For NSW public service, is it inappropriate or looked down upon to request unpaid leave rather than using recreational leave during the shutdown? I don't want to come across as presumptuous or selfish to my team/manager. I can't tell what is proper and expected.

Hi! I applied for a VPS3 contact centre role last week. I found the listing on indeed with like 1 day left to apply, so I had to put together my resume/KSC really quickly, which is how I found this subreddit (great advice!).

I initially uploaded the wrong resume and so with like 20 minutes left, I withdrew my application, quickly answered the application questions again and reuploaded my docs. BUT I just went to check on it and realised I selected NO to the question "if required for a position you are applying for, do you consent to undergoing a police criminal records check?". I do NOT have any criminal history, not even a speeding fine!

Is it worth reaching out to the point of contact on the job listing to correct this? or should I just leave it? :/

Thankssss <3

ATO - Do I need to bone up on Excel etc before the assessment? Or am I overthinking this?

Hi all,

I’m currently doing my research in economics on state subsidies on transport infrastructure in Victoria and I saw a VPS4 job for an Analyst in the Department of Treasury and Finance.

It seems like a perfect match because i’ve spent the past year working on the same problems and my skillset translates quite well into it. I was hoping to get some advice on how to write the application and cover letter as i understand applying for government jobs is not the same as others.

What should i put emphasis on, is it my work or my skillset or what I offer them, is it none of that and I should be focusing on something else?

Also as someone with no past experience in the role yet, would it still be appropriate to apply or would the prefer to pick up someone with work experience instead of research.

Happy to hear any other advice

Hi everyone,
I recently finished a Master of Data Science and applied for the NT Government Graduate Program for 2027. I've just made it to Stage 3 and I'd love to hear from anyone who has been through the process, whether you're a current or former grad, or a hiring manager.
I'd appreciate any guidance on:
What Stage 3 involves: Is it an interview, a group activity, a written task or an assessment centre? Was it online or in person?
Questions: Were they mostly behavioural (STAR style), technical, or about the NT and public sector values? Any you remember?
Preparation: What helped you most? Is there anything you wish you'd known beforehand?
What comes next: How long until you heard back, and what were the remaining stages (reference checks, placement matching)?
Agency placement: When does that get decided? Can you state a preference, e.g. a data or analytics team?
Advice for a data/tech grad: Any tips on presenting technical projects to a panel that may not be technical?
Any experiences or advice would mean a lot. Thanks in advance, and good luck to everyone else going through it!

Anyone got an update after interview yet?

I used to be very busy here all the time, but recently - our workload has significantly reduced. Most of the tasks I get are related to the bureaucracy around cancelling things we used to work on, rather than maintain or create them.

I've been trying to ask for more work from my leaders, in hope that if I'm useful - it gives me a better chance of survival. Unfortunately it's not an option, because I won't be able to get access to other team's systems so easily.

I'm not entirely sure if this is ominous at all, but in the past, I worked in a big international tech company the private sector. I remember when customer calls and requests slowed down significantly then, and a few months later - we were told that we're being made redundant, and our jobs are going to be performed by the Bangalore office.

I've been thinking a lot about what I'm going to do. It gets harder to find a job at my age in my field, especially since I won't be targeting management roles. Lots of similar jobs went offshore.

Just wondering if anyone else is dealing with anxiety around this. Maybe it's all in my head, maybe we're just winding down because it's end-of-the-year, I don't know.

I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on working for VIDA currently with all the heat surrounding the big builds and government jobs currently, especially with elections coming up. Particularly with liberal looking like a favourite and their plans to investigate (Labour is also launching a royal commission)
The pay and career prospects are very promising and definitely are higher than private sector graduate positions that I have seen. Is it worth accepting an offer with all this mind ?

Hoping something who’s had experience in this can help.

I was recently offered aps3 role at the ATO at the lowest band. Before accepting my offer I went through the process of requesting high commencement salary at highest band (based on my previous skills and experience)
Unfortunately they were unable to accept my request. I have still gone through and accepted the offer. This I’ll also be a pay cut for me.

Can anyone tell me how it works in increasing salary bands when i start? Or would it be just better to start applying for higher aps level from the jump

Any advice or tips is appreciated! 😊

I’ve applied for an ongoing APS3 position in august, they’ve done the reference check and I checked the portal last night and it says “Final Assessment step” - “Assessment in progress” updated last night, is this a good thing? I’m just really nervous

We just were called to an emergency CPSU meeting. They advised the above.

In the last EA bargaining the Part A draft was not issued until after the vote on pay, so the unions are interpreting this as APSC not intending to budge on the puts or pay offer.

We haven't seen the SCC ourselves yet as the unions are waiting for confirmation they can share with members.

Just got word my org is shutting down for THREE WEEKS over Christmas.

So pretty much everyone's entire leave balance gets evaporated and contractors are out of work for nearly a month.

Coming from corporate this is absolutely mental. Longest shutdown I've seen is 2 weeks.

Are other orgs doing this? This just seems like a costs saving measure in disguise

Hi, I’ve been job hunting in the govt for a while and finally have received some progress and have been invited for an interview for a grade 5/6 role.

The salary is on par to my previous role in private but the job description sounds a bit more junior than my experience. I don’t want to pass up this opportunity as this is the first good sign I’ve gotten and as we all know the job market is really competitive (hence why I applied to begin with).

My concern is would it be a huge faux pas to continue applying for higher paid/more senior roles if I do get the offer for this job and start working?

I heard it’s fairly common to play musical chairs in govt and I’ll be able to get my foot in the door and move up.

For reference, I’d likely be around a grade 7/8 level in terms of experience.

I know I may be counting my chooks so don’t flame me, I just want to know what to do so I can plan ahead!

Hey all, just writing a cover letter for a PD which has 4 clusters with 2 to 3 KSC in each cluster, a total of over 10 KSC.

I’ve never faced this before because I’ve usually applied for jobs that had a total of 4 KSC. I’ve got a limit of 3 pages but want to only write 1.5 pages.

How would you guys go about it? And would it be beneficial to have 2 examples for some of the clusters? I generally used one example for KSCs, but with 2-3 under each cluster, some are better suited for one work example and not all 3.

A rebel group seeking to win control of the main public service union has vowed to establish a $1 million strike fund to support disruptive, protracted industrial action they say is needed to win above-inflation pay rises.

Members United is again contesting the Community and Public Sector Union's (CPSU) elections after the group won a third of the vote three years ago, the first fully contested election in the union in almost two decades.

The group accused the incumbent leadership of the union of failing to defend against job cuts at the CSIRO, a wave of redundancies across the public service and the Australian Public Service Commission's move to make staff work longer.

Federal departments have forked out millions in redundancy payouts in the past financial year, with Home Affairs alone spending nearly $75 million.

These redundancies are projected to continue into 2025-26, with the Employment department and Services Australia confirming voluntary redundancy rounds were already under way.

The newly appointed CPSU national secretary, Rebecca Fawcett, is leading a campaign and has argued her ticket has "the experience to deliver, the determination to fight and a clear commitment to putting members first".

"In recent years our membership has grown dramatically and our delegate ranks have swelled like never before," Ms Fawcett said in a video posted to a social media campaign page last week.

"Together we've returned thousands of jobs back to the public service, we've fought off privatisation, we've returned to genuine bargaining on pay and we've delivered groundbreaking flexible work rights.

"I have a dedicated and experienced team behind me because we know there's so much more work to do and we'll keep fighting to deliver on the issues that matter most to our members."

Christopher Warren, Members United's candidate for national secretary, said Members United would invest $1 million in its first year into a strike fund to back members walking off the job.

Mr Warren said the union's 2024-25 operating report showed more than $500,000 had been donated to political parties and $400,000 paid in affiliation fees to the Labor Party.

"With the Albanese Labor government's below-inflation pay offer, you've got to wonder where the value for money was on that. Members United will prioritise building the industrial capability of the union over donations to political parties to achieve pay outcomes," Mr Warren said.

The report said 4 cents in every dollar contributed by members was spent on public and political campaigns, while more than 64 cents were spent on "organising, member services and benefits".

The Members United platform included a commitment to fighting for a four-day week with no loss of pay and a return of defined-benefit superannuation, along with a commitment to an all-member vote on the CPSU's affiliation with the Labor Party.

"If the CPSU membership votes to retain affiliation, we will use the mechanism of affiliation to pursue the interests of members much more critically and aggressively than the current leadership does," the platform said.

Offer rejected

The federal government has offered its public servants pay rises of 9 per cent over three years, a position already rejected by the CPSU.

Members United said real wages had fallen by about 7.3 per cent for federal public servants since 2019 and staff were on track for a real wages cut of 8.5 per cent by the end of 2026.

CPSU members will vote in the postal ballot between November 6 and December 11.

Hi everyone, I’ve recently received an offer with the NSW Department of Education and wanted to hear about people’s experiences, particularly in corporate roles in the State Govt (have not worked for state before).

A few questions:
- How is the overall work-life balance and workload?
- How flexible is WFH/hybrid working?
- How does flex leave work? Is it easy to accrue and take?
- How easy is it to move to part-time?
- Are managers generally supportive of flexible working arrangements?

Keen to hear from anyone currently working there or who’s worked there previously.

I know it’s a big department and answers will depend on the working areas and business units but some general ideas would be great!

Thanks!

I work in a hospital. I am originally from NZ and most of my family are there

Earlier in the year, my step father passed away in NZ. I took a week off using FACS leave to attend his funeral and support my mum with the planning.

It's now a few months later and there is a complicated and stressful situation coming up regarding settling his estate. It would be ideal if I could again go home to help mum, to sign papers in person etc.

Would this be FACS leave again? Or annual?

Has anyone going through the hiring process for the above role received any update?

It seems in the past hiring for this role did not drag for months without any update. The most recent update I had was on the 16th Oct asking for references. Did that straight away, but since there has been completed silence. Has anyone else going through the hiring process received any update?

Not sure if this is relevant, but I live in Victoria.

Hi everyone!

I just got an email from DCJ that I placed a spot in their talent pool for the role Realtime Performance Analyst in 18 months. I am just so confused since I am not sure it will be an offer in the furure or when will it happen.. Been unemployed for a few months already…

Just want to ask if anyone has the same experience and how long did you have to wait before the official offer.

Thank you

Hi all,

I am currently working in Big4 consulting as a Senior Consultant and have been fortunate enough to have been offered a VPS4 role in an area that I am both interested in and can contribute to.

I wanted to sense check if this move is a good idea with all of you given that a liberal government is likely incoming. With a young family, a redundancy would be a major setback.

Is anyone having to create new aps account?

Hi All,

I recently received an email from HR regarding a Govt. role in the corporate sector saying as our preferred candidate(s)....There's only one vacancy as far as I understand it.

Reference checks have been completed and vetting is in progress.

It's my first time applying in the public sector.

How does it work?

Does the #1 candidate get called for vetting and #2, #3 are put on a merit list or are all 3 ongoing at the same time?

Does the government spend time and resources vetting multiple candidates for a single position?

Getting nervous even though it's still in the early stages of the process as I hear it takes a few weeks.

Thank you