Need suggestions
I have never worked for govt. I have been offered a job with services australia in their service delivery role.
Hows working for services australia like? Please pour in your suggestions.
Currently working in security industry.
Job Offer from Govt. Need Suggestions
lambaus on 14/12/2022 - 10:01
Comments
working for medicare , processing claims
Is that a job you might enjoy?
Oh man that team shits me. There's like one person there that interprets the wording of care plan item number descriptions and rejects them all the time. Then someone else there has to manually fix it, because their interpretation is wrong.
Other than that I'm sure the job is more than just processing manual claims.
have you worked for medicare before or services australia?
Govt jobs are usually secure and well paid.
You should be so lucky!What more advice do you need?
Low level govt jobs are far from being secure and well paid, you would not believe how many roles are just 6 month contracts, and that's if they haven't been outsourced already like the call centres
meet lots of interesting people
if you have a thick skin and don't take insults personally and like helping the public be a good jobNobody 'loves' their job - we tend to follow the money and any perks.
Will new job pay more than current? What values do you place high up the list on job satisfaction?
I work in an ideal job but people still hate it. For me, it gives good pay, flexible hours, WFH, .. I do have to deal with customers which is the only downside, but take the good with the bad.
I do
What do you do?
Me too, doesn't mean it isn't hard at times, or there aren't long hours or sacrifices
Projecting much?
Just trying to highlight that for the same job, some will like it and some won't - it depends on what each person values.
Well you're stating the obvious.
Some will agree with me and some won't.
I love my job. Self employed.
Usually government jobs are secure when you pass probation, so if you want that, that's a plus.
But I have friends working in government jobs from customer service to graphic designers and one is a trainer and all day the same thing, management are lazy.
Generally how long for probabtion? how do they rate their jobs to be, do they enjoy or its not a good place to be?
Probation depends on the job role, my graphic design and trainer friends said 1 year probation. But dont know other roles, it may be less cause you applied for a claims role.
I hated some of my roles at DHS/SA and loved others. If the pay is the same I would jump on it as the job security is good and the superannuation is higher than private. You also get flex time assuming you are APS. If you don't like what you end up doing you can move sideways to another role and team easily enough.
By security industry do you mean like being a security guard? What parts of that role do you like? If you like being outside or getting to walk around or having lots of time to daydream then you might not like moving to a desk job that could be reasonably fast paced. But if you don't like those things maybe you'll like it better
Its a entry level role only paying 64k , While working in security i end up making 88 k last year. In security you have to do night shifts and weekends and 12 hour shifts. While in govt its only 8 hour job. Its an aps3 level role with services australia
It really does come down to a lifestyle choice and how you want to work.
Although the role begins at APS3, if you have a brain on your shoulders, are pleasant to deal with and get a reputation for getting stuff done, you'll get promoted quickly.
You will also get 18 days sick leave per year, 15.4% super, overtime if required/available, nice air-conditioned office etc.
$64k is decent for an entry role that generally doesn't require a qualification.
You'll do well in the job if you enjoy helping others.
The APS also has many great employment entitlements, such as increased annual and personal leave, flex (which works in a similar way to time off in lieu), and an increased employer super contribution of 15.4%.
64k entry is good, but i am nearly made 88 k last year. only downside is i have to work night shifts and weekends.
Government is great, although it's highly variable.
Services like Medicare and Centrelink would sh1t me to no end as they'd be underfunded, staff would be annoyed and likely would be managed by the dregs of society or ones that couldn't fit in anywhere else. If you can find one that turns a profit then stick with them (utilities etc.) any service that loses money unfortunately have to scrimp somewhere and generally its on wages and culture.I've been through a couple of Authorities and can happily say you get same really bad apples, but on the plus side there's some really good ones (i love where i am at the moment, pays great (better than private), works pretty chilled and the staff are all pretty relaxed). My previous job was 2 years of depressing managers who get kicked from department to department and a whole lot of employees who's highlight of the day was leaving the office.
My opinion is get in, if you hate it, shop around until you find a position that suits.
In the long run you spend roughly 1/4 of your life at work, may as well enjoy it.is it easy to move around? i am currently in a role which requires me to do night shifts and weekends and i hate it. thats the only reason i want to change.
Once you're in an organisation moving around is pretty simple as you pretty much get first dibs on other more senior roles (provided you don't get on the wrong side of your boss) - they still have to publicly recruit but generally if you're already there you're more qualified than a lot of the people. Although i've seen insecure bosses hold back more qualified people, in which case you get the hell out of there as that sh1t is toxic.
My way in was through a recruitment agency (as its the quickest way to get people in) and then applied for an internal permanent position - which i was overqualified for anyway but did the job and worked my way up from there.
I have been offered APS3 fulltime role, which is entry level role. How hard is it to move from aps3 to aps4?
@lambaus: Yep, basically you'll just need to wait (for me it was a couple of months until another opened up.) But yeah, given the turnover you won't be waiting long.
Some of the higher up positions Level 6+ turnover less regularly and 7+ you're pretty much waiting for someone to die.
@Drakesy: Are you in a state public service? The APS doesn't have APS7 - it's EL1/2 after APS6 then SES.
Getting from APS6 to EL1 for most people is a few years. EL1 - 2 can take a lot longer depending on the person.
@Shoocat: My background is at a state authority - came in as a Level 4 contractor (was made redundant previously so took whatever), jumped into a level 4 permanent role. They were then intent on holding me back so i bailed to another authority and now sit as a level 8 equivalent which is the highest you can go without being an executive manager.
Notably our equivalent levels are paid ~20% more than the Federal government structure.
@lambaus: Depends on luck, turnover and capability. I joined at APS3, two months to APS4, one year to APS5, one year to APS6, and two years to EL1.
So from APS3 to EL1 in 4-ish years.
Great thing about APS is the acting opportunities which really help in proving your proficiency to take on a higher role.
At SA that isn’t the case at all. Just look at what’s coming out of the Royal commission, it confirms it
APS3 is very much entry level so plenty of opportunity to move upwards. What location? Regional areas are have less open roles usually.
Service delivery is a different beast to a lot of centralised APS roles. If its in a service centre, i.e. customer facing shopfront, that will be a different experience to a back of house office role.
dealing with customer can be challenging like any front facing role but at least you get to see tangible outcomes when tou help ppl.
Id say jump at the chance to secure full time APS. Services Aus alone has 35,000 staff so potential to move into whole new roles and locations. Also 15% super is pretty good, job security, strong union etc.
Thanks for helpful information. its in sydney metro area. it will be in contact centre taking calls and processing medicare claims.
Id say go for it. Call centre through gov will treat you better than private.
Next rank up to APS 5 will get you close to what you are on now i think, and APS 6 nears in on 6 figures.
Also permanent staff at non exec level get flex time, essentially any time worked over your standard day is banked and can be taken as leave instead of burning your annual 4 wks.
Federal gov conditions are great because they had to entice ppl to move to canberra back in the day. Being syd metro you get to piggyback those benefits.Federal gov conditions are great because they have a strong & effective union.
The LNP systematically reduced benefits of APS staff with efficiency dividends, very low EBA pay rises and hollowed out any real work which is now outsourced to consultants.
Further, the LNP treated the APS with contempt, ignored policy advice, preferring ideology, regardless of evidence, and used them as a punching bag for their political ends.
APS morale is low right now given they are being blamed for awful LNP policy and the actions and directions they were forced to take by political and party aligned Secretaries.
Use this as a springboard to get yourself other government roles except your options are limited if you stay in Sydney.
Service delivery, does that mean dealing with customers?