How to apply

Before you apply

Information about the vacant position

Before you apply for a position, find out as much as possible about the position and our department to gain a broad understanding of what is required and whether you are right for the role.

• Find out what we offer and about our services
• Review the role profile and any additional documents provided in the advertisement.
• Consider your capabilities to perform the role. These are outlined in the 'Is this the role for you' section of the role profile.
• Speak to the contact person listed in the role profile if you have any questions.
• Ensure you possess any mandatory qualifications or professional registrations required for the role (overseas qualifications may also be recognised).
• Ensure you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19
• Ensure you are eligible to work in Australia, i.e. you are:
  • an Australian citizen, or
  • a permanent resident of Australia or New Zealand Citizen who has entered Australia on a valid passport, or
  • a non-citizen with a valid visa that provides work rights.

Child Safety Officer recruitment

• To apply for a Child Safety Officer position, go to our careers website
• A continuous applicant pool is used to allow for applications to be submitted at any time of the year. If we assess your application to be successful, the Recruitment team will contact you for a telephone interview.
• If you indicated on your application an interest in working in regional or remote Queensland locations, you will likely be fast-tracked to an interview.
• If your preference is to work in the more popular locations of Brisbane and South East Queensland, your application may be placed in a qualifying pool for up to 12 months and we will contact you for an interview as soon as a position becomes available.
• Interviews usually take between 45 to 60 minutes and will be led by a panel of at least 2 people from the child safety service centre in the location you selected on your application.
• You will find more information about the process on our Child Safety Officers careers website.

Preparing your application

This is your opportunity to tell us who you are, what your skills are, and what your strengths are.

The application requirements are in the role profile, and usually includes a cover letter and resume. Make sure you check any instructions for how to apply for the role in the 'Want to apply?' section of the role profile.

Writing your cover letter

In your cover letter, tell us who you are, your skills, strengths and qualifications, and why you are interested in the role.

The cover letter is generally one page. You could structure it using short paragraphs and dot points. Don't restate your resume as this is provided with your application. You also don't need to respond to each of the capabilities outlined in the 'Is this the role for you' section.

Making your resume count

Your resume should be concise and easy to read. Aim for 3-5 pages, depending on how long you have been in the workforce. Tailor your resume to the role you are applying for and include only relevant information. Outline your:

• contact information
• education, qualifications and any mandatory requirements (e.g. drivers licence)
• employment history, including your role title, key duties or responsibilities
• achievements (you could combine this with your employment history)
• details of at least two referees who know you and your work history. Your current line manager is usually the best person to include.

If you are applying for an 'identified position', i.e. only available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, make sure that one of your referees is an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who can attest to your background, knowledge, skills and experience as they relate to the cultural capabilities.

Applying for the position

Submitting your application

For all Child Safety Officer positions, please apply through the Child Safety Officer careers website.

For all other roles, please apply through the Smart jobs and careers website using the 'Apply online' function. You will need to create a 'My SmartJob' account to do this.

You can track your application through the process, maintain your personal details through registration and withdraw your application if required.

If you experience technical difficulties when submitting your application through the Smart jobs and careers website, contact the Smart Service Queensland team on 13 QGOV (13 74 68).

If you are unable to apply online, talk to us in advance of the application closing date to arrange an alternative. Speak to the person listed in the role profile or contact the Applications Processing Team at Queensland Shared Services on (07) 3006 9376 or (07) 3006 9373, between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Late applications

We may accept your application after the application closing date, but you will need approval from the contact person listed in the role profile about whether this is possible.

Withdrawing your application

You can withdraw your application:

• before the closing date – online through the Smart jobs and careers website or advise the contact person listed in the role profile
• after the closing date – by advising the contact person listed in the role profile.

The selection process

The selection process is how we assess your merit for the role, considering your:

• abilities, skills, aptitude, qualifications, knowledge, experience and personal qualities

• performance in previous roles and potential for development.

To assess your merit, a selection panel will review your application against the requirements in the 'Is this the role for you' section of the role profile and decide whether your application is shortlisted (i.e. you proceed to the next assessment stage).

If your application is shortlisted, we will contact you to let you know and explain the next stage of the selection process. This may include a number of assessment methods such as:

• interview (a conversation conducted face to face, or over the telephone)
• work sample (an example of your previous work)
• work exercise (a simulation of the type of work you will perform)
• presentation
• role play
• group exercises.

Preparing for your interview

The interview is a conversation between you and the selection panel. It is your opportunity to have a discussion about the role, and talk about your skills, qualifications and strengths.

The best way to prepare is:

• research the department
• prepare examples you can use to demonstrate your suitability for the role by describing
  • the situation / task or problem you were faced with
  • the action you took
  • the result or outcome you achieved

• identify strengths which will set you apart
• practice by role playing the interview with a friend as the interviewer
• get a good sleep the night before
• clear your head shortly before the interview – go for a short walk, read your notes, mentally prepare
• arrive 15 minutes early so you can relax and review your notes and resume / cover letter if you need to.

During the interview

For the conversation with the panel:

• take any documents/notes and refer to these if you think it will assist you
• be confident – you've done your preparation
• listen to the questions and make sure you understand them - ask for clarification if you are not sure
• give detail in your answers, but make sure it is relevant.

You will usually have a chance to ask questions and provide any information not covered during the interview.

Referee checking

We will contact your referees to verify information you provide in your application and interview/assessment. Make sure you let your referees know this, so they can be prepared.

Criminal history – working with children and people with a disability

If you are not an existing employee of the Queensland Public Service, you will need to undergo a criminal history check and/or blue card screening for roles that work with children.

In Queensland, it is mandatory to have a blue card before you commence employment in a child-related role. It is recommended you lodge an application for a blue card as soon as possible to avoid any delays in commencement should you be offered a position with the department. Please note: if you choose to apply for a blue card prior to being employed with the department, the cost of a blue card will be at your own expense.

Notifying you of the outcome

The selection panel will advise all shortlisted applicants of the outcome. If you are successful and offered the position, your Manager will discuss your start date with you.

All applicants will be advised of the outcome in writing.

Seeking feedback

All applicants can ask for feedback about their application, which may help for future applications. Contact the person listed on the role profile if you would like feedback.