Overcoming the barriers to landing your next job in Canberra

Posted on 26 August, 2014

There is a human face to all the talk about  the APS ‘having to do more with less’.

When budgets and resources shrink, when government functions or even whole departments are abolished, or when work is outsourced, it means people lose their jobs. Those people could be your friends, your children, your partner, or might even be you.

The uncertainty, doom and gloom surrounding the APS is directly impacting on 38% of Canberra’s population who are employees. It’s likely that everyone in Canberra will have been touched by changes in the APS size and structure. There is also a significant flow-on effect of the down-sizing, because the impacts are felt by the private sector that delivers goods and services to the APS.  The retail industry and restaurants are struggling to attract as many people to buy products and services, as uncertainty is more likely to keep everyone’s purses and wallets closed.

Increasingly, the element of choice that comes from the decision whether or not to take a voluntary redundancy is disappearing, as government departments that fail to meet their voluntary redundancy targets, are incorporating more directive measures to reduce their staff numbers. These include both ‘spill and fill’ where employees need to apply for their own jobs, and competing for fewer positions than there are employees, and compulsory redundancies.

The pressure on public sector staffing is exacerbated by the ongoing push to outsource government services. Research shows that in Australia over recent years there has been a shift in government activity encompassing roughly 50% Policy and 50% Service Delivery, to 95% policy – so the jobs in service delivery within government are rapidly shrinking.

Applications for the Private Sector

One of the most obvious consequences of the ongoing freeze in public sector recruitment is that many long-term public servants who find themselves looking for work will have to consider roles in the private sector (such as the not-for-profits, small, medium or large businesses, ACT Government, industry associations or charities). This will put people out of their comfort zone and force them  to describe how their government job skills and experience match the needs and expectations of private industry.  All these extra job candidates are creating a massive increase in competition for available positions, with an incredible increase of up to 250 applications for each job advertised.[1]  This makes even getting an interview a big achievement!

What steps can you take to improve your career prospects?

Now, more than ever, people need to market themselves instead of just sending off applications in response to advertised positions. They need to go out and begin talking to people.

The first step now is to research the organisations you might want to work for, decide what types of roles you would like to be doing and for which they would be a competitive candidate.  If you are out of work, this is a good time to consider what your real career passions and interests are, and then research the best matched opportunities available.

A good idea is try to be busy while looking for work so you aren’t spending time worrying, but having a healthy mix of activity to reduce your stress and increase your opportunities to meet people and build your network.

Today there is a much greater need to work on your social media profiles, as recruiters and employers will look you up online.  Be aware of the need to customise your resume and cover letter for each job and include the key words from the advertisement to ensure your application is not filtered out by the recruiters’ online systems.

Assistance and information

The Managing Your Career in a Challenging Environment seminar is for those Canberrans concerned about the scarcity of jobs and who want to see a return on investment in their job search (or to support someone else in their job seeking).

The seminar will provide targeted support to those affected by downsizing as participants will gain ideas, tools and techniques to fast track the journey to their next job.  Participants will walk away energised and ready to go and get that job!

the essentials

What: Managing Your Career in a Challenging Environment seminar
When: 5:30pm to 8:30pm Tuesday 9 September, 2014
Where: Theo Notaris Centre, Civic.
How much: $35 (inc GST)
Tickets: www.eventbrite.com.au

[1] http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/its-a-fight-for-a-public-service-job-as-union-warns-of-cuts-dangers-20140313-34pwj.html (Accessed 17.8.14)