Who we recruit

The Victorian Government is proud of our State’s thriving economy, quality health and education systems, healthy environment, caring communities and vibrant democracy.

To help strengthen our performance in these areas, the Victorian Public Service needs graduates from all sorts of disciplines.

Eligibility to work in government
What do we look for in our graduate recruits?
Your field of study

Eligibility to work in government

To gain employment with the Victorian Government you need to be an:

• Australian Citizen: a birth certificate, citizenship certificate or current passport is proof of eligibility.
• Only Australian citizens, permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand citizens who have entered Australia on a valid passport, are allowed to stay and work in Australia without restriction.
• Non-citizens with a valid visa that provides work rights : A current passport containing the visa is proof of eligibility. As the visa has an expiry date, non-citizens can only engage in casual, temporary or fixed term roles that do not extend beyond the expiry date. Visitors on a Working Holiday visa are permitted to work in temporary or casual roles, but for no longer than six months with any one employer.

Your employer will need to sight original documents as evidence of your right to work. The Victorian Government supports sponsorship of temporary overseas employees and skilled migration for certain occupations.

Visit the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs for more information.

Some departments and agencies require satisfactory police checks, working with children and/or security checks before they will employ you.

What do we look for in our graduate recruits?

We recruit outstanding, motivated graduates who want to contribute to Victoria's future. If this sounds like you, find out more about how to apply for the GRAD Scheme on this site.

Apart from your academic record, we consider the whole person when assessing applicants: your values, work experience, involvement in extra-curricular activities (for example, in sport or as a volunteer), and other community interests.

We are looking for graduates who want to contribute to Victoria's community with the following values:

Responsiveness

• providing frank, impartial and timely advice to the Government
• providing high quality services to the Victorian community
• identifying and promoting best practice.

Integrity

• being honest, open and transparent in their dealings
• using powers responsibly
• reporting improper conduct
• avoiding real or apparent conflicts of interest
• striving to earn and sustain public trust at the highest level.

Impartiality

• making decisions and providing advice on merit without bias, caprice, favouritism or self-interest
• acting fairly by objectively considering all relevant facts and applying fair criteria
• implementing Government policies and programs equitably.

Accountability

• working to clear objectives in a transparent manner
• accepting responsibility for their decisions and actions
• seeking to achieve best use of resources
• submitting themselves to appropriate scrutiny.

Respect

• treating others fairly and objectively
• ensuring freedom from discrimination, harassment and bullying
• using their views to improve outcomes on an ongoing basis.

Leadership

• actively implementing, promoting and supporting these values.

Human Rights

Public Officials should also respect and promote the human rights set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 by:

• making decisions and providing advice consistent with human rights
• actively implementing, promoting and supporting human rights.

and can demonstrate the following qualities:

• strong analytical and conceptual abilities
excellent communication and teamwork skills initiative and accountability , interpersonal skills and an interest in public policy

Your field of study

We consider graduates from any discipline. We currently employ graduates from a wide range of disciplines, including:

• Accounting and Finance
• Arts and Humanities
• Business and Commerce
• Engineering
• Economics
• Forestry and Environmental Science
• Human Resources
• Information Systems
• Law
• Management
• Marketing
• Maths
• Planning
• Public Policy
• Sociology
• Statistics.

Your field of study will influence which streams you apply for. Information about these streams is available in the outline of what we offer.

The year your degree was completed is not relevant. We recruit a broad range of people, from recent graduates to those with many years of workforce experience.