicants fall into.

Let’s break it down.

First, Know What They’re Looking For

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) wants to see that you can already perform at the level you’re applying for.
That means your 2-page statement should show how you’ve demonstrated the right capabilities — not in
theory, but in real life.

These capabilities are drawn from the Leadership Competencies for Queensland (LC4Q) — a set of
leadership behaviours grouped into three buckets:

1. 1. Vision
   2. Results
   3. Accountability

💡 Tip: For Constable/Senior Constable promotions, you’re assessed against the “Team Leader” LC4Q stream.

How to Structure Your 2 Pages

Think of your statement like a mini portfolio. It’s not a resume rehash — it’s your chance to show how you’ve
made an impact, using clear and specific examples.
You can either:

• • Use two short STAR examples per competency, or
  • Use one strong, detailed STAR example per competency

STAR = Situation, Task, Action, Result. It’s the go-to framework for police applicants — clear, structured,
and evidence-based.

Each example should:

• • Include verifiable results (what actually changed?)
  • Avoid vague “team” language — say what you did
  • Include a verifying officer (e.g. Verified by Sgt Jamie Lee)
  • Use active phrases like “Identified need to…”, “Took initiative to…”, “Implemented a solution to…”

No Big Cases? No Problem. Here’s How to Frame Your Impact

You don’t need to have “led a multi-agency raid” or “developed a state-wide strategy” to be successful.
The QPS panel is looking for:

• • Examples that are relevant to the role you want, not just the one you’re in now.
  • Evidence that you’ve shown leadership behaviours, even in day-to-day work.
  • Tangible results, not just “I participated in…”

💡 Tip: Leadership isn’t about rank — it’s about action. A well-explained example of mentoring, initiative, or
change management can be just as powerful as a big case.

Getting Feedback That Your Examples Were “Too BAU”?

You’re not alone.

At The Resume Boss, many QPS members tell us they’ve submitted applications in the past and received
feedback that their examples were “too business-as-usual” or “didn’t show leadership at level.”

What does that really mean?

It usually means your examples:

• • Focused too much on routine duties instead of standout actions
  • Didn’t clearly show initiative, decision-making, or impact
  • Were too general (e.g. “I always maintain good communication”) and not specific (e.g. “I implemented a new intel sharing system across three patrol groups, resulting in…”)
  • You didn’t frame your actions reflect the next-level behaviours in the LC4Q

If that’s the kind of feedback you’ve received, don’t worry — we specialise in helping applicants move beyond
BAU.

We know what works. We know what the panels are looking for. And we know the exact questions to ask to
uncover the right examples — even if you think you “don’t have any.”

Formatting Rules (and One Important Warning)

Your application needs to follow these formatting rules:

• • Maximum: 2 full A4 pages
  • Font: Arial, size 11
  • Margins: 1.5 cm all around
  • No italics, bullet points, underlines, tables or colour — just plain text

🚨 Heads up: The QPS application template often gives you more space than expected. Even if your Microsoft
Word draft looks like a full two pages using the right formatting (Arial 11, 1.5 cm margins), once you paste it
into the official QPS template, it can suddenly shrink — leaving you with extra white space.

💡 Tip: Copy your content over section by section and check the layout as you go. Don’t wait until submission
day to realise you’ve still got half a page to fill.

Need a Hand?

We work 1-on-1 with QPS members (Constables through to Superintendents) to craft compelling, evidence-
based 2-page statements that showcase your impact.

We’ll help you:

• • Choose your strongest STAR examples
  • Align them with the correct LC4Q competencies
  • Format your application to meet QPS standards
  • Review or rewrite drafts that aren’t quite landing

Reach out if you’d like a quote or just want to chat through your options. A well-written QPS statement isn’t
about telling your life story. It’s about showing that you already operate at the next level — with examples to
back it up.