Are you a teacher, nurse, or public service professional ready to secure your next role in the government sector? Whether you’re aiming for an APS-level administrative job, a public health position, or a teaching post in a government school, your resume must do more than tick boxes—it must align with **selection criteria, public sector values, and measurable outcomes**. This guide will show you how.
What Government Hiring Managers Are Actually Looking For
Unlike the private sector, government roles place heavy emphasis on merit-based selection, accountability, and alignment with agency values such as integrity, respect, and service. Applications are assessed not just on experience but also on how well candidates demonstrate key competencies like stakeholder engagement, continuous improvement, and compliance.
Your resume is the first opportunity to demonstrate that you meet these expectations, and it must speak the language of government recruitment.
From ‘Doing the Job’ to ‘Winning the Job’: Resume Strategies That Work
It’s no longer enough to simply list tasks. Your resume must show that you understand your responsibilities in context, deliver results, and reflect the values of public service. Here’s how to position yourself competitively:
- Map to the Selection Criteria: Government applications often list capabilities such as “communication,” “problem-solving,” or “policy development.” Your resume should include direct examples of how you’ve demonstrated these. E.g., “Prepared policy briefs leading to updated risk protocols across three regional health sites.”
- Quantify Your Achievements: Replace vague claims with numbers. Instead of “Supported student wellbeing,” say “Led a behavioural support program reducing incident reports by 35% in Term 2.”
- Use Action + Outcome Statements: Frame your experience like this: “Managed scheduling and rostering for a 24/7 aged care unit (Action), improving shift coverage by 15% within three months (Outcome).”
Tailored Tips for Teachers, Nurses & Public Servants
🧑🏫 Teachers: Include NESA/registration info, student demographics, syllabus familiarity, wellbeing initiatives, and HSC/NAPLAN results. If applying via IWorkForNSW or local council schools, mention behaviour strategies and community engagement.
👩⚕️ Nurses: Highlight your scope of practice, compliance with AHPRA standards, shift types (e.g., ICU, triage), audit participation, and any policy or education contributions. Public hospital experience? Emphasise familiarity with My Health Record or EMR systems.
👨💼 Administrative/Public Service Professionals: Reference your experience with government software (e.g., TRIM, Objective, SAP), Freedom of Information requests, stakeholder consultations, and your ability to work within policy frameworks.
Why Your Resume Is the Most Important Step—Before the Cover Letter
Most government roles involve internal and external applicants. The first cut is made based on your resume not your cover letter. That means your resume must immediately show:
- Career progression across APS levels or public institutions
- Consistency with the job description and capability framework (e.g., VPS, APS, QLD Gov Capability & Leadership Framework)
- Keywords from the selection criteria echoed naturally throughout
Need Help? Our Government Resume Experts Are Here
At CV Writers, we specialise in APS, VPS, NSW Gov, QLD Gov, SA Health, and council role applications. We don’t just update your resume, we translate your career into a high-impact, selection-criteria-aligned CV that gets noticed by hiring managers and applicant tracking systems alike.
Whether you’re stuck on how to phrase achievements or unsure how to reframe your current role for a Level 5 or 6 government position we can help.
Claim Your Free Government CV Review
Want a professional opinion on how your resume stacks up against real public sector job requirements?
📩 Email your CV to info@cvwriters.com.au and we’ll provide you with:
- A resume alignment score (based on role fit, ATS-friendliness, and keyword match)
- Specific feedback on your formatting, clarity, and selection criteria coverage
- Recommendations to strengthen your application before you hit ‘submit’ on SEEK, IWorkForNSW, or SmartJobs
Final Thoughts: Let Your Resume Work *for* You
It’s not just about “doing the job” it’s about showing that you’ve mastered the complexities of working in government, and are ready to take the next step. A resume tailored for public service is not a luxury it’s your competitive advantage.
So, if you’re ready to move forward, let us help you build a government-ready resume that truly reflects your value. The first step is simple. Send us your current CV today.
