The blog
Short, practical, Australian.
Everything here is written to be used the same day you read it, drafted with the same tools we sell and edited by the same humans who sign the client work. New articles publish after human review, never before.
Does the APS use AI in recruitment? What the 2026 principles actually say
Some APS agencies use AI tools in hiring. None may let the machine decide, and they must tell you when AI is used. What the APSC's 2026 principles mean for your application.
5 min readAustralian Public ServiceThe 16 APS job families, and what work actually sits in each one
The APS sorts every job in the service into sixteen families. Knowing which one you belong to changes what you search for, what you read, and what a panel expects you to say.
6 min readADF and veteransDo ADF ranks translate perfectly to APS levels? No, and here is why
Official equivalence tables exist, and they are useful for pay and protocol. As a guide to what level you should apply for, they mislead as often as they help.
2 min readWhat is an applicant tracking system, and what does it do to your resume?
An ATS is a database with a workflow on top. What happens to your file when you hit submit, what the software almost never does, and which systems Australian employers actually run.
4 min readHow do you make a resume that gets through the ATS? Start by ignoring the score
There is no pass mark. The job is making sure your words survive being pulled out of the file, and that they match the ad. Here is what actually breaks, and the one-minute test that catches it.
4 min readCan an employer tell if you used ChatGPT to write your resume?
No, and yes. No detector will catch you, and they will still know. Why a ChatGPT resume reads as empty, why the interview finishes the job, and where the line actually sits.
4 min readCan an employer use AI on your application? What changes on 10 December 2026
A new privacy rule makes employers disclose when a computer program makes decisions about you. Here is exactly what it gives you, what it doesn't, and who it leaves out.
5 min readWhy was my job application rejected within minutes?
Four applicant tracking vendors document the same trigger for an automatic rejection, and it is your answer to a screening question on the form. Here is how to stop failing one.
4 min readAustralian Public ServiceSelection criteria and STAR: what an APS panel is marking
You need at least a 3 (suitable) on every response the panel marks to be considered a suitable candidate. How to spend a 250-word answer so the Action and the Result carry it.
7 min readADF and veteransThe ADF to civilian resume: translate without hollowing out
Over-translation loses the achievement. Under-translation loses the reader. The middle path for veterans writing for APS, defence industry and civilian employers.
2 min readHealthcare industryDo you need an Ahpra CV as well as a resume? Only if you are applying for registration
Ahpra's CV guide exists for one purpose: an application for registration with a National Board. No employer asks for it, and Ahpra says the format is up to you.
9 min readTechnology industryDo Australian tech employers want your GitHub link?
We read and recorded 14 Australian technology advertisements. None asked for a GitHub link, portfolio or LinkedIn profile. Four named a security clearance instead.
6 min readMining industryMining resumes in Australia: how to list your tickets, licences and roster
Sixteen of 18 Australian mining advertisements named a specific ticket or licence by its real code, and one asked for a cover letter. From our own advertisement audit, July 2026.
6 min readAustralian Public ServiceDoes an APS panel score your resume?
No. It is a required upload, and the marks are awarded against the selection criteria through assessment methods the panel names before applications open. What that means for where your effort goes.
6 min readCV or resume: what is the difference in Australia?
In an Australian job ad, none. The words are used for the same document. There is one real exception, and it is a regulator asking, not an employer.
4 min readADF and veteransWhat does a civilian employer actually read into your ADF resume?
They are reading for scope, not rank. What to put in place of rank and acronyms, what quietly worries a civilian hiring manager, and what to leave off entirely.
3 min read