What's your job about?

Services Australia is one of the biggest government agencies and delivers payments and services to people from all walks of life. Being part of the agency’s National Graduate Program means I get to use my skills and experience to help make a difference.

I work with internal business areas to identify their goals and interact with external stakeholders to get the best outcomes. My average day includes meeting with internal and external stakeholders, filling in documentation or processing information in our systems.

What's your background?

I grew up in South-East Queensland but have moved around a bit, which always makes life interesting!

I started the National Graduate Program with Services Australia 2 years after graduating university. I didn’t have any government experience before the program, as I had only worked in the private sector. Our cohort had people from many different backgrounds and levels of experience.

I moved to Canberra from Brisbane, which was also an interesting challenge, but I’ve enjoyed meeting so many new people through the program.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Although I entered this job as a finance and accounting graduate, I believe people from a broad range of backgrounds can contribute meaningfully to my team, and the agency as a whole. This is especially true coming through the grad program as there’s specialised streams to suit your degree, or more general ones. An eagerness to learn and engage yourself in different scenarios is the most important part of the job.

The program has so much to offer for people from all backgrounds. It includes 2 rotations, so you get to experience different teams and work across the agency. It’s truly a great way to start out your career.

There are many different experiences you can have throughout the program. This includes working with customers in service delivery, the Community OutReach Experience, which is a unique opportunity to support our most remote or vulnerable communities in locations like Alice Springs, Darwin or Sydney, or do a stint in the Chief Executive Officer’s or Chief Operating Officer’s office. There’s really something for everyone! 

What's the coolest thing about your job?

My job never gets boring because I get to juggle a number of activities. There’s always something new to do and I love seeing projects through from start to finish.

I think the most valuable part about working at Services Australia is that we know we’re helping deliver vital services to people when they need it the most. It’s enriching to know we contribute so meaningfully.

What are the limitations of your job?

The limitation with my job is that there are clear peaks and troughs throughout the year, when we have more work than usual. The end of the financial year is a particularly busy time, but I believe this is the case in most workplaces. Our team always figures out strategies on how to work together to share the load and there’s always help available.

I’ve found my colleagues at Services Australia to be very supportive. There’s also a large range of learning and development and health and wellbeing resources available at any time for all staff.

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

1. Academic success is meaningless without finding the right experiences.
2. Try to make friends in your class, so you don’t get stitched up in your group assignments.
3. Always make sure to achieve a balance between work, study and personal time. Burning out is never worth it!