What's your job about?

Services Australia reaches nearly all Australians through Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services. Working within the finance professional pathway I’ve had opportunities to work on the agency’s Annual Report, help prepare briefs and reports for ministers and higher-level executive staff, work on internal financial policy and compliance, and more.

Now I work in a reporting and analytics team, assisting with analysing data and productivity information for the agency. It’s great for a numbers nerd like me and involves researching, investigating, formulating business rules, creating spreadsheets in Excel and even a little bit of programming. It’s unlike my other rotations and is somewhere I can see myself building a career.

What's your background?

I’ve always been interested in volunteering and helping others. I’ve been involved with a few different not-for-profit organisations since my university days and still continue to volunteer today. This inspired me to look for a job outside of the private sector and work somewhere with a focus on people. This led me to consider government as a potential workplace.

I ended up choosing Services Australia as they provide a broad range of social and health services. I’ve now been at the agency for just over a year and am still enjoying the variety of work and the opportunities I’ve had, including being able to work in over 4 different roles.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

For the finance pathway, your rotations are within the Chief Financial Officer Division, which has many different roles and types of work. That being said, a finance background is required for this pathway. It’s also important to be open to training, learning and personal development as what you do on the job isn’t like your university studies! The best characteristic you can have is an open attitude and a willingness to say yes to new opportunities.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

I love the variety and investigative nature of my role. I enjoy getting lost in a spreadsheet and looking for reasons why the data is showing a certain trend. I also really appreciate being a part of an agency with many sites, teams and roles. This provides me with many opportunities to work in different parts of Australia, diversify my skills and try out different roles.

What are the limitations of your job?

The main limitation for me was that most of the graduate roles were located within Canberra. That being said, the agency provides a lot of support with relocating to Canberra when you first start. Being a part of a graduate program means you are a part of a large professional network and make instant friendships.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

• Network and reach out to your fellow students, lecturers and tutors. These relationships can assist you in the future with deciding your career and open up opportunities in your field.
• Take advantage of internships, work experience and volunteering if you can. These are great for helping you decide where you want to take your career.
• Take care of yourself, especially during exam times. Don’t forget to schedule time to relax, eat and sleep.