Eligibility and Security Requirements
Australian citizenship is required.
Successful candidates who accept a position with the department will be required to undertake security and medical clearances and provide evidence of their Australian citizenship.
Online recruitment process – eRecruit
eRecruit is used for all Innovation vacancies. Applying for vacancies is quicker and easier through eRecruit. It allows you to submit online applications, submit resumes and receive job alerts notifying you when vacancies that might interest you are advertised.
Once you have registered with our online system, you will be allocated a login identification and password which will allow you to:
- Register your personal details
- Access your application at anytime
- Make changes to personal details once you have submitted an application
- Access previous applications you have submitted, and
- Apply for new jobs listed through eRecruit.
After you submit your application you will receive an automatically generated e-mail response advising you that your application has been received. You may also receive email correspondence about your application throughout the recruitment process.
Should you have any queries about the progress of your application or you decide not to proceed with your application, please telephone the Contact Officer listed in the position advertisement.
Resume
The first step when applying for a career with the department is to ensure that your resume is up to date.
Generally your resume should:
- Contain accurate, succinct and relevant information supporting your claims for the advertised position
- Include your personal details, work experience and qualifications
- Be between two and three pages long
- List two current referees including your current supervisor and/or previous supervisor.
Please note: Your resume must be submitted with your application.
Application
Applications require you to provide certain information – one of the benefits of using an online recruitment system is that you will only need to provide certain information once. Subsequent applications will be recognised by the online system and will populate the standard information you provided in a previous application. Information collected on this form will be treated confidentially and may be used for statistical purposes.
Selection Criteria
A significant step in the application process is addressing the selection criteria. Selection criteria provide scope to demonstrate your competency to the selection panel.
Selection criteria can be in the form of statements or questions that prompt you to identify your specific strengths, skills, capabilities and experiences that match what is required for the specific position.
When addressing the selection criteria you should attempt to convince the selection panel that you have all the necessary skills and qualities required for the advertised position. Selection criteria are often based on the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) Integrated Leadership System (ILS), but may also be tailored to reflect position-specific requirements.
You will generally be invited to submit a concise application, which requires you to formally address the selection criteria, in some cases you will not be required to formally address the criteria, but instead convince the panel of your suitability for an interview through a tailored resume.
In some cases an interview may not be necessary as the selection for a position may be based on applications and referee reports only.
Addressing the Selection Criteria
Where you are required to formally address the selection criteria, you should keep in mind the particular expectations outlined in the selection criteria and the job description. You should cite examples of situations you have faced and describe in detail your actual involvement. Your examples of past behaviour should reflect your knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications.
The key to formally addressing the selection criteria is to:
- Demonstrate capability by providing evidence of how you meet the selection criteria
- Provide specific details
- Where possible, include an indicator of success or a result.
An easy and common way to do this is using the CAR approach wherever possible - that is:
- C (Circumstance)
What was the situation?
Who was involved?
What was your role?
- A (Action)
What did you do?
What happened next?
- R (Result)
What was the end result?
Remember, at the department we are interested in you! So please:
- Focus on your specific involvement in the various situations (use 'I' instead of 'we')
- give examples within the last two/three years if possible.
Please note: When addressing your selection criteria, your statement against each criterion should not exceed 500 words in length.
Supervisor/Referee Comments
It is not necessary to provide a written supervisor/referee report with your application unless specifically requested in the selection documentation. However, the current contact details of your referees should be provided.
The selection panel will only seek supervisor/referee comments on the most competitive applicants for the advertised position/s. It is important that the supervisor/s and referee/s nominated are in a position to comment on and rate your recent work performance.
The selection panel can request a written report or seek verbal comments at any stage of the selection process. Panels are aware that notes from individual discussions, and any written reports received about an applicant, may be made available to the applicant concerned.
If the selection panel requests a written report from your nominated supervisor/referee they will need to complete the Department's Recruitment Referee Report Form [
PDF 30KB] [
RTF 162KB].
Lodging Your Application
Your full application and resume must be submitted by the specified closing date of the position for which you are applying.
All applications are to be submitted using the online recruitment system, eRecruit.
Please note: the department does not accept late applications unless candidates have been granted an extension by the Chair of the selection panel.
Selection Process
All our jobs are filled on merit. This means we assess the suitability of applicants to undertake the duties of the job using a competitive selection process.
Reasonable adjustment applies to the employment of people with disabilities. We will consider reasonable adjustments to the selection process and, within reason, to the duties of the position where this is necessary to allow equal opportunity for applicants with disabilities to apply and compete on merit.
Examples of reasonable adjustment that may be applied in the selection process include:
- allowing applicants to complete their application in a different format and/or allowing additional time to complete their application
- allowing applicants to answer interview/assessment questions in a different format or with additional time
- requesting an interpreter
- requesting short breaks
- having the assistance of a carer
- providing questions orally
- requesting hardware or software that is accessible.
Once the selection panel have assessed all the applications submitted, short listed applicants may be required to participate in a panel interview. In some cases the selection panel may decide that interviews are not necessary and elect to fill the vacancy based on written applications and referee reports only.
If you are invited to attend an interview, the selection panel will assess your capabilities against the selection criteria, noting in particular, any aspect of the criteria that is rated higher then others. The interview process may also be used to 'get to know' you and share with you more information about the position. It is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the position and/or the department.
One type of question you may be asked at any interview is a behavioural-based question, an example of which could be:
'Provide an example of when you have been under pressure'.
It is important to ensure your responses display your ability to meet the criteria for the advertised position.
When answering behavioural-based questions during an interview remember to:
- Describe the situation.
- Describe how you reacted to the situation.
- Describe the end result of your action.
Please note: that this is an example only and the type of interview and questions that are chosen are determined by the relevant selection panel Chair.
Interview Selection Panel
At the department our selection panels usually consist of two to three people and we try to ensure that both genders are represented on each panel.
Should you be unsuccessful in winning a position, you are very welcome to contact the Chair of the panel to receive constructive feedback on your application and interview performance.
Assessment
Your suitability for a career with the Department is merit based and is generally assessed on the basis of:
- Your application.
- Your interview.
- Referee comments.
Selection and Appointment
If you are the preferred applicant, you will receive verbal notification of your success. This will be followed by a formal letter of offer, which contains the specific details of your appointment including salary, position details, commencement date and a link to our orientation pages specifically designed for our new starters.
As a department, we are well aware that the selection process should be efficient and prompt – to this effect, we are encouraging and supporting our divisions to complete their recruitment processes within a six-week timeframe. Regrettably, this is not always possible with every position vacancy, but it is a firm goal of the department.