What's your job about?

Services Australia is one of Australia’s largest and most geographically diverse public service organisations. This is what drew me to apply for the National Graduate Program human resources stream, as from my perspective, this means there’s a lot of interesting challenges.

During the program, I was predominantly involved in recruitment, which was full of exciting and diverse work, providing a fantastic place to learn, develop and challenge myself to do better. I worked on end-to-end recruitment and, in another rotation, in a team that provided advice and coordination to the entire agency on recruitment policy.

What's your background?

I grew up on the Central Coast, which is between Newcastle and Sydney. This meant it was quite a big step to move to Canberra. However, I’m yet to regret the decision! Canberra has a wealth of activity and is full of opportunities, both in the public service and the private sector.

My journey to the agency’s graduate program started at university. After school, I was determined to finish university with qualifications and experiences that set me apart from other applicants. To achieve this, I put myself out there for every opportunity I could find, including overseas study tours in Los Angeles, leadership programs within my university and participating in a vacation placement. This all helped me achieve my goals.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes! People from all different backgrounds should be encouraged to apply. Diversity in thinking and background allows for greater innovation, responsiveness and is incredibly important in an organisation like ours, with such a diverse range of stakeholders. Those with educational backgrounds not in HR should consider applying for the generalist pathway or other relevant professional disciplines.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

The great thing about the size and diversity of our agency is you never know what’s going to happen. A practical example of this occurred during my first rotation, where I was invited to sit in on an international delegation that wanted to discuss and learn about gender equality in management roles. This experience will stay with me forever as a fine example to always keep an open mind and be prepared for anything.

What are the limitations of your job?

The main limitation for me was that most of the graduate roles were located within Canberra. However, the agency provides a lot of support with relocating when you first start. Being part of a graduate program means you’re a part of a large professional network where it’s easy to make friends.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

• Seek all possible opportunities, you never know where they might lead!
• Meet as many new people as you can. Networking is incredibly important when you’re searching for jobs.
• Tailor your resumes for each job. Resumes that’re specifically aimed at the organisation you’re applying for will set you apart from all the other applicants. Also, resumes with low attention to detail will place you behind other applicants. Double-check your work before submitting any recruitment materials.