Applying for a role at Council

We understand that applying for a job can be a stressful process so we have tried to make our application process as simple as possible. Please see below important information to support your application along with a summary of our recruitment process. 

Preparing your application

What do you need? In order to apply, you will need to complete an online application where you will be asked to upload your current resume and if requested, a cover letter.

Resume

A resume (curriculum vitae) should be included in your application. It should be concise; two to three pages maximum and include:

• your full name
• current contact details
• qualifications and achievements
• a concise description of your relevant work experience (including dates)
• any other information that is relevant to the position.

Cover letter

Not all positions advertised will ask for a cover letter, if it does require one, we recommend you keep it to one page. Your cover letter can be addressed to either the Recruitment Team or To the Hiring Manager.

It should contain information about yourself and your unique skills and qualities that will make you a good fit for the role however you do not need to follow the selection criteria format.

Don’t be afraid to put your best foot forward and talk about your past achievements and how they will assist in the role you are applying for.  

How to apply

To apply visit Current Opportunities, find the job you wish to apply for and select "apply now". Applications must be submitted prior to the closing date.

Tips

• use a valid email address to log in or create an account
• complete all mandatory fields marked with a *
• manually enter in your past employment information to ensure all fields are completed correctly
• if you do not have these details yet please fill in the fields with TBC
• save your resume and cover letter as PDFs before you upload them
• once the application is complete, select submit
• you will receive a confirmation email (if you don’t, please log back in and ensure you have completed the application and provided the correct email)
• check your phone and emails regularly as this is how we will contact you about your application.

Our selection process

Throughout the selection process you will be required to demonstrate that you meet all the relevant requirements to be considered for employment. All applicants will be advised via email about the status of their application as soon as possible throughout the recruitment process.  

Shortlisting

Shortlisting will be finalised after the closing date indicated on the advertisement. The shortlisting is merit based and we work to a competitive recruitment process. Generally applicants are shortlisted within the first 2 weeks of the vacancy closing. However, sometimes this may take up to 4 weeks.

Phone interview

We may reach out to conduct a phone interview as part of our shortlisting process. We want you to be comfortable and in a quiet and distraction free space, so please let us know at the start of the call if you would prefer us to call back at another time. 

When you’re on the call try and remember: 

• speak slowly and clearly
• if you don't hear or understand the question, please ask us to repeat or explain it differently
• this is your opportunity to ask us questions about the role.

The interview

We conduct panel style interviews for a majority of our roles here at Moreton Bay, this means you will be joined by a member of our recruitment team and up to 2 people who you will work closely with if you are successful.

All interview questions will be job related and we highly encourage you to ask further questions to the panel members.

To prepare for the interview: 

• re-read the key accountabilities and essential and desirable qualifications and skills for the position
• think of examples of work or study situations where you applied the relevant skills and abilities
• have a think about your motivation for applying, including why you want to join our team
• use the S.T.A.R method when answering questions

The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioural-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.

Situation
Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. Its great if you can describe a specific event or situation, this can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

Task
What goal were you working toward?

Action
Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail and keep the focus on YOU. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution?

Result
Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

Feel free to bring any personal notes or examples of your skills and abilities into the interview as prompts.

Be yourself, at Council we encourage everyone be to be their whole selves at work.

Next steps

Our recruitment team will endeavour to reach out to all interview candidates via phone as soon as possible to confirm if you will be progressing through to the next stage of the recruitment process. We are more than happy to provide feedback to all our interview candidates and we will endeavour to do this as soon as we can.  

Reference checks

During your application you will be asked to nominate two referees from the last five years who you have reported to and have first-hand knowledge of your work performance. We will confirm these details with you before we reach out to them if you progress to the next stage of the recruitment process. 

Police Check

We will require you to complete a National Police Check through our provider at no cost to you. 

Working Rights

Make sure you have a copy of your passport, driver licence and birth certificate easily accessible as we will need these to verify your identity and your working rights. 

Functional and Hearing Assessment

Don’t let the word assessment scare you. Some of our roles here at council will require you to complete a hearing and functional assessment. We do this to ensure you and your team are kept safe while working for Council. Our providers have locations across the region and it's at no cost to you. 

Support

We have a dedicated team member in our recruitment team that will be your point of contact throughout the background check process. Please be sure to reach out if you need any assistance.  

Application Outcome

You will be notified verbally as soon as possible after the background checks are reviewed by the panel and they have made their decision.

Still have questions? View our Frequently asked questions page.