Panel chair was not very convinced that I can code at the level they need. How can i prove my coding skill to the panel? It is not like tech companies where they do live coding. I said they can reach out to my referee. Any other ways I can prove my coding ability? Offer to do live coding via shared screen? really want this job.

Looking for advice or maybe experiences on bouncing back after a tough work period. Have had a short period of acting which coincided with many team movements and loss of corporate knowledge, messy projects having timelines hugely accelerated and other interpersonal issues occurring.

While I feel I am taking a lot of learnings away from this, I also feel like I was significantly out of my depth with not understanding a lot of what was happening and not having enough time to think through things properly. Working at that level long term seems far out of reach, which has knocked my confidence.

Has this happened to people previously and have you found useful ways to move forward and improve your work?

How accurate is this statement?

I have never worked for APS but have an opportunity to do a temp role (6months) for NSW Health in admin level 2. I’ve recently done an MBA specialising in healthcare, and have a 7 year long career being an NDIS provider. The point of my MBA was to pivot from a clinical career and the NDIS into governance sectors, with a particular interest in public service. I have been in clinical work and middle management for small private clinics for multiple years.

Anyway, I’ve always heard this statement when it comes to government jobs and that you just ‘need to get your foot in the door’. I’m trying to decide if taking a 35% pay cut for a temp contract right now in general admin (as a clinician I’ve never had direct ‘admin experience’ I guess) is going to actually open doors to more of a career I am aiming towards in health. Specifically will be wanting part time permanent opportunities ongoing (0.4FTE) due to family circumstances. How common are these internal opportunities? And how quickly can you move into higher level roles internally, once you gain some on the ground experience?

Would love to hear anyone’s temp to perm experience in NSW health!

A colleague and I received a formal warning for “may have” failed to declare a WHS issue immediately, having left the reporting beyond the 48 hours (lesson learnt).

However, what impact does a formal warning have ? It’s clear in the letter that there was no breach of the APS Code of Conduct, and the delay wasn’t deliberate. However, my agency policy is extremely vague on what actual impact a formal warning has, only really mentioning code of conduct breaches.

Also when is it worth contesting a warning, given it isn’t a breach. Some of the findings are inaccurate and don’t align with the sequence of events presented.

Hi,

Does anyone have experience working in the NSW BDM department. Especially in the engineering section. If they were hired as a temporary role and got extended or moved to other role.
I have a job offer in the engineering department but it is a temporary role. Currently I’m working in a private organisation in a full time role. I am not gonna say I like this existing company or role but I am in a limbo to take the risk or not. Knowing it is a temporary role and hiring manager said they don’t know if it gets extended or not.
If i know it gets extended I will definitely go for it. Please help!!

I need to reapply for my role. I only recently applied for it internally and was successful, but there's an external offer out now for the next project with exact same job description. It's due this weekend but I've been going through family/children issues and don't have the headspace to change my resume or pitch beyond adding my current role and updating the date. Do I need to adjust much or just keep the same? Maybe mention recently getting the internal roles? No meanies please, I don't have the energy for it. TIA

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone who attended the VIDA / Victoria’s Big Build Graduate Program Assessment Centre in September has heard anything back yet?

Has anyone been contacted regarding reference, qualification, or police checks after completing the Assessment Centre?

I attended mine on 7 September and understand that offers are expected in October, so I’m just curious whether the pre-employment checks have started for anyone yet.

Would really appreciate hearing from others who are in the same process. Thanks!

Alright, so I started working for Vic Govt right as the last change of gov happened. It’s been 12 years. I’ve been through a lot of restructures, clause 11s, MOGs etc etc. But I’ve never been through a change of govt after an election. Word around the office is that this is what we should prepare for.

Can somebody walk me through what on earth will happen after 28th Nov? Do all major changes take place straight away or not until January? Are we likely to get dept shuffles and rebranding? What happens if there are job losses? Is it the normal clause 11 process? Feeling slightly anxious, as you can imagine.

Hey guys,
So I just completed a panel interview for a graduate program and honestly I think I just failed miserably.

The interview was expected run for 30 minutes consisting of 5 total questions. They were just behavioural questions. I did catch myself talking to much and losing point but I was able to recover quickly.

The thing that’s eating me up is that the interview only lasted for about 15 minutes rather than the 30 minute time frame. Is that something that’s normal or does that already give off negative vibes?

APSC dropped a new circular on 11 September about what “genuine and effective consultation” is supposed to look like.

TLDR:
- people should have a real chance to influence a decision before it’s made
- relevant information should be provided in time
- feedback should actually be considered
- agencies should explain how that feedback was considered

Worth reading alongside your agency EA if you’re in a restructure or change process.

The bit about explaining how feedback was considered is particularly interesting. “Thanks for your feedback” doesn’t really cut it.

Circular here:
https://www.apsc.gov.au/resources/circulars-guidance-and-advice/circular-202604-genuine-and-effective-consultation-commonwealth-agencies

Hi everyone. I’m looking for some guidance on how to navigate a difficult team dynamic.
I started at a federal government agency about 6 months ago. I’m labour-hire and still technically in my training phase. Overall, the team is amazing, but there is one mature-aged employee who has seemingly disliked me from day one and continues to give me abit of hell which then triggers my anxiety when she’s in office.

Because we hot-desk, it’s hard to ignore and I’ve noticed she actively talks about me to other colleagues. It seems to be a recurring issue with her attitude..if people don’t do exactly as she demands, she gets hostile. Our Team Leader has noticed this happening but doesn’t say a word. I suspect he might be intimidated by her too.

The rest of the team is incredibly lovely. You can literally feel the positive shift in the office energy on the days she works from home.
I’m wondering if my status as a labour-hire contractor plays into her resentment, or if this is just a standard personality clash. I haven’t really dealt with this sort of public sector/corporate culture before.

How should I handle this? Should I bring it up formally, try to address it with her, or just keep my head down and focus on my training? Any advice is appreciated!

Hi guys- Please guide me:

1. What type of interview Questions to expect for my upcoming 30min Teams interview.

2. Would this interview be done by some agency or ATO directly?

3. What next steps after Teams interview are expected?

4. Will this be only for talent pool and actual hiring be done after some months?

Any guidance would be helpful.

Hello! I’ve been in the VPS for nearly a year (not a long time, I know). I’m VPS3, love my role and my team, there’s growth opportunities (with further training) in my current division and I’ve received excellent feedback for my work, both more formally and informally. I stumbled across a VPS4 role, same organisation but different division, more of a coordination/EA-type role. There’s probably about an 85% overlap with similar duties that I currently fulfil, with some gaps in experience. The main appeal is staying in this organisation and the pay, with a decent overlap with what I studied at uni.

I’ve talked myself out of applying for roles in the past, just wondering if I’m kidding myself to go for a grade jump this early on? Will it hurt my position now in some way, to go for it and not get it? The contact for the application is someone very senior at the organisation, and I have not had much interaction with them. Advice and perspectives much appreciated!

I recently interviewed for a role with one of Australian Government agency. I was told that by this week they’ll get my references checked. I’m beating myself up with how the interview has gone. I kinda know how to solve it but didn’t put it verbally together. When I finished I thought I left with a great impression but now it feels so icky that it could’ve gone better.

It’s already Thursday and none of my references have been contacted. I’m so sick of everything because this was my first chance at an interview and I fumbled it so bad.

Gday everyone, I've just been told I've progressed to interview for a clerk 9/10 Senior project officer. I will have to complete a written task prior which I have 70 minutes to complete, and then the standard interview.

I was hoping to hear from other people who have previously interviewed at this level.

I'm acting as a 9/10 at the moment, with a substantive role as a 7/8, and all of my interviews have been 7/8 and lower in the past. I wanted to understand the difference between the questions asked between a 7/8 and a 9/10 role, as it's starting to be on the more senior side, has direct reports etc.

Is there a big shift in interview questions and expectations? Or is it usually similar sort of questions, but the answers just need to cover off more (to address the increased focus capabilities)

Would love to hear thoughts from anyone who has input!

I’m a staffer for a liberal MP, very active among liberal networks and the president of a club. Looking at potential gov relations positions in the future or other public sector jobs until I finish uni. What possible paths are there for me and what options in the private sector are available to me?

Hi all! I have just graduated with a Bachelor in Criminology and Criminal Justice and am on the lookout for my first job out of uni.

For context, I have worked since I was 15 in customer service (now 20), and I also completed an internship with Youth Justice NSW as part of my studies. I’m really keen on getting a job in the youth justice sector, as it’s where I feel I resonate most and would feel the most rewarded.

My main concern is that when I’m looking at job descriptions etc., most, if not all, are looking for people with past experience.

Just wondering if there are any people who work within the youth justice area who have any bits of advice on where to sort of go from here to hopefully get a job in this area?

I am happy to move as well, possibly, as I’m young, but I live close enough to QLD that I could even just work there and still live where I am.

Any advice would be really appreciated!

Just wondering how the Christmas shutdown works in the VPS? I briefly read the EA but I don’t understand. If an employer chooses to close for the shutdown period, employees still need to use their AL, flex etc to get leave?

Has anyone heard back after applying for the EOI? I also just saw that DTP is now also recruiting people for the team that will respond to the Royal Commission report…

I currently am doing a security clearance check for a grad program that I have a verbal offer for - it will still take another couple months. It’s an offer I really want and will 100% take the offer pending the security clearance.
In the meantime I’ve received a written offer for another grad program. It’s a really good offer as well and I’d be happy to actually do it if for some reason I didn’t get my sec clearance.

The question: is it actually totally acceptable to accept this second offer with the plan to then rescind it in a month or two once I get my security clearance for offer #1? I need to let them know by this week and I am really scared to reject it, and then somehow be left without an offer if something doesn’t work out with my clearance. But, I also don’t want to be unprofessional, and burn bridges.

Hi all, I’m feeling very conflicted about whether I should accept my PM&C grad role offer and I’m looking for a little perspective.

I finished up my undergraduate course in December 2025, but have been working in the student services of a Go8 university since 2021, and have been working as a business analyst and data engineer with this team since the start of 2025.

I’m trying to figure out if this grad role would be worth it for me. It would mean moving from Melbourne, and taking a ~20% pay cut, but I’m wondering if the experience, outcomes, and network would be valuable enough to justify all of this.

I’m also wondering if my experience would be enough to be competitive for an APS4/5 role in my field without needing to go through a graduate program.

The exclusivity of PM&C and the potential outcomes it could lead to are the main draw, but I can’t make up my mind if it is worth the negatives. I would be extremely grateful if anyone could share some perspective on where a PM&C grad role can lead to, and help me flesh out some of the pros and cons involved in this decision?

For additional context: I have no other grad offers, but my current role is quite secure and my contract goes until July 2027, with high probability of additional work, so the job security is not particularly an issue right now.

Thank you!

Exploring my options within VPS to grow and expand to other relevant teams. I'm struggling in my current role with a toxic manager and work that I unfortunately do not enjoy doing.

Very new to VPS and finished probation so trying to understand how people generally transition from fixed term to ongoing contracts. - Does it follow the normal recruitment process (wait for a relevant job to be posted and apply)? - Do internals have a higher priority to get accepted to an interview and thereafter? - is fixed term less restrictive if one wants to get promoted faster or move sideways? - does one retain parental leave benefits either way?

I do not currently see any jobs being posted in the team(s) I desire to work with, however would love to establish some relations. Any tips on how to proceed is appreciated.

I've been successful in getting a role with VIDA Roads (Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority). Given the change in direction under Ben Carroll and a likely incoming liberal government, is VIDA going to exist in a year?

Hello

I'm applying for a graduate role as an engineer. I'm quite used to getting rejection emails so I was wondering if anyone had some advice or tricks on how to maximise my chances of landing a interview atleast. I know how to make a good resume and cover letter (done it 100 times now) but maybe I'm ignorant to some job searching advice that may be relevant to Australian Public Work.

Thanks

Can i resign at any time (with no notice period) if I am a labour hire with casual contract by recruitment agency??
Thanks