November 30, 2025 - By Monique Thompson

How to Use careers.vic.gov.au to Get a Victorian Government Job | Victorian Government Jobs Guide 2025

Securing a Victorian Government job is one of the most reliable and rewarding career pathways available in Australia. Victorian public sector roles offer stability, flexible working arrangements, clear career progression and the opportunity to contribute to better outcomes for communities across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Whether you are targeting policy, project management, administration, ICT, compliance, communications, health, education or justice roles, careers.vic.gov.au is the main gateway for Victorian Government jobs.

To compete successfully in this environment, it is not enough to upload a generic résumé and hope for the best. You must understand how the Victorian Government recruitment process works, how to use careers.vic.gov.au effectively, and how to present professional, capability aligned applications that meet Victorian Public Service (VPS) standards. This guide provides a detailed overview of how to navigate careers.vic.gov.au, how to interpret job advertisements, how to tailor your résumé, cover letter and selection criteria, and how to strengthen your chances of securing Victorian Government employment.

Understanding careers.vic.gov.au and Victorian Government Jobs

The careers.vic.gov.au website is the official Victorian Government careers portal. It is the primary platform used to advertise:

Victorian Public Service (VPS) roles
Positions in Victorian Government departments, agencies and statutory authorities
Opportunities with Victoria Police, health services, courts and justice organisations
Roles across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria

You will find vacancies across all VPS grades, including VPS1 to VPS6, as well as Senior Technical Specialist and executive roles. The portal also lists fixed term, ongoing, part time, full time and casual positions.

For job seekers exploring vic government jobs, victoria state government jobs or broader government jobs in Victoria, careers.vic.gov.au should be your starting point. It centralises roles that may otherwise be spread across multiple departmental websites, and it provides clear instructions on how to apply.

Creating an Account and Setting Up Job Alerts

You can search and view Victorian Government vacancies without an account, but creating a profile on careers.vic.gov.au offers important advantages. It allows you to:

Save shortlisted jobs for later review
Store your details and documents for future applications
Track your submission history
Receive tailored job alerts

How to set up effective job alerts

When configuring job alerts:

Select the job categories that best reflect your skills, such as administration, policy, project management, ICT, finance, communications, regulation or community services.
Choose preferred locations, such as Melbourne CBD, inner suburbs or regional centres like Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Warrnambool or Gippsland.
Filter by VPS classification if you are targeting specific levels, such as VPS3, VPS4 or VPS5.
Opt for daily or weekly alerts so you can respond quickly when suitable roles are advertised.

Responding early in the advertising period can be advantageous, particularly for roles that attract a high volume of applicants.

Understanding the Victorian Public Service Capability Framework

Every Victorian Government role is designed around the Victorian Public Service Capability Framework. This framework specifies the behaviours, knowledge and skills expected at each VPS grade. It underpins:

Position Descriptions
Key Selection Criteria
Shortlisting decisions
Behavioural interview questions

Before applying, review the capability indicators for the VPS level you are targeting. You can then ensure your résumé, cover letter and selection criteria clearly demonstrate capabilities such as:

Stakeholder engagement and relationship management
Policy, research or program skills
Service delivery and customer focus
Planning, organising and project management
Written and verbal communication
Integrity, accountability and public sector values

Aligning your application to these capabilities is essential for success in Victorian Government recruitment processes.

Reading and Interpreting Victorian Government Job Advertisements

Each careers.vic.gov.au listing includes a job ad and an attached Position Description (PD). Both documents are critical.

The online job ad normally provides:

Job title and VPS classification
Salary range
Employment type and duration
Location
Department or agency
Application instructions
Closing date
A short overview of the role

The Position Description goes into greater depth. It usually contains:

A detailed role purpose statement
Key responsibilities and deliverables
Key Selection Criteria (KSC)
Mandatory qualifications or registrations
Information about the team or division
Reference to VPS values and behaviours

Successful applicants read these documents closely and use the language, priorities and capabilities from the PD to shape their application.

Tailoring Your Résumé for Victorian Government Roles

A strong Australian résumé for Victorian Government roles is not simply a chronological list of duties. It must present clear, evidence based content that reflects the capabilities in the Position Description.

Key features of a Victorian Government résumé include:

A concise professional profile that references relevant VPS capabilities and your interest in Victorian Government jobs
A clear employment history with responsibilities and quantified achievements
Short STAR style examples (Situation, Task, Action, Result) embedded within bullet points to demonstrate your impact
Targeted keywords such as “stakeholder engagement”, “service delivery”, “governance”, “policy development”, “project coordination”, “risk management” and “continuous improvement” where relevant
Correct Australian spelling, formatting and professional layout consistent with a high quality resume template Australia style

For applicants coming from the private sector, the résumé should emphasise transferable skills that are highly valued in government, such as compliance, customer service, change management, data analysis, communication and collaboration.

Government Resumes can assist by providing professional Australian résumé templates, tailored wording and government specific phrasing that aligns with careers.vic.gov.au roles and Victorian Government expectations.

Writing a Targeted Victorian Government Cover Letter

Many roles on careers.vic.gov.au now request a cover letter of up to two pages rather than full, separate selection criteria responses. This cover letter must still address the Key Selection Criteria, but it does so in a more integrated narrative format.

An effective Victorian Government cover letter will:

Introduce your motivation for applying and your interest in Victorian Government careers
Summarise your relevant experience and qualifications in the context of the role
Address the most important capabilities from the Position Description using short STAR examples
Highlight your alignment with Victorian Public Sector values, such as integrity, respect, responsiveness, human rights and leadership
Demonstrate your understanding of the department or agency’s work, including key reforms or strategic priorities

Applicants should avoid generic letters. Each cover letter must be tailored to the specific role and written in clear, professional Australian English.

Addressing Key Selection Criteria on careers.vic.gov.au

Some Victorian Government roles still require separate responses to Key Selection Criteria. These responses determine whether you progress to the interview stage, so they must be carefully prepared.

When addressing KSC:

Use the STAR method for each criterion. Clearly describe the Situation, your Task, the Actions you took and the Result achieved.
Choose examples that reflect the level of responsibility expected at the VPS grade, such as leading a project, managing stakeholders or improving processes.
Focus on measurable outcomes wherever possible, such as efficiency gains, quality improvements, risk reductions or positive feedback.
Use wording drawn from the PD and VPS Capability Framework to show direct alignment.

High quality selection criteria responses demonstrate not only what you have done, but how you think, how you manage risk and how you embody public sector values.

Government Resumes specialises in preparing professional, tailored selection criteria that meet Victorian Government standards and align with careers.vic.gov.au role expectations.

Submitting an Application on careers.vic.gov.au

Once your documents are ready, you can lodge your application through the careers.vic.gov.au portal. The process usually involves:

Logging into your careers.vic.gov.au account.
Selecting “Apply” on the relevant job advertisement.
Completing mandatory fields such as personal details, eligibility questions and employment history.
Uploading your résumé, cover letter and, where requested, selection criteria or other documents.
Confirming your declarations and submitting before the advertised closing date and time.

Always double check file names, formats and document content before submission. A professional, error free application reflects positively on your attention to detail, which is highly valued in public sector roles.

Preparing for Victorian Government Interviews

If shortlisted, you will typically be invited to a structured panel interview. This may be held in person, via video or occasionally via telephone. Interviews usually draw heavily on your written application and the VPS Capability Framework.

To prepare:

Revisit the Position Description and your application documents.
Prepare additional STAR examples that align with the capabilities, particularly in areas such as communication, teamwork, stakeholder management, initiative and problem solving.
Practise answering common behavioural questions, such as “Tell us about a time you managed competing priorities” or “Describe a situation where you resolved a conflict with a stakeholder.”
Be ready to explain your motivation for Victorian Government employment and your understanding of the department’s work.

A well prepared interview reinforces the strengths already demonstrated in your résumé, cover letter and selection criteria and can significantly improve your merit ranking.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When using careers.vic.gov.au to secure a Victorian Government job, many applicants make avoidable mistakes such as:

Submitting the same generic résumé and cover letter to multiple roles
Ignoring the VPS Capability Framework and Position Description language
Providing vague examples instead of clear STAR based evidence
Missing closing dates or leaving applications until the last minute
Overlooking regional roles or fixed term contracts that can provide valuable entry pathways

A more strategic approach that focuses on alignment, evidence and professionalism will consistently produce better outcomes.

How Government Resumes Can Help

While careers.vic.gov.au is the primary portal for Victorian Government jobs, the strength of your résumé, cover letter and selection criteria determines how competitive you are within that system. Many applicants have strong experience but struggle to present it in a way that reflects Victorian Government expectations.

Government Resumes provides:

Professionally written government résumés tailored to Victorian Public Service roles
Targeted cover letters that address capability requirements and VPS values
High quality selection criteria responses structured using the STAR method
Guidance on how to interpret Victorian Government job advertisements and Position Descriptions
Interview coaching to help you prepare for structured VPS panel interviews

Government Resumes offers numerous résumé designs and templates to choose from, with wording fully customised to your desired Victorian Government job and application requirements. This ensures your documents are visually polished, strategically structured and aligned with the standards used across careers.vic.gov.au.

If you are serious about securing a Victorian Government job and would like expert support to strengthen your applications, partnering with a specialist government resume writer can significantly improve your chances of success in a competitive merit based recruitment environment.

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