What is the federal governments job?

We have provided some helpful information which will give you a better understanding of Federal Government job application requirements. If you have found your way to the Public Service Resumes website, then chances are that you are currently exploring your opportunities for a career with the Australian Public Service (APS). The APS is Australia’s Federal Public Service. There are currently 18 Departments and dozens of Agencies. Each of these Departments/Agencies develops and administers policy and services for different sectors. These include Defence, Finance, Environment, Education, Health, Community Services, Workplace Relations, Immigration, Science, Tourism, Transport and many more.

Applying for a role within the APS may seem a daunting feat. However, with the right preparation and a better understanding of Federal Government job application requirements it need not be as difficult as you think. Below are some important areas to consider to ensure that you can put together a strong application that will increase your chances of securing an interview and to gain a better understanding of Federal Government job application requirements.

Gain an understanding of Federal Government job application requirements

Once you have found a role that you would like to apply for, it is important to gain an understanding of the role beyond the job advertisement. Before you commence putting your application together, it is beneficial to speak to the contact officer. They can provide you with more insight into the expectations and requirements of the role than the position description. This can be particularly helpful if you are trying to decide if you are the right fit for the role or if you have the skills they are looking for.

Most APS roles will include an application kit that will explain exactly what to submit with your application. It is important to read this carefully to understand what the employer is looking for. Make sure that you are clear about the structure and length, including the preferred resume format, how to apply, and the closing date.

Once you have determined that the position is a good fit for you and you understand the application requirements, take some time to research the context of the role and where the level sits within the Integrated Leadership System (ILS), which is the APS competency framework. Knowing the competencies that the APS expect at each level will assist you with tailoring your application, including selecting examples of your experience at the appropriate level.

Familiarise yourself with selection criteria

Most of the time, your resume alone will not be enough to get you an APS role. When applying for positions in the public service, it is expected that you will have to address the selection criteria. These are points in the position description that describe the personal qualities, skills, knowledge and qualifications you need to perform the role successfully. They provide a consistent and broad tool to assess potential candidates against the position requirements. This helps recruiters and the selection panel find the right person for the role.

The way that you answer selection criteria will have a significant impact on how the selection team see your competencies compared to what they are looking for. Essentially, this will be the determining factor on whether or not they shortlist you for an interview. While requirements vary in that you may need to only submit a cover letter, or submit individual responses; it remains standard practice that each criterion point is addressed unless otherwise specified.

Learn how to address selection criteria successfully

Once you have read over the application kit and position description and have determined the requirements, you will be ready to start addressing the selection criteria. More and more, agencies are asking candidates to prepare pitch statements or cover letters that outline their suitability for the role. Often these statements are set to one or two pages or a limited number of words. However, regardless of whether the agency wants a ‘pitch’ or a response to a set number of criteria, the content (i.e. the examples of your work) will be similar. No matter what the format, it is important to respond to each criterion. Applications are based on merit, so if you leave any criteria responses out, it is likely your applications will be disregarded.

When writing your application, the first step is to create a structure. Structures help you present information in a way that makes it easy for readers to understand how your skills fit the role. Structures also help keep you on track which is important with set word limits. Choose examples that showcase how you have the experience to do the role and why you are the best candidate. You can use a formula such as STAR to present each example;

STAR: Situation, Task, Action Result

With this formula, you then need to identify a situation or challenge that you were presented with. Then detail what steps you took or what changes you made to fix or improve the situation. Lastly, describe the outcomes or results that happened as a result of your actions. Generally, you will write one to two paragraphs that explain how you have demonstrated the particular skill or quality they require. Make sure you provide relevant examples from your work, study or community roles. Make it relevant, succinct, and factual. Be specific with your evidence and steer away from broad, general statements about what you have done. Focus on outcomes and where possible, highlight how successful you were in achieving the expectations of your previous roles. Focus on the competencies you used to make things happen.

The written application itself shows how well you communicate, but it also provides insight into other skills. If there is a word or page limit, make sure you stick to it. Lastly, do not forget to edit your responses for grammar, spelling and punctuation!

If you are ready for a career in the APS, you can look for position advertisements online at the APS Employment Gazette (the official journal that lists all appointments and vacancies in the APS), on agency websites (you can find a full list of agencies at www.australia.gov.au/directories/government-sites-by-portfolio, as well as on websites such as www.jobsearch.gov.au

If you have any questions relation to Federal Government job application requirements or for full support putting together your APS application, including Resumes, Cover Letters, Selection Criteria, Pitch Statements, LinkedIn Profiles and Interview Skills Coaching, contact the team at Public Service Resumes today.

The government sector offers unique graduate job opportunities throughout Australia and though it may seem simple deciding that you want to launch your graduate career working in the government – the next question is – federal or state?

Australia’s government

But first thing’s first – what is ‘government’ and what does government do? Understanding what government and public service are is the first step on your way to deciding whether a career in the public sector is for you.

In Australia, we have what’s called a ‘federal’ system of government. This just means that the powers of the Australian government are split between a central government, known as the Commonwealth Federal Government, and the six state governments.

At the state and federal levels, our government is separated into three ‘arms’:

1. The Legislature – they make the law
2. The Executive – they enact the law
3. The Judiciary – they interpret the law

You might have heard the Legislature referred to by its other name, Parliament. Parliament is made up of democratically-elected representatives who come from political parties – the people you vote for on election days – and is split into two parts, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The House of Representatives has 150 members who each represent a different part of the country, called electorates. Each electorate has roughly the same amount of voters, which means the bigger states have more representatives than the smaller states.

This is why the Senate was established. The Senate basically exists to stop the bigger states from using their higher representation in the House of Representatives to bully the smaller states. This is because unlike the House of Representatives, membership in the Senate is divided evenly between the states.

A new law can only become a reality if it gets voted on by a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate – no small feat when you consider how much politicians like to argue!

Most graduate jobs in government will be in the Executive arm. The Executive comprises all of the different government departments and agencies, most of which have graduate roles that you’ll be looking at.

There are currently 18 different departments in the federal government ranging from Education, Health and Employment to Finance and Foreign Affairs and Trade. There are also a large number of more specific agencies such as Australia Post and the ABC. The states also have their own departments and agencies.

All of these departments and agencies work to put the laws that are passed by Parliament into action by focusing on the administration of their particular area. The kind of work that is done can vary greatly between departments and ranges from in-depth research to hands-on project-based work.

The third arm of government, the Judiciary, is responsible for enforcing the law and deciding whether the other two arms of government are acting within their powers. The Judiciary is used to refer broadly to the courts, the judges, magistrates, adjudicators and other support personnel who ensure that the laws of Australia and of each state and territory are followed. What does it mean to work in the public service?

So we know what the government is, but what does it actually mean to work in the public service? Well, working for the government can mean many things! Despite what you may think, government employees are not all administrators. Not only do government departments look for graduates from all kinds of backgrounds and with all kinds of experience, but they also employ people in a range of professional roles including accountants, scientists, economists, engineers, lawyers, doctors, nurses and librarians.

The good news is that it doesn’t matter what you’ve studied, where you’re from, or who you know – there is a role for you in the public service.

Despite the stiff competition, there are plenty of opportunities available, and there has never been a better or more exciting time to work in public service. As of June 2017, there were 1,956,800 people working in the public sector in Australia, which makes the government the largest employer in Australia (by a large margin!).

The government now

There has also been a big cultural change in the public service that has led to a more corporate style model of best practice being used. Just like in the private sector, cost-effectiveness and accountability are now big considerations for government departments. Because of this change, it is now more common than ever for public servants to move into corporate roles, and vice versa.

Choosing a career in the government is no longer the one-way ticket to Boringville that it appears to be in movies and on tv. This is one of many misconceptions about life as a public servant. Want to know the truth about what working for the government is really like? Then venture forth and read how we have debunked four of the biggest myths that have been spread for years about joining the public service.

Federal v state

Now you know what the government is and have navigated through the maze of myths to find the truth about what it’s like to work in the public service. The next big question you will need to ask is what the differences are between working for the federal government compared to working for one of the state governments (for the sake of simplicity when we say ‘state’ governments we mean the governments of the six states as well as the two mainland territories of Australia).

These differences range from the kinds of issues each government deals with, to the kinds of laws they have the power to make, to what kind of roles are available for graduates.

The things that are dealt with by the federal government are all written in the Australian constitution and include areas of national concern like finance, defence, foreign affairs and trade, immigration and social services. The things that the state governments deal with are basically just everything that is not otherwise handled by the federal government. Some of the major state responsibilities include schools, hospitals, roads, environment and emergency services.

As you can see, the federal government has different responsibilities to the state governments, however, they often overlap and interact with each other. For example, think about having to see a doctor at your local public hospital (though hopefully, you have never had to!). This process might appear simple – you rock up, wait for what seems like hours in the waiting room, and then see the doctor – but it actually involves a number of issues that are handled by different governments.

The federal government provides health funding to the state governments and also handles Medicare, while the state governments handle the management of the hospital itself (using the money it receives from the federal government), as well as ambulance services (if necessary). A visit to the hospital wouldn’t be possible without the federal and state government working together.

You might then be wondering what happens when the federal and state governments pass laws that conflict with each other. Well, rather than spending hours arguing about it (though this does seem to be a favourite past-time of politicians), the Australian constitution actually provides a handy rule that says whenever the federal and state governments disagree, the federal law will come out on top.

Making the right choice

But what does all this mean for you in your quest to find the ideal graduate job? Well, knowing the differences between the federal and state governments provides an important indication of the kind of work you will be doing if you decide to pursue a job in the public service.

Generally speaking, if you like the idea of working on the ‘big picture’ and shaping policy that affects the whole country, you may prefer to work for the federal government. For example, graduates in the Department of Finance contribute to the shaping of the national budget each year. The work done by the federal government will usually have a farther reach and affect more people than work done by the state governments. On the other hand, you might prefer to do project-based work that is more specific and that has an immediately recognisable impact. This kind of work is more in line with what is done by the state government where you will be more likely to tackle short-term projects.

Which government you want to work for may also depend on practical implications. The majority of jobs in the federal government are based in Canberra, as this is where most of the departmental offices are located. Depending on how much you enjoy visiting Questacon, this might be a positive or negative factor. You might relish the chance to move to the nation’s capital and work from our political epicentre (we’re also told that there has been a boom in trendy new cafes and restaurants opening up in Canberra over the past few years). However, if you love your home state or wouldn’t consider moving to Canberra, then seeking opportunities at the state government level will make more sense for you. For more information about moving to Canberra, check out our complete moving guide.

In terms of other practical implications such as pay and benefits, the federal and state governments operate on similar (though not identical) systems. The differences are too minor to really factor into your decision, however, you might want to consider that the cost of living in Canberra is cheaper than most major Australian cities.

Whether you’d prefer to work at the federal or state government level will depend on a variety of factors, as we’ve shown you. However, what will likely be the most important factor will be the kind of role you are actually looking for, so let’s take a closer look at what roles are available in the government and public service.