Graduate Opportunities

Centrelink National Graduate Program

Byron graduated from Macquarie University in mid-2007 after completing a Bachelor of E-Business, majoring in Management. Soon after finishing university he began the Centrelink National Graduate Program, working as a Business Analyst in Service Level Management. Byron enjoys teaching, choreographing and performing dance, and often performs in Australia and overseas.

“Toward the end of my time at university I looked at a lot of the graduate programs for IT graduates. Of all the programs I looked at, I only applied for the Centrelink National Graduate Program. It was the only one that interested me, and as I looked into it further I felt that it would be the best option for me.

I wasn’t wrong about it being a great option for me. From the day I arrived in Canberra, Centrelink has given me great experiences. The Graduate Team was really welcoming; they set us up in apartments when we first arrived, giving us time to settle in, make some friends and find a place to live. It made the move to a new city so much easier.

The program started with an orientation period. I felt like a valued part of the organisation when I met with executive members of Centrelink including the CEO. It also included heaps of training about working at Centrelink and in the public service, which helped my confidence before starting in the workplace.

The work itself is great. As soon as I began I was given real responsibility for projects such as writing daily IT reports on Information Systems and Infrastructure. Working on these reports gave me a good understanding of how Centrelink works. I also worked on other projects included writing an IT Service Catalogue and updating Service Agreements.

One of the best things about working in Centrelink is the flexible working conditions. So long as you manage your workload, your time is yours to organise. I decide when to start and finish work each day. This suits me well because it means that I can teach dance and do other things during the week. It also suits my housemate who likes to sleep in and work later.

The social network that you can tap into through the Graduate Program is huge. I’ve done so many things with the graduates from my intake like dancing, netball, bowling, or just having a few drinks at the bar. There’s also a social network of graduates in Canberra so you can meet people like yourself from different organisations and the group is always organising activities to do.

I plan to stay working with Centrelink for now, but I know that whatever I choose to do in the long-term my graduate year has given me the experience and skills to succeed and move forward with my career.”

For more information about the Centrelink National Graduate Program visit http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/centrelink_jobs/national_graduate.htm or email graduate.recruitment@centrelink.gov.au.