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Mastering the Australian Government Style Manual for Your Job Application

Applying for a position within the Australian government is a competitive and  typically rigorous process. Candidates invest considerable time polishing their curriculum vitae, crafting compelling cover letters and preparing for behavioural interviews. Yet one of the most consistently overlooked advantages available to job seekers is a thorough understanding of the Australian Government Style Manual — a resource that, when applied correctly, can meaningfully distinguish your application from the rest of the field.

Whether you are responding to selection criteria, completing a written task as part of an assessment centre, or corresponding professionally with a hiring panel, your written communication will be scrutinised. Aligning your materials with the standards set out in the Style Manual signals to hiring managers that you already understand how the public sector communicates — and that you are ready to hit the ground running from day one.

What Is the Australian Government Style Manual?

The Australian Government Style Manual — sometimes referred to as the Commonwealth Style Guide — is the authoritative reference for written communication across the Australian Public Service (APS) and broader Commonwealth government. It covers a comprehensive range of topics, including grammar, punctuation, spelling conventions, plain English principles, inclusive language, document formatting and referencing standards.

Earlier editions of the manual existed as printed volumes, most notably the sixth edition published in 2002. However, the manual has since transitioned to a fully digital format, hosted at stylemanual.gov.au. This shift has transformed it into a living document, updated regularly to reflect contemporary usage, evolving terminology and changes in government communication practice.

This is an important practical consideration: if you are applying for government roles intermittently over an extended period of time, it is worth revisiting the online manual to ensure your understanding of its guidance remains current.

Why Job Seekers Should Engage With the Style Manual

Many candidates assume the Style Manual is solely a resource for public servants already working within government. In reality, engaging with it during the application process offers several distinct advantages.

It Demonstrates Cultural Alignment

Government departments place enormous value on consistency, clarity and professionalism in all written communication. These are not merely aesthetic preferences — they reflect the APS Values and Code of Conduct, which emphasise accountability, impartiality and respect. When your application materials reflect the same standards that public servants are expected to uphold daily, you signal to hiring managers that you understand the culture of the APS and can operate within it effectively.

Candidates who submit applications written in an informal, inconsistent or unnecessarily verbose style may be inadvertently signalling that they are unfamiliar with how government agencies function. Even strong candidates with relevant experience can be undermined by application materials that feel misaligned with the professional environment they are seeking to enter.

It Encourages Clearer, More Effective Writing

One of the central principles of the Style Manual is the use of plain English. This means preferring short, direct sentences over complex constructions, choosing common words over technical jargon where possible, and structuring information so that it is immediately accessible to the reader. For job applicants, this is particularly valuable when addressing selection criteria, where clarity and conciseness are essential.

Consider the difference between these two approaches to a selection criteria response:

        • Unclear: “I possess a wide range of experience that encompasses an extensive breadth of capabilities with respect to engaging with and communicating effectively across diverse stakeholder groups.”

        • Clear: “I have extensive experience engaging with diverse stakeholders across government and industry, including senior executives, community representatives and cross-agency working groups.”

The second version is not only easier to read — it is also more specific and persuasive. Plain English forces writers to commit to concrete claims rather than hiding behind vague, inflated language.

It Reflects Attention to Detail

In the public sector, attention to detail is not simply desirable — it is often listed explicitly as a key capability in APS work level standards. Spelling errors, inconsistent formatting or grammatical inaccuracies in your application may cause a hiring manager to question your suitability for roles that require the production of accurate and professional written work. Applying the Style Manual’s conventions consistently throughout your materials is a straightforward way to demonstrate this capability before you have even set foot in an interview room.

Key Style Principles to Apply in Your Application

The Style Manual covers a broad range of guidance, but several principles are particularly relevant to job seekers preparing application materials.

Australian English Spelling

This is a fundamental requirement. Australian English differs from American English and errors in this area are immediately noticeable to experienced public sector recruiters. Key conventions include:

        • Use -ise rather than -ize (e.g., organise, recognise, prioritise)
        • Retain the -our ending (e.g., labour, behaviour, colour)
        • Use -re rather than -er (e.g., centre, litre)
        • Abbreviations for well-known bodies do not require full stops (e.g., APS, APSC, ATO)
        • Dates should follow the day–month–year format (e.g., 27 March 2026)

Plain English and Active Voice

The Style Manual strongly favours active voice over passive constructions, and for good reason — active voice is more direct, more engaging and easier to follow. In the context of selection criteria responses, this matters significantly.

        • Passive: “The project was managed across three government agencies.”
        • Active: “I managed the project across three government agencies, coordinating deliverables with the Department of Finance, Services Australia and the ATO.”

Active voice also pairs naturally with the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), which is the standard framework for addressing behavioural selection criteria in the APS. Keeping your language active and your sentences direct helps ensure your responses remain concise and impact-focused.

Inclusive Language

The Style Manual provides detailed guidance on inclusive language, reflecting the APS’s commitment to respectful and equitable communication. When writing your application, avoid any gendered assumptions and outdated terminology. For example:

        • Use they/them as a singular pronoun where gender is unknown or unspecified
        • Use people with disability rather than disabled people (the Style Manual follows the convention preferred by many Australian disability advocacy organisations)
        • Avoid terms that centre a particular cultural perspective as the default

Demonstrating awareness of inclusive language principles in your application is especially important for roles involving community engagement, policy development or communications functions.

Document Formatting

Formatting choices send signals about your professionalism and your familiarity with government document standards. The Style Manual recommends:

        • Sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Calibri for digital documents, at a readable size (typically 11 or 12 point)
        • Left-aligned text throughout — centred body text is not consistent with government formatting conventions
        • Clear, consistent headings with a logical hierarchy
        • Minimal use of bold, italics, and underlining — reserve these for genuine emphasis rather than decoration
        • Bullet points used purposefully to present lists or sequential information, not as a substitute for coherent prose

Applying the Style Manual Across Your Application Documents

Curriculum Vitae

Use bullet points to present responsibilities and achievements clearly, leading each point with a strong action verb (managed, developed, coordinated, delivered, analysed). Ensure date formatting is consistent throughout and that your contact details are clearly presented at the top of the document.

Avoid decorative formatting elements such as coloured text, shaded tables or graphical elements that may not render correctly across different systems.

Cover Letter

A cover letter for a government role should be no longer than one page. Open with a clear statement of the position you are applying for and a concise articulation of the value you bring. The body of the letter should connect your experience directly to the requirements of the role, reflecting the language and priorities outlined in the position description. Close professionally, without overly effusive language.

It’s crucial that your cover letter undergoes proofreading. A cover letter with spelling or grammatical errors is a significant red flag in any application, but particularly so in a context where written communication is a core professional expectation.

Selection Criteria Responses

Selection criteria responses are often the most heavily weighted component of an APS application. Use the STAR method to structure each response, keeping your answers focused and evidence-based. Aim for responses that are thorough without being excessive — typically between 300 and 600 words per criterion, unless a word limit is specified.

Apply all Style Manual conventions consistently: Australian spelling, active voice, plain English and appropriate formatting. Avoid reproducing the wording of the criterion verbatim at the start of your response — hiring panels read dozens of applications and will appreciate writing that gets straight to the point.

Final Considerations

The Australian Government Style Manual is not a bureaucratic formality — it is a practical tool that reflects the communication standards of one of Australia’s largest employers. Taking the time to understand and apply its principles throughout your application process is a low-effort, high-impact strategy that very few candidates use to their advantage.

Before submitting any application materials, review them against the manual’s key guidance, use a plain English readability tool such as the Hemingway Editor or a Flesch Reading Ease calculator to assess complexity, and consider seeking feedback from someone experienced in APS hiring. Small adjustments to spelling, tone, structure and formatting can make a substantial difference to how your application is received — and ultimately, to whether you are invited to interview.

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How to Address the Personal Drive and Integrity Selection Criteria in Your APS Application

Navigating the recruitment processes of the Australian Public Service requires a strategic understanding of the Integrated Leadership System. When applying for a new role or seeking a promotion, candidates are frequently asked to submit a cover letter or selection criteria response demonstrating how they meet the core ILS capabilities. We find that demonstrating personal drive and professional integrity is quite challenging to articulate on paper.

Many applicants fall into the trap of treating this criterion as a simple character reference. They write sweeping statements about their strong work ethic or their innate honesty, forgetting that selection panels cannot assess theoretical virtues – as will all parts of an APS application, we need evidence and examples! In the public service context, personal drive and integrity are not passive traits; they are active, measurable behaviours. To score highly, your application must provide concrete, structural evidence of how you apply these attributes to deliver tangible outcomes for the government.

This comprehensive guide explores exactly how to tackle this specific selection criterion, offering strategic advice on structuring your response, selecting the right examples, and writing with the authority expected of a high-calibre public servant.

Deconstructing the Criteria for Your Pitch

Before you begin drafting your response, you must understand how the selection panel will evaluate your claims. The panel uses the ILS framework to look for specific behavioural indicators. To address this criterion successfully, your written response must weave together three distinct narrative threads.

The Proactivity Element

Drive is fundamentally about initiative, and the strength of the evidence you need to provide will depend on how senior a role you are seeking. For example, your response could highlight a time when you identified an operational gap, anticipated a future problem, or sought out a way to improve a departmental process. You must show that you take ownership of your professional environment and actively push for better results.

The Resilience Element

Public service is complex and often subject to sudden shifts in policy, environment or structure. Resilience is your ability to maintain momentum when things change. Your pitch should demonstrate how you handle setbacks, manage your energy during long-term projects, and keep yourself or your team focused when faced with ambiguity or sudden machinery-of-government changes.

The Ethical Element

Integrity is the cornerstone of public trust. In a selection criteria response, this is demonstrated by showing professional courage and alignment with APS values. The panel wants to see how you handle sensitive information, how you manage conflicts of interest and how you take accountability. It is about proving that you adhere to the APS Values, even in tricky environments.

Selecting the Strongest Evidence

The strength of your response relies on the quality (and structure) of the examples you choose. A common error is selecting a scenario that is too routine. Completing your daily tasks on time is an expectation, not an example of exceptional drive.

Choosing High-Impact Scenarios

When brainstorming examples for your application, look for situations where your personal values were genuinely tested or where you were required to actively demonstrate your commitment to the APS Values. The strongest examples are those where the right course of action required courage, judgement or a deliberate choice to uphold a standard that others may have overlooked. Consider the following prompts to unearth your best material:

        • Was there a time when you were pressured to act in a way that conflicted with your values or the APS Code of Conduct? How did you navigate that situation, and what steps did you take to ensure the outcome aligned with the standards expected of a public servant?

        • Can you recall an instance where you witnessed behaviour that fell below the ethical standards of the APS — such as a conflict of interest, misuse of resources, or a lack of transparency — and how did you respond in a way that protected the integrity of your team or agency?

        • Have you ever had to deliver advice or make a decision that was the right thing to do, even though it was unpopular, professionally uncomfortable, or carried a degree of personal risk? How did you demonstrate professional courage while maintaining respect for those involved?

        • When did you proactively go out of your way to demonstrate fairness, honesty or transparency in your work — perhaps in how you handled sensitive information, managed a conflict of interest, or ensured an equitable outcome for a stakeholder?

        • Can you think of a time when you held yourself or others accountable to the APS Values, even in a high-pressure environment where shortcuts may have seemed tempting? What did that look like in practice, and what was the outcome?

Structuring Your Response with the STAR Method

To ensure your response is clear, logical and easy for the panel to score, you must use the STAR method. This framework prevents you from rambling and ensures that every sentence adds value to your pitch.

Situation: Setting the Scene Concisely

Begin by providing the necessary context, but keep it brief. The panel does not need a deep dive into the history of your branch. Focus on establishing the ethical or professional challenge that arose. For instance, you might describe a situation where a senior colleague was routinely bypassing procurement guidelines, placing your agency at financial and reputational risk, and you were faced with the decision of whether to escalate the matter. Alternatively, you might set the scene for a moment where you were asked to present data in a way that you believed was misleading to a ministerial audience. Establish the stakes early so the panel understands why this situation demanded genuine personal drive or a principled response.

Task: Defining Your Responsibility

Clearly articulate what you were required to do and what standard you were obligated to uphold. For example, you might explain that as the project lead, you were responsible for ensuring all procurement activity complied with your agency’s financial delegations and the PGPA Act, and that you had an obligation to escalate suspected non-compliance to your Director. This section should be one or two sentences and should make clear that you understood the ethical weight of your responsibility before you acted.

Action: The Core of Your Pitch

This is the most critical part of your response and should take up the majority of your word count. Here, you must detail exactly what you did, focusing heavily on the how and the why.

        • Use the active first person: Always use I instead of we. The panel is assessing your personal values and individual judgement, not your team’s collective behaviour. For example, rather than writing “the team raised the concern”, write “I escalated the matter directly to my Director after consulting our agency’s fraud and corruption policy to confirm the appropriate reporting pathway”.

        • Demonstrate your values in action: Describe the specific choices you made and why. For instance, you might explain how you identified that a colleague’s undisclosed conflict of interest could compromise the integrity of a tender evaluation, and how you approached your ethics contact officer to seek guidance before taking any further steps. Show the panel that your actions were deliberate and principled, not accidental.

        • Show professional courage: If your example involved delivering difficult advice or holding firm on an unpopular position, explain how you managed that conversation. For example, you might describe how you respectfully but firmly advised a senior executive that a proposed communications strategy could be perceived as politically partial, and how you offered an alternative approach that protected the agency’s statutory independence.

Result: Proving the Impact

Conclude your example with a clear, positive outcome that is directly connected to your values-driven actions. For this criterion, a strong result does not need to be a financial saving — it might be that your escalation of a procurement concern led to a formal review that identified a systemic gap in your branch’s financial controls, which was subsequently rectified. Or it might be that your frank advice to a senior executive resulted in a communications strategy that was revised to better reflect the agency’s obligations under the Public Service Act. Where possible, reference any positive feedback you received from a supervisor or note any lasting changes that were made as a direct result of your intervention.

Tailoring Your Pitch to the Classification Level

The ILS is a cumulative framework. The way you demonstrate personal drive and integrity at the APS 4 level is vastly different from how you demonstrate it at the Executive Level 2. You must tailor your written response to match the expectations of the level you are seeking.

For APS 1 to APS 5 Roles: Building a Foundation of Trust

At these levels, the panel is looking for evidence that you understand and actively apply the APS Values in your day-to-day work. A strong example at this level might involve identifying that a shared team folder contained personally identifiable information that was accessible to staff outside the project, and taking the initiative to flag the issue to your supervisor and work with your IT team to restrict access before a data breach occurred. Another strong example might involve proactively disclosing to your manager that you had a personal relationship with an applicant in a grants round you were assessing, and requesting to be removed from that assessment to protect the integrity of the process.

For APS 6 to EL1 Roles: Modelling Integrity and Professional Courage

As you move into middle management, the panel expects you to not only uphold the APS Values yourself but to actively model them for others. A compelling example at this level might describe how you observed a pattern of low-level misconduct within your team — such as staff members falsifying their attendance records — and how you addressed it directly and fairly through your agency’s performance and conduct framework, rather than ignoring it to avoid conflict. Another strong example might involve how you provided frank and fearless advice to an SES officer that a proposed policy approach carried significant legal risk, and how you stood by that assessment even when it was initially met with resistance.

For EL2 and SES Roles: Championing an Ethical Culture

At the senior leadership levels, personal drive and integrity are about cultural stewardship. A strong example at this level might describe how you led your division through a significant restructure, and how you prioritised transparent and honest communication with your staff throughout the process — even when the news was difficult — because you recognised that candour was essential to maintaining trust during a period of uncertainty. Another compelling example might focus on how you identified that your agency’s whistleblower reporting mechanisms were not well understood by staff, and how you championed a targeted education programme to ensure your people felt genuinely safe to raise concerns without fear of repercussions.

Navigating Common Pitfalls in Your Written Response

Even highly experienced public servants can undermine their applications by falling into common writing traps. To ensure your pitch remains sharp and persuasive, avoid the following errors.

Relying on Character Statements Instead of Evidence

This criterion is particularly susceptible to vague, character-based writing. Statements such as “I am a person of strong integrity” or “I always act in accordance with the APS Values” are meaningless to a selection panel without supporting evidence. For example, rather than writing I consistently demonstrate honesty in my work, you might write “I identified that a data error in a briefing I had prepared would have led the Minister to significantly overestimate the programme’s reach, and I immediately notified my Director and issued a corrected brief before the scheduled meeting”. That single example communicates your honesty and drive far more powerfully than any character statement ever could.

Choosing Examples That Are Too Safe

Selecting a routine or low-stakes example significantly weakens your response. If your example centres on something like consistently meeting your deadlines or always being polite to colleagues, it is unlikely to convince the panel that you can uphold your integrity when it truly matters. The strongest responses involve situations where doing the right thing required genuine courage — such as reporting suspected fraud committed by a senior colleague, or declining a request from a manager that you believed would compromise your agency’s obligations under the Public Service Act.

Hiding Behind the Team

While collaboration is highly valued in the APS, your selection criteria response is an individual assessment of your values and character. For example, rather than writing “the team agreed that the conflict of interest needed to be disclosed”, write “I identified that my involvement in the procurement process created a perceived conflict of interest and I took the initiative to disclose this to my Director in writing and remove myself from the evaluation panel”. Be explicit about the specific decision you made, the values that guided you, and the individual stand you took.

Conclusion

Your selection criteria response is essentially a written audition. The tone of your document serves as a demonstration of your communication skills and your professional maturity.

Ensure your writing is concise, formal, and free of bureaucratic jargon that obscures your meaning. Use strong, active verbs—such as spearheaded, navigated, resolved, and championed—to convey a sense of momentum. Finally, proofread your document ruthlessly. Submitting a pitch littered with typographical errors immediately undermines any claims you have made about your meticulous attention to detail and personal drive.

By strategically aligning your examples with the ILS framework, structuring your response with the STAR method, and writing with unashamed ownership of your achievements, you will present a compelling case to the selection panel. You will move beyond simply claiming to be a person of good character, proving instead that you are a highly effective, resilient, and ethical leader ready to advance within the Australian Public Service.

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Mastering the Achieves Results Capability: A Comprehensive Guide to APS Selection Criteria

In the Australian Public Service, the ability to deliver is not merely a measure of your productivity or your capacity to complete a checklist. Under the Integrated Leadership System, the capability cluster known as Achieves Results represents a sophisticated blend of project management, resource stewardship and the resilience required to maintain momentum within a complex, shifting environment.

 

When a selection panel reviews your application, they are not looking for a list of daily duties or a simple confirmation that you completed your assigned tasks. They are seeking evidence that you understand the broader objectives of your branch or agency and can navigate the various obstacles inherent in public administration to deliver high-quality outcomes. This guide provides a deep dive into deconstructing this criterion and framing your experience to meet the rigorous standards expected of a professional public servant.

Deconstructing the Achieves Results Capability

To write a successful response, you must first understand that results in a government context are multi-dimensional. The ILS breaks this capability down into several key behavioural indicators that evolve in complexity as you progress through the classifications.

Technical Expertise and Personal Knowledge

Achieving results begins with the effective application of your professional skills. At the APS levels, this involves drawing on your existing knowledge to provide accurate advice or delivery. At the Executive Levels (EL1 and EL2), this transitions into a requirement to build organisational capability by sharing that expertise and fostering a culture of continuous learning within your team.

Responding to Change and Managing Uncertainty

The public service operates in a dynamic environment where priorities can shift rapidly due to legislative changes, ministerial directions, or machinery of government reorganisations (or elections). Achieving results is often about how you pivot your strategy and demonstrate flexibility when an original plan is no longer viable, ensuring that the end goal is still met despite external or internal shifts.

Resource Stewardship

This is a critical component for those aspiring to leadership roles. It involves the efficient management of people, time and financial resources. You must demonstrate that you can achieve outcomes while remaining within budgetary constraints and adhering to the principles of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act).

Navigating the Level Distinctions

The Work Level Standards provide the benchmark for what achievement looks like at each level.

        • APS Levels 1–4: The focus is on following directions, maintaining accurate records and completing tasks within set timeframes. Achievement is measured by your reliability and your ability to recognise when to escalate an issue to a supervisor.
        • APS Levels 5–6: At this senior officer level, you are expected to take more initiative. You should demonstrate how you monitor your own work progress, identify potential pitfalls before they become problems and suggest improvements to existing work practices.
        • Executive Levels 1–2: Results at this level are about steering and influence. You must prove that you can manage a work programme, oversee the performance of others and ensure that your team’s outputs align with the strategic priorities of the department or agency.

The Application of the STAR Method

While the Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR) method is the standard structure for APS applications, an expert response requires a more nuanced execution. The goal is to provide a narrative that emphasises your specific contribution and the tangible impact of your work.

Situation and Task: Establishing Context

Provide only enough detail for the panel to understand the environment and the stakes. Avoid lengthy descriptions of the history. Focus on the specific problem or project that required your intervention. For example, rather than stating you worked in a policy team, specify that you were responsible for the implementation of a new digital service delivery framework under a strict legislative deadline.

Action: The Core of Your Response

This section should comprise the majority of your response. Use active, professional verbs that align with the ILS, such as spearheaded, negotiated, calibrated or implemented. Detail the logic behind your actions. Explain how you consulted with stakeholders, how you identified and mitigated risks and how you managed competing priorities. The panel needs to see the intentionality behind your work.

Result: Defining the Outcome

In the public service, a result is rarely just the completion of a document. It is the impact that the document had that matters. How did your role make an impact on the result? Did your intervention lead to a 15% increase in processing efficiency? Did you resolve a long-standing stakeholder conflict that allowed a project to proceed? Tangible metrics and qualitative feedback are essential to prove that your actions led to a meaningful conclusion.

Key Themes for a Proper Response

To demonstrate a high level of APS literacy, your response should touch upon the following professional themes.

Adopting a Systematic Approach

Show the panel that you do not simply work hard, but that you work with a clear methodology. Mentioning the use of project management frameworks, such as Agile or Prince2, or describing how you established a new reporting cadence to keep senior executives informed, demonstrates that you have a disciplined approach to your work.

Maintaining Momentum

High-performing public servants are those who can drive a project through to completion despite setbacks. Your response should highlight your persistence. This might involve describing how you motivated a team during a period of high staff turnover or how you found an alternative funding source when a project budget was reduced.

Quality Assurance and Accuracy

Achieving a result is of little value if the output is inaccurate. The APS places a high premium on attention to detail and the provision of evidence-based advice. Your examples can mention how you verified your data, conducted quality checks or ensured that your work complied with relevant legislation and policy guidelines.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

        • The Collective We: Candidates often speak about what the team achieved. While teamwork is important, the selection panel is assessing your individual capability. You must use the first person to describe your specific actions.
        • Listing Duties Instead of Achievements: Do not simply restate your current job description. Consider examples where you went above and beyond expectations to deliver an exceptional result.
        • Ignoring the Outcome: Many applicants spend too much time describing the situation and the action, only to provide a one-sentence summary of the result. The result is the most important part of the response.

Final Word: Elevating Your Professional Narrative

Meeting the Achieves Results selection criteria is about proving that you are a reliable and capable professional who can deliver high-quality outcomes within the unique constraints of the public sector. By aligning your personal achievements with the ILS behaviours and the specific expectations of the Work Level Standards, you demonstrate not only your competence but also your readiness for the next stage of your career in the Australian Public Service.

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How to Demonstrate Cultivates Productive Working Relationships in APS Applications

For many Australian Public Service applicants, the capability Cultivates Productive Working Relationships appears deceptively simple. Most people work in teams, communicate with colleagues, and interact with stakeholders as part of their daily roles. As a result, applicants often assume that this capability can be addressed with brief references to teamwork or cooperation. Unfortunately, this assumption is one of the most common reasons applications underperform.

 

Within the APS Integrated Leadership System, this capability is not concerned with whether an applicant has worked alongside others. It is concerned with how deliberately and effectively an individual builds, maintains, and uses professional relationships to achieve outcomes in environments that are often complex, constrained, and politically sensitive. Understanding this distinction is essential when developing strong cultivates productive working relationships selection criteria answers.

What Assessors Are Really Looking For

At its core, Cultivates Productive Working Relationships assesses professional behaviour rather than personal disposition. It focuses on how an individual engages with others when there are competing priorities, differing perspectives, or organisational pressures that require judgement and restraint.

Assessors are looking for evidence that an applicant can:

        • Establish and maintain trust over time
        • Communicate clearly and appropriately with different audiences
        • Listen to and incorporate diverse views
        • Navigate disagreement without damaging professional relationships
        • Contribute to collective outcomes rather than personal success

These behaviours must be demonstrated through specific workplace examples. General claims about being “a good communicator” or “a team player” provide no insight into how the applicant actually operates in practice.

Why Many Applications Fall Short

A frequent weakness in applications is the tendency to describe participation rather than contribution. Statements such as “I worked in a team to deliver a project” tell the assessor very little. They do not explain how relationships were managed, what challenges existed, or how the applicant’s behaviour influenced the outcome.

 

Stronger applications recognise that productive working relationships do not happen automatically. They are cultivated through conscious choices, such as adjusting communication style, investing time in understanding stakeholder concerns, or addressing tension before it escalates. Applications that fail to make this explicit often appear shallow, even when the applicant has relevant experience.

Establishing a Clear Narrative

Effective APS responses read as professional narratives rather than lists of skills. They explain a real situation, describe the relational context, and show how the applicant acted with intent.

 

A well-structured narrative usually includes:

        • The organisational or team environment
        • The relationships involved and why they mattered
        • The interpersonal or communication challenge
        • The actions taken to engage others constructively
        • The outcome achieved for the team, project, or organisation

This approach allows the assessor to clearly see how the applicant cultivates productive working relationships in practice.

Demonstrating the Capability in Different Application Components

Resume or CV

Although resumes are brief, they still contribute to the overall assessment of capability. Rather than listing interpersonal skills as standalone attributes, applicants should integrate relationship-building into role descriptions.

 

This can be achieved by:

        • Referring to cross-team or stakeholder engagement
        • Describing coordination across functions or agencies
        • Highlighting outcomes that depended on collaboration
        • Demonstrating increasing responsibility for managing relationships

For example, describing how coordination with multiple stakeholders improved service delivery provides far stronger evidence than simply stating “strong communication skills.”

Cover Letters and Application Forms

The cover letter or application form is often the most important document for demonstrating this capability. It provides space to describe a specific example in detail and to show how behaviour influenced outcomes.

 

Effective responses typically:

        • Identify the key stakeholders involved
        • Explain the nature of the working relationship
        • Describe any challenges, tensions, or differing priorities
        • Detail the approach taken to build or maintain cooperation
        • Link actions to tangible results

When written well, these responses demonstrate not only what the applicant did, but why their approach was appropriate in that context.

Using the STAR Method

The STAR method remains a useful structure for APS applications, provided it is used with care.

        • Situation should establish the relational and organisational context

        • Task should clarify the applicant’s responsibility and expectations

        • Action should explain how relationships were managed and why

        • Result should describe the outcome and its significance

In strong responses, the Action component is the most detailed. This is where applicants explain how they communicated, listened, negotiated, or resolved issues in ways that supported productive working relationships.

Behaviours That Strengthen Responses

Building Trust and Respect

Trust is built through consistency, reliability, and transparency. Applicants can demonstrate this by explaining how their conduct encouraged openness, reduced friction, or enabled collaboration across teams or stakeholders.

Collaboration and Shared Ownership

Collaboration involves more than working alongside others. Strong examples describe how responsibilities were aligned, how input was sought, and how shared ownership contributed to successful outcomes.

Managing Conflict Constructively

Differences of opinion are common in professional environments. Applicants should show how they addressed disagreement calmly, facilitated discussion, and maintained professional relationships while progressing work.

Empathy and Emotional Awareness

Empathy in APS roles involves recognising professional pressures and constraints. Examples should show how this awareness influenced communication style or decision-making.

Feedback and Recognition

Providing constructive feedback and acknowledging contributions helps sustain productive working relationships. Applicants can demonstrate how feedback improved performance or strengthened engagement.

Active Listening

Active listening is shown through actions, not claims. Applicants should describe how they sought input, summarised concerns, and adjusted their approach based on what they heard.

Bringing It All Together

Strong cultivates productive working relationships selection criteria answers require reflection and discipline. Applicants must move beyond describing tasks and instead explain how they intentionally engaged others to achieve outcomes within a professional context.

 

When written with clarity, depth, and evidence, these responses demonstrate judgement, maturity, and alignment with APS leadership expectations. They show that the applicant understands relationships not as incidental to work, but as a critical mechanism through which public sector outcomes are delivered.

 

By approaching this capability with narrative structure and purposeful explanation, applicants significantly strengthen their applications and present themselves as credible contributors within the Australian Public Service.

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Top Tips for Writing a Resume for Teachers

If you’re looking to secure a teaching position, having a well-structured and compelling resume is essential. Your resume should showcase your skills, qualifications, and experience to demonstrate why you are the right fit for a role in education. In this guide, we’ll outline how to craft a teacher resume that effectively highlights your strengths and increases your chances of securing a position.

Is a CV Necessary for Teachers?

When applying for teaching roles, you will often be required to submit a CV. This document serves as a concise summary of your skills, education, and professional experience. The more detailed yet focused your CV is, the greater your chances of impressing hiring managers.

 

While many teaching jobs require candidates to complete an application form, some positions may also request a CV in addition to the form. Therefore, it’s important to have both readily available.

 

Furthermore, your CV should be tailored to suit each specific role. Having a flexible teacher resume template that can be easily adjusted for different positions—such as early childhood education or secondary school teaching—will save you time and ensure your application aligns with the employer’s requirements.

Key Skills to Highlight on a Teacher Resume

A strong teacher CV should highlight both technical and soft skills. Below are some essential skills to showcase throughout your personal statement, education, experience, and skills sections.

        • Patience: Not all students are active learners, and some may require additional support. Demonstrating patience is crucial, and you should provide examples of when you have successfully guided students through challenges.
        • Communication: Teaching is fundamentally about communication. You must effectively convey complex ideas to students, parents, and colleagues. Include examples of how you have delivered lessons, engaged with students, or liaised with parents.
        • Lesson Planning: Effective lesson planning is essential for student success. Highlight your ability to create structured lessons and long-term learning plans.
        • Empathy: Understanding the emotional and social needs of students can make a significant difference in their learning experience. Demonstrating empathy helps build trust and supports student development.
        • Adaptability: Classroom environments can be unpredictable, so being able to adjust your approach when necessary is a valuable skill. Provide examples of how you have adapted lessons or strategies to meet the needs of different learners.

What to Include in an Effective Teacher CV

There is no single perfect teacher resume, as every job application will have different requirements. However, your CV should always be tailored to the specific position. If a school is looking for experience with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), for instance, this should be emphasised. If they prioritise forest school experience, highlight your background in outdoor education.

 

Your teacher resume should be adaptable, allowing you to tailor it for each role. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all template, ensure that you adjust the content to align with each job description.

 

Additionally, your application will be much stronger if you provide evidence of your impact. Instead of making general statements, use concrete examples with measurable results. For instance, if you helped a class achieve high exam scores, include the statistics and compare them to national or regional averages. This quantifiable data strengthens your application and showcases your effectiveness as a teacher.

 

Similarly, if you are using an application letter, avoid copying generic samples from the internet. Your cover letter should be unique, reflecting your individual skills and experience while directly addressing the needs of the specific school or institution. If needed, consider seeking professional assistance in drafting a strong application letter.

Common Teacher Interview Questions & How to Answer Them

Once you secure an interview, you need to be prepared for the types of questions you may be asked. While every interview is different, there are several common teacher interview questions that you should expect. Below are some typical questions along with suggested approaches for answering them.

Why Do You Want to Teach?

This question aims to assess your passion and motivation for teaching. Your answer should demonstrate that teaching is your true vocation. Share what inspires you, what you enjoy about working with students, and how you find satisfaction in helping them succeed. Provide a specific example of a moment when you felt particularly fulfilled in your teaching role.

Why Do You Want to Work at This School?

This can be a challenging question, as it requires research into the school’s values, ethos, and approach to education. Rather than giving generic responses, tailor your answer to the school’s mission, teaching philosophy, and any unique programmes they offer. Emphasise how your teaching style aligns with their approach and why you are particularly interested in contributing to their community.

Can You Provide an Example of a Safeguarding Issue You’ve Encountered?

Safeguarding is a critical concern in schools, and interviewers want to gauge your understanding of child protection responsibilities. When answering, outline a specific situation where you identified a safeguarding concern, explain the actions you took, and highlight how you followed appropriate procedures. Demonstrating a strong awareness of safeguarding policies is essential.

How Do You Handle Resistance from a Student?

Some students may struggle with motivation or engagement. Your response should demonstrate your ability to build rapport, identify barriers to learning, and use strategies to encourage participation. Provide an example of a time when you successfully engaged a resistant student and how you adapted your teaching approach to support their learning.

Final Tips for Writing a Teacher Resume

        • Every teaching position is different, so tailor your resume for each application.
        • Use tangible evidence to demonstrate your skills—quantifiable results can make your CV stand out.
        • Keep your CV clear, well-structured, and concise. Avoid long paragraphs; bullet points can be useful for readability.
        • Proofread thoroughly to ensure there are no spelling or grammar errors—attention to detail is crucial for teaching roles.
        • Prepare for common interview questions by reflecting on your experiences and structuring clear, confident responses.

By following these guidelines, you can create a compelling teacher resume that effectively highlights your qualifications and demonstrates your suitability for the role.

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Adding Interpersonal Skills On Your Resume

When it comes to job application, it isn’t just your academic accolades or work achievements that matter, it is also the number of soft skills that you possess and can apply to your work that matter. Interpersonal skills are a significant part of your soft skill set and can distinguish you from your competitors.

What are Interpersonal Skills?

Interpersonal skills are soft skills which help you interact with others in the work environment. They might include how you work with senior leadership, co-workers or those who you lead in the team. They might also cover how you engage with customers such as how you can deliver excellent customer service, respond to complaints and deal with conflict.

 

These soft skills, unlike many academic or technical skills, can be challenging to demonstrate because they don’t have certifications. It is only through examples on your resume and applications that you can provide evidence for their possession.

However, many different types of interpersonal skills can be covered, which include:

 

Active Listening: The skill of listening to someone else in a conversation to gather information and engage them with purpose. Active listeners avoid conversational distractions, such as mobiles, laptops, others in the room, and more. They are also good at asking questions, answering questions when prompted, and more.

 

Dependability: Those with dependability can be relied upon in a given situation. It could be anything from time keeping to completing tasks. Dependability is a skill required at all levels of the organisation and is critical to success to both teamwork and customer service.

 

Empathy: Your emotional intelligence, or empathy, is about how you understand the needs and feelings of those you’re interacting with. Those with higher levels of compassion and empathy can often create a more positive and high-functional work environment, supporting others to achieve goals and resolve conflicts without drama.

 

Decision Making: Being able to look at a scenario and then determine whether a course of action is critical for most positions in the public and private sectors. It isn’t just about making the correct decision, and not all decisions will be right, but it is about the time it takes to come up with a decision and the logic behind those decisions that can be important.

 

Leadership: Leadership is one of the most important interpersonal skills when you’re looking for a promotion. Leadership is generally specified as the ability to convey an idea, ascertain who is going to do what and then getting people to follow through on those tasks. But other aspects of leadership can include helping others to develop and resolving differences between team members.

 

Teamwork: Being able to demonstrate that you can work with a diverse set of people can be critical to success. Most work involves some sort of teamwork and demonstrating how you’ve participated in projects with others for a successful conclusion can prove a positive attitude.

 

Flexibility: Being able to compromise in some circumstances is a good skill to have. But there has to be a balance here. Sometimes being too compromising can harm the organisation, so you need to show how you can set boundaries as well.

 

Motivation: You need to show some desire to achieve goals. Goal setting, hard work and commitment to the results can demonstrate motivation. As can your verbal and body language.

Why are Interpersonal Skills Important?

Interpersonal skills go beyond technical expertise, demonstrating your ability to collaborate effectively and navigate workplace dynamics. They are essential for achieving professional goals and excelling in almost any role, as they enable you to understand the needs of colleagues, adapt your workflow accordingly, and deliver results within the given context.

 

Even if much of your work is independent, the success of a team is often interdependent. If the team’s objectives are not met, it can reflect poorly on everyone, including you. However, by actively supporting your colleagues, you contribute to the team’s overall success, strengthening your department’s performance and enhancing your value to the organisation.

 

Moreover, strong interpersonal skills improve your ability to engage with customers and stakeholders. By identifying underlying issues and applying a more empathetic approach, you can develop more effective solutions, ultimately saving time and resources—advantages that may be overlooked by those with weaker interpersonal abilities.

How Do You Add Interpersonal Skills On Your Resume?

Many people assume that interpersonal skills cannot be effectively showcased in a resume, but this is far from true. There are several sections within a resume where you can integrate examples of your interpersonal skills, helping to strengthen your application and demonstrate your ability to collaborate, communicate, and problem-solve effectively.

 

Below are key ways to incorporate interpersonal skills into your resume:

Opening Statement

Your personal statement or opening summary is the ideal place to highlight your interpersonal skills. Many candidates make the mistake of simply listing these skills in a generic manner, but providing concrete examples with measurable results can set you apart.

 

For example, rather than stating that you have ‘strong empathy and active listening skills,’ you could say:

 

“Demonstrated strong empathy and active listening skills when supporting customers, leading to a 95% satisfaction score in post-service surveys.”

 

Alternatively, if teamwork and motivation are key strengths, you might say:

 

“Highly motivated team player who successfully led a project to completion ahead of schedule, receiving commendation from senior management for efficiency and collaboration.”

 

As this is one of the first sections hiring managers will review, incorporating specific evidence of how your interpersonal skills have had an impact can make a powerful impression.

Work History

The work experience section provides another opportunity to showcase interpersonal skills in action. Rather than vaguely mentioning teamwork or leadership, use specific examples to illustrate how you applied these skills in professional settings.

 

For example, instead of stating:

 

“Worked in a customer service role and handled complaints.”

 

You could say:

 

“Led a customer service team in resolving complaints 30% faster by introducing a structured feedback system, improving customer retention rates.”

 

Similarly, if collaboration is a key strength, you might include:

 

“Provided critical support to colleagues by managing overflow casework, reducing team backlog by 20% and improving overall efficiency.”

 

Since space is limited in this section, keep examples concise while ensuring they highlight real contributions.

Skills Section

The skills section is often underutilised, with many candidates simply listing interpersonal skills without context. Instead of a basic list, add brief explanations demonstrating how you have applied each skill effectively.

For instance, rather than writing:

 
      • Communication
      • Teamwork
      • Problem-solving

You could refine it as follows:

      • Communication: Delivered clear and engaging presentations to senior stakeholders, leading to the successful approval of a new project proposal.
      • Teamwork: Collaborated with cross-functional teams to streamline processes, reducing project turnaround time by 15%.
      • Problem-solving: Identified and resolved bottlenecks in service delivery, improving customer response times by 20%.

Adding context makes your skills more meaningful and demonstrates their real-world impact.

Final Word

Interpersonal skills are a vital component of any job application, and incorporating them effectively into your resume can significantly enhance your chances of securing an interview. While some candidates find it challenging to highlight these skills in a structured way, using specific examples within key sections—such as the opening statement, work history, and skills section—can make your application stand out.


By providing evidence of how you have successfully applied interpersonal skills in past roles, you demonstrate your ability to contribute positively to a workplace, making you a more compelling candidate for the role.

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Referees on Resume: A Quick Guide

Whether you’re applying for your first role, or for a promotion, one area which can often be confusing is the referees on resume documents. There are lots of opinions on what details to include and how to list them.

 

The reference section is often one of the smallest areas on a resume, and therefore, can sometimes not have as much time dedicated to it. So in this article, we’ll look at the referee resume section and talk about how to show references on a resume to boost your chance of landing an interview for a dream role.

References or Referees?

One of the first questions that is often asked is whether you should name the section references or referees. It can depend around the world what term is used, but in Australia, the preferred term in referees, with references being the term best described as the written statement or information provided by the previous employer or other trusted individual about you.

 

Therefore, when creating your resume, be sure to name the section referees.

 

This section should be at the bottom of the resume, allowing for all the information such as your skills, work history, personal statement, and qualifications to come first.

Should I List Referees on My Resume?

Every application you send to hiring managers should include a section for referees. A referee resume section is relatively easy to add on and has very little space dedicated to it. A good resume reference example would be like this:

 

Manager Name, Position, Company, Phone Number, Email

 

This simple format allows for all the information to be included and allows for the individual to be contacted with ease. It is highly recommended not to put “Referees available on request”. It portrays the idea that you don’t have any referees to provide, which can harm your application chances.

Should You Have References on Resume Documents?

A reference for resume applications should never be directly added to the document. There are two reasons for this:

        • It takes up valuable space on your resume. Ideally you should have a resume be about 1-2 pages, and never any longer. References can be several lines long.
        • Some hiring managers prefer to ask a preset of questions, which a referee might not answer in their statement, so would need to be contacted regardless.
        • The information you provide is not reliable because it hasn’t come independently. There is no way for the hiring manager to know that you’ve not created the references.

How Do You List References For A Resume?

So if you’re wondering ‘how do I list references on a resume’, the simple answer is you don’t. 

 

You shouldn’t know what a referee has said about you and you don’t know what information the hiring company wants from the contact.

 

Therefore, just list the referees on your resume. These can be done relatively easily.

How Many Referees on a Resume?

Numerous opinions exist on how many referees you need on a resume. The first thing you should do is look at the job application specifics to see if there are particular instructions. Otherwise, it is best to list three referees on your resume.

 

Three referees are enough to provide evidence for your soft skills and work ethic. Be sure that you ask all those that you’re putting on your resume that they will be happy for you to list them. A call out of the blue might be a little concerning for them, and they may be less willing to provide the reference for you.

What If You Don’t Have Enough Referees For a Resume?

Some people struggle to find three people to act as referees for any job application. If you’re new to the job market or haven’t kept in touch with some of your past working colleagues, then this can be a real concern.

 

However, there are several ways that you can get past this. Here are some suggestions for you to consider when you’re low on referees for a job application.

 

Forrmer or Current Managers: Those who have been in a leadership position at your previous job roles.

 

Colleagues: Colleagues can provide an objective view of your job performance and soft skills.

 

Volunteer Managers: If you volunteer anywhere, then you can use managers or fellow volunteers to act as a referee for you.

 

Teachers/Professors: Those that you’ve done studies with can help with referees. They can normally attest to your work ethic.

 

Clients: Those who’ve worked for themselves in the past can sometimes include clients as good referees.

 

Friends: As a last resort, friends in a profession (lawyer, accountant, health worker, etc.) can be used when you’ve not got anyone else. These people should also be known for at least one year.

What If You Don’t Want Current Managers To Know?

One issue that you might have is that you haven’t told your current boss that you’re looking for a new role. There can be numerous reasons for this, such as your current manager not being good at handling people leaving, or that you don’t want to damage any working relationship if you don’t get the job.

 

Or you might not trust the individual to keep your current job search discreet from others in the work environment.

 

Therefore, you sometimes might want to say that you don’t want to have certain people contacted until your application has progressed. This can be done, and is often accepted by hiring managers. However, if you need to do this, it should be limited to one referee, and then two who can be contacted.

Final Word: Referees on Resume: A Quick Guide

Referees on resumes can be relatively confusing for many applying for public sector roles. Above is a quick guide on some of the best practices that you can use to ensure that your application is progressed through the good work of those who’ve worked with you.

 

Remember that referees are not going to get you an interview in many job applications, but they can be the difference between a successful job hunt and staying in your current role. Carefully choosing those that will provide you with a good reference is critical to success. You should attempt to reach out to these people first and be sure that they’ll be happy to provide you with a reference.

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Weaknesses in a Job Interview: How to Respond

weaknesses-in-an-interview

One of the most challenging questions you’re likely to face in an interview is: “What are your weaknesses?” This question often stumps candidates because the answers can come across as insincere or overly rehearsed. However, it’s crucial to be prepared and thoughtful when addressing what your weaknesses are in a job interview.

 

In this article, we’ll explore effective strategies for answering this question, helping you come across as confident and well-prepared, increasing your chances of success in your interview.

What Are Your Weaknesses?

When employers ask, “What are your weaknesses?” they’re looking for several key insights. First, they want to assess if you’re self-aware and honest about your limitations. They’re also interested in seeing whether you take proactive steps to improve in areas where you might fall short.

 

It’s essential to acknowledge that everyone has weaknesses—no one is perfect, and hiring managers understand this. What they’re really looking for are genuine answers that demonstrate your self-awareness and potential for growth, which makes you a more attractive candidate.

 

Before crafting your response, take time to reflect on areas where you could improve. While it may be tempting to offer a “reverse weakness” (a weakness that can be spun as a strength), such as saying you’re a perfectionist or a workaholic, these answers often come across as insincere. Hiring managers are used to hearing them and might view these traits negatively.

 

For example, saying you’re a workaholic could suggest you’re not a team player, and claiming to be a perfectionist might imply you’re inefficient. These types of responses could harm your chances of progressing further in the hiring process.

 

Instead, focus on weaknesses that won’t jeopardise your candidacy but still show you’re human. Think about areas where you’ve genuinely worked to improve and are making progress. For instance, you could mention that your time management wasn’t always strong, but you’ve implemented strategies like setting alarms or planning your schedule better to overcome this.

 

Alternatively, you might admit that your accuracy in certain tasks wasn’t perfect, but you’ve recently adopted new tools to improve, and your performance is steadily getting better.

 

It’s critical to choose a weakness that doesn’t significantly impact the role you’re applying for. Additionally, focus on only one key weakness to avoid overwhelming the interviewer with too many negatives. Thoughtful, balanced responses will help you come across as reflective and solution-oriented.

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How to Address Weaknesses in a Job Interview Using STAR

When discussing your weaknesses in an interview, it’s crucial not only to acknowledge the issue but also to show that you’re actively working to improve. Simply stating that you’re “taking steps” to address your weaknesses won’t significantly enhance your application. Instead, you need to demonstrate real actions and progress.

Use the STAR Method

A highly effective approach is the STAR method, which is often used in government job applications. This structured format allows you to clearly explain how you’ve addressed a weakness by breaking your answer into four parts: Situation, Task, Actions, and Results. This approach ensures clarity and provides concrete evidence of how you’ve improved.

 

For instance, if you want to address time management as a weakness, here’s how you could frame it using the STAR method:

        • Situation: “In the past, I struggled with time management, often finding myself running late for meetings and missing deadlines. I realised this was affecting my performance, so I committed to finding solutions to improve.”

        • Task: “One key challenge involved preparing for an important client meeting where I needed to create and present a proposal at their office.”

        • Actions: “To address this, I started working on the presentation well in advance. I completed the draft two days before the deadline and sought feedback from my team and supervisors. I also created a detailed schedule, prioritising the most critical tasks and blocking out time for preparation. In addition, I planned my route to the client’s office, accounting for potential delays in public transport by leaving extra time for the journey.”

        • Result: “As a result of my improved planning and time management, I arrived 30 minutes early for the meeting, and the presentation went smoothly. The client was impressed, leading to a 30% increase in their order. This also contributed to cost savings and improved profitability for the account.”

By using the STAR method, you not only explain your weakness but also demonstrate your ability to overcome it. This approach shows interviewers that you’re not just aware of your weaknesses but are actively working on them in a productive and structured manner.

The Problem with the STAR Method

While the STAR method is a useful tool for structuring responses, it has its limitations. One of the main issues is that it often focuses on a single instance, which may give the impression that the weakness has been resolved completely. However, weaknesses usually require ongoing effort to manage and improve, and it’s essential to show that you’re consistently addressing them.

Another pitfall of the STAR method is the potential to downplay the weakness itself. Using this approach might make it seem like the issue has been fully overcome when, in reality, it’s likely something you’ll need to continuously work on. To counter this, consider adding a statement like, “This approach has been effective in managing my shortcomings, and I make a conscious effort to apply it in similar situations regularly.”

This not only demonstrates self-awareness but also highlights your commitment to ongoing improvement, showing that you’re proactive in maintaining progress.

Responding to questions about your weaknesses in a job interview doesn’t have to be intimidating. By shifting your mindset and focusing on how you address and improve upon your limitations, you can turn this question into an opportunity to highlight your strengths. Be honest, self-aware, and proactive in your response, showing that you’re constantly evolving and growing.

 

The goal isn’t to be perfect but to demonstrate your ability to reflect, adapt, and develop. Armed with these strategies, you can approach this question with confidence and use it to leave a lasting positive impression.

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What is the APS Gazette?

User persona

The APS Gazette is a crucial resource for anyone seeking employment within the Australian Public Service. As the official platform for job listings, outcomes, and updates, it serves as the go-to website for those looking to stay informed about opportunities in the public sector. In this article, we will explore APS Gazette jobs, APS Gazette outcomes, and other essential features to help you effectively use this resource in your job search.

What is the APS Employment Gazette?

The APS Gazette is the official publication for Australian Public Service (APS) job listings and announcements. Its primary purpose is to notify the public about job vacancies, actions, and decisions within the public service, as required by sections 25 and 40 of the Australian Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 2022.

 

In addition to APS vacancies, the Gazette also features job postings from the Australian Parliamentary Service and other Commonwealth agencies, providing a comprehensive overview of public sector opportunities. The website is organised into two main sections: Notification of Vacancies and Notification of Decisions.

Notification of Vacancies

The first key feature of the APS Gazette is the Notification of Vacancies section. This section, governed by Section 25 of the Australian Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 2022, lists available job openings within the Australian Public Service. While Section 27 allows for some exceptions where a vacancy may not be listed, this is relatively uncommon. According to Section 10A(2) of the Public Service Act, there is a principle that all eligible members of the community should have the same opportunity to apply for APS vacancies, ensuring transparency and equal access.

 

For vacancies listed in the Gazette, the closing date must be at least seven calendar days from the date of notification, unless a specific circumstance requires a shorter period. Even in such cases, there must be a reasonable opportunity for members of the community to apply for the position.

 

If you are looking for a new role within the APS, it is advisable to check the website weekly to stay updated on all relevant job opportunities. The Gazette is published as a downloadable document every Thursday, including all new job vacancies and any ongoing listings.

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Using the APS Gazette

Every Thursday, the Gazette is updated with a downloadable document listing all available roles. By regularly checking the website, you can stay up-to-date with new job openings and find potential roles that match your skills and interests.

 

Each job listing in the Gazette provides comprehensive information about the role. This typically includes the job title, type of employment, location, salary range, classification, and a link to the agency’s website where the position is advertised. Additionally, each listing provides specific details about the job’s requirements, daily responsibilities, and the desired characteristics of potential candidates. The job listings also include the name of the hiring manager and their contact information, making it easier for you to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification about the role.

 

When reviewing the Gazette, it’s important to carefully read through each job listing to ensure your application meets all the specified requirements. Pay close attention to the closing date for applications, as it will also be included in the listing.

Notification of Decisions

The next section of the website will cover the notification of employment decisions. This is a requirement under Section 40 of the Directions, which mandates that certain employment decisions be publicly notified. The information that should be included in these notifications encompasses the following scenarios:

        • Promotion of any ongoing employee in the current agency.
        • Promotion of an ongoing employee following a PRC (promotion review committee) decision.
        • The engagement of an ongoing Parliamentary Service employee as an ongoing APS employee, if they have been provided a higher classification than their current classification as a Parliamentary Service employee.
        • The engagement or promotion of an individual in accordance with the Independent Selection Advisory Committee decision.
        • The employment termination of an ongoing employee is based on a breach of the APS code of conduct.

According to Section 40, all employment decisions must be notified in the PS Gazette within three months of the decision. There are exemptions to this rule, but these must be agreed upon with the Commissioner. Additionally, if an employee is required to meet specific clearances, such as security or character clearances, the three-month notification period begins only once the eligibility criteria are met, not from when the job offer is extended.

 

Furthermore, the employee’s name must generally be included in the PS Gazette notification. However, there are exceptions to this requirement. For instance, the agency head may decide to withhold an employee’s name due to specific work or personal circumstances, or in cases where an employee’s termination is related to a breach of the APS Code of Conduct.

Using the Notification of Decisions

The notification of employment decisions can be a valuable resource for those seeking work within the APS. By reviewing these notifications, you can gain insights into various employment decisions, helping you understand when you are no longer being considered for a role. Additionally, this information can reveal which positions are primarily filled through internal promotions, allowing you to identify potential career paths or areas where there may be fewer opportunities for external candidates.

 

Moreover, these notifications can serve as a starting point for networking and professional development. By identifying the hiring managers associated with certain roles, you have the opportunity to reach out and request feedback on your application. While hiring managers are not obligated to provide feedback, many may be willing to offer constructive advice that could enhance your chances in future applications. Leveraging this feedback can help you improve your application strategy and better align your skills and experiences with the needs of the APS.

Regularly checking the APS Gazette is a crucial step for anyone pursuing a career in the APS. By staying informed about available positions and recent hiring decisions, you can better understand the current job market and identify opportunities that align with your skills and career goals.

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Competing Priorities: Why Their Management is Critical and How to Demonstrate That

competing-priorities

When it comes to working on projects, it is important to demonstrate that you know how to manage competing priorities in your workload. This is not just a soft skill, it is also a good way to ensure that you’re managing stress levels within the work. Australian government jobs can often have many competing priorities, therefore, having this soft skill can be a great way to demonstrate that you are the ideal candidate for the role.

 

In this article, we talk about managing competing priorities and how you can demonstrate this in an application for any government position.

What Does “Competing Priorities” Mean?

If work were simply a list of tasks to be completed in a first-in, first-out manner, our lives would be much simpler. However, this is rarely the case. Most roles involve juggling multiple demands and managing various priorities. Employees need to balance these tasks efficiently to meet the expectations of both management and clients.

 

Competing priorities can take many forms. For example, you might receive various tasks from different people—perhaps a senior leader wants a report completed, while your team leader needs you to cover the phones or run a meeting while they meet with a client. Additionally, you might need to review and respond to documents from suppliers or customers. All of this is often complicated by limited resources, with time being one of the most critical constraints. Deciding which task to prioritise often hinges on how much time is available.

Why is Management of Competing Priorities Important?

Effectively managing competing priorities is crucial for success for several reasons. First, resources are always limited. Even if you have sufficient funds or physical assets, you might have constraints on time or access to key individuals within your team. This requires careful consideration of how to best utilise these resources to achieve your goals.

 

Additionally, balancing priorities often means trying to satisfy as many stakeholders as possible. While it’s not always feasible to please everyone, understanding how to prioritise tasks can help you navigate these challenges. There may be times when you have to disappoint someone because you can’t meet their timeline, but there may be valid reasons for this decision.

Learning to set priorities and adhere to a schedule that maximises your chances of success is essential. Managing competing priorities also relies heavily on soft skills, such as effective communication, organisation, resource management, time management, leadership, persuasion, and data analysis. These skills help you identify what is most important and develop a plan to work efficiently.

 

By effectively managing your priorities, you can minimise stress and ensure that tasks are completed in the most appropriate order.

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How Do You Manage Competing Priorities

Learning how to manage competing priorities begins with establishing a clear process for identifying and sorting these priorities. By doing so, you can make informed decisions about what needs to be done next. Here is a quick guide to help you get started.

List Tasks

The first step is to list all the tasks that need to be completed. For each task, note the required resources and estimate how long it will take to finish. It’s also important to consider any dependencies between tasks. For example, if you need to present a survey report to the board of trustees, the data analysis and report preparation must be completed beforehand. By mapping out these tasks and their requirements, you can better understand the order in which they should be tackled.

Identify Deadlines

Next, review the deadlines for each task, noting them down and organising your list based on which tasks need to be completed first. Remember to consider any dependencies between tasks; for example, if you need to write a report but are still waiting for data without a specific deadline, you’ll need to create a timeline that includes the estimated time required to write the report once the data is available. This will help ensure that all tasks are completed in the appropriate order.

Consider the Impact of Resource Usage

Every organisation faces resource limitations, with time often being the most constrained. However, there may also be limitations related to money, materials, and other resources. If a task requires using all the available resources and replacements will take three days to arrive, it’s crucial to factor this into your planning. You may need to adjust the timeline of other tasks that depend on those resources to account for the delay.

Consider Delegation Options

One advantage of working in a team is the ability to delegate tasks to others in the department. This can enhance overall efficiency and effectiveness, especially if team members have specific skills better suited to certain tasks. Delegating not only helps distribute the workload but also allows you to leverage your colleagues’ strengths, leading to faster and more effective task completion. Additionally, delegation is a great way to build stronger relationships and a network with your peers.

Consider Negotiation

Some tasks may come with flexible deadlines that haven’t been explicitly communicated. If you’re struggling to fit everything into your schedule, consider discussing your workload with your management team. Provide them with a list of your tasks and their respective priorities. Ask if any deadlines can be extended by a couple of days to ensure you can dedicate the proper attention to each task. This approach allows you to manage your time more effectively while still meeting the needs of the organisation.

How to Demonstrate That You Can Manage Competing Priorities

Effectively managing competing priorities is a crucial skill to showcase on your resume and in job applications, but it can be challenging to illustrate. The experience section of your resume is an excellent place to highlight this ability.

 

In this section, you can describe how you managed multiple projects simultaneously and prioritised your workload according to the organisation’s goals and stakeholders’ needs. Provide examples of how you successfully completed a significant portion of your assigned tasks and how you handled tasks that were still pending.

 

For example, you might write: “Managed three concurrent marketing campaigns while prioritising tasks based on deadlines and impact. Successfully delivered two campaigns ahead of schedule and effectively communicated with stakeholders to adjust timelines for the third project, ensuring all objectives were met without compromising quality.”

 

Another example could be: “Coordinated the development of five software updates while balancing the priorities of different departments. Identified critical tasks and delegated responsibilities to team members, leading to a 20% increase in efficiency and on-time delivery of all updates. Effectively negotiated deadline extensions for lower-priority updates, allowing the team to focus on high-impact tasks.”

 

This approach allows you to demonstrate several soft skills within a single experience, such as time management, organisation, and adaptability.

Competing priorities can be challenging, but they are manageable. Demonstrating your ability to handle these priorities effectively can be a key factor in securing your dream role in the Australian government.

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