Anyone Work At Centrelink?

Or know anyone that does?

Have seen some jobs in the paper for Customer Service Advisors and wondering what it is like to work at Centrelink?

conditions are great. the call centre jobs are fairly full on at times, but, if you're computer savvy, not too bad really. i wouldn't work in a contact centre if you offered me twice the money i'm on now! flexible employer, money is really good for what you do... have sent the employment link to atleast half a dozen people that i know are looking for work, and since i started there a couple of years ago, there have been about 30 people from my old job follow me across cos the conditions are so much better!!!

it's not for everyong though - as i said, you have to be computer savvy in windows based environment. problem solving and team work are important you will deal with people going through some pretty ordinary times in their lives, and it can be emotionally draining. you'll have days where you go home really deflated - but they're few and far between. it's the sort of job that you turn up, do your job, and leave, and most days you leave all of it behind

for anyone thinking about applying, i would suggest it's a good job - they are really family friendly (we have 230 staff at our centre, with two "carers rooms" where you can work if your kids have days off school and you can't get a carer - or they're a bit unwell, but not sick enough for you to have to stay home with them...) - and once you're in, unless you screw up royally, you pretty much have a job for life!

The Mat leave is good!

Thanks BG and Lulu. Sounds great.

I sent through my application tonight! I'm so nervous :0 I haven't had an interview in a very long time and have been with my current employer for nearly 14 years!

If I get a telephone interview and am successful at that stage, I believe I will have to go in to Centrelink for an 'assessment' before an actual interview? Do you guys know what's involved there?

I went through 1) phone interview, 2) Group Assessment 3) Final Interview.

None of it was scary or horrible, at the time they were looking for "people persons" lol so if you had half a brain and can handle people you should be ok.

The Group Assessment involved checking you can read and write (!), speed and accuracy, some computer tasks and it was all done at a recruitment agency in a friendly environment.

I'd go back to a call centre (not CSC) in a heartbeat, as you dont have cases dragging on, you can leave your work there at the end of the day etc etc. Moorabbin is just too far from Boronia across some of the worst roads EVER. ggrrrr

come work out at my call centre then Lulu!!! probably take the same amount of travel time each day! hehehe

for me (and i started about 2.5 years ago), the interview wa similar to Lulu - phone interview - where they ask you situational questions, group assessment (typing, basic maths, team work) and then individual interview - which wasn't really individual at all! we were handed the questions, given a while to answer the questions ourselves (so no pressure to "perform" as such) and then each person was asked to give their answer for one of the questions to the group and "elaborate" as it was. it was very relaxed, very calm, and didn't seem to be any pressure at all (and we had our assessment at the call centre, with the site manager dropping in!)


couple of little hints for you - with the phone interview, make sure you answer in the format of "situation, response, outcome" - so, they ask a question, you say WHAT the situation was, HOW you dealt with it, and the outcome. group interview - if they ask you to do a "team" building exercise (for us it was two people looking at a lego model, and going back to tell third how to build it) - make sure you work as a member of a team. in the scenario we had, i asked the builder what info she wanted, the other girl giving info was talking at her, not working with her - she didn't get a job - the other two of us did...


good luck!

Don't forget that's its ok to think about your response first. You are not expected to have the perfect answer straight off the bat.

In the group scenario BG described - watch out for those that will totally take over the entire thing and can't seem to let the group solve it. I sat back and waited until this silly tart stopped to draw breath and pointed out that someone else had a good point.....didn't see her again!

Thanks for all the tips BG and Lulu :)

Thats ok! Let us know how you go - I've decided to go for it as well. Eastlink seems to have cut down the travel time somewhat and I need the money!!

Have you heard anything yet?

I worked for Centrelink (orDSSas it was back then) for 8 years straight out of school. I worked at a CSC in the North of Adelaide and was pretty full on - abusive etc from customers. I was promoted to Head office and worked off the counters for the last couple of years but actually had a nervous breakdown, in became alot more stressfull when it became Centrelink so I quit, travelled the world and sold shoes and ended up working for Freedom!

But having said that, the money is good and flex time so I'm considering applying for the alumni program. I'm a bit older and wiser now.

I applied for a call centre job with centrelink and had the phone interview today :o
I think it went well. I had 3 interview questions to answer. All of which I was able to answer quite well and quickly.
If I get through to the assessment stage, I should hear back from them before the 22nd.
Wish me luck! :pray:

good luck Jodi - so glad you found this thread (even if it was a little late!)

well done Jodi!! Hope that you get a call back xoxo

There are current jobs going in the Melb call centre too

They are advertising here for call centre jobs, applications close tomorrow at 5pm... I don't know if I should apply, I seem to hear more bad than good.... can anyone enlighten?

Very excited to say I have a 'preliminary offer of employment' from Centrelink at the call centre :dance: All I have to do is pass the medical and eye test, and I will hopefully have the job. I'll know by Friday :pray:

JESS ... your story rings familiar to me as my younger sister worked at CES & later Centrelink years ago ... the verbal abusive from the public over the phone was on a daily basis well that was one thing but the death threats were another ... my sister was terrified to go to her car after work (she once had one man threaten he would wait for her after work & blow her head off with a shotgun), even though he didn't know her by appearance but he knew her first name which was an unusual name & he said it wouldn't take much to find out 'who she is' ... Yes, the money was great BUT the long term emotional effects just weren't worth it ... It change my sister & she has never been the same :doh:

Ella's Mum ... I just hope things have changed since then working at CL ... :rolleyes: I'm so SORRY for the story but i just had to warn you incase things may not have changed much since then ?? ... For your sake i truely hope it has changed as it sounds like the money is great & possibly a secure job & career prospects are obviously there ;)

I wish you all the absolute best !!!!!!

wooooooooo hooooooo Jodi - that is fantastic news babe!

Smiles - the conditions are a lot different now - there is security tracking of all calls if threats are made, and all threats are taken seriously. local staff don't necessarily answer your call - you could be speaking to someone on the other side of the country (and usually you are!). i worked for a Telco for three years - we had on-site bomb and death threats several time - abusive people coming into the cafe and accosting staff - and sweet bugger all was done. none of that happens with c'link call.

fwiw - i would be abused at least daily when working for the telco - people don't "need" one particular telco, they can change provider. they don't have that with c'link - so as long as you're firm and simply say "abusing me won't fix your issue" people will back down. i have been abused on a personal level less than a dozen times in over three years - big difference

YAAAY for you Jodie!!!!

BRISSGY'S GIRL ... oh that's such a relief to hear as it would have sickened me to hear of anyone experiencing even half of what my sister went through ... soooo glad 'things' have improved since her days working there :D

P.S - Good going Jodi ... all the absolute very best !!!!

My mum worked for Centrelink back in the day, and experienced the exact same thing as what your sister did. Death threats, bomb threats, security would have to walk her to the car etc. Thank goodness it's not like that anymore! And like BG has said, when you phone Centrelink, you don't usually get someone in your area, they could be the other side of the country.

I find out tomorrow if I have 'passed' the medical exam & eye test :pray: Although, I don't really know how you could fail those ???

Fingers & toes crossed for you tomorrow Jodie ... sounds like you are pretty much in already :dance:

By the way, would you believe my friend's name starts with a "J" too and she has two daughter's ... one DD first name is Emily & the other DD middle name is Jayne (spelt that way) ... and yeh, her best friends name is you guessed it Jodie ;)

(My middle name is Jane too ... and a friend had a baby last week & her baby's middle name is Jane after her sister Jane)

ahh just saw this Jodi

congrats and hope you get good new tomorrow!!!!

Well done hun

jodie - i wear glasses and have a ****y wrist that requires support and surgery every so often and i passed - i seriously doubt you'd fail it!

i would, if you can, get an optometrist to do a base line eye exam just in case you have your eyes deteriorate at all - it's a good idea just to know where you're at. i get eye exams every year, and just timed mine for when i was starting so we can see any comparison in eye strength etc - so far it's stayed much the same - no more variation than has been normal all my life...

bg - I used to wear glasses, but I haven't needed them for 4 years now. I too get an eye examination every year, and so far so good. And I don't have any health issues, so I can't imagine anything will come up.
I'm trying not to get too excited until I get a 'formal offer' lol. But it's soooo hard not to get excited! They initially had 20 positions, but that was changed late last week and they have decreased the numbers of jobs they have available.

smiles4u - what are the odds of that! That's pretty cool.

Thanks Ness :D

I'm sure you got the job Jodi!!

They only send the serious candidates for the medicals and Im sure you will pass!!! :clap:

Good luck Jodi!

Child Support Agency is also hiring.. I think they want like 300 around the country, so it's quite a lot of jobs opening up.

Can someome please tell me where to look for the Centrelink vacancies?
Many thanks