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Queensland Government employment

The Queensland Government is committed to supporting ex-Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and veterans find meaningful employment within the Queensland public sector (the sector).

We recognise the transition from ADF service to civilian life can be challenging and that’s why we are committed to providing the required support you need to successfully move into a different type of service—as public servants making a difference to the people and communities of Queensland.

Find out what you need to know when applying for a role with the sector.

Role grades

We offer a variety of employment opportunities which allow you to use your skills and experiences. The most common grades to look for when applying for a role within a professional or administrative stream are:

  • AO: administrative officer
  • SO: senior officer
  • SES: senior executive service
  • CEO: chief executive officer.

The rank matcher is to be used as a guide only. Grades are listed as a suggested minimum, and the (+) is included to indicate this. Factors, such as your tenure or advancement within a rank, the depth of your experience, qualifications gained, technical specialisation, and your eligibility for additional defence force allowances may have a bearing on the precision of your rank matching and remuneration alignment.

Additional grades exist within the sector, particularly when you explore roles with trade or technical skills.

See below to match your ADF rank to a sector employment grade and remuneration.

Army

Army

the sector

General

Chief executive officer

Lieutenant general

Major general

SES4+

Brigadier

SES2+

Colonel

SO-SES+

Lieutenant colonel

SO+

Major

A07-AO8+

Captain

AO7+

Lieutenant

AO6-A08+

2nd Lieutenant

AO6-A08+

Warrant officer class 1

Warrant officer class 2

AO6-A08+

Staff sergeant

Sergeant

AO5-A07+

Corporal

Bombardier

Lance corporal

Lance bombardier

AO4+

Navy

Navy

the sector

Admiral

Chief executive officer

Vice admiral

Rear admiral

SES4+

Commodore

SES2+

Captain

SO+

Commander

SO+

Lieutenant commander

AO7+

Lieutenant

AO7+

Sub lieutenant

Acting sub lieutenant

AO6+

Midshipman

AO5+

Warrant officer

Chief petty officer

AO6+

Petty officer

AO5+

Leading seaman

Able seaman

Seaman

AO4+

Air Force

Air Force

the sector

Air chief marshal

Chief executive officer

Air marshal

Air vice-marshal

SES4+

Air commodore

SES2+

Group captain

SO+

Wing commander

SO+

Squadron leader

AO7+

Flight lieutenant

AO7­+

Flying officer

Pilot officer

AO6+

Officer cadet

AO2–AO3

Warrant officer

Flight sergeant

AO6+

Sergeant

AO5+

Corporal

Leading aircraftman

Leading aircraftwoman

Aircraftman

Aircraftwoman

AO4+

Non-commissioned officer cadet

AO2–AO3

Rewards and benefits

Employees have access to a total rewards package as part of their employment experience. This includes rewards and benefits such as:

Individual agencies may also have additional organisation-specific benefits. Find out more about the total rewards package.

Job search

  • Use SmartJobs to find for the latest job vacancies. You can register for job alert emails and apply online.
  • Check out #BeHere4Qld to see what kind of opportunities the sector has to offer.
  • Search Finding job vacancies to find job opportunities in Queensland, including the Queensland Government.

Resume and cover letter

Your resume and cover letter is your first chance to convince an employer you are the right person for the job. Non-defence force employers will not be familiar with the meaning or subsequent responsibilities of your former rank in the ADF, so you will need to translate these in your resume and cover letter to align with civilian life.

There are resume and cover letter development resources available to you. Some additional tips to consider include:

  • highlight your exposure to training and development
  • don’t use acronyms or terminology that will only make sense in a defence force environment
  • don’t forget the ‘soft skills’ such as communication, negotiation, leadership and customer focus
  • articulate your achievements using metrics, facts and figures—using numbers to highlight your accomplishments will help translate your experiences
  • have someone read your resume and cover letter to check their understanding of the content within—feedback is crucial.

Read more about what to include in your resume and look at examples of cover letters.

Leadership competencies for Queensland

Leadership competencies for Queensland describes what highly effective, everyday leadership looks like, in clear behavioural terms. It supports our employees, at all levels, to lead and work in new ways.

Leadership streams reflect the balance between leadership and technical skills required of an individual across 5 leadership streams:

  • individual contributor
  • team leader
  • program manager
  • executive
  • chief executive.

Visit Compare defence force ranks to public sector roles to help you understand how your skills and experiences compare with the sector’s competencies. This information will help you prepare your resume and cover letter.

Job interview tips

If your application is short-listed, you may be invited in to an interview by a selection panel. The best way to overcome any nerves leading up to a job interview is to be properly prepared.

Find out how to prepare for a job interview, including tips before, during and after your interview.

Additional tips include:

  • Before the interview:
    • revisit the advertisement and the selection criteria. You should get an idea of what type of questions you might be asked in the interview and what the selection panel could be looking for
  • During the interview:
    • use the S.T.A.R method to answer your interview questions. This method will ensure you provide the right level of detail and evidence to support your answers. S.T.A.R stands for:
      • Situation: Set the scene. Where were you? What was the situation? What was the environment? What needed resolving? This scene setting should be related to the specific event, and not a generalised description.
      • Task: What task were you personally responsible for. What was your goal?
      • Action: What did you do to achieve this goal? This is where you get to really highlight your efforts, process, decisions or any other relevant action. Really sell yourself, especially if you encountered challenges along the way.
      • Result: What was the outcome of your actions? This is an opportunity to ensure the interviewer understands the connection between your behaviour and any positive results that followed. You may also be asked to include any learnings.
    • apply more civilian language or context to your interview questions
  • After the interview:
    • be prepared for additional assessment tools after the interview. This may include work samples, psychometric assessments or a second interview.

Support and assistance

Visit Employment Assistance for Veterans for a range of resources to help you make the transition to civilian life.

Last updated:
20 July 2018
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