Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Understanding Qualifications

PCC job postings will use three different terms to describe qualifications: Minimum Qualifications, Preferred Qualifications, and Success Criteria. All of these are considered at various stages of the recruitment process.

Success Criteria

Success Criteria – listed on a job posting as “These qualifications, skills and abilities are critical for success in this position” – are the skills and abilities the hiring committee/department expects to see in successful candidates. These are developed for each job posting and will typically change with each posting. These screening criteria are used when determining which candidates will move forward in the process (e.g. complete supplemental questions, receive interviews, etc.) An applicant does not necessarily have to meet all of them, but an applicant should tailor the application and materials to best demonstrate meeting these criteria.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications refers to the minimum requirement an applicant must meet to be considered qualified for the job. These linked to the job description and are set by the Classification/Compensation team. They do not change for a position unless the position has been reclassified or otherwise rewritten. Minimum Qualifications are strict: an applicant must demonstrate meeting the minimums to be eligible for consideration by the hiring manager.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications refers to the additional qualifications beyond the minimum that the hiring department would prefer an applicant have, but which are not required. These are may be additional degrees, certifications/licensures, or language skills. An applicant does not have to meet these, but an applicant who does may have a slight advantage.

Instructor Qualifications

Instructor Qualifications refers to the minimum requirements an applicant must meet to be considered qualified for a faculty position in the subject area. These are linked to the job posting and are set by the Subject Area Committee (SAC) for the discipline. Please note that unofficial transcripts are required as part of faculty applications in order for the screening committee or Department to determine whether the education requirements are met.

Meeting Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications are very rigid, and substitutions are only allowed when indicated in the posting.

Decoding key requirements:

• Degree requirements are very specific for each job, and may be linked to accreditation. A candidate may substitute experience for education on a year-for-year basis if explicitly stated in the job posting. Faculty requirements are set by subject area. A higher level degree in a field can substitute for a lower level degree (e.g. if a posting requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a candidate possessing an advanced degree in the field, such as a Master’s in Computer Science, would meet the minimums.)
• Demonstrated experience is one year of full-time equivalency experience.
• Performing duties of the job/Performing similar duties. These may be used when describing necessary experience to substitute for education, or as a minimum on their own. Experience performing similar or relevant duties would look for like experience (e.g. if the job was a cashier, similar or relevant duties would involve cash handling and customer service). Experience performing duties of the job requires the experience to be performing the same essential functions as the job for which you are applying (e.g. if the job was a cashier, only cashier experience would be counted).
• Progressively responsible experience, when listed as a minimum, is looking for experience at a management or supervisory level. This typically includes supervisory duties, budget oversight, and/or strategic direction of a department.
• Years of experience outlined in a minimum qualification are evaluated against a 40 hour per week full-time equivalency. For example, in a posting which requires four years of experience, a candidate who works full-time at 40 hours per week would meet the minimum qualifications. A candidate who works 20 hours per week for four years has half as much experience as the full-time employee, and would be credited with two years of “full-time equivalent” work, therefore not meeting the minimum qualification. Experience in student positions, internships, or volunteer work does not count towards the minimum unless the posting explicitly says otherwise. You can use our experience calculator to estimate your full-time equivalency experience.

Human Resources will evaluate your qualifications based on the information you provide on the application. In addition to uploading your resume, you will need to enter information into the Professional Experience section of the application.

Your resume will initially only be reviewed for clarification purposes (candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will have resumes reviewed by the hiring committee/manager). By providing accurate and complete information, we will be able to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the job.

Tips for completing an application

PCC hand screens each application we receive. In order to make sure our recruitment team, or faculty screening committee, is best able to evaluate your experience, we encourage you to follow our top application tips below.

1. Read the job posting carefully. Make sure you understand the minimum and preferred qualifications, success criteria, job duties, and what materials are required to apply.
2. Describe your qualifications. Take the time to fill out your application and any additional materials completely and accurately. Update your application materials to match the job postings. Job duties, résumés, and cover letters should address the success criteria, and the minimum and preferred qualifications of the position.
3. Submit all materials required. Postings will let you know if supplemental questions, transcripts, or work samples are required. Remember all attachments must be submitted as a PDF or Word document, and have a limit of 10 pages.
4. Apply as soon as you can. Some recruitments may close without warning once a sufficient number of applicants has been reached, and best consideration dates may be subject to change.
5. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask! You can contact our recruitment department by emailing pccjobs@pcc.edu or calling 971-722-5757.