Application Process & Interviews at Department of the Treasury

Original cv and cover letter check, then a writing assessment, then an interview about said assessment.

Submitted a resume, cover letter, and 400-word response to the question, "why you believe curiosity, resilience, energy and communication are useful graduate skills". then submitted a 750-word essay completed within 60 minutes in response to the question, "in your opinion, tell us why you think it should be mandatory for all employers to hire people with a disability. include benefits of this approach and why this might be challenging for some employers and job seekers." then did a 25-minute online panel interview.

For economist stream: resume and cover letter economics essay panel interview

Written assessment, behavioural test, teams interview

The interview process was thorough but not dissimilar to other departments. due to demand i understand why it needs to be so thorough - it can be quite extensive when balancing other interviews and university commitments but overall often results in a high quality of graduates. the interview gave off a very good vibe and helped me make the decision to come to treasury.

As a graduate, the hiring process was long an involved multiple rounds and lasted 3 months. however, this is completely normal and expected when applying for graduate positions. the assessments and interviews themselves were fairly straightforward and they tested us adequately to find the best candidates possible. it was a fair and justified hiring process. it was simple and when we received an offer, they were generally supportive during the process. making it clear what needed to be completed to facilitate the onboarding process. especially once we were getting closer to the start date, they would hold seminars where we could answer questions and receive answers. this was great!

One writing task and an interview. it was pretty smooth and no group activities were

The process involved submitting a cv and some answers to generic questions, a timed online assessment and a panel interview. overall, the processes were not too onerous and quite reasonable and they felt fair.

I came in through data grad stream

Very long and drawn out process, however it was well structured and organised.

It was the normal aps graduate process.

The hiring process was quite straightforward - there was an initial skills test and a formal interview. the recruitment team was very gracious and did their best to make it feel as comfortable and easy as possible, and none of the tasks felt particularly onerous or outside what i expected.

It was the standard graduate program interview. the assessments and processes were just as any other grad program.

Brilliant! the recruitment team and people management team at treasury are excellent.

Keep up the good work.

The interview was straight forward with three fundamental questions, with scope to assess your creativity.

Required to complete different tasks and cognitive assessments which in my opinion are a waste of time and money. the interview process ran really smoothly though and it was a great panel i just wish the other part of the hiring process was less time consuming.

To get into the grad program, i had to apply online, then i did psychometric testing and a written test, then i had an interview.

Fairly standard process which involved written application, an aptitude test and an interview.

The assessments were realistic and the interviews were well structured. i liked that they weren't automated.

Economics based questions.

For economist stream: economics questions and how would i respond to a certain situation. no easy questions though nothing insane.

Three behavioural and one policy question

I was asked behavioural style questions in my interview - i cannot recall specifically but they related to challenges and workplace style questions.

I forget but mostly questions related organisational experience and exercises.

I was asked how i would respond to a situation where i was leading a project and there were conflicting views on the approach that the group took. i was asked how my degree left me well positioned to work as a treasury graduate. i was also asked to derive a policy response to an issue.

To analyse a dataset and draw conclusions

This was nearly 18 months ago i do not remember, from what i do remember they were reasonably close to what i was preparing for, focusing on the key skills treasury was looking for - teamwork, collaboration, problem solving, ability to work well under pressure etc.

Previous experience, skills (including interpersonal communication skills) and tackling complex situations.

I can't remember exactly but there were questions about why i wanted to work for treasury and i was asked to discuss examples of where i experiences issues and a plan changes and how i overcame this.

I don't remember exactly. but i think it was one example question - what would you do in x situation, one question about why i want to work at treasury and two others.

I can't recall but it was largely about how you would deal with difficult situations and how you would deal with colleagues who were in conflict.

I don't remember all of the questions, but i was asked what i thought the difference was between a good learning experience and a bad learning experience.

Why i wanted to work at treasury, what my previous work experiences had been like and what i'd learnt from them. also, what did i see as a significant economic issue for australia and what solutions could i see for it.

The recorded interviews were more about your prior experience aligning with the department's values. how you have previously overcome a difficult situation, etc. the panel interview was more regarding policy analysis and the work itself. the only question i actually remember from that, was if i had any thoughts on the government's response to covid-19.

Unfortunately i can not remember. they weren't technical, primarily about times you overcame adversity or times your displayed creativity in order to achieve a solution. if you can link to the aps values that would be beneficial.

Through the economist stream i was ask a combination of economic based and behavioural based questions. economic questions were based on current events i.e. covid and mostly policy related was asked 4 questions in total.

What strengths do you bring to the department? what is a policy area you are passionate about and why? discuss trade-offs etc. describe a time you had to work in a team.

Some activity-based questions but mainly situational questions.

I remember being asked a couple of questions where i was able to draw on my internship and university projects to explain my answers. i also remember being asked what i wanted to get out of the program which was kind of unexpected.

Study what you did your assessment on.

Look into the aps rubrics

I would recommend they come up with 5 different empirical examples of times they managed different challenges and situations working with people and think through how to iterate them according to the star method.

Just be cool, calm and collected. that's what i told myself during the assessments and especially during the interviews. it helped me gather and convey my thoughts slowly and effectively!

Remember two or three points of key organisational experiences.

Be open, honest and professional throughout the whole process and deeply consider why you want/would be good in the role before approaching an interview. definitely do a mock interview if possible and have some answers prepared on certain topics that are likely to be raised.

Remember there are multiple avenues to end up in the same role, there are often future opportunities if you get rejected for very similar things. just keep an eye out and don't be afraid to just apply.

Prepare answers to typical questions in accordance with the star method.

Come prepared like you would for any government interview - prepare examples using the star model for the key skills that they are looking for on the recruitment page

Know the current economic conditions and have a point of interest. exchange and extracurricular is beneficial but not entirely necessary.

I recommend that applicants invest some time building a basic understanding of contemporary international economic related events and arrive at a view on the topic.

I would maintain a focus on working for the public service more generally rather than being specific to treasury. it would be good to demonstrate that you have a passion for serving the public.

I think just be really honest and genuine about why you want to work here - that really comes across in interviews, and don't try and predict what they want.

I think be sure about your goals and expectations. think about you as a person and how you deal with difficult situations and people. make use of the star method. if you're an empathic person you should have no trouble with the interview.

I would recommend you understand the type/breadth of work that treasury does. i would also recommend looking at their values and the aps values. overall, treasury are really keen to employ graduates who are excited to develop, learn and work in different areas.

Have high grades and ideally a post graduate qualification like honours or masters. when you answer your questions pick areas you know about and are passionate about, it's ok to not know a solution as long as you can explain why there isn't one. that's probably my biggest piece of advice; show that you understand that very few of treasury's policy choices are perfect solutions, there are always negatives.

Think of your past experiences and how you have grown and how they can apply to different situations. preparation for interviews may not always help (questions may not get asked) but at the least, you feel more confident knowing that you have done something, and that confidence shows in how you portray yourself and how you speak. the other tip, is to learn to improvise. being able to speak confidently and well with very little information is a skill that is learnt over time, but is very valuable.

Line up your examples against the aps values

If you're applying through the economist stream, be informed of current events that are effecting the economy and current economic policy.

Study a policy area, learn the impacts and the associated costs. learn about the sensitivities in these areas and come up with a next steps if you were to pursue such a policy.