Public Service jobs are advertised in the following ways:

	Most major capital city newspapers on Saturdays; and/or
	Public Service Gazettes (the gazette is a publication produced by the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to advertise public service jobs).
	Job hunting websites.

There are two types of job categories of employment in the public services:

	Ongoing; and
	Non ongoing

The job advertisement will usually contain a brief description of the government agency, type of job and sometimes the qualities of the person they are looking for.

You must get more information to determine whether the job is suitable for you. You obtain this information by requesting a copy of the selection criteria and duty statement. You may also speak to the contact officer to find out more about the job. It could also provide you with an insight into the position if you ask about the status of it, ie. is there anyone acting in the position currently? Or in the case of a temporary position, it may be pertinent to ask why the position is temporary.

Usually you are required to submit the following items:

	Job application form (giving your personal details)
	Response to the selection criteria
	Resume (not all jobs require a resume but it is always helpful to submit one).
	Referees (usually public service jobs require you to provide the contact details of two referees).

(NB. The job application form usually states that you don’t have to submit the contact details of your current employer).

Please note that some jobs may specifically require you to provide a written referee report as interviews may not be conducted. If requested to do so you must provide a written referee report, unless there are reasons you cannot. If you are not able to do as requested, you should call the contact officer and explain what the issue is.

A referee is someone you have worked for who can substantiate your claims against the selection criteria specified for the position. Generally you will be required to nominate two referees.

You can either submit a written referees report (with comments against each selection criterion) or your referee may be contacted by phone and asked to make an assessment of you against the selection criteria. Some selection documentation may contain a template for referees to complete, making it more straight forward for them to provide you with a reference as required.

However, unless specifically requested to do so a written referee report is not usually necessary in the first instance. As you are not guaranteed an interview you may consider only submitting a referee report after you have been interviewed and asked to provide one. This way you will not waste your referee’s time if you are not called for an interview.

No. In the public service your privacy is respected and only the referees that you have nominated will be contacted. Some Government departments specifically ask you on the job application form whether they may contact your current employer. If you choose not to nominate your current employer as your referee your application is not assessed any differently.

Prior to nominating referees:

Job advertisements say the date that the application is due. This is usually two weeks from the date the job is advertised. However, some applications may close earlier so it is important that you are aware of the date applications close. Do not assume that late applications will be considered.

Acceptance of late applications is at the discretion of the employer. If you know that you will not be able to submit your application by the due date, call the contact officer and request an extension of time. You may be granted extra time to submit your application depending on the policy of the agency and the circumstances preventing you from submitting your application on time.

An employment register is used by Government departments to quickly fill non-ongoing vacancies. Being on an employment register is one of best ways of gaining employment in the Public Service, particularly if you are seeking jobs at the APS 1-4 level. As temporary employment can often lead to permanent employment we suggest that you always keep your eye out for advertisements for Government department employment registers and we also suggest that you contact various Government departments to enquire how you can go about being listed on their employment register.

Once all applications have been received for an advertised vacancy they are passed to the selection panel for them to review and determine which applicants will be short listed for interview.

The selection committee usually comprises three people and each member of the selection committee reviews all written applications with the purpose of deciding which applicants best demonstrate their ability to meet the selection criteria.

The short listed applicants are usually then interviewed by the selection panel to enable them to expand on how their skills, experience and capabilities match those required for the vacancy. An interview also provides the applicant with the opportunity to ask any questions which they may have about the vacancy or the organisation.

Applicants can expect the short-listing process to be completed within two weeks of the closing date for the vacancy, however this can vary greatly depending on the circumstances of the agency at the time. If you do not hear about a job you applied for after a month from the date you applied, call the contact officer and ask what is happening.