Who we are looking for

PM&C graduates are innovative, forward thinking and passionate about making a difference to our country. They bring diversity of education, experiences and backgrounds to the Department and this in turn reflects our nation’s population.

To be a PM&C graduate you must be committed to helping improve the wellbeing of all Australians. You must be adaptable and resilient, and willing to embrace a range of opportunities.

We are looking for people from a variety of academic disciplines with diverse backgrounds. Below is further detail on what we are looking for in our graduates.

'It’s not so much the content you apply from your studies. It’s more using the research skills, some of the analysis you do and a lot of the critical thinking that really come into play when you’re working for an agency like PM&C.'

- Murray

Willingness to be a ‘self-starter’

• You are a motivated, high achiever who wants to make a difference to the future of our country and who has an understanding of Government, policy and the work of the Department.
• You are innovative, creative and offer new ideas, approaches, insights or solutions.
• You take initiative, are self-motivated, ambitious and driven.
• You navigate your own journey and experiences.

Demonstrated strong communication and interpersonal skills

• You write simply, clearly and concisely in a well-structured and logical way.
• You speak with confidence and clarity, and adapt your communication style to suit different people or situations.
• You can communicate opinions, information and evidence with influence to gain the agreement of others.
• You are able to work and achieve outcomes both independently and as part of a team.
• You contribute ideas and are willing to listen and to expand on the ideas of others.
• You have strong relationship management skills and can quickly establish positive rapport with people at all levels in any organisation, and are able to build, maintain and use networks of contacts.

Demonstrated analytical ability

• You understand the relationship between issues and how they might be part of a larger complex problem.
• You can gather and analyse data from multiple sources of information, and probe for further information where required, allowing you to make rational and considered judgements and decisions.
• You critically analyse information from multiple sources and can analyse what information is important, how it should be used and can make a decision based on your findings.
• You approach problems creatively to find workable solutions.

Commitment and openness to professional learning and continuous development

• You are able to quickly learn new technology, processes and information.
• You actively seek out opportunities for personal, professional and organisational improvement.
• You have a willingness and commitment to continue to develop cultural competency.
• You are aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, and identify opportunities to develop and broaden your skills and knowledge.

Ability to be agile and resilient

• You demonstrate resilience in the workplace.
• You accept constructive criticism and feedback without becoming defensive or emotional.
• In the face of obstacles, you persevere to achieve personal and professional goals and objectives.
• You work productively in a high pressure environment and adapt and respond well to change and ambiguity, and make the most of the opportunities they present.
• You know how to utilise your strengths to get through busy and difficult times in the workplace.
• You are able to quickly process and understand new information.

Foster an inclusive and diverse workforce

• You show respect and sensitivity towards cultural and religious differences.
• You can communicate sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• You demonstrate an understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• You embrace and respect diversity, and diversity of thought.

'What we’re interested in is people with good raw materials which we can work with, so people who are smart, inquisitive, can write well, those are the sort of deep skills that we can work with to turn people into first rate public policy analysts.'

- David

More information

For more information on the PM&C Graduate Program you can email us at EntryLevelPrograms@pmc.gov.au or call us on 02 6271 6000.