Member's Guide to ADF Pay and Conditions in Australia – see Disclaimer
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2.4
Employment in the Australian Public Service (APS)
You may be thinking of staying
in Defence after you discharge. Your skills and experience may be a valuable
asset in an APS career.
Why join the APS?
Defence is a specialised
area, and you already have a lot of relevant training and knowledge. You can
stay in a familiar environment where your military experience is valued. The
APS is bigger than just Defence though, and there are many other APS agencies
responsible for other matters.
Each APS agency has an
agreement that sets its employment conditions. Defence's is the Defence
Collective Agreement (or DeCA). It provides competitive pay, generous leave and
flexible work/life balance options. APS employees also have a good
superannuation scheme.
How do I get a job?
Employment in the APS is on
merit. You may have to compete against other APS employees and members of the
public for a job.
Vacancies are advertised in
the Australian Public Service Gazette and on http://www.apsjobs.gov.au/. Some vacancies are only open to APS employees and
you will not have access to these. Jobs may also be advertised in the press.
Defence produces Staff Vacancy notices, and you may apply for jobs in there
that have also been advertised in the Australian Public Service Gazette.
If you find a vacancy that
looks attractive, you should get a copy of the selection documentation. This
will give you more information about what the job is about. It will also give
you selection criteria. These are the skills you will be assessed against. If
you have questions about the job there will be someone to ask.
If you want to apply you
should write an application. In it you should carefully demonstrate how you
meet each of the selection criteria. You should also follow any other
instructions you have been given.