Resources
October 5, 2023 - By Monique Thompson
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples bring invaluable cultural knowledge, community insight, strategic capability and leadership to workplaces across the Australian Public Service, state and territory governments, local councils and the private sector. With government agencies strengthening their commitment to First Nations employment, there are now more Indigenous government jobs, APS career pathways, and culturally safe workplaces than ever before. Whether you are starting your career, returning to work, exploring a career change or aspiring to senior leadership, there are meaningful government roles for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across every classification and sector.
Government employers across Australia recognise the importance of recruiting, developing and retaining First Nations talent. Many agencies now offer Indigenous employment programs, dedicated mentoring, culturally informed leadership development and targeted pathways to strengthen long-term success. For applicants seeking to secure APS jobs or state government roles, professionally written government résumés, capability-aligned cover letters and STAR-based selection criteria responses can significantly increase success in merit-based recruitment processes.
Career opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples span all industries, skill levels and government classifications. Strong employment pathways exist for:
These pathways exist across a wide range of fields, including administration, public policy, community engagement, law enforcement, intelligence, ICT, compliance, corporate services, education, health, environmental management, transport, infrastructure, finance and emergency management. Many agencies offer structured Indigenous traineeships, graduate programs, and development pathways featuring paid training, qualifications and professional growth opportunities.
A high-impact government résumé that highlights capability, cultural knowledge and achievements remains essential for standing out in competitive APS and state government recruitment rounds.
The Department of Home Affairs is one of Australia’s most complex and high-impact agencies, responsible for national security, immigration, border management, intelligence and community safety. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees are critical to strengthening cultural capability, shaping policy, improving service delivery and building community trust.
Home Affairs offers a wide range of targeted Indigenous opportunities, including:
Applicants targeting these pathways benefit from professionally tailored APS résumés, government selection criteria responses and STAR examples aligned with APS capability frameworks.
The Indigenous Graduate Development Program offers a comprehensive 12-month development pathway designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates begin long-term APS careers. Program features include:
To maximise success, applicants should prepare high-quality APS-aligned résumés and targeted government cover letters tailored directly to the capability requirements of the program.
Government jobs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are available far beyond graduate programs. Applicants without university qualifications can access:
Regardless of background, a clear and targeted government résumé is essential to help applicants communicate their experience, strengths, achievements and cultural capability in a way that aligns with government recruitment standards.
Government agencies are investing significantly in culturally safe workplaces to support recruitment and retention of First Nations employees. These supports include:
These initiatives help ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees thrive across the APS and state government sectors.
A government career offers clear pathways for progression, including:
With a compelling résumé and strong STAR examples, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants can progress into influential and rewarding public sector careers.
Merit-based recruitment requires clarity, consistency and high-quality documents. To maximise success in APS or state government recruitment, ensure your application includes:
Government Resumes specialises in preparing APS résumés, state government résumés, Indigenous government job applications, cover letters and selection criteria responses tailored for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander job seekers at all career stages.