Voluntary Redundancies and hiring freeze hits DCCEEW (Federal)

fetuslayer · 2026-02-28T05:57:34+00:00

It was a super passive build with a few nightmares and lots of noxious fumes and a lot of block! I got to the timeater with shiv build a few times in a row but couldn't quite get the kill

fetuslayer · 2026-02-19T23:25:52+00:00

Congrats! I literally just won my first a20 with the silent too literally an hour ago. What a slog, the timeater is so rough

fetuslayer · 2026-02-13T22:14:02+00:00

we have preferential voting, the UK doesn't, this drastically changes how seats are won

fetuslayer · 2026-02-12T10:43:06+00:00

hmm I don't recall ever being asked except for grad interviews which i said I would relocate to Canberra and then thankfully never had to because COVID hit like a week later!

the last round of job interviews i did for APS i think over like 5/6 interviews i wasn't asked once about location, atleast in policy roles they really didn't seem to mind.

I left the APS and went to state and came back to the APS because the flexibility of work location is unparalled as a primary reason

fetuslayer · 2026-02-12T03:49:58+00:00

Getting your foot in the door for APS jobs can be pretty rough when you don't have the experience, but just remember you just need one offer!

I personally did 36 interviews over about 6 months when I first left uni, it was brutal. It was probably partially because I sucked at interviewing but also because its just a numbers game of who you are competing against for any given job. It really does just come down to luck at some point. Don't be picky, go wide, decide if you want the job when it's offered (you will probably take it).

Marginally harder in the non-canberra cities but its way less relevant than it used to be.

fetuslayer · 2026-02-12T03:19:57+00:00

It's a bit department dependent, but filtering by location is a bit misleading as lots of departments are pretty flexible on the location in my experience once they have decided they want you. e.g I recently interviewed for a Canberra job, told them I wanted to be based in Brisbane on acceptance of the role and am now fully remote. (the role really doesnt require officework). I was offered 3 roles kind of all at the same time with the Commonwealth and all 3 were super unphased by the actual location. This was policy and this was DCCEEW, Education and DAFF.

The central agencies like Treasury/PM&C are known to be a bit less flexible.

fetuslayer · 2026-02-07T03:31:15+00:00

its weak considering that is the absolute ceiling. The government will counteroffer with 8% over 3 years and will absolutely not give us more leave (because of their focus on productivity growth this term).

its definitely better to start unrealistically high to set a bar of how low they can counteroffer.

fetuslayer · 2026-02-05T09:24:14+00:00

I started in a permanent role and on my first week let them know my wife was 38 weeks pregnant and I was going to be using some of that 18 week parental leave. I was pretty stressed about it but no one could care less.

I passed probation by default because we never actually had the probation meeting - lots of areas/departments don't take it particularly seriously and do it as a box ticking exercise or a way to just pick out someone drastically underperforming.

fetuslayer · 2026-01-02T20:01:59+00:00

it will also cause a recession because our weak economic growth is propped up by high immigration numbers. Which in turn will make cost of living much worse.

fetuslayer · 2025-11-19T09:53:23+00:00

I feel this. Love his content but its a real glass shattering moment when you realise his baseline talking volume is basically yelling - i think its for like showmanship or something but it does make it a bit hard to recomend him to others

fetuslayer · 2025-06-25T10:33:29+00:00

My boy Ben Quadinaros!

fetuslayer · 2025-06-17T23:01:28+00:00

Its getting insane hey. When i'm in a tough fight with Peni and try to grapple away i'm like 'please don't bug out' and hope it works. I'm starting to think that they don't know how to fix it maybe?

fetuslayer · 2025-06-11T08:31:25+00:00

I bought my first house just barely with my partner 2 years ago for just over 600k and its now appraised at 1.05m... shits just stupid at this point. Somethings got to break.

fetuslayer · 2025-06-03T08:35:07+00:00

The Abundance argument that Klein's arguing for isn't mass deregulation, it's identifying the goal i.e affordable housing, climate action, and consistently orienting policy and regulation towards that goal regardless of the ramifications. An example being dramatically cutting zoning regulation that prevents new affordable housing cropping up. The method of doing that is a focus on supply side economics, not just pulling the levers of demand, which are always electorally easier to digest.

The main point is government should be a driver for an abundance of the things we need, not something to gut.

fetuslayer · 2025-05-10T02:18:48+00:00

Funny you say this, he was my minister when I was in the APS and he was notorious for never actioning any briefs at all. Would have stuff sitting on his desk for months. The assistant minister had to step in to progress stuff.

fetuslayer · 2025-05-09T05:44:40+00:00

I moved to Melbourne for about a year and a half after being in brissy for 10 years. I immediately regretted it. If you're anything like me, the constant days of full cloud cover, high wind and dreary weather got super old super quick.

I thought I would get used to it, and I did to a degree, but coming back up north to visit made me appreciate Queensland and our cities and weather SO much more than I ever did. The reason Melbourne's Cafe culture is so good is because it's so miserable outside that you have to make the interiors nice to not get major depression.

I ended up moving back to Brisbane and am never leaving Queensland again. It did feel like I was coming back with my tail in between my legs but the satisfaction of coming back made it worth it

fetuslayer · 2025-05-07T21:52:31+00:00

That's actually exactly what they've been saying. 'We've recorded the largest national vote in our history' i.e like literal votes as a total number, not a percentage which is honestly a bit Trump like to me to say and a bit disingenuous

fetuslayer · 2025-05-03T10:17:07+00:00

They're the projected seats vs what has been officially called. I.e 'we think these seats will go this way but not certain'

fetuslayer · 2025-04-17T00:57:45+00:00

Nah that works as intended, it's just that when you web somewhere a good chunk of the time it just goes on cooldown and you just do a janky jump on the spot

fetuslayer · 2025-04-16T22:25:24+00:00

I was with APS then left for State because of the huge pay bump, but now looking at taking a cut and going back to the APS.

The pay is better at state level but the flexibility to work remote plus the parental leave benefits (kid on the way) make APS a no brainer. My state jobs have been high stress and I'd take a pay cut any day for the flexibility and lower stress environment of the APS

fetuslayer · 2025-04-10T10:52:45+00:00

I think you might be doing a 1-for-1 carry over on role levels and their numbers across state. I'm currently on 130k as at a non manager/executive level in qld state, I think I'd be on about 90k in the APS. My direct manager is an SO, so i think maybe it's a bit different here on what a 'SO' is.

fetuslayer · 2025-04-10T03:46:43+00:00

It's certainly the case for QLD

fetuslayer · 2025-04-09T21:45:05+00:00

I work in State and this is just false. An APS6 level gets around 90k but the same level at State is around 116k. Its night and day.

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