Application Process & Interviews at Department of Industry, Science and Resources

The process was excessively long in getting back to me between stages, sometimes months at a time, making me wonder if I had been unsuccessful and not been informed many times. interview processes were online and routine enough. Assessments felt a little overwhelming having so many to get through.

I was interviewed and did some very basic examinations, there was also a personality examination

The interviews and assessments felt thorough and competitive.

It is not practical or reasonable to have a year long hiring process. Especially given that many of the tasks were released only a few days before they were due and required several hours of work. The STEM grad hiring process also did not offer any opportunities to demonstrate capability in STEM subjects beyond having a STEM degree.

The previous grad team were really good about staying in contact and letting us know what was happening

The hiring process overall was good, pretty standard process of application, interview and written task. Noting that there are a variety of ways to enter the department as a grad either directly through DISR or APS wide application. Noting they have slightly different processes. For example, I did not have a group interview but know that other grads in my cohort did. An issue I faced was once receiving my offer and accepting it, my contact for the department (in the employment programs team) had left along with the rest of the team without providing new contacts. This was extremely stressful as I was moving from Western Australia and had to make a million calls to try and get any information before my move which I didn't end up receiving.

I had a psychological assessment, followed by a written assessment of my work capabilities. The final step was an online interview that had a representative of a recruitment agency and a representative from the department.

Honestly, I cannot remember the interview process for this department, I think I did about 4 in a week for different departments and they were all the same, all the same interview questions, all the same psychometric tests.

psychometric training, interview and work assessment.

initial writing portion with two interviews that followed

Initial application required a one-page pitch to be submitted, followed by a generic cognitive test, followed by a STEM graduate analytical test, followed by a department panel interview, and finalised with a fit interview with NMI The waiting period between each stage was approximately 1-2 months.

Questions were fairly standard from memory, though I do not remember them fully due to time and other interviews for different departments at the time.

I was asked a lot of questions about my ability to work cooperatively

dont remember

I was not asked any interview questions, I was given automated cognitive tests to fill out and video interview topics with no interaction or feedback. I was also not given any significant opportunity to investigate the culture and opportunities of different departments, beyond a superficial brochure.

I personally never interviewed for DISR; it was a pretty confusing process, but I believe when you apply for one department you can tick an option to be considered for all departments. I completed an interview for the Department of Finance, with 2 staff members who I believe were Managers within the department. This interview was heavily focused on finance and accounting skills. I personally have no experience with either so openly stated that and ended up talking about other interests and skills of mine. And they noted they would recommend me for departments more suited to my skills.

I was asked my previous workplace experience. I was also asked several questions about my experience working with diverse peoples.

I think I was asked about what my elevator pitch would be about why I want to work at DISR.

Basic get to know you questions. Some technical questions after like problems do you expect to encounter.

Asked about scenario questions, questions asking about my motivations and general background questions.

Be prepared that communication may be poor and that you may need to wait long periods of time to get a response. Formal writing is key.

I would tell them to remain calm and carry on. also practice interview questions with an APS employee if you can find one and just think to some times where you had to work with a group, some challenges in uni you faced and overcame.

Practise the standard cognitive tests.

If you are keen on working in the public service, I would recommend applying for the whole of APS graduate program as it saves you from applying to every department. Otherwise, if you are only interested in specific department's then I suggest personalising your resume to match the department's work. With interviews being online I recommend being calm and collected, ensuring you are in a clean environment and present yourself professionally. Also be aware that graduate programs are traditionally based in Canberra but that appears to be changing with time.

I would tell potential candidates not to be discouraged if they don't hear anything for a number of months after completing the final steps of the hiring process. I would recommend candidates advocate for how their previous experience in areas that may not translate directly to the office environment, are still a valuable addition.

Same as anywhere, do you research on the department and what it does, what's its roles are, the programs it has and what policy comes out of it. And then try to learn as much as you can about different grad programs at different Departments, they all differ slightly. But apply for everything!

Research the company and line your answers up to the APS ALS of the position you are applying for. Also have a question prepared to ask the interviewers.

STAR method

Be your authentic selves and put your best experiences forward. Give yourself the best environment to do the writtien/analytical tests, and don't rush yourself as you only have a limited timeframe to complete it. Academic history is great, but looking into life experiences will give you more diversity in your answer. Prepare in advance your interview answers by looking back and reflection on the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action and Result) will give you the best shot for interview.