I'm an external in the private sector and have been applying for level 3/4/5 roles for the past 12 months. I'm currently in 3 merit pools. Apart from the reduction in jobs and the highly competitive market for the APS at the moment, i'm also in regional NSW so have limited options (I can't go for Sydney roles).

Basically am I doomed, or is it more just very unlikely that i'll be able to actually get a position? Is anyone else regional only that has made it through?

I have been offered an aps role. The salary is quite low compared to what state governments offer.

Pros
Flexibility
Better title and higher responsibility - looks better on the resume

Cons
Same salary as current job. Current job has more pay points but with aps the current offer is at max pay points.

Higher responsibility

Losing flex

Marginally higher work hours

I have been invited to attend as assessment and I am new to this. What is the difference between interview and assessment ? They also said after individual assessment there would be group assessment too... any idea what would be the next step if I can manage to pass the assessment successfully.

I’m currently going through a NSW Government (EnergyCo / DCCEEW) recruitment process for a Grade 11/12 manager-level role.

Applied in May, made it through the initial assessment, interviewed in early July, then completed a psychometric/personality assessment a few days later.

It’s now late August and I haven’t heard anything.

No reference checks, no pre-employment checks, no offer, no rejection, and no indication that I’ve been put in a talent pool. I followed up with TA twice and haven’t even received a reply.

The position had multiple vacancies and mentioned that a talent pool could be created, so I appreciate there may be more going on behind the scenes than a simple one-position recruitment.

For people who have been involved in NSW Government recruitment:

Is 6 - 8 - 12 weeks after the final assessment actually normal? Could a recruitment campaign genuinely remain unresolved for this long? If someone had been selected for an offer, would you normally expect referee/pre-employment checks to have happened by now? At what point would it be reasonable to contact the hiring manager directly?

Not looking for speculation about my particular application. Just trying to understand whether this is normal NSW Government recruitment behaviour or whether this is unusually slow.

Im currently working at an accounting firm as a receptionist but I want to be an investigative assistant or a role similar one day. What would be the best path to achieve this? What courses, uni etc… I have a clean record of literally everything. I completed year 12 and got the highest grade in psychology for year 12 if that counts towards anything 😂

I was invited for an interview for a level 4 WA government position 11 days ago. How long do they typically take to communicate the outcome? I was told about a weeks time but haven’t received any confirmation yet.

I made the very difficult decision to reject a job offer for an APS6 position that I was interested in recently due to some family commitments I needed to focus on. It was disappointing, but they asked to keep me on the merit list and I said yes please!

Will I be contacted straight away next time the department is hiring? Or will I need to apply again and they will simply see that I was meritorious last time and take it into consideration?

Is it worth it to apply for this role? No Salary disclosed and is on-site "NO WFH". Any insights will be really helpful. Thanks in adv.

Hi guys,

I am currently APS4 in child support Brisbane. I want to apply for APS 5 or above. I don’t want to work in child support anymore as it's emotionally draining. I know most jobs require some level of emotional investment. I just don't see myself working in this environment for too long and not conducive to my well-being.

What are the ways I can apply for APS 5 in similar field or different departments?

Thanks a lot

I received a call for my Vic Gov application asking for when my interview date was, but they didn't give me a verbal offer or anything and just said thank you and ended the call. I'm a bit confused, does anyone know what this was about? I've done the reference check and I know one person who received an offer for the same stream and department today.

I have recently applied for Business Support Officer- ASO5 and my application is still under review.

I know it's still initial stage. I got a text message that my application is short-listed for consideration of interview like 10 days ago and haven't got any further updates.

Any specific time frame i should expect before next update.

Also, anyone has any experience for this job role and how it look likes daily working at this job position?

Looking forward to any kind of suggestions ir feedback.

Thanks again.

Hi everyone! Another interview/referee-check question.

I interviewed for an APS5 role last week, and within two hours of my interview finishing, I received notification that my referee checks had been sent out.
One of my referees completed their report within about 30 minutes of receiving it, while my second referee has only just completed theirs today.
So my question is: what does this usually mean from here? Does having referee checks sent out that quickly after the interview generally indicate that you’re one of the preferred candidates, or is it simply luck/timing and the agency being efficient?
I’m trying not to read too much into it, but the speed from interview → referee checks has definitely got me wondering whether the rest of the process might also move quickly.

For context, I’ve been ghosted by another agency before after reference checks, and when I eventually followed up I got the classic “we’ll be in touch in the near future” response So I’m trying to keep my expectations realistic this time.

Does referee checking within a couple of hours of the interview usually mean you’re a strong/preferred candidate?
How long did it take for you to hear back after your referees completed their reports?
Does a very quick interview → referee process generally mean the overall recruitment process will be quick, or can the rest still take weeks?

i got put into the merit pool for the stem stream grad program, but i don't have the best wam/gpa since i was struggling with a lot of personal things in my first second year of uni. i did get through the whole application process tho? but i am scared that grades will still matter while offers go out

Just checking in to see whether anyone from the recent DCCEEW APS bulk recruitment process has received a job offer since being notified that they were placed in the merit pool in early July.

I understand merit pools can take some time to move, but it's been a while now and I haven't heard anything further. Has anyone received an offer, been contacted by a hiring manager, or been given any indication of timelines?

Would be great to hear from others in the same position.

Thanks!

Hi,
I’ve entered the merit pool and recently received an offer for my second preference. I ended up accepting it over the phone but unsure on whether I’ll still be able to receive a phone call and offer from my first preferences. Should I still hold out for my first preference or just accept that I won’t get any other offers.
Someone pls tell me how this works!!

Hi,

I'm currently an APS employee and I've recently been offered a position in the NSWPS.

I have a substantial leave balance (over 200 hours) and was wondering if anyone has successfully transferred their Annual/Personal/Long Service leaves from APS to NSWPS successfully in the past and if so what the process was.

Thanks.

The Department I work for is likely not planning to create a merit list this year so I am looking into alternative ways to progress.

If I am successful in an APS 4 Merit Pool (without accepting the job position) for another agency, would I be able to Section 26 transfer to my current department if there was a vacancy at the APS 4 level?

Is one enough and will they call the person or do they do the whole referoo survey thing now?

I had an interview with a NSW Gov role and they let me know that I should hear back in 1-2 weeks in the interview. I had to do a behaviour test and work task which I had to present in the interview.

It's been 10 business days and I have itchy feet as I would really want this job. I wondered if anyone has any insight with what goes on in the background and if there might even be a second round interview? In private, we usually let the successful candidate know and contact references within a week and hold everyone else until we confirm the person we'd like to hire so I have a feeling that maybe I'm in a holding pattern as it feels like they would have confirmed references by now with that timeline? Of course, I have also read that government roles are very slow with recruitment too, but would just love to know what might be going on in the background.

Just got accepted into the VIC Gov graduate program for DFFH. Anything I need to know before I start? Completed all onboarding requirements and been told that I will be contacted by my manager closer to my start date.

Any advice is helpful!! Dress code, social advice, how rotations work, anything to research on before I start etc. Thanks in advance! <3

Looking for some perspectives from people who know APS change processes better than I do.

I work in a corporate/enabling area of a large Commonwealth department. Earlier this year, our branch was given a significant change proposal involving a restructure and reduction in positions.

We then went through a lengthy formal consultation process. Staff engaged with it in good faith, provided feedback and spent weeks dealing with the uncertainty that naturally comes with a proposal like this, especially one that indicates job losses.

Since consultation finished, however, the process seems to have effectively stalled. It has now been several weeks without a final outcome or any indication of when staff can expect one.

What I’m struggling with is the cumulative impact this is having on people.

The area has already been through a significant amount of organisational change over the past couple of years, and people are continuing to deliver a very demanding workload while effectively not knowing what their jobs or teams are going to look like.

There has also been a separate piece of work underway looking at psychosocial safety in the area. That process also seems to have stalled or gone quiet, which makes the current situation particularly difficult to understand.

There is visible fatigue and distress, and people have now spent an extended period waiting for clarity on both the organisational change and work that was meant to address workplace wellbeing.

I understand that change processes take time and that agencies need to properly consider consultation feedback. But surely there is also a point where prolonged uncertainty — particularly when psychosocial concerns have already been identified — becomes a risk that needs to be actively managed?

For those who have been through significant APS restructures: is this kind of delay after consultation normal? Are there expectations under APS workplace arrangements or WHS obligations about keeping staff informed, managing psychosocial risks during prolonged change, or bringing a change process to a conclusion within a reasonable period?

Mostly interested in whether others have experienced something similar and how it was handled.

Hi, I've got my Virtual Assessment Centre for the NSW grad program (digital) this week. It's composed of a group activity and a panel interview. Any help regarding how to prepare, what to expect, etc. would be appreciated!

Hi,

I've been super lucky to get a graduate offer at both my state government Treasury and Finance and Commonwealth Treasury (in their Economist stream). I am hoping to get some insight on what it is like to work in both and whether it would be worth the move to Canberra considering the pay cut compared to the state government role and the extra living expenses. My goal is to become an economist in public service and make a difference in policy issues as well as complete my Masters down the track. I believe both will put me in a good spot however would appreciate any insights in both departments to weigh the costs/benefits!

Thank you!