Career Prospects at Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C)

Quite easy to move around and up

The promotion opportunities at PM&C are various, and there are often internal EOIs going which allows everyone to move internally at will. The graduate program starts on a lower band than other APS graduate programs but you will finish substantively higher than most, as you rapidly develop the skills required of the higher bands. There is significant staff movement within PM&C due to its status as the coordinating agency of government, as employees move to and from other government agencies and departments. There are often positions to be covered or backfilled and higher duties allowances (acting arrangements) are common, as are secondment opportunities to elsewhere in government.

Lots of people are moving around the department at rapid pace, going up levels. The turnover is high as people seek centrals experience and then move on to line departments/agencies before oftentimes coming back for another stint at PM&C at a higher level with more responsibility. Some work areas are not keen on promoting their own and rather let them sit at level for way too long and prefer to recruit external talent for unknown reasons.

Broadband for grads is great

On the graduate program we start as an APS3. We will finish the program as and APS5 and following will be able to apply for APS6 rounds. It is a unique opportunity and skills you up fast to move up the ranks.

Automatic broad banding through APS 4 mid-program and APS 5 at the end of the program are very welcome, and feel like they match the increase in knowledge and responsibility that you tend to accrue over the year. However, missing out on the APS 6 hiring round was extremely disappointing, especially for the more experienced grads.

I have been promoted quite quickly, but there is a bottleneck to move beyond APS level staff.

These are limited in my area. Some parts of the Department are reluctant to provide acting opportunities to develop skills.

Usually time is the best indicator of someone’s promotion opportunities.

Many people have previously been promoted by staying in the public service, however level of seniority and pay doesn’t always reflect ability, or amount of work done. For newly started employees (in last 1-5 years) promotions beyond a point can be quite difficult without moving out of the organisation and coming back in at a later date. Many people will be getting paid at a lower level than those who do the same or less work, and this will not be addressed.

Progression is very slow. Employees typically have to leave and come back a few years down the track to progress.

Promotion opportunities depend on your area of the Department, but it’s typically easier to join another agency for promotion and return to the Department.

Employees at PM&C are often told it’s easier to get a promotion by leaving for another government department, than to stay at PM&C. Promotion is often arbitrary and based on luck and not merit. It’s a lot harder to get promoted in the public sector, particularly PM&C, than the private sector.