Our recruitment process is all about getting the right people into the right jobs. We are looking for motivated, agile and resilient people from a variety of backgrounds, academic disciplines and industry sectors who want to help make a difference to Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families.
Eligibility
To be eligible to work at Defence Housing Australia (DHA), you must:
- be an Australian citizen
- undertake a security assessment to the requisite standard
N.B. All DHA staff are required to obtain and maintain a minimum baseline security clearance.
Application
How can I apply?
Applying for a job with us is simple – just submit an online application for the job you are interested in through our current opportunities page.
As part of your application you will need to provide:
- your resume, including the contact details of two referees
- a ‘one page pitch’ telling us how your skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications makes you the best person for the job.
What should I include in my resume?
The quality of your resume creates the vital first impression we have of you. As a minimum, you should ensure that you include the following elements:
- Personal details – include your name, contact email address and phone numbers.
- Education – provide details of any education and qualifications that relate to the job you are applying for. If the role requires you to have a specific formal qualifications, be sure to include these as well.
- Work experience – include relevant work experience and outline the main responsibilities and achievements that relate to the job you are applying for. Organise your employment history in chronological order, starting with the most recent, and indicate actual dates of employment. Make sure to explain any gaps in time.
- Other experience – if relevant, briefly mention any extra-curricular activities, interests or volunteer/community work that you participated in and highlight what you gained from that experience.
- Referees – include the name and contact details of two professional referees who can validate and support your application.
- Layout – try to keep your resume to a maximum of three (3) pages. Use an easy to read font and a simple, consistent format. Use bullet points to break up text. Place key information on the front page where it can be noticed. Highlight important facts, and ensure that you can back them up with examples if asked at interview.
What should I include in my application?
Your application is a chance to tell us why you are the right person for the job. We want to know why you want to work at DHA, why you are interested in the role, what you can offer us, and how your skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications are applicable to the role. In a nutshell – why should we hire you?
Try not to duplicate information that can already be found in your resume, but do highlight any specific examples or achievements that will demonstrate your ability to perform the role.
You should provide examples of situations you have faced and describe in detail your actual involvement. Your examples of past behaviour should reflect your knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications.
If you get stuck, you can refer to the STAR model.
How will my application be assessed?
Your application will be assessed on your ability to demonstrate that you possess, or have the real potential to develop, the required skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications to perform the role.
If your application is shortlisted, you may be asked to undertake further assessment to test your ability to perform the role.
Assessment
We use a variety of techniques to assess and validate key knowledge areas, critical skills, motivation and fit for the role. This may include:
- phone, face to face and Skype interviews – formal and informal
- written tasks
- role plays
- group assessment centres
- psychometric testing personality – motivation and cognitive abilities
When being assessed, include relevant examples to the role of your previous experience, achievements and challenges faced.
Referees
Your referees may also be contacted at any stage of the assessment process to validate your claims in your application and at interview.
For this reason it is important that you advise them you have applied for a role at DHA, and that you feel confident they will be able to support your application.
Please include contact details for your current supervisor and one other referee.
Selection
We make all selection decisions based on merit, which means that:
- the assessment process is fair and consistent
- assessment is based on job specific requirements – things that are genuinely required for someone to perform the role
- based on the assessment, the best person for the job gets the job.
If you are selected as the successful candidate – congratulations! You will be contacted to discuss things like classification, salary, security clearances and start date, as well as asked to complete any relevant new starter paperwork. The role may also be tailored to ensure best fit for you depending on your skills, knowledge, experience and demonstrated potential.
If you are not selected as the successful candidate – don’t despair! It doesn’t mean that you can’t do the job, it just means that someone else demonstrated that they could do it better. Remember to ask for feedback to help you improve your chances in the future.
In some cases, when you are notified that you didn’t get the job you may be told that you have been placed on a merit list. This is great news as it means that you may be considered for similar roles in the Department as they become available over the next 12 months.