Many clients request our assistance to develop responses to the selection criteria. It can be a tedious task and often one which takes a great deal of time and effort, even for professionals, like us, who do it all the time.

When I hear stories about clients who have tried many times, but so far their strike rate is zero, I immediately understand why. Perhaps they have simply written a cover letter or developed hypothetical responses or requested the assistance of a friend, colleague or neighbour who professes to know the way it’s done. Pehaps they wrote a damn good application but their competition far exceeded their own abilities. Maybe they were punching above their weight and the role was way out of their league. There could be a multitude of rationales and regardless of the reasons, the journey to becoming a public servant can be a long and drawn out process. There are many reasons why a candidate may be unsuccessful; however, careful consideration must be given to the written application, the first and vital step. Was the application written in accordance with Government requirements, is the role a match to the candidates capabilities, was the advertised position highly sought after, drawing hundreds of applications?

Once the written application is prepared, the candidate then has to contend with the selection and interviewing process. The methods can vary depending on each Government department. Some will utilise computer testing, psychological testing, group interviews, and finally a panel interview, made up of three or more Government employees who are there to determine the most suitable candidate.

The entire process can take up to six months. Often clients have almost given up on the prospect of securing the position, when suddenly, to their surprise, they receive a phone call. Typically, the higher the level of Government, the longer the wait. This method is not designed to make the process harder for the applicant, rather, it is designed to make the selection process more defined, however it is not an easy task to cull hundreds or sometimes thousand of candidates. The process is also designed to ensure the role is awarded to the most qualified candidate. As you can imagine, a position in Government is highly sought after and with the ever-growing population in Australia, coupled with the immigration of highly skilled and qualified people, it is set to get more competitive.

So why would anyone put themselves through such a rigorous process? It depends on how badly you want the job. Is the security of a Government position highly desirable to you? Is this role in line with your chosen profession? Is this part of your career trajectory? Employing the services of a professional may be your answer. Like anything, if you want it bad enough, you will do whatever it takes to prove your worth. I am sure you deserve it.