PUBLIC SECTOR · GETTING STARTED How to Get a Government Job in Australia Government recruitment in Australia is merit-based, paperwork-heavy, and unforgiving of generic applications. This is the front-door guide: what the three tiers of government actually want, how the application stack works, and why most rejections happen before a human reads your resume. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 12 min read Why government recruitment is its own animal If you've only ever applied for private sector roles, the first…

PUBLIC SECTOR · FEDERAL APS How to Write a One-Page Pitch for APS Roles One-page pitches aren't shorter two-page pitches. They reward different structural choices, a different sentence economy, and a different ratio of evidence to framing. Here are the rules, four worked examples across APS5 and APS6, and a full breakdown of each. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 18 min read Why one-page pitches reward different choices The two-page pitch is the format most candidates know best, and the…

South Australia ASO South Australian Government ASO selection criteria examples. South Australian Government applications use the SA Public Sector Capability Framework (SAPSCF) across the ASO classification stream, with explicit weighting on Personal Drive and Integrity that other state frameworks don't share. The six worked examples below cover the four capability groups at ASO5–ASO6 scope, with framing on what SA panels actually look for. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 13 min read What South Australian Government applications actually involve. South Australian…

ACT Public Service ACT Public Service selection criteria examples (ACTPS Shared Capability). ACTPS applications use the Shared Capability Framework with four explicit values: Service, Integrity, Accountability, and Excellence. Canberra's federal-territory overlap means most ACTPS candidates need recalibration from ILS framing, not framework introduction. The six worked examples below span the four values at ASO6 and SOG C scope. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 14 min read What ACT Public Service applications actually involve. The ACT Public Service (ACTPS) uses the…

Tasmanian State Service Tasmanian State Service selection criteria examples. The Tasmanian State Service uses a banded classification system (General Stream Bands 1–10 plus Senior Executive Service) with capability expectations set out in the Tasmanian State Service Award. Tasmania's scale shapes State Service work distinctively. The six worked examples below cover Band 6 and Band 7 scope, with explicit attention to the small-jurisdiction context that distinguishes Tasmanian work. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 14 min read What Tasmanian State Service applications…

Queensland AO Queensland AO3, AO4, AO5, AO6 selection criteria examples. Queensland Government applications use the Capability and Leadership Framework (CLF) with five capability streams and the AO classification ladder. The six worked examples below cover AO5 and AO6 scope across the five capability streams, with explicit guidance on how Queensland Health and broader Queensland Government applications differ. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 15 min read What Queensland Government applications actually involve. Queensland Government uses the Capability and Leadership Framework (CLF),…

Victorian VPS Victorian VPS selection criteria examples (VPS2 to VPS6). Victorian government applications use the VPS Capability Framework and the language of 'key selection criteria.' The six worked examples below span the key capability clusters across the VPS2–VPS6 range, calibrated to the framework's terminology and weighting. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 15 min read What Victorian Public Service applications actually involve. The Victorian Public Service uses the VPS Capability Framework, maintained by the Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC). Where federal…

NSW PSCF NSW Clerk Grade selection criteria examples and PSCF capability guide. NSW Public Sector applications use the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework — 16 core capabilities, five complexity levels, plus People Management capabilities where staff are managed. The six worked examples below show what calibrated PSCF responses look like across the clerk grade range, with explicit framing on how to read the framework. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 16 min read What NSW Public Sector applications actually involve. The…

APS calibration guide How to pitch at the right level — APS3 to SES calibration guide. Pitching at the wrong level is the single biggest reason candidates with strong evidence fail to convert at interview stage. This guide compares voice, scope, language, and signal across every APS level from APS3 to SES Band 1 — with the most consequential calibration shifts identified explicitly. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 16 min read Why level calibration matters more than evidence quality. APS…

APS5 applications APS5 pitch writing and selection criteria examples. APS5 is the pivot level. Pitches become standard, supervision becomes regular, and the work level standards expect considerable independence on routine work plus genuine contribution to how procedures and processes develop. The six worked examples below show what calibrated-at-APS5 reads like — and the most important calibration shift from APS4. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 14 min read What APS5 actually is. An APS5 role is where you cross from operational…

APS4 applications APS4 selection criteria examples and application guide. APS4 is where ownership of routine work becomes yours. The work level standards expect clearer judgement, discretion over how work is delivered, and often supervision of a small work group. The six worked examples below show what calibrated-at-APS4 actually reads like — and how to avoid the most common pitch errors. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 13 min read What APS4 actually is. An APS4 role sits at the upper end…

APS3 applications APS3 selection criteria examples and how to write an APS3 application. APS3 is often your first federal application. The work level standards expect supervised, procedural work with working knowledge of established systems. The responses below show what "calibrated at the APS3 level" actually looks like — with five worked STAR examples covering the capabilities most APS3 panels assess. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 13 min read What APS3 actually is. An APS3 role sits two rungs above the…

WA Public Sector WA Public Sector Selection Criteria Examples (PSO and SCO) WA Public Sector applications combine the Leadership Capability Framework, the Public Sector Standards, and distinctive industry context. The six worked examples below cover PSO Level 6–7 scope across the framework, with explicit attention to WA's mining, resources, and regional operational environments. By Jacquie Smith · Updated May 2026 · 14 min read What WA Public Sector applications actually involve. Western Australia's public sector is governed by the Public Sector Commission, which…

NT Public Service NTPS one-page summary writing and selection criteria examples. NTPS applications are limited to a one-page summary plus resume — mandated by the Recruitment and Selection Policy across all classifications. This guide covers how to write the one-page summary properly, plus six worked examples of the capability substance you'd weave into it, with explicit attention to the cultural capability and remote service delivery dimensions that distinguish NT public sector work. By Jacquie Liversidge · Updated May 2026 · 17 min read…