Centrelink is one of Australia’s foremost, essential government agencies. With more than 25,000 employees, Centrelink works tirelessly to distribute products and services to approximately 6.5 million customers throughout Australia. The filling of vacancies within Centrelink is very competitive. As such, potential candidates need to prepare top-quality written responses, including a well-written selection criteria statement.

Vacancies within Centrelink are filled upon merit. In other words, positions are won based upon the best candidate for the role. One way of demonstrating that a candidate is the most qualified is that of the selection criteria statement. This is where many applicants fall short. Although, the candidate may possess all the necessary knowledge, skills, qualification and personal attributes, a poorly written selection criteria statement might not demonstrate this.

The Centrelink Job Application

Although general selection criteria writing principles should be adhered to when applying for a job with Centrelink, there are also a number of specific requirements that should also be considered, such as:

• Two referees. You should provide two referee names and contact information. For the Centrelink application, be prepared for these two referees to be contacted by the selection panel. They might be asked about your claims in regards to the selection criteria.
• Resume. As is common in job applications, Centrelink requires that your resume firstly display the latest positions and qualifications you have attained.
• With the Centrelink application, the Application Cover Sheet attached in the application pack is essential. This includes the vacancy details; your personal details; employment in the APS; and, referees.
• Many positions at Centrelink revolve around customer service. As such, depending upon the position, it should be a focus of your selection criteria statement. Candidates should provide relevant and concrete examples of customer service.
• Many of the roles at Centrelink also center on the use of computers. Employees are required to use Centrelink’s elaborate database system and need to conduct research. As such, your written application should be tailored towards this.
• Talk to the Contact Officer if you require further information. The Contact Officer’s name and phone number will be prominently displayed in the application pack.
• The Role Profile in the application pack. This will inform the candidate of the Branch that they will be working in. Rather than referring to the actual physical location, it relates to an arm of Centrelink, such as the Records Management Unit. This will help tailor your application even further.
• Duties. The duties are your responsibilities. They display what you will be required to do. These can also be drawn into your selection criteria statement to further provide focus.
• Additional Information. This is typically included in the department’s job description and can include anything pertinent to the job.

Interview panel members are particularly interested in an applicant’s ability to provide customer service in challenging environments so it is essential that the written application provide compelling evidence of strong customer service and interpersonal skills through well written practical examples.

Important Tip – When developing your customer service examples, ensure that your language uses active clear phrases and make sure that actual phrases from the selection criteria statements appear in the responses developed.

About The Author

Glenn Ayrton is an Australian nationally accredited workplace trainer and assessor with over 20 years experience in local and state government. He has performed a range of roles including project management, government recruitment and training including interview technique and job application writing. He is also the designer and creator of Australia’s first software package that assists in writing government job applications called ‘Selection Criteria Writer’. For more information please visit http://www.selectioncriteriawriter.com