Government interviews are a game.
Learn how to win.
- Coaching
- Mock interviews
- STAR stories
- ILS alignment
Learn it all working with an expert coach in a 1:1 coaching session.
Be more prepared than you thought possible
Our signature government interview coaching will turn you into a confident candidate who knows the formula and has clear ILS-linked examples ready for any panel.
- 1:1 personalised coaching sessions
- Mock interviews including feedback
- ILS- aligned STAR story development
- Expert training materials and workbooks
Hear what our past customers
have to say:
Jessica A.
I booked the interview coaching with Ben and the results were amazing. I never realised how much passive language I was using when I spoke in interviews and it made sense that I wasn’t having luck after multiple interview rounds for EL2 positions.
Grant S.
Highly recommend PS Careers if you are wanting help to get a promotion in the APS. The templates, techniques, and content are just brilliant and well beyond my expectations.
Karen B.
You think you know about the STAR framework but it's not until you go through your interview answers with a professional that you really understand what a winning STAR answer is.
Sara V.
You guys are amazing, thank you so much! I have never felt better about my interview skills and I made it through to a merit pool on my last job application.
Pat E.
All I can say is wow! The level of knowledge Greg has is amazing. He was able to give me the best advice on my situation and the problems I had been having getting promoted in my department.
If you’re like most public servant job candidates we’ve helped, then…
- You never know which example to use for which question
- You worry about saying too much or too little
- You’re too modest to properly sell your achievements
- You get stumped adapting your examples under pressure
Answered yes to any of the above and feel like you might miss out on the next job too?
You’re who we help.
With decades of senior public sector experience behind us, and running hundreds of panel interviews, and thousands of hours of coaching, we know what works.
Hundreds of candidates have tried our method...
…and are FINALLY confident in government interviews and securing the job they want.Â
Hello from Ben!
Hear from our Ben, the PS Careers Practice Manager and one of our expert coaches.
Past customers report feeling:
- Way more confident
- Ready to respond to a range of questions
- Armed with a powerful example for every tricky situation
- Supported, with an expert team behind them
- Certain that their examples are level-appropriate
- Fully prepared and raring to go
PS Careers’ Interview Coaching Program is designed to help you…
Practise your skills in a real life interview simulation
Keep a laser focus on getting the specific job
The Program Features:
You’ll get help and advice targeted to the level of role you are applying for and your existing knowledge and skillset around interviews.Â
From complete beginner through to senior executive level, we will improve your performance and increase your chances of winning a job offer with a tailored preparation and practice program.
1:1 Online Coaching Sessions
Receive personalised, one-on-one coaching with our APS experts, tailored specifically for the public service interview process. Each session is available for you to access following the event, allowing you to revisit the insights and strategies shared, ensuring you’re fully prepared to be your best.
Mock Interview with Feedback
Practice makes perfect. Our mock interview sessions simulate real interview conditions, providing you with ample opportunities to refine your responses. After practice sessions, you’ll receive detailed, constructive feedback, helping you to improve and build confidence.
ILS-aligned STAR story development
Build and refine a list of stories that will cover the breadth of questions you will be asked. Identify gaps and weaknesses in your story selection and take your stories to the next level our expert critique and guidance.
The guess work taken out
Learn exactly what to expect and what questions you will be asked. Based on your target job, we will provide a list of questions to expect and support you with proven formulas and methods to develop your answers. Script and practice answers and identify critical details that will make you a winning candidate.
Questions you’ll be prepared for
During your coaching sessions we’ll give you a list of potential questions that you’ll likely to get – we’re very good at predicting interview questions and we follow up with every applicant to refine our advice.
Personal or Situational Questions
Get prepared for this category of questions, including:
1-Why do you want this role?
2-What makes you a good candidate?
3-What strengths do you bring to this role?
Skills and Experience Summary Questions
Follow our proven method to answer questions relating to your soft skills, domain knowledge, or technical skills. Hit the mark with evidence-based answers that ‘tick the box’ with panel members.
1-Describe your knowledge and experience with ‘X’
2-Tell us about your experience with ‘X’
3-Describe your ‘X’ skills
STAR Story Questions
Build a library of STAR answers for questions that requires a specific example from your career. Learn the technique and how to ‘pivot’ your stories to cater for different question themes.
1-Give us an example of a time when…
2-Describe a situation when you…
3-Talk about a time when you…
All our coaching is:
- Tailored to your situation, job opportunity, and skill level
- Delivered by experienced coaches
- Applicable to all government roles (Local, State, Commonwealth)
- Designed to build confidence and improve your mindset
Nandita (APS6 to EL1)
After six failed EL1 interviews, Nandita kept getting the same feedback – your answers are good for APS6 roles, but not at the expected standard for EL1 – especially in demonstrating leadership.
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With a combined total of only five months acting at EL1 level, Nandita struggled to identify the right stories to use in interviews.
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Through coaching, Nandita identified worthy stories about leading teams, contributing to strategic objectives and managing complex relationships with stakeholders in her seven years of APS6 experience and in her acting EL1 roles. Talking through different ideas with an expert helped to uncover suitable career episodes to talk about, and then frame them in the way that would resonate most to an interview panel.
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Concurrently, Nandita and her coach worked on shifting Nandita’s language to adopt stronger “I” statements and adding more specific details to the stories. With the shift of language and a better choice of examples, Nandita’s story examples were much more powerful. Her confidence improved as a result.
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Nandita achieved a Merit Pool listing in her next EL1 interview after being assessed as ‘very suitable’ by the panel and was then successful in securing an EL1 offer just two months later.
Evan (APS4 to APS5)
With a stellar academic record and relevant professional experience outside of the APS, Evan secured an APS4 role in Services Australia and began his Public Service career. After 18 months in the role, he yearned for a bigger challenge but was faced with limited opportunities for career progression within his department.
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After applying for APS5 roles for six months with no success, despite landing five interviews, Evan reached out for help with his CV and pitch statement, thinking that he just wasn’t interviewing for the right roles, and he needed better written submissions.Â
After unpacking Evan’s experiences on a free phone consultation, we uncovered that Evan’s problem was a simple one. He didn’t understand how to deliver STAR stories in the panel interviews and kept missing the mark. Â
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He had researched the ILS and studied each job’s selection criteria well enough, but kept providing answers that were lacking in specific facts and evidence. Panel members could not mark him as suitable as he’d only talked in general terms about what he’d done without providing sufficient details such as dates, numbers, names, timelines, and descriptions of events and outcomes.
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And because the panels had not given him this feedback, he had no idea.
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After a course correction through some coaching and some STAR story practice, Evan built an inventory of well-rehearsed stories that had the right amount of precise detail to demonstrate evidence that he met the required capabilities of the role.Â
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In the months that followed, Evan secured offers for an APS5 role and an APS6 role, and ended up choosing the less senior position in a department that was far better aligned with his personal career drivers and strengths.
Our Offer
2.5 hours of intensive interview preparation support tailored for the role you are interviewing for. Create a winning pitch and secure top ratings from the panel.
Interview Coaching Program
2.5 hours of 1:1 coaching with training materials
$
549
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1.5-hour coaching session tailored to your needs, plus
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1-hour mock interview session with detailed feedback
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ILS-aligned STAR story development
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Develop your pitch and identify questions you will be asked
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Master the formula and structure for answers
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Guidance on panel interview and APS recruitment practices
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Mitigate potential weaknesses and gaps
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Access recordings of your 1:1 coaching session for review after the event
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Book your first session after payment - after hours and Saturday time-slots available
Book a Session Now
Order now and book your first session today - get access to book your coaching session after payment. We guarantee to offer you a coaching time within <2 business days.
FAQs
Our mock interviews are designed to simulate real interview conditions within the Australian Public Service as well as in Local and State Government interview processes. You will participate in a practice interview and receive detailed, constructive feedback on your performance. This helps you refine your answers, improve your interview skills, and build confidence. The session is recorded for you to view multiple times.
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The interview coaching sessions are usually between 1 to 1.5 hours. However, if you need additional time and practice, you can purchase extra hours as many times as you need. Many clients like to purchase extra time to do repeat interview practice sessions.
Not at all. You’ll be given access to recordings of your coaching sessions so you can revisit and refresh the answers, as well as the strategies discussed during the sessions at your own pace.
STAR is a tool that helps you structure your behavioural interview responses using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) framework. It ensures your answers are clear, concise, and relevant, helping you effectively communicate your experiences and achievements. STAR is widely regarded as the best method for structuring stories and can also be applied to talk about major projects and roles you have performed in your career.
The ILS (Integrated Leadership System) is a set of capability areas that are mapped to every level of job in the APS – it maps out the competencies and expectations of various leadership levels within the Australian Public Service. An equivalent of the ILS is available in State and Local Government bodies. For APS interviews the ILS provides clear guidance on the evidence you need to put forward in your storytelling.
Gain immediate access to our booking calendar after placing your order – you’ll receive an email with a booking link to schedule your coaching. You can be sure to find an option that suits your schedule with multiple coaches available, as well flexible scheduling that includes after-hours and Saturday time-slots. If you have an urgent requirement to access coaching place your order first and then contact us if you can’t find a suitable time-slot on the schedule. We guarantee to be able to offer you a booking time within <2 business days, or we’ll refund your order.
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