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Last updated: 22 August 1997

Information for excess and surplus APS staff

Please note: This document is for reference purposes only and is no longer considered by the APS Commission to be current. It may contain good practice advice and/or advice on the transitional arrangements between the 1922 and 1999 Public Service Acts.

Introduction

This information package has been developed to assist APS staff who have formally been declared to be excess or who are surplus (potentially excess). For the purposes of this package, APS staff are officers employed under the Public Service Act 1922, or continuing employees of the APS, that is, usually initially temporary employees who have been employed for more than one year continuously.

APS staff who are excess or surplus (potentially excess) face a period of career transition. While career transition ultimately is an individual responsibility, in the APS the career transition process may involve three parties: the individual; the individual's department or agency; and the APS Labour Market Adjustment Program (APSLMAP).

This package is part of the APSLMAP contribution to the APS career transition process. It outlines procedures, structures, and services available to excess and surplus (potentially excess) staff, and provides career transition hints. It gives background information to help staff consider their career options and plan their careers.

The information in this package is not intended to be read from start to finish, but rather as a resource with readers able to refer to the various sections when required. Information in the package does not substitute for professional advice. While intended principally for excess and surplus (potentially excess) staff, the package should be of general interest to all APS staff, managers and to outplacement and careers advisers both within and outside the APS.

Career decision making

If you are an excess or surplus (potentially excess) APS employee, your initial consideration will be whether to accept a voluntary redundancy package or to seek to continue a career within the APS. In making this decision you will need to consider such factors as financial and lifestyle considerations for yourself and for those close to you. It is generally not a decision which can be made immediately; nor should it be made lightly or without as much information as can realistically be gathered.

Obtaining another position within the APS, either at your former level or in any position available may offer the least disruption, but you should be aware that in the current environment this may not always be possible. Your APSLMAP Careers Adviser will help you assess your prospects.

If you are seeking redeployment, you should also consider a career outside the APS as one of your options. Do a careful comparison of any outside position's suitability, including pay, prospects and conditions before applying.

While there are people and resources which you as an excess and surplus (potentially excess) employee can use in the process of career transition and in establishing a new career, establishing a new career ultimately will be up to you.

The APS career environment

A career without at least one major change is now rare. Career changes can occur for several reasons, and may be motivated from within; where someone feels a growing disenchantment with a particular career; or from external pressures, where, for example, a department is restructured; or from a combination of internal and external reasons.

In the APS, excess and surplus (that is, potentially excess) staff are becoming more numerous. This trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Overall, in the current turbulent environment, most individuals can expect to change careers seven or eight times during their lifetime. The changes may be either gradual or sudden, or expected and planned. The fact that there are now more excess and potentially excess staff may not be much comfort to the individual who is going through the experience.

The Government agenda includes extensive labour market reform, both in the private and public sectors. This will mean continuing restructuring and the need for APS staff to be redeployed.

The APS Labour Market Adjustment Program

The APS Labour Market Adjustment Program (APSLMAP) was established in 1994. The Program provides nationally coordinated services to all APS departments and agencies with staff identified as excess and potentially excess. The Program provides independent advice to both individuals and departments and agencies with honesty, objectivity and discretion. The Program provides a consistent approach to dealing with non-SES excess and potentially excess staff in the APS in an integrated, timely and sensitive manner. The approach includes:

Services to individuals

The Program provides access to a wide range of services for individual surplus and excess employees who are formally referred by their department or agency. These services include:

Some further details of these services follow.

Individual career counselling

Career changes particularly represent a major personal change. Times of change may be stressful in that they involve situations outside the pattern of a person's familiar experiences. In order to deal effectively with the changes a person may benefit from access to resources, such as information, discussion of options, assistance with planning, and time to pursue goals.

APSLMAP Careers Advisers are trained, qualified career counsellors with APS experience. Careers Advisers assist individual clients in dealing with personal career challenges by providing a tailored service that offers a wide range of practical assistance in exploring career options, including help in looking for a satisfactory new job. Although Careers Advisers are available to assist a person in assessment, setting goals and planning for change, ultimate responsibility for change is with the individual.

APSLMAP Careers Advisers deal specifically with career issues. Where individuals may require assistance with personal or family issues, APSLMAP Careers Advisers may be able to refer the individual to appropriate sources of assistance.

Career management modules

APSLMAP provides an integrated set of modules for persons seeking redeployment. Module topics are:

Modules are designed to assist small groups and are conducted on a demand basis. The modules may be conducted either by APSLMAP, or, where restructuring in a department of agency is expected to lead to large numbers of excess or surplus (potentially excess) staff, by the agency in consultation with APSLMAP. Module aims, objectives, and specifications are available from APSLMAP, as are information brochures giving fees for attendance and times when the modules are conducted.

Client vacancy matching system

APSLMAP operates a national vacancy database which electronically stores all vacancies prior to their publication in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. This system is known as the CVMS (Client Vacancy Matching System).

The system automatically matches APSLMAP clients with APS vacancies which may be suitable for the client. The system can also provide statistical information on the location and classification of job vacancies. While the system may provide a client/vacancy match within defined parameters, this match is approximate only and is no substitute for personal research including reading the Gazette each week.

Formal training and development opportunities

Obtaining important qualifications or increasing suitability for a job through undertaking an appropriate development program will often be an important part of an overall career strategy. Formal development programs may range from degree or post graduate courses taking years, to the numerous short development programs, also described variously as seminars, workshops or modules, which may take as little as half a day.

Agencies may arrange for the retraining of excess staff to enhance their redeployment opportunities.

The PSMPC conducts a range of short development programs through its Management Development Team. Programs addressing topics of direct interest to job seekers include such aspects as career planning, interview skills, or marketing yourself. Topics of related interest including presentation skills, negotiation skills and strategic planning are also available. Details of possible development programs are available from APSLMAP, or a department or agency staff development officer. Attendance at these courses needs to be approved and paid for by a person's agency.

On the job training and development

Direct experience in a job is often an effective means of increasing career prospects. Excess and surplus (potentially excess) employees may have the advantage of being able to participate in on-the-job training or work trials to assess their suitability in a particular job. Normally, a trial placement is arranged in an agency where there is a good chance that if an excess or potentially excess staff member performs effectively in a position at level, the staff member will obtain it permanently. Typically, these trial placements take three months, often with the home agency paying or sharing salary for the period, although this is open to negotiation. Your APSLMAP Careers Adviser may be able to help arrange such a trial.

Career transition

Excess and surplus employees remain the responsibility of their agency. Agencies are expected to help with an employee's career transition by providing reasonable time and facilities. If you find that you are unable to devote sufficient time to your career change due to the pressures of other work, discuss this with your supervisor or Careers Adviser. Most agencies provide facilities which may assist, including:

In addition, your APSLMAP Careers Adviser may help you with access to:

APSLMAP fees

Government funding for the APS Labour Market Adjustment Program is supplemented by a modest level of fees paid by departments and agencies for the referral of staff and for consultancy services provided to APS organisations involved in restructuring. At 1 June 1996, fees were:

Fees are not paid by individual clients of the program.

Overview of excess and surplus (Potentially excess) staff procedures

Excess and surplus (potentially excess) staff should be clear on the APS policies and processes affecting them. This section provides a quick overview. It should not be relied on to cover fine points or disputes. The framework for excess staff procedures is summarised in the Interim Guidelines for the Management of Excess Staff in the APS, 13 May 1996, available for reference from your personnel area. This publication provides detailed information on this topic.

Staff may become excess for any one of three broad reasons. These are:

Excess staff receive written notification under the provisions of the General Employment Conditions Award 1995 that they are excess to departmental requirements.

Retention period

Excess staff are placed on a 'retention period' of seven months, if they have less than twenty years service or are under 45 years old. Otherwise, they have a thirteen months retention period. They are also referred to the APS Labour Market Adjustment Program for any assistance the Program may be able to provide.

Consideration in isolation

Excess staff should actively seek redeployment by applying for transfer to suitable advertised vacancies for which they are qualified and the duties of which they could perform efficiently either immediately or within a reasonable period.

It is the responsibility of both the employing department and the excess staff member concerned to ensure that redeployment prospects within the department and elsewhere in the APS are investigated.

Excess staff applying for transfer to an advertised vacancy are considered in isolation from and not in competition with, other applicants. Consideration of the claims of excess staff is based on the ability to perform the duties efficiently, either immediately or within a reasonable period. Where two or more excess staff are being considered for transfer to a vacancy, then provided each of them is assessed as efficient, the most efficient should be selected to fill the vacancy.

Where excess staff transfer to a position at a lower classification, their pay remains at the existing level for the duration of their retention period; excess staff transferring on reduction should seek advice on the implications for their superannuation.

In exceptional circumstances, Public Service and Merit Protection Commission approval may be given for a department to consider promotion or appointment of a suitable person to a particular vacancy notwithstanding that an efficient excess staff member is available.

Redundancy offer

Within two months of being declared to be excess, staff are made an offer of voluntary redundancy. They have one month to consider this offer. Only one offer per staff member will be made. Staff taking up this offer and leaving the public service receive, in addition to their existing entitlements for recreation leave and long-service leave, a payment comprising a severance benefit, based on salary, and a superannuation component. The salary based severance benefit comprises two weeks pay for each year of service, with a minimum of four weeks pay and a maximum of 48 weeks. Pay in lieu of notice is usually given.

Anyone contemplating voluntary redundancy should seek professional advice on their options under the superannuation scheme.

If the offer of voluntary redundancy is declined, the retention period continues. If no APS position is obtained, four, or where the person is over 45 and has over five years service, five weeks notice of involuntary retirement is given, usually timed to elapse at the same time as the retention period, and the staff member is involuntarily retired without the salary based severance benefit.

Surplus (potentially excess) staff

Surplus (potentially excess) staff, are considered by management to be excess to an agency's requirements but have not been declared formally to be excess. Although requiring redeployment, they are not subject to a specified retention period, nor are they considered in isolation from other staff applying for APS vacancies. An agency may invite these staff members to express an interest in applying for voluntary redundancy. If they accept this invitation, they may be made a formal offer of voluntary redundancy which they have one month to consider. They may be declared to be excess at any time. If they do not accept the offer of voluntary redundancy, they are considered formally to be excess, and their retention period either commences or continues.

Summary of excess staff procedures

The diagram summarises excess staff procedures.

Circumstances occur which may lead to redundancies
eg:abolition of function, reduction in running costs, etc.
downward arrow
Redeployment/retirement process commences with consultation with unions
downward arrow
Department identifies who is excess to requirements
next step
Department establishes who among the affected employees wants voluntary retrenchment immediately and who wants redeployment.
next step
next step
Employee is declared 'excess', if this has not already occurred.
VOLUNTARY RETRENCHMENT
Department may offer VR after taking action to assess redeployment prospects.
next step
next step
REDEPLOYMENT ACTION
Retention period of 7 or 13 months (depending on age and length of service) commences (or continues).
Employee has one month to consider the offer.
next step
next step
Employee is immediately refered to APSLMAP.
Does employee accept VR?
If NO go to step 2 of the 'Redeployment Action' process.
If YES then continue.
next step
next step
Redeployment prospects are assessed across the service. An employee may be reduced in classification to achieve redeployment. If this occurs without consent, the employee may appeal.
Notice of retirement issued*.
next step
* An excess employee may seek a remedy for the termination of their employment by applying to the Australian industrial Relations Commission if he or she believes the termination was unlawful, but this does not effect the date of effect of the retirement notice.
Within two months of referral to APSLMAP, employee must be made an offer of VR (but only if one has not already been made).
go to step 2 of 'Voluntary Retrenchment' process or continue.
next step
INVOLUNTARY RETIREMENT At the end of the retention period a notice of retirement may be issued*, subject to the Public Service Commissioner's approval.

Note: This is a diagrammatic representation of the process and is to be used in conjunction with the final provisions of the Award.

Again, it should not be regarded as a substitute for the detailed information on the procedures as outlined in the Public Service Act 1922, the General Employment Conditions Award and Public Service and Merit Protection Commission Guidelines for the Management of Excess Staff in the APS.

Issues concerning referral of excess continuing employees

1. The R&R provisions of GECA apply to continuing employees as well as officers - see 11.2.1.(b)(i). There are differences between officers and employees in the application of the R&R provisions, for example, a Secretary can foreshorten the retention period of a continuing employee, for whom there is insufficient productive work, and pay income maintenance, but is required to keep an officer employed for the whole of the retention period.

2. Agencies are required to consider an excess employee in isolation for an advertised vacancy to which an excess employee seeks transfer - see 11.5.4.

3. It is open to the Public Service Commissioner to direct under s.51.(3)(b) of the Act that an employee be employed in an equivalent capacity in another Department. It is highly unlikely that the Commissioner would exercise this power without the agreement of both relevant Secretaries.

4. Neither GECA nor the Enterprise Agreement provides the same arrangements for officers and continuing employees - some elements are the same but the overall package is not. See also 1 above. There are no grounds to have continuing employees considered in isolation in the same way as officers.

5. So, while we cannot insist that excess continuing employees be considered in isolation for advertised vacancies, it is open to us to draw the attention of such clients to advertised vacancies. It would then be open to the Department advertising the vacancy to decide whether it wished to:

  1. allow the client to apply for appointment to the vacancy as part of merit selection process; or
  2. considering the excess continuing employee for ongoing temporary employment. Where the Department is willing to accept the employee, this would have to be done by the Public Service Commissioner under s.51.(3)(b) (see 3 above).

6. Being found suitable in isolation under 5(b) above would not entitle an excess continuing employee to be appointed to the new position under s.42 of the Act.

Special provisions for excess employees

The General Employment Conditions Award requires that excess employees be considered in isolation from and not in competition with other applicants for an advertised vacancy to which an excess employee seeks transfer. If the excess employee is capable of performing the duties of the position immediately or within a reasonable period, the excess employee should be transferred to that vacancy.

This means if you are an excess employee applying for a position at your level or below, you will be considered in isolation from other applicants if the interview panel is aware of your excess status. You will be transferred to the position if you are considered suitable, either immediately or within a reasonable period. You do not have to be the most suitable person for the position.

In effect, your chances of being interviewed for a position should increase. However, it does not mean an automatic right to redeployment within the APS. As an excess employee you still need to apply for jobs, present yourself as well as possible and make as strong a case as possible at an interview that you are suitable for a particular position.

APSLMAP is prepared to write to each selection advisory committee considering an excess employee's application for a vacancy and:

An example of the letter which is sent is provided overleaf.

Some excess employees may be of the view that it would not be in their interests to be identified as excess, and thereby prefer to take their chances with all other applicants for a position. If this is your preference, you will not be considered in isolation and will need to demonstrate that you are not merely suitable, but are the most suitable applicant for the job. Whether or not you identify yourself as excess is up to you. APSLMAP will of course respect your wishes. Where you do not wish to be identified as excess APSLMAP will not notify the selection committee of its obligations to you as an excess employee.

Note, however, that APSLMAP experience has shown that advising a panel you are excess will increase your chances of getting the job.

A pro-forma letter whereby you may indicate your preference in this regard is provided also.

Sample application by excess employee

Contact Officer
Selection Advisory Committee
Position no. Classification
Division, Branch or Section
Department
Address

Position no. Classification
Division, Branch or Section

[Name] has applied for transfer to this vacant position. [Name] has been declared to be an excess employee under the terms of the Australian Public Service General Employment Conditions Award 1995 ('the Award') and has been referred to the APS Labour Market Adjustment Program to assist with efforts to obtain redeployment within the APS.

The Enterprise Agreement 1995-1996, Continuous Improvement in the Australian Public Service states in Attachment B that:

I would be grateful therefore if you would arrange as soon as possible to consider [Name]'s application for transfer to this vacancy in isolation from other applicants. This means assessing whether on the basis of [his/her] application [Name] may be capable of performing the duties of the vacant position within a reasonable time, and, if so, offering [him/her] the opportunity to present [his/her] claims at an interview.

Please contact me on [tel] if you would like to discuss this request or if you require further information.

Yours sincerely

 

Careers Adviser
Date

Advice to APSLMAP

Careers Adviser
APS Labour Market Adjustment Program
Public Service and Merit Protection Commission
Edmund Barton Building
BARTON ACT 2600

 

I have noted that the Workplace Bargaining Agreement specifies that, as an excess employee, any application for transfer which I submit for an advertised vacancy must be considered in isolation from other applications for that vacancy.

I have noted also that staff of APSLMAP have explained to me that APSLMAP is prepared to write to each selection advisory committee considering my application for a vacancy drawing attention to my status as an excess employee and reminding that committee of its obligations to consider my application in isolation.

Accordingly, I ask that:

(delete one)

I note that the above instructions may be changed by me at any time in writing.

Name (please print) ...........................................................................

Signature ...........................................................................

Date ...........................................................................

Obtaining financial advice

Financial advice is widely available. It is in your interests to seek financial advice before you make a decision regarding voluntary retrenchment. Most departments and agencies will provide access to a set amount of financial counselling and you should avail yourself of this. You should also be very careful about choosing your financial adviser. The following information may help you locate sources of financial advice, but is not to be regarded in any way as an endorsement by APSLMAP or the PSMPC of the organisations or products mentioned.

The Financial Planning Association of Australia Ltd is a membership association with a code of ethics and rules of professional conduct. Its headquarters are in Melbourne; telephone (03) 614 2289 for a list of members in your area.

The National Information Centre on Retirement Investments is a government funded consumer protection organisation for small investors. It provides a range of publications and advice on redundancy and investments. You may contact the Centre by calling (06) 281 5744, or Freecall 1800 020 1100, fax (06) 285 3787.

Various financial organisations including banks, credit unions and insurance companies may provide free seminars which provide some financial planning advice. The aim of these seminars is to get you to invest in that organisation's products. For example, Commonwealth Funds Management Limited is a Commonwealth Government owned investment organisation which provides free seminars for Commonwealth employees contemplating retirement, and will also advise on investing in its own schemes; telephone (06) 275 0123 in Canberra or 008 020 152 in other areas.

ComSuper, the Commonwealth agency which administers APS superannuation has been conducting regular retirement and redundancy seminars Australia wide. It may be possible to attend one of these. Ring (06) 252 7460 for details.

Ask around for the best source of advice before choosing a financial adviser. If possible, obtain advice from at least two financial advisers.

Hints on seeking a job: Positive actions

The following are hints to job seekers. The hints apply specifically to APS positions, but are also generally applicable to 'outside' employment.

Finding vacancies

Vacant positions in the APS are advertised in the Public Service Edition of the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, published each Thursday. This is your major tool for locating vacancies. You should get a copy as soon as possible to see whether it contains details of vacancies which may be suitable for you. If you do not know how to get a copy of the Gazette, you should ask someone from your personnel department. Copies of Gazettes are also available for perusal by excess and surplus (potentially excess) employees at APSLMAP offices soon after publication each week.

Vacancies published in the Gazette are made available to the APSLMAP Client Vacancy Matching System prior to publication, and if you are an excess employee who has been referred to APSLMAP you may be notified where a vacancy appears suitable for you even before it appears in the Gazette.

However, computerised matching of this type is no substitute for personal research. Generally, you will have two weeks from the date of publication to apply for vacancies advertised in the Gazette.

Research - finding out about a job

We all need to know whether we really want a job or position before we apply. You first need to convince yourself of the suitability of a job, then convince the interview panel you want the position and can do it. The job may be won or lost before the interview, on the basis of information, preparation and presentation.

Possible sources of information include:

Duty statement and selection criteria

All permanent APS positions have a duty statement and selection criteria. These are written documents and you should get a copy of them as soon as possible by ringing the telephone number provided for this purpose in the Gazette ad. Both the duty statement and selection criteria are important in making your application.

The duty statement is intended to provide a succinct statement of what is involved in the job, but sometimes jobs change before the duty statement does, or the duty statement describes what the job is intended to do rather than what is actually involved, or the position is a new one and the duty statement is based on theory rather than practice. You will need to confirm from other sources what the job actually involves. This information is important and if it relates to your prior experience can be made good use of in a covering letter to a job application and an interview.

The selection criteria is an itemised list describing the characteristics, skills and experience which an interview panel will look for when filling the job. You will need to address the selection criteria in detail when providing your application. If you do not do so, or do so inadequately, there is a good chance that an interview panel will find you unsuitable prior to interview. The interview itself will be based on the selection criteria. Your APSLMAP Adviser is able to assist you with your application.

Other information about a position

It may be helpful to visit the actual location of the position. It will assist you when attending for interview if you have actually met one of the interview panel. Often, the contact officer for vacancy details will be a panel member. Use the following information as check list when ringing the contact officer or otherwise finding out about the job:

Names

Organisation

Position

Applicant

Advantages

Application

Many jobs are found other than through reading the vacancy column in the newspapers or the Gazette. Alternatives include:

Other methods

Other methods of finding a job which you may wish to consider include:

Preparing a job application

A full application including a curriculum vitae and relevant work history should be submitted for each position for which you are applying. Both within and outside the Australian Public Service, a typical application for a position includes the following:

There are several ways of submitting an application for a position, but that most commonly used is to provide a short covering letter indicating the position you are applying for and where it was advertised. It should give a brief summary of your particular interest in the position, and the abilities and experience you would bring to it. Thank the potential employer for considering your application, and state your willingness to attend for an interview and provide more information if that is required. Mention in the letter that you are attaching a statement addressing the selection criteria, a career summary (CV or resume) and the names of two referees. The letter should be addressed as per the 'apply code' in the advertisement. An index of addresses follows the vacancy section in the Gazette.

A sample letter of application is provided below.

Sample letter of application

Your name
Your postal address
contact telephone number

Addressee
(as per Gazette or advertisement)

 

Vacancy: Designation, Division, Program, Section, Position Number, as Advertised in Gazette Number and Date.

I would like to be considered for the above position and provide the following information in support of my application.

(Give a brief summary of how your particular education and work experience would enable you to perform the duties, having regard to selection criteria. Briefly say why you want the position; how it fits your interest and career goals within the service. Better still, say what you have to offer that singles you out from the other applicants - what do you have that they will want.)

Say you are attaching a CV or resume and the names of two referees.

Yours faithfully

 

.......................

(your signature)

(Date)

Attach a statement addressing the selection criteria. Attach the career summary (CV or resume). Include the names of referees if that is required. Often the applicant is asked to bring two written references to the interview if they are chosen for interview.

Statement addressing the selection criteria

You will need to write and attach a summary of claims addressing each of the selection criteria for the position. Addressing the selection criteria in an application is easier if done systematically. Take each selection criteria item, explain that you possess the characteristics required, and give one or two examples of things you have done successfully which support your claim.

Some people recommend that you introduce each selection criteria by defining what that criteria means, so that you can show that what follows is relevant. This is unnecessary. You should know what the criteria means from your research of the position. If you define the criteria differently from how the interview panel regards it, they will discard your application. If your understanding is the same as theirs, you will bore them. Their interest is whether you can meet the criteria, not whether you can produce a dictionary definition of it.

Notes on CVs and resumes

Job applications require you to attach a either a curriculum vitae (CV) or a resume. The distinction between a CV and a resume is not precise and the terms are sometimes interchanged. For the purposes of this document, a CV will be considered to be the longer form. The resume is a brief, preferably one page, but certainly no more than a two page summary.

It is concise, and in headline and dot point format. In both the CV and resume you must specify your employment objective (this can be a one line restatement of the position you are applying for) and give an account of the contribution you can make to an employer.

Both the CV and resume need to be well presented and easy to read. This means they must be word-processed using a business type font and well printed on good quality white paper. Do not cramp content. Use lots of bullet points, returns and white space.

If your lack of keyboard skills means you cannot produce your own summary, make it part of your action plan to learn how to do so, since these elementary skills will be valuable both in your job search and in the workplace.

Because you have control over your summary, there is a tendency to spend a lot of time on it. It is important not to concentrate on your summary to the exclusion of the other job hunting ingredients. Your summary is no more important than any other aspect of your efforts (but by the same token, has to be done as well as possible). Glossy covers and sheer bulk are unlikely to impress an employer, so it may not be worth paying a professional resume service to produce your summary.

Your CV or resume is a marketing tool. There should be strong linkages between your CV or resume and the vacancy or organisation to which you are applying. These linkages should be reflected in the language you use to describe your skills and achievements as well as in the emphasis you give to particular aspects of your career.

Both the CV and the resume can be further classified, into either principally functional or chronological types.

The functional summary

This emphasises your achievements related to the position for which you are applying. The functional summary is used where you are contemplating a career change. However, note that if you do not include career history, or have gaps in your career history, you will be regarded with suspicion.

The chronological summary

This emphasises how your experience and background lead naturally to the position for which you are applying. The chronological summary is used for applying for a similar type of work to that which you have done. Your aim is to describe what your past indicates about your future, saying 'I am this kind of person with these abilities as my past indicates'. Use a positive tone and action words. Focus on results and achievements: problems solved, money saved, new initiatives developed or implemented. List eight to ten achievements to demonstrate you have the skills. Don't just say your have good skills. You have to provide evidence.

Differences between the Government and the private sector

Both in the government sector, including the APS, and in the private sector, different forms and styles of summary will have varying levels of appeal to different employers. You should try to find out which is most acceptable in the particular circumstances, and be guided by this in any particular instance.

The CV tends to be the most commonly used form of career summary attached to job applications in the APS. The type of CV submitted for APS vacancies tends to be about four or five pages long.

US literature seems to indicate that a briefer resume is more widely preferred in the private sector, but the Australian situation may be different. Objective data is lacking. The following are some detailed points as to what you might include in your CV.

Front cover

If you do not know the chair of the selection panel's or employer's personal preference, whether or not you have a front cover is a matter of your own personal preference. Use your own judgement. A front cover readily identifies the CV as yours, but may also be regarded as a nuisance in that it uses a lot of paper to provide only a little information. If you do decide to have a front cover, ensure that your name is also prominent on the inside of the document, in case the cover comes adrift, which may happen for example where whoever is processing the document decides to tear the front cover off and throw it away.

If you do include a front cover, besides having a heading 'Curriculum Vitae' and your name, it may also include contact details (phone, fax and postal address) and an inset describing some key aspects/descriptors of how you operate/what makes you tick. These are aspects about your approach to work which set you apart from others. They are the key aspects about yourself on which you base your self-marketing strategy and usually consist of 'I statements'. You may not be comfortable with this approach, in which case you would leave it out.

The cover page could appear as follows:

CURRICULUM VITAE
ELIZABETH BEATRICE ROBBINS

I am a highly motivated professional who......

Personal details

This page (preferably one page only) could include any of the following, depending on personal preference and relevance to an organisation or position:

  1. Name
  2. Career Objective
  3. Address
  4. Contact Numbers
  5. Date of Birth
  6. Marital Status and Dependants
  7. Qualifications
  8. Special Competence
  9. Fluency in Other Languages
  10. Professional Development
  11. Membership of relevant Professional/Community Organisations
  12. Interests
  13. Licences
  14. Salary
  15. Referees

In relation to the above information, you need to decide what details you wish to provide and what information is likely to best market you to the organisation or job for which you are applying. However, keep in mind that providing any irrelevant information may disadvantage your application. Knowing the culture, not only the business, of an organisation will help you decide what to include. Your Careers Adviser will be able to help you decide. Most of all, you need to be in control of information about yourself. In addition, the information you provide must be accurate, current and appropriate to the receiver's needs.

Notes on some of the items above follow.

Career objective

Your CV needs a career objective. This says concisely what type of position you are looking for. It can be general, related to your career goals, or specifically related to the particular position for which you are applying.

Contact numbers

Ensure your contact numbers are current. If you use an answering machine, check that the message is professional and current (both business and private contact numbers).

Date of birth

Providing your date of birth is optional. You should consider whether you want to market yourself on the basis of your age (or lack of it).

Marital status

Including your marital status and dependants is optional. You may wish to include marital status and dependants if you consider that doing so reflects certain values which might be consistent with a particular organisations' culture.

Languages

Ability to communicate in another language may be relevant if you are marketing yourself to an international company or if the organisation you wish to join services a specific client group.

Special competence

You may wish to identify from four up to a maximum of ten fields of special competence which distinguish you from other job seekers.

Professional development

Indicating professional development, particularly recent training, will show a prospective employer that you are committed to keeping up with developments in your profession and/or a particular industry. This is particularly important if you gained your qualifications some time ago and there could be a perception that they are outdated. However, including details of all training courses you have ever attended is not going to be helpful. Select recent, relevant courses. If you are unable to nominate any, consider any training which you may be able to undertake now to increase your chances.

Membership of professional organisations

Membership of relevant organisations can influence a prospective employer to explore your application further. For some professions, membership or eligibility for membership of a professional body is a requirement for practitioners. In addition, an ability to show active involvement in your profession or the community, with the profile and networks that may emerge as a result of such involvement, may be of benefit and interest to an employing organisation and may consequently give you the competitive edge in selection.

Interests

It is particularly useful to indicate interests if those interests enable you to develop skills or access networks. In addition, they may reflect a creative or other ability that does not emerge in your normal paid work environment. You may just wish to include them to provide a complete picture of yourself.

Licences/professional registration

Some positions require licences or professional registration and you need to state specifically if you have these. Even where not specifically required, it is sometimes appropriate to include driving or other licences. This will be entirely dependant on the type of work you are seeking.

Salary

This heading does not apply to government jobs where the salary and benefits are already explicit. Even in the private sector, there is a view that it is wise to omit a reference to salary so that you can negotiate once a job offer has been made. However, you may wish to indicate either the salary you are seeking or your current or recent salary. This will depend on the stated salary for the advertised position (if it is significantly lower than your current salary a prospective employer may be disinclined to consider you). On the other hand, you may consider that the level of your current salary will market you on the basis that it reflects that you have had responsibilities at a certain level in an organisation and this equates with the responsibilities and salary offered for the advertised position.

Current position profile

This is an optional entry. If you are applying for a position which fairly closely mirrors your current or most recent position, you would take this opportunity to draw linkages between the two. Ideally, the profile should take no more than half a page, and the language used should attempt to mirror the language in the advertised position. It is particularly important here to translate your functional responsibilities into non public sector language and reflect the similarities in environments. As stated earlier, insight into the employing organisation's culture would assist in appropriately focusing this statement.

You can provide either a description of your current position or break your role down to generic skills and provide a brief description of how you use each of these in a work context.

Referees

Referees may be the single most significant factor in getting you a job. It is essential to select, and brief, the most powerful advocates for your case, for the position you are seeking. They need to be able to speak or write positively, authoritatively and accurately about your work performance.

Two are usually sufficient and you may not always use the same referees, however, at least one should be able to comment on your recent performance in a work context. If you provide referees up front, an employing organisation may consider that you are confident of their support and may also appreciate the expediency of being able to contact your referees quickly. On the other hand, you may wish to retain control of how and when your referees are contacted and, if this is the case, you would indicate on your CV that referees will be supplied on request. Either way, it is important to establish referee support before submitting details to a prospective employer as well as keeping your referees informed of your job exploration activities. Having a strategy for keeping the referee contact current is particularly important if your referees are leaving your current organisation and/or you are leaving your current organisation.

Generally, two referees are requested in APS selection processes. One of these should be your present supervisor. If you cannot nominate your present supervisor as a referee, this will raise doubts in the selection committee. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, you may lack effective referees, or worse still, nominate people who are covertly hostile to your efforts. You can guard against this to some extent by ensuring that references are in writing, and then discussing any possible changes which will strengthen your case with your referee.

Consider putting referee names on a separate page at the end of your CV. This allows you some flexibility in changing to the most appropriate referees for any particular application, identifies the referees so it is easier for the panel to follow them up, and provides space where they can scribble notes when they do contact them.

Experience

Don't think in terms of work history, think in terms of work experience. Do not just put a job chronology where you document every job you had including those of a few weeks. Career experience ideally is reflected in career blocks. These are either large blocks with the one organisation or blocks of similar work with different organisations. The idea is to show career progression rather than an unconnected series of jobs. This part of the CV is ideally two pages, no more than three. Format as follows:

(e.g.) 1990 to current Name employer

Functional responsibilities/role

Briefly (2 - 3 lines) describe your role in the organisation. Use non public sector language. Activities should be reflected in terms of developing, providing, implementing, managing, marketing services and/or products. Scope of responsibilities should be indicated. In some cases, it will be to your advantage to indicate salary level.

Context/environment

Briefly describe the important elements/pressures in your organisation's environment. These may be political, policy, economic or other. Significant barriers e.g. scarce resources and other constraints confronting you should also be indicated. You would, if it is the case, want to communicate to prospective employers that you are/have been working for an organisation that is professional, progressive and customer driven.

Significant achievements

State, in dot point, four or five major achievements in this block of your career. It is important that they are relevant to the organisation you are seeking to join or the specific job you are competing for and should be reflected in active language e.g. developed, implemented, marketed - indicate results/outcomes.

Suggestion - It may be useful to start by developing a list of what you consider to be the major achievements in your career or even activities/projects that have concluded successfully. These may then be used as a menu from which you can select those achievements which best market you to a particular job, organisation or industry.

Significant skills

Select the key skills you utilised in achieving your stated outcomes. These should be linked to the skills the prospective organisation is seeking. These are the key skills on which you are marketing yourself to a particular organisation.

For example:

Repeat this format for each career block.

Note the following:

A typical sample career summary is included. Note this is typical, not necessarily an example to be emulated. The format you use should be one with which you are comfortable. You have to be prepared to speak to this document at an interview so it is important that the document is one which you have developed, not one written by someone else.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Melanie Green
12 Watson Street
DEAKIN ACT 2600

(h) 6255 3332
(w) 6233 5552

Career Objective

ASO3 Personal Assistant with the opportunity to take an expanded role within the organisation

Special competencies

Qualifications

Recent professional development

Experience

Preparing for a job interview

You will be notified of when and where to attend for a job interview. It is important to prepare for interviews. Numerous training courses and books are available to assist you with interview techniques. Discuss courses with your Staff Development Officer or Careers Adviser if you have not recently attended an interview skills or related course.

Having completed all the research, written and sent in your application, you should spend additional time preparing to answer interview questions. Rehearse answers to possible questions. The following steps are suggested:

  1. Prepare and rehearse a short statement that summarises the special advantages you will bring to this employer and to this job.
  2. Using the information you have, decide what questions you would ask a potential applicant for this position.
  3. List the dimensions, skills, and behaviour needed for this position. Prepare an example, from your experience, for each one.
  4. Select examples and anecdotes to which you may wish to refer. The acronym STARS may be helpful in reminding you how to apply these:
    • S Situation or
    • T Task
    • A Action you took
    • R Results or outcome
  5. Select answers. An acronym to help you answer questions is MBE:
    • M Main point
    • B Because
    • E Example
      After going through your example, summarise your main point.
  6. Analyse any 'negatives', and 'positives' to overcome.
  7. Rehearse all answers attempting to keep them as concise as possible.
  8. Prepare a list of questions you would like to ask the panel. Most panels still ask towards the end of the interview 'is there anything you would like to ask us.' They may hope you say no, but more often they use this as an opportunity to see how well you have prepared for the interview. The question you ask should be on issues on which you could not reasonably have done any prior research. If all your queries have been answered, refer to the fact that you had developed a list. Some people probably find it effective to do this even if they haven't developed a list.
  9. Prepare, and rehearse, a closing comment.

A two-way process

An interview is not a test or an inquisition. It is an opportunity for you to find out more information about your potential employer, just as it is for your potential employer to find out about you, before deciding whether you are suited. Take the opportunity. A small amount of anxiety is normal when being interviewed. If you feel that your level of anxiety is affecting rather than enhancing your performance, discuss this with your Careers Adviser.

Dress rehearsal

The best way to prepare for an interview is to conduct a 'dress rehearsal' with at least one other person who can act as the interview panel. Your APSLMAP adviser will be pleased to assist. Sometimes you can gain valuable information by videotaping and reviewing your interview; this is something to consider.

Presentation

Your presentation at the interview will affect your chances of getting the job. At your rehearsals you should pay attention to your dress and grooming. You will probably do best if you can project as someone who is:

Practice conveying this image.

Attending the interview

Ensure that you are on time, and not delayed by circumstances which could have been foreseen, such as difficulties finding the location, or car parking. It may be helpful to visit the interview location at some time prior to the interview, so that you are familiar with the surroundings where the interview will take place.

Applying for jobs outside of the APS

Applying for a job outside the APS essentially is the same as applying for one inside and you can adopt the same approach and materials as outlined in this kit. Selection processes, on the other hand, may be comparatively informal. These probably will include at least one interview, but this may be conducted by one person rather than a panel.

Be aware that public servants generally may not be highly regarded by private industry. They may be regarded as too complacent and too inefficient to compete in the private sector. If you are applying for a private sector job, you need to be aware of this perception and consider means whereby you may overcome it.

Negotiations

Many positions in the private sector are covered by industrial awards. Where this is the case, employers will pay award wages. Higher level or salaried private sector positions may have scope to negotiate on pay and conditions. Conditions may include insurance, superannuation, incentives, company car, share options. Negotiating involves particular skills, and if you feel you do not have these, enrol in one of the many short development courses that are available on this topic.

CES assistance

Your local CES will be able to give an indication of the types of jobs likely to be available. They also provide a range of programs and materials to assist job seekers. Your APSLMAP Careers Adviser is able to arrange an interview with your local CES.

Private employment agencies

You will also find a large number of private employment agencies listed in your Yellow Pages. These people are in the business of filling vacancies for employers. They do not charge applicants for this service. If you are asked to pay for job finding assistance, decline.

You may find it useful to register with five or six private agencies.

Health and fitness

Being declared excess or being potentially excess can create personal stress, which if excessive can adversely affect your health. If you are concerned about your health, your immediate contact should be with your general practitioner. You also have other resources to deal with stress. An important first means for doing this is by talking through any problems you feel you may be experiencing with others - friends, family, or your APSLMAP Careers Adviser. If you feel this is inappropriate, approach your agency's human resources area for referral to an employee assistance program. These are confidential counselling and referral services designed specifically to address and improve the well being and lifestyle of staff whose lives may be adversely affected by personal or work related problems.

Paying attention to your health and fitness will also help you in your job search by better adapting you to deal with stress, increasing your stamina and improving your outlook and appearance.

Some means of increasing your health and fitness which you may wish to investigate are:

You should seek medical advice before embarking on a fitness program.

Grievance and appeals aginst compulsory redeployment or retirement

Since late 1995, appeals against involuntary retirement of excess employees from the APS have to be lodged with the Industrial Relations Commission.

If you have a grievance regarding a decision which an agency has taken about you, you should try to have this resolved. In the first place, try to sort out your concerns informally with the person responsible for taking the decision.

If this fails, there are specific circumstances where Public Service Regulations may allow you to request investigations where you are aggrieved by an action.

Your union or personnel section should be able to provide you with more information.

When you start your new APS job

Remember that the choice to continue working for the APS was yours. Plan for career success in this arena. Take advantage of what you have been through to apply any experiences or skills you have learned. The fact that you were excess or potentially excess in your previous position does not mean that this will not happen again. Remember career planning should not apply just in terms of career crises. You will find it easier if you:

Running your own business

There are advantages to being in business for yourself, and if you are seeking but unable to obtain employment this may be your only option. If you have the drive, personality and ideas to succeed in operating a small business, you may achieve real rewards. But think very carefully about whether this option will suit you. Don't, for example, take up a small business because you can't stand looking for a job. Small business means continually looking for jobs.

Note that although accurate figures are not available, the risk of small business failure is frequently said to be high. Certainly many businesses cease operation within a few years of start-up. The personal consequences of business failure can be devastating.

Do a small business course if you think you have a good idea. Various government agencies have been established which provide advice to people contemplating setting up a small business. Approach the appropriate agency in your area for advice. Consult with an accountant. Be realistic about business plans. If after careful consideration, research, planning and consultation with your family you still feel that running your own business is appropriate, go ahead.

You might have a sound business plan which as a result of being potentially excess, you can now put into effect.

As a general rule, be particularly careful about pursuing the sort of business that anyone can start. Examples of this might be photo processing, small printeries, and coffee shops. To succeed in your own business, you benefit from having a unique proposition. Small businesses which appear to have better chances of success include consultancies based on special skills and qualifications.

The same rules apply to investing in a business as to any other investment. Whether you wish to establish a new business, buy an existing business or purchase a franchise based on a larger operation, you should investigate your proposed course thoroughly and seek advice from your accountant before making any commitment.

Retirement

When your work is done, retire. (Lao Tzu, c 500 BC)

Retirement from the regular workforce is an important career transition, and one which most of us will face. In the APS, early retirement is available from age 55 and retirement presently is mandatory at age 65.

If you are excess or potentially excess and close to retirement age, retirement is another option to consider. Becoming excess or potentially excess can provide a desirable early start to a planned retirement. On the other hand, if you have not planned for your retirement, and have no other option, the experience may seem very destructive. This applies not only if you are excess or potentially excess, but for whatever reason.

Properly planned, retirement can be something to look forward to. If you have not started to plan your retirement, start to plan for it now.

Contact your staff development officer for details of planning for retirement seminars.

Further reading

A great number of books have been written to aid in the job search. A standard text is:

Bolles R N, What Color is Your Parachute, published annually, US, Ten Speed Press.

Also widely available are books by the Australian author, Paul Stevens, for example, Win That Job, 1991, Centre for Worklife Counselling, Sydney

Written by two outplacement experts specifically for Managers who have been made redundant is:

Morin W J and Cabrera J C, Parting Company: How to survive the Loss of a Job and Find Another Successfully, Second Edition 1989, Harvest, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, San Diego.

An Australian book of more general interest and also written by outplacement experts is:

Morgan G, and Banks A, Getting that Job, 1994, Harper Collins, Sydney.

Your departmental or local library may have a range of materials of interest to job-seekers, or consult your APSLMAP Careers Adviser.

APSLMAP locations and contacts

Visit Regional Offices for up-to-date information on contacts and services.