Career Guide
How to read APS job advertisements and candidate packs
Extract the real requirements, work level, application instructions and assessment clues from an APS advertisement and candidate information pack.
The quick answer
Read the advertisement and pack as one assessment brief. First record the mandatory instructions, eligibility, location, employment type and deadline. Then identify the role purpose, key duties, ideal-candidate requirements, classification expectations and agency context. Map these to your evidence before writing, and ask the contact officer about genuine ambiguities.
Instructions are part of the assessment
A strong response in the wrong format can still fail. Confirm the requested documents, page or word limit, file type, referee details, eligibility declarations and submission method before you draft.
Start with the non-negotiables
Record the closing time and time zone, classification, salary, location, ongoing or non-ongoing status, citizenship and security requirements, mandatory qualifications, RecruitAbility arrangements, required documents, limits and file rules.
These details determine eligibility and compliance before writing quality is considered.
Find the real priorities
Read the role purpose, duties, “ideal candidate” section and agency context together. Repeated ideas usually signal priority. Separate essential technical requirements from transferable capabilities such as judgement, delivery, relationships and communication.
Do not treat every bullet as equally important if the role clearly centres on two or three outcomes.
Read for work level
Compare the duties with the relevant Work Level Standards. Look for the direction available, independence, complexity, decision authority, stakeholder level and consequence. This tells you what scale your examples must demonstrate.
Build an evidence map
Create a table with priority requirements down one side and possible examples across the top. Mark which examples provide strong, current and verifiable evidence. Select a combination that covers the role without repeating the same story.
Also note language you may need to translate—for example, private-sector governance or technical terms unfamiliar to a generalist panel.
Use the contact officer
The contact officer can clarify the role, team, immediate priorities and process. Read the pack first, then ask focused questions. Useful questions may concern the balance between duties, the operating environment, team structure or whether a requirement is mandatory.
Do not ask for an advance assessment of your suitability or for information already stated clearly.
Official guidance used for this page
Guidance last reviewed: July 2026
This Professional Resumes Australia guide interprets public recruitment guidance for applicants. Always follow the instructions in the specific job advertisement and candidate information pack.
Questions about APS vacancy packs
Should I call the contact officer?
Call when you have a genuine, role-specific question not answered by the pack. Prepare concise questions about priorities, context or the recruitment process rather than asking what to write.
Which document takes priority if instructions seem inconsistent?
Seek clarification from the nominated contact officer or recruitment team before submitting. Do not assume a generic APS convention overrides the vacancy's instructions.
Want a second opinion on what the APS role is asking for?
Professional Resumes Australia can interpret the advertisement and candidate pack, identify the real priorities and help you map the strongest evidence to them.