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Applying for APS Graduate
Programs
Diana Edwards
Career Consultant, Melbourne Careers
Centre
Slides available:
http://careers.unimelb.edu.au/student/online_career_tool
s/exploring_your_options
Objectives of the session
• Tips for preparing a written application for APS
graduate programs, with particular focus on
open-ended questions relating to selection
criteria
• Resources to assist with subsequent stages of
selection process
What is a Graduate Program?
APS definition:
A graduate program is a structured, on the job
program, designed to introduce you to an APS
organisation. You will receive training and
development, mentoring and on the job support.
Typically graduate program is 10 to 18 months and
consists of 1 to 3 rotations.
Listing – Australian Government
Graduate Programs
Department links to grad program info:
http://australia.gov.au/topics/employment-andworkplace/australian-government-jobs/graduate-programs
Advertised positions:
https://www.apsjobs.gov.au/graduates.aspx?mn=Graduate
Applications
Include some or all following:
• Open-ended questions – relating to selected selection
criteria (general and behavourial)
• Other tasks eg Social Services – Work Style Questionnaire
• Resume
• Cover letter – mostly not required (cover letter type
content generally dealt with in open-ended questions)
• Academic transcript
Research is key!
• Understand about the APS generally – its role, values, issues
• Know the department - its work and some current
programs/projects, issues affecting………unlike VPS, applying for
specific departments so motivation expected to be specific as
well as ‘public service’ more broadly
• Opportunities to make connections in written applications, and
particularly at Assessment Centre/interview
Shu-Ling – Department of Prime
Minister and Cabinet
• Research, research and research – integrate
understanding of the work of the department in your
answers eg refer to examples of current projects
• Not too many applications (takes time to do well);
not too few applications (you get better as you go
along)
John – Australian Electoral
Commission
• Choose carefully and go for those of real
interest…..follow your passions – then you’ll ‘burrow
in’ and do the research required to tailor applications
and convey real motivation
• Understand your skills deeply, so you can relate them
to work of APS – tertiary course skills are extremely
relevant to APS work, so embrace what you have
gained from your studies
Doing your research
Programs and services
• Websites: example – Social Services:
https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities
Topical issues
• Media searches
Open-ended questions
• General – most commonly about….
o your motivation for applying (for the program,
Department, APS)
o what you bring to the program
o understanding and alignment with Department values
• Behavioural – describe in detail an example where you
demonstrated a particular skill – typically ‘soft’ skill but
sometimes technical
Behavioural questions generally align explicitly with
Selection Criteria
Examples questions: Motivation
and Contribution
Industry and Science
Why do you want to undertake our Graduate Development
Program? What do you think you can offer the Department?
Veterans Affairs
Why are you interested in working with the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs?
Tips: ‘Why are you applying…….?’
• No right and wrong answers, but some factors you might
refer to: relevance to career plans, interest in public service
broadly, interest in work/role of specific department,
features of their graduate program, opportunity to use your
skills/relevance of your skills.
• An important opportunity to show that you understand the
work of the department in this question - your response is
strengthened by referring to programs/activities of the
department.
Tips: ‘What would you bring to the
role…..?’
• Focus on relevant skills and knowledge (which also shows
that you understand APS type work) eg analytical and
conceptual skills, written communication, socio-political
understanding, organisational/project management……more
specific skills if you have them eg policy work
• Good to flag some examples if discussing skills (though not in
the depth required in a behavioural question) ….. ‘for
example, in my work with….’
Example question: Values
ABS:
The ABS places a lot of importance on values, both the
APS values and its own ABS values.
(a) What is your understanding of the APS and ABS
values?
(b) What values are most important to you and why?
Tips: Values questions
• Show you understand their values –
summarise/paraphrase and understand the practical
implications
• Refer to any which you relate to strongly
• Refer to any experiences/situations where similar
values
Tips: General
• In preparing response, start with what is true for
you – an authentic response; you can ‘shape up’
later if necessary. Don’t start with what you think is
a ‘right’ answer – stifles flow of ideas and expression
• Be focused – don’t try to cover too much ground –
two or three key points in some depth rather than
half a dozen superficially mentioned
Behavioural questions –
what are they?
• Questions which ask you to describe a time/example
when you demonstrated a particular skill (identified
as a Selection Criterion) – transferable/generic/soft
skills
• The theory is that if you have used skills and
strategies in one context, you will transfer them to
another context – seen as more reliable than asking
people what they would do if in a certain situation
A ‘classic’ behavioural question
Industry and Science
Describe a situation in which you were required to
adapt to change. How did you deal with this? Please
state the situation, your actions and the outcome.
Behavioural questions –
some common APS themes
•
•
•
•
•
•
Achieving results/overcoming setbacks
Flexibility and adaptability
Communication
Initiative and innovation
Productive relationships/teamwork
Self-awareness
Responding to behavioural
questions
• Use STAR model as guide in describing your example
• Examples can come from work, study or extra-curricular life
(sometimes indicated to use work examples if possible)
• Examples should be recent eg 1-2 years
• Try to draw on a range of experiences – or at least don’t use
same example too many times
• Not how ‘starry’ the example per se, but how appropriate to
the criterion; how well it lends itself to analysis
STAR Model
• Situation – what was the situation – who, what, when,
where?
• Task – what was the task or challenge that had to be dealt
with?
• Action – how was the task or challenge dealt with? what
actions were taken, what strategies were used, and what
was your particular contribution?
• Result – what was the outcomes – was the task achieved?
what did you learn? and what was the impact on
relationships?
Tips for strong behavioural
response
• Not just about telling the story, but showing understanding of the
processes eg teamwork: does your answer show an awareness of what it
takes to operate effectively in a team? Consider the principles involved what makes a team effective?
• Most people run out of steam by ‘results’ – a strong response will cover
‘results’ well. Results can be considered in terms of:
o task outcomes eg ‘We delivered the goods on time’
o relationship outcomes eg ‘I developed a great working relationship
with x’
o learning outcomes eg ‘Even though everything didn’t go perfectly, I
learnt x, and this would make a difference to what I do next time’
Example response - Teamwork
Project team work is an important way of working in
the public service. Please outline a situation when you
were part of a team. Describe how team member skills
and knowledge were used to achieve the team goal.
• Listen to the response and see if you can identify the STAR
model in action
• What ‘actions’ and what ‘results’ can you identify?
Resumes
• Key features of a good resume:
– concise
– professionally presented
– targeted to suit the particular position and/or context,
• Refer to the format on Melbourne Careers Centre website:
http://careers.unimelb.edu.au/student/applying_for_work
• Take note of any guidelines provided by particular
departments eg DFAT
Resume tips for APS graduate
program context
• Objective – useful especially if no cover letter and no
questions about why you are applying – a chance to state your
motivation and connection to career direction
• Education – give detail about BA studies because relevance to
PS work eg skills acquired, relevant majors/subject clusters,
knowledge areas, major assignments/projects…
• Experience – option with impact: cluster relevant experience
together – whether paid, unpaid, employment or volunteering
• Key Skills – not necessary if skills questions on the application
form
Education – an example
Education:
Tertiary
2010 – 2013:
Bachelor of Arts
The University of Melbourne
• Criminology Major
• Subjects include Law & Social Theory & Law, Justice and Social Change
• Major projects include ‘How Law is an Important Tool in Achieving
Social Change: Indigenous Communities’
• Knowledge of the court systems
• 1 of 8 students accepted to take part in the Criminology International
Exchange Program with The University of Manchester in 2012-2013
Online Testing
• Types of tests
o Verbal reasoning – thinking with words
o Numerical reasoning – thinking with numbers, not necessarily
sophisticated mathematics
o Abstract reasoning – thinking without words or numbers – using
shapes, angles, space
o Personality testing – generally ask about how you would choose to
act/respond/behave….
• Familiarity can make a big difference to performance under
time pressure
• Practice sites
http://careers.unimelb.edu.au/student/interviews/psychometric_testing
Assessment Centres
• Day or half day – many candidates involved – range of
activities
• Activities include some or all:
o Panel interview – typically behavioural questions
o Group activity/role play (about negotiating)
o Written task eg preparing a briefing for Minister – based on range of
information provided*
o Resit of online testing (occasional)
http://www.publicsectorwriting.com/?page_id=6
Melbourne Careers Centre website
• Applying for Work:
http://careers.unimelb.edu.au/student/applying_for_work
• Interviews, Assessment Centres, Psychometric
Assessment: http://careers.unimelb.edu.au/student/interviews
• Assessment Centre video – ‘At the Assessment
Centre’:
http://careers.unimelb.edu.au/student/online_career_tools/preparing_f
or_next_steps
Drop-in service:
feedback on applications
Drop-in service each day at each of three Student
Centres: Arts and Music, Science, Business and
Economics
Drop-in @ Arts Student Centre: Mon-Fri 2-4pm
For times and details:
http://careers.unimelb.edu.au/student/come_and_see_us