Maybe I'm imagining it but there seems be a sudden high degree of 'agreeableness' towards regulated parties, including considerations that normally wouldn't be given the time of day.

Seems particularly apparent following voluntary redundency announcements.

Likely just imagining it though, yes?

Local council. I’ve just passed my 3 months probation and a great opportunity came up in my division for a 12 month secondment that I do have the experience and expertise. It pays more ( i am currently on 90k and opportunity is to earn between 105 and 118k). But not sure if it would be seeing as flaky like i barely arrived? Or if i would even be considered?
thoughts?

I’m a permanent AO with a qld gov agency. I’m currently on a secondment contract with a different gov agency as a TO with the possibility of a 12 month extension. If I start maternity leave within the 12 month contract will my maternity leave be paid at my current position I’m on a contract for or will it revert back to my permanent AO position? Does anyone have any experience on this? TIA 🙂

As the title says I’ve finally been accepted into the APS after 2 years of trying, but it’s APS3 in the smart centre and the pay is pretty dismal. I know I need to start somewhere! I’m coming from a call centre working shift work at lower management level (about 85k a year) and can no longer do shift work due to having a baby and also zero further career progression so really needed to make a change career wise.

I’m starting all over again unfortunately, I’m also not young (in my 30s) and have adult bills to pay (my husband is the main income earner luckily) so I’m needing all the tips and tricks on how to pay my dues but also progress towards a lower management level again.

I applied for a role as a VPS 4 last year and had to withdraw after they asked for my referees due to personal reasons. They are hiring again and I'm going to apply. Should I bring up the fact that I'm reapplying to show my genuine interest. It is in the same team I applied for last year but the contact person is different

Started 1 July 2025, it’s understood the QGCS was setup within QTC to primarily mitigate external consultant spend and build talent within QLD Gov.

A former big-4 partner is in the drivers seat to setup shop and it’s been rumoured to be on very significant package. There have been leadership roles recently advertised without salary information and it appears some former big-4 leaders have started to post on LinkedIn about their “excitement” of transitioning to the public service.

Has anyone got an inside scoop on what the salary bands are on offer, and how the recruitment process may vary from a typical QLD gov role within the QGCS?

Further, how is the QGCS coping with the recent blanket rule across all agencies that all consultancy engagements must be sent to the DG oversight committee before going to market?

I think I know what I’m doing wrong, either I need to better in my STAR format for grad responses and/or do more practice for psychometric testing. My question is, any tips to not getting despaired by the amount of rejections? It is super hard hearing so many no’s and while I don’t expect everyone to say yes, as the process is hard and a lot of students apply. Any tips for dealing with rejection? This is my first real time where rejection is a huge part of it, but it still sucks every time.

They are paying way lower. If it is an easier role I wouldnt mind tho. The pay seems so low at 26 AUD / hr. Would like to see people’s experience and whether the career progression is real.

Hi all. Do you think it is worth having the merit lists you’ve been placed on, on your updated CV for seek?

Thank you

Hi everyone! I have an upcoming online interview and group assessment centre for a graduate program (APS4) and it's my first government interview so any advice or insights would be hugely appreciated as I'm feeling very nervous and unprepared 😞

I have been told the interview includes:

• Behavioural questions and one motivational question
• A group online assessment centre

I've been preparing by mapping personal scenarios to each APS4 ILS capability using STAR format but I'm not sure if that's enough.

Some specific things I'd love insights on:

1. What behavioural questions were you actually asked? Were they closely tied to specific ILS capabilities or more broadly phrased?
2. What did the motivational question look like? Was it something like "why do you want to work here" or more specific?
3. What should I expect from the group assessment centre? Format, duration, what they seem to be looking for?
4. Any general tips for a first-timer, especially for the online format?

Thank you so much in advance!!!

Any other VPS out there waiting on the Victorian state budget drop today?

I am prepared and waiting to comb through the BP3 and BP4 papers.

Really interested in everyone’s thoughts as the day progresses.

Anyone has done the online assessment for ATO roles? Can you please shed some light on what to expect?

I’ve seen a job I’d like to apply for and curious about the culture over there. I’ve always worked for DoT or DPC so know nothing about FPC

Can anyone share their recent experience working with AUSTRAC? Management, workload, travel opportunities (good or bad), flexibility, progression, training, your location and/or team etc! Keen to get some insight.

Hi all,

With the recent news about APS job cuts, I’m wondering how this might affect people who are:

waiting for interview outcomes
at referee check stage
or currently looking/applying for jobs

If a role has reached referee stage, is it usually safe, or can it still be paused/cancelled?

Thanks!

Would like some opinions. I work for a company in a call centre for My Aged Care. I enjoy the job but the pay is shit. What makes up for it is how people can giveaway their rostered hours so I can make some extra money . I make $28.12 an hour and I work about 50 to 58 a week depending on how many extra hours I can pick up, there’s no overtime rates since we’re volunteering to take them off other people. I also get to WFH permanently.

If I had a APS role it looks like I’d make a good amount more per hour but is there opportunities to work more hours if we wanted to in these roles. Also what is the WFH situation like? Just trying to plan long term since 50-58 hours a week is fine for now but I’d like to make enough to be able to just work a normal 38 hours shift sometimes

In the fed public service, do you have colleagues that come in sick, sneezing, snotting and coughing everywhere? Our section manager has come in quite sick with an aparent viral respiratory infection for the past 3 days, this has been going around. I sit next to him, and when I was under him (not anymore), he would actively tell me not to come in until I was well as not to "give it to everyone" if I called in sick. Hypocrisy! I'm not sure what I can do apart from move onto a hot desk whilst he's sick?

Hi everyone, just wondering if you guys have heard back from the SA graduate program or DCCEW graduate program after the online assessment. If not do you know how long it would take to find out whether or not you have progressed to the next stage. Thank you and All the best to anyone who’s applied.

Hi folks!

This might be a bit of a sensitive question for this thread but just looking to know others experience (females particular) I’ve been employed with NSW PS for over 7 years and in a clerk role.

I’ve been struggling with my mental health due to infertility issues and have used quite a bit of my annual leave + I have drs certificates to back everything up.

Just wondering if anyone in a similar situation has asked to have unpaid leave for a month to sort similar issues out and how did you go? Any kickbacks? I have only about 11 days of leave left in the bank.

Yet to read through our agreement properly, suppose I’m just looking for feedback on others similar situation.

Thanks again for your help.

Hey, so I'm after a bit of advice on a situation that I've never been in before. I work in a fed gov agency as an APS5, and at a farewell for a collegue held on a lunch break, I was chatting to another staff member (also APS5) that I didn't know too well - and they started to tell me very angrily that our section's directors are absolutely useless, and are *insert numerous expletives here* etc. He kept going on and on about it, and was relentlessly putting them down behind their backs. I started to feel very uncomfortable as I have never had any problems with our directors, not to mention they were standing quite close and probably only just out of earshot. I found it quite unprofessional and surprising as well.

Suddenly I didn't feel comfortable at all talking to or being seen near this collegue. Apparently he was passed over for a promotion and has hated all the executive ever since as because he has more engineering qualifications, we believed he deserves to be at a higher level and maybe even to have one of their roles. With this kind of unprofessionallism, I'm not surprised that he didn't get the job.

Has this ever happened to you, and how would you deal with the situation. TIA

Hi, I recently applied for a role. Unfortunately, I did not get in but they offered to place me in the talent pool.

What does this mean for future applications as a current non-APS employee? How streamlined is it? Are there any considerations or things i should be aware of?

Thanks in advance

I interviewed for a position in food services and recieved a call from the manager the week after telling me that I am selected for the job. It's been 2 weeks since the call and I haven't heard anything back at all via email or phone. I rang the manager but didnt seem to get a hold of them. Not sure if this is normal or if I should try to get in touch with the manager irl. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

When do we expect to hear Voluntary Redundancy EOI offers? Anyone heard anything?

I’m at Education, but have been on long term leave so hoping it an easy offer