Where did you grow up? Important stages of your life (school, education, experience abroad, jobs etc.)

I was born in Canberra and lived here my whole life. I went to university at ANU and did a Bachelor of Finance. Before applying for the graduate program, I used to work for a small private housing company and dealt with their accounts.

It seems very odd for a finance grad to be working at the Department of Health but I jumped at the opportunity to work in a department that plays an important role in supporting better health and wellbeing for all Australians. On top of that, given that I am a massive sport fan, the ability to potentially work in the department, which deals with national sport, was the cherry on top.

How did you get to your current job position? For how long have you had it?

Throughout the graduate program, you go through three rotations. For our cohort, our first rotation was our home rotation and we come back to the branch of this home rotation, once we finish the program. For me, my home rotation was in procurement but as I was more interested in the financial business partner section, I was able to negotiate a move there. I have been here since December 2017, when our 10 month graduate program wrapped up.

How did you choose your specialisation (compared to others)? / Were you weighing up any other alternatives before choosing this specialisation?

I have always wanted to work in the Australian Public Service (APS), and at the start of 2016, I was at a point where I wanted to get out of the private sector. I started applying for quite a few different government agencies and actually made it through to a few interviews. Although, after a lot of thought, I decided to go with the graduate program at the Department of Health. To me, it was an agency, where I could work in areas not familiar to myself and challenge myself out of my comfort zone.

What was your interview process like? What kind of questions were you asked?

All graduate programs have similar interview processes. For the Department of Health, it involved a phone interview, which was followed by an assessment centre. In the assessment centre, you have an individual interview, group task and a writing task. The questions in these sorts of interviews focus mainly on past experiences at university or former work places. The interviewers want to see if you are able to use examples to answer their question. In my interview, I received a question on my knowledge of the department and the work it did.

Suppose a student was considering your career. What would you advise them to study? Are there any soft skills it would beneficial for them to develop? Should they pursue any sort of work experience?

One of the best things about the Department of Health graduate program is that it is a generalist program. You get graduates from a variety of different backgrounds from finance to legal to human sciences. It is a program for everyone. There are no real soft skills necessary for the role but I believe as long as you have the attitude, you will be fine. The department does a good job to help all graduates adapt to the APS life and provide a variety of training courses to help.

What does your employer do?

The common purpose of the Department of Health is reflected through their vision statement, which is ‘Better health and wellbeing for all Australians, now and for future generations.’ They do this by not only looking after national health, but also rural health, sport, regional communications, aged care and Indigenous health. The central office is based in Woden, Canberra but it has state offices around the country.

What are your areas of responsibility?

My job gives me an insight into the federal health system, and all the different parts to it. In my graduate year, I had a chance to look at the health systems policy and aged care policy areas, while also getting an understanding of how the department goes about spending their money, during my time in procurement. Within the policy areas, I have been lucky enough to attend and plan meetings and teleconferences with some key stakeholders and other high level staff within the department. As well as this, I have had a chance to gain an understanding of the departmental spending and the processes involved in the department acquiring goods or services.

Can you describe a typical work day? What was the last thing you worked on?

A typical day for me, as a graduate at the Department of Health, started around 8:45am. I would come in and catch up on any emails or urgent tasks that have come in. Once these are checked and done, I will begin whatever task I need to complete. I try to keep a reminder from the day before, of what is urgent/needed to be completed first.

Every week, there will be a branch/divisional stand up around 10am, which will go for 20-30 mins. This is just a time for the branch/divisional head to meet with the staff and give them an overview of what to expect for the week.

After this, I usually go down to the coffee shop in the building, grab myself a coffee and a quick stretch of my legs.

I try to have a 30-45 mins lunch break, where I walk up to the Westfield next to work. Following lunch, I come back and finish off any of the remaining tasks that need to be done. If it is a good day, I will be out of the office by 5pm. Before I leave, I make sure I make some notes for myself for the next morning.

What sort of person succeeds in your career?

A successful graduate does not need to have the best knowledge of a particular area. They need to be willing to learn new things, and give everything a go. If they can do that, they will succeed, wherever they go in the department.

What are the career prospects with your job? / Where could you or others in your position go from here?

As a graduate, anything is possible. As I said above, as long as you are willing to give your best, and put in 100 per cent in everything you do, you could go anywhere within a department. Most areas within a department are always looking for bright young minds, who are eager to learn, and higher positions will come up as you gain the relevant experience. Although, some technical areas within the department, may require staff to undertake further study, before the possibility of a higher position.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

One of the big positives of this graduate program is that anyone with any degree can get the job. That is one of the best things in a generalist graduate program. As long as they are open to trying new things and the challenges that come with it, they will be able to do the job

What do you love the most about your job? Which kind of task do you enjoy the most?

Working in a government agency gives you a lot of access to events and opportunities, which you would not get working in private companies. Throughout the graduate program, you get chances to network with graduates from other departments and also the ability to visit Question Time and Senate Estimates within Parliament House. On top of this, you get to sit on special departmental meetings, like a Secretary’s meeting, which doesn’t get offered to regular staff.

What’s the biggest limitation of your job? Do you bear a lot of responsibility? Do you have to work on weekends? Are the stress levels high?

As a graduate in the department, you are seen as one of the future leaders. The downside is that you are only starting at an APS 3 level, so there are many limitations within your first year. As a graduate, you do not have much power in the decision making processes, and it can lead to some frustrating times.

What would your career be if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now?

This is a difficult question to answer but I think if I did not accept the graduate position at the Department of Health, I would be in another department working in the finance area. As I said before, I had a few different offers and selected health.

Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current university student?

1. Always ask questions, not matter how bad they may seem! Something that may seem like a bad question to you may not actually be that way.
2. Always look for opportunities that don’t directly relate to your degree. Sometimes the best jobs are not what you expect.
3. If you get into a graduate program, in any agency, make the most of it! You are only a graduate for a small period of time, and you get opportunities, which regular APS staff do not get.