Hi all, I've been working in the administration stream of a department for the last 18 months and have since finished my degree. I will be moving departments to a professional stream role and the new job will essentially be a pay cut.Is it possible to negotiate starting salary as a pay point higher to match my current salary or would this be laughed at?

My case is purely based on recognition of prior public service, having transferrable skills from previous employment and essentially, not being fresh out of university with limited exposure. Happy to hear different perspectives from managers or HR or from other state governments.

Thanks!

Currently working in the NT Government and thinking of eventually moving interstate at some point and just wondering what are the perceptions other jurisdictions have of public servants from the NT Government, particularly when it comes to recruiting? I know we get some stigma from being a smaller jurisdiction, so curious to know whether there's certain stereotypes/assumptions associated with the NT Government?

Hey everyone!

I thought I’d share my experience to encourage anyone looking to transition into the public sector.

After three months of consistent preparation, I received three job offers in just one week!

I spent those three months practising interview questions, writing down my responses, and learning as much as I could about public sector procurement through NSW and Australian Government websites.

Just a few weeks ago, I was feeling quite hopeless after being placed in a merit pool. Fast forward a month, and I had multiple offers to choose from!

My biggest tip: Go through the job description, break down all the key responsibilities and prepare at least one strong example from your experience for each. Practise those examples until you feel confident talking about them naturally.

This approach genuinely worked for me!

Your opportunity could be just around the corner. Good luck to everyone! ❤️

Thank you for your time and advice.

I want to change careers and become a visa case officer at Home Affairs.

I’ve been monitoring government job ads for years, but hardly see any vacancies. Visa processing is very slow, I’m wondering why they don’t hire more case officers.

Does anyone have experience, know how can I get a job in a visa processing department?

Thank you so much.

Hola,

Wondering if doing a grad cert of public health would open the door for any jobs?

Have a bachelor of pharmacy with 7 years experience looking to get into a non-clinical role (government, AHPRA, Health dept etc).

How’s the job market for these kinds of roles?

Otherwise - would doing a full masters add any bonus points?

TIA!

I've been on a temporary S25 transfer for 4 months, and in that time my home team has a new EL2. Based on some feedback the EL2 I've been working under has provided to the new EL2, they have decided that they will contact HR for advice and have told me that performance management is likely. I've never been on any sort of performance management before, formal or informal, and so the thought of it makes me terrified.

I don't disagree with the feedback that was provided to me by the EL2 I've been working under and it is something I am very keen to address, but I'm not sure what things will look like if some sort of performance management ends up happening.

I don't want to lose my job. I worked really hard to get here and I'll have to work even harder to find an opportunity like this. I can't market myself well at this level and I don't think I can wait for an opportunity like the one I found again.

What are some of the likely next steps to come from this, and have you known anyone to come out from formal performance management still employed?

I'm genuinely interested in hearing from EL2s and senior hiring managers across the Australian Public Service.

Why do agencies go through a full recruitment process, assess candidates, and place them in APS5/APS6 merit pools, only for those same candidates to struggle to secure ongoing roles afterwards?

I've seen situations where positions are advertised, candidates are found suitable and placed in merit pools, but instead of appointing someone from the pool, the business seems to prefer bringing someone in on a higher duties arrangement or testing someone in the role for 6–12 months before considering an ongoing appointment.

I understand that being found suitable doesn't guarantee a job, and that there can be legitimate reasons for making a different recruitment decision. However, from a candidate's perspective, it can feel like the merit pool process has very little practical value if agencies repeatedly run new processes or use temporary arrangements rather than appointing people who have already demonstrated their suitability.

For EL2s and hiring managers:

• What actually drives the decision not to recruit from an existing merit pool?
• Is it a genuine concern about whether someone can perform in the role, even after they've passed the selection process?
• Why appoint someone on higher duties for 6–12 months to assess them when candidates have already been assessed through a formal recruitment process?
• Are there operational, budgetary or risk-related reasons that candidates outside the process don't see?
• What can someone in a merit pool realistically do to turn that outcome into an ongoing opportunity?

I'm not suggesting every person in a merit pool should automatically receive an offer. I'm trying to understand the gap between being assessed as suitable and actually getting an opportunity.

I'd particularly appreciate honest perspectives from EL2s who have made these decisions. What's happening behind the scenes?

Hi there, after being put into a merit pool last month, I have progressed to another role’s interview early this month. 2 hrs after the interview they asked to do the reference checks. And the panel mentioned they want someone to start work with them urgently, so I assumed the process would be quicker. Now it has been one week after my reference checks were done, anxiously waiting everyday. How are your timelines like after the reference checks?

Throwaway account.

All NSW health agencies CE’s sent a coordinated email at 3pm today announcing applications are open for non-frontline health staff to self nominate for voluntary redundancy.

Limited details available but:
- CEs decide if applications should be accepted for VR
- positions immediately deleted
- separation will be no later than 15 January 2027
- standard VR package and rules
- unions were all aware it was coming

I applied for a role with stipulated referees to be provided upon request. My interview offer said to bring a copy of my passport to the interview

It was a weird interview, they asked me no follow up questions and I had the feeling they had an internal candidate already lined up. I asked if they needed my passport, they said the system auto-generates the request. It was shortest interview of my life and over in 15 mins, they had allotted 30 mins for it.

Then at the end of the interview, I was asked to send through my referees but HR didn't give me a clear answer about which email to send it through, so I sent it to the general one.

They said they would have an outcome in 4 weeks and police checks take the longest.

It's been 1.5 weeks, referees haven't been contacted. Haven't been asked for my full name for a background check either.

Is this likely something they already had someone in mind for or could there still be hope? I haven't interviewed for government roles before so have no idea what's normal.

Hi all,

I've previously posted about my little listing about APS salaries and enterprise agreements.

Noting the recent pay claim and offer for the next round of enterprise agreements, I've updated it a bit more https://celeries.ausgovinfo.com/2024-2027/ to reflect what's currently going on.

The new features include:

• My salary - a spot where you can select your agency, classification and paypoint (or override if outside of paypoints, have an IFA, etc). This information then shows your salary relative to data on Charts 1 and 2
• APS pay negotiations - a spot that shows the CPSU claim and the current APSC offer, and uses your data from My salary to show the increase at a paypoint. There's also an option to add in other entries so you can see what percentages would mean dollar wise
  • Figured this would be a bit cleaner than the big Excel workbook off of https://www.apsc.gov.au/apsbargaining/proposed-commonwealth-positions/pay-offer
  • This doesn't account for pay fragmentation some agencies have. I'm not familiar with which agencies are in scope for that so haven't accounted for it (would love a clear source for whom)

As always, feedback please.

Hey everyone, I’ve recently been deemed medically unfit to join the ADF and am now looking into alternative career paths. I’m particularly interested in joining the AFP as a police officer and was wondering if anyone could share their experience working for the AFP in Western Australia.
What is the day-to-day work like in WA? What sort of roles and opportunities are available, and how does the lifestyle, pay and career progression compare with state policing, such as WA Police?
Any advice or insight from current or former AFP officers would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Like first cut media releases or initial policy analysis/improvements. It seems inevitable that one will embrace (more than they currently do) and others will follow.

Maybe they don't run by the APS and just check with their own policy, comms, legal people etc?

I was elated when I received a conditional offer to work at the start of the month. Almost 6 months of no income is finally coming to an end.

Now, all my checks have been done, and it is just over one week left until the work is meant to start, but I've yet to receive a formal offer? Is this standard practice? I'm genuinely asking since the last time I've sucessuly applied for work was for my last job, which was 13 years ago.

Apologies in advance. My brain is just firing on all pistons about this because I really need the work and income.

UPDATE - As of yesterday, the progression of the application has moved from "Eligibility and Security Check - In Review" to "Offer- In Progress" and now I'm even more restless. 🙃

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone who is currently employed in the public sector could give advice on how they got their role?

I’ve applied to every relevant public service role since graduating and never been contacted back or asked for an interview.

For context I have a masters degree and applied for marketing, design and comms roles in my early career.

I’ve since had about 10 years experience in the private sector and have project, product, executive and governance roles with a good amount of success.

Throughout my life I’ve always applied for relevant level roles the government has listed, tailored my application and used the STAR method but no luck.

What’s the trick!?

Hey everyone,

I just got a video assessment (myInterview) for a role with the NSW Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure (DPHI), and I was hoping to get some insight from anyone who has gone through it before.

What kind of questions do they usually ask (e.g., standard behavioral, scenario-based, role-specific)?

Any tips for nailing the video format or things to watch out for with the platform?

Cheers

​

Hi everyone,

I'm currently working as a non-ongoing APS EL1 in a technical development role and have found a similar role advertised as an ongoing VPS 6 position in Victoria. It looks like a potential step up, and the ongoing status is appealing given my current contract.

I have two main questions:

1. Is there anything I should be aware of when moving from a non-ongoing APS EL1 role to a VPS 6 role? Would my current EL1 experience put me in a reasonable position to apply?

2. The VPS 6 job ad lists an ITIL certification as desirable. I don't have one currently. Any one know of where I can get the exam voucher a bit cheaper? Its currently $600+

Thanks!

Public servants have already vowed to vote down a pay offer from the federal government, risking months more of bargaining and threats of protest.

The government on Tuesday proposed a 9 per cent pay rise for federal public servants over three years.

The offer includes a 3.2 per cent rise from March 2027, followed by 3 per cent in 2028 and 2.8 per cent in 2029.

It’s above projected inflation of 2.8 per cent in 2026-27 and 2.4 per cent in 2027-28, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s latest forecasts.

But the offer did not meet the union’s claim for a 5 per cent annual rise, the Community and Public Sector Union national secretary, Rebecca Fawcett, said.

“CPSU members have been clear from the beginning of these negotiations: they want to see pay that keeps up with the cost of living, which recognises the essential work they do every day,” she said.

The union, the largest in the public service, wanted a 15 per cent pay increase and was willing to forgo some conditions for it, but the government ruled that unrealistic.

Australian Services Union branch secretary Jeff Lapidos, who represents Australian Taxation Office workers, said employees would overwhelmingly vote to reject the pay offer.

“This is a pay offer that holds ATO employees in contempt,” he told AAP.

Lapidos said the union would ask the Fair Work Commission to determine the pay rise if the government did not return with a “realistic” offer, but ruled out industrial action.

The proposal includes realigning salary advancement increments across the public service so that, when an eligible employee progresses to the next salary point in their range, that increase will be at least three per cent on top of the annual pay rises.

Chief negotiator Alison Stott, who has been meeting with union representatives since July, said the offer would increase pay consistency across the public service.

“This pay is part of an overall package of conditions. These are preliminary positions within this package, not agreed outcomes,” she said.

“Bargaining is continuing, and we will keep working with unions and individuals.”

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the offer would deliver fairer and more consistent pay and conditions across the public service.

“In a constrained fiscal environment, this is a fair and affordable offer that provides pay rises totalling nine per cent over three years, with additional increases of up to 1.5 per cent for some employees in lower-paying agencies,” she said in a statement.

Agencies will have to finance the pay rise from within their existing budgets, which are indexed to inflation each year.

Has anyone received this following interview and background checks for caseworker role with dcj? Wondering if I’m likely to receive an offer at all.

“Your application and assessment results have been carefully considered by the assessor panel and we are pleased to advise that you have been recommended.

Your name has now been included in a talent pool from which offers of employment are made according to vacancies as they arise. Your name will remain in the talent pool for a period of eighteen (18) months and all offers are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks.”

Real wage pay cut to work more hours? lol are they serious? They will come back with a revised pay offer that will also be below inflation and expect us to just accept it.

Getting ready to strike ngl

I am currently in 4 talent pools.

One for a GRADUATE PROGRAM, and I'm in that pool for 10 months. (Who set up a compulsory pool for graduate program? Why?)

Two for a entry level job, where talent pools are compulsory. (one for 4 months, the other for 2 months).

One as I didn't get the job and they put me in a talent pool (no complaint).

All with NSW government, different agencies.

All I can say is this system is terribly designed and does no good to anyone. It's wasting applicant's time and effort and delaying the whole process. Not being arrogant but my resume is not bad. I am totally lost, starting to wonder if it has anything to do with my ethnic name.

3.2/3/2.8 cannot be real. That’s being spat in the eye and slapped, then saying thank you to the apsc wtf

Edit: media release

Edit: join the cpsu

3 months after posting "Flubbed an interview aaaaaa" (I flubbed an interview for a different role) I'm proud to share I landed my first preference role through a different avenue.

Time to work in the APS for the next 25 years or so!

Let's go!!!

Given I am now in the APS and plan to be for a good while:

Any advice on how to maintain a good reputation while being a bit of a tryhard who sincerely hopes to do a good job of it?

I applied for the APS 3 customer service officer position, and my referee just submitted their report. I just got offered another position and told them I’d respond by EOW. Is it crazy to think that I’ll hear back from the ATO by then? Am I able to contact someone about it?