Graduates' Experiences
Lauren
Bachelor of International Studies
In my three rotations over the course of the year, I was involved in many different projects and learned an amazing amount about the organisation and the electoral process. I was able to use and build on the skills I learnt at university, and get to know the whole organisation through my placements in different sections and visits to State and divisional offices around Australia.
Some of the major projects I was involved in were planning voting services for Australians overseas, writing a research paper on informal voting, and travelling to Hobart to work on the Tasmanian State election.
I was given plenty of opportunities to develop my skills through internal and external training courses. Because the AEC allowed me to choose courses that suited my needs, I finished the year with a great range of new skills that will serve me well throughout my career.
I will remember my graduate year as challenging, rewarding and a lot of fun. The move to Canberra was made much easier thanks to the support offered by the AEC, both through the formal mentoring program and informal, day-to-day relationships with my workmates and fellow graduates. It has been a year of great new experiences, and I look forward to using those opportunities to build a fulfilling and exciting career.
Peter
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Business
I moved from Toowoomba Qld, expecting to be involved in the preparation of the next federal election. My experiences far exceeded my expectations.
My time spent in the Enrolment, Election System and Policy, and Strategic Research and Analysis Sections provided me with many skills and learning opportunities that I can take throughout my career in the public service. The variety of working experiences and opportunities allowed me to contribute to and develop a variety and a number of projects that I was responsible for.
Furthermore, during my graduate year I was able to travel for work to Launceston to assist in the Tasmanian state election and Sydney for presenting and training in a workshop.
My year as a graduate in the AEC has been very beneficial to my career progression and I would recommend the AEC to anyone else considering a position as a graduate.
Sonja
Bachelor of Arts/LLB
In 2006, I moved from Melbourne to Canberra to join the AEC Graduate Program. Although the move was to a considerably smaller town, I welcomed the change and enjoy living in Canberra.
With a background in law, my first placement was suitably within Legal Services. I found it really interesting as, although I had worked in a number of legal centres beforehand, I had never worked in law from the angle of the public service. I worked with the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and other legislation, to prepare legal advice and assist in litigation, prosecution, and compliance. I also drafted briefs to the Minister and correspondences for the Minister’s signature, covering a wide range of issues. After completion of the Graduate Program, I gained employment with the Legal Services.
My second placement was in the Roll Integrity Unit of the Roll Management Branch. I had no understanding of the work of this Branch before joining the AEC. As roll management is one of the core functions of the AEC, I found it really useful to gain an understanding of what that involves. In the Roll Integrity Unit I was mostly given my own projects, for example analysis of roll data integrity related activities undertaken by the AEC. I also assisted in the beginning stages of a review of the Continuous Roll Update program, which aims to maintain an accurate and up to date electoral roll.
My final placement had me writing drafting instructions for an amending Bill. This was an exciting and challenging project. The Bill, amongst other things, introduced an electronic voting trial for the sight-impaired and Australian Defence Force members serving overseas. This involved consultation with internal areas and other agencies, and required detailed understanding of the current Act in order to appropriately and carefully draft changes.
I understood almost nothing of the above programs or processes before joining the AEC. For me, the Graduate Program was an excellent way to gain knowledge about legislative procedures, working in government law, and the particular work of the AEC. I enjoyed the Graduate Program and found the people at the AEC to be very supportive and willing to share their knowledge.
