Career opportunities in the Government

What do you want to be when you grow up? An engineer, a doctor, a social worker, an accountant, an environmental scientist, a teacher? There are great career opportunities to be had in government at all levels in Australia. What ever your discipline or course, there will be a job for you!

There are a large number of government departments within Commonwealth, State and Local Government. They provide a huge variety of jobs and employers across Australia, in the arts, transport, foreign affairs and trade, finance, community development, environment and much more.

Working for government at any level provides satisfying and secure employment, especially for those who want to make a difference to their community. And it is even more attractive to have secure employment in this economic downturn. Because government departments select on merit, their workforces are diverse, talented and highly skilled.

Another advantage of working for government departments is that many of them are based in rural and regional areas, which provides great opportunity for those wishing to base themselves near home.

Working for government also provides great career paths and opportunities to try different departments and agencies. They also provide great professional development and training opportunities and support further study.

Commonwealth Government

Most Commonwealth Government departments are headquartered in Canberra, but many have large regional offices in Victoria. Many of these departments have specific graduate programs, promoted at University Careers Fairs (keep an eye on the Jobshop site for dates), and while their application dates vary, they tend to close around April/May each year for positions beginning the following year. However, as with all government agencies, each department also has entry level jobs which are advertised all year round on departmental websites.

For information on Commonwealth Government departments graduate recruitment programs, visit the Graduate Opportunities website.

For jobs in the Commonwealth Public Service in general, visit the Australian Government Jobs website.

Victorian Government

The Victorian Government also has a graduate recruitment program, for more information about this particular program please see the dedicated Victorian Government Graduate website. The Victorian Government also has a central jobs website for jobs across Victoria. Also check individual government department websites.

Local Government

Local Government jobs are also full of variety and challenge. Contrary to popular belief, Local Government is not just about roads, rates and rubbish! Local councils deliver a vast range of services to the community in its own right, and also on behalf of State and Commonwealth Government agencies and departments.

Local councils are also located across Victoria, providing employment for many local communities. Whether you are a health promotion graduate, or studying community development, accounting, engineering, finance, environment, sport and recreation and much more, there are opportunities for you.

For more information on local councils and their employment opportunities, visit the Municipal Association of Victoria website (and click down at the bottom on the Local Government Job Centre). Jobs are also listed on individual council websites, a comprehensive list of all councils in Victoria can also be found on the Municipal Association of Victoria website.