1. Submit your application:

You’ll need to submit an online application when applying for a role with Council. Our current vacancies are advertised on our website and you can click on the ‘Apply’ button to commence the application process. As a first step, you’ll need to create an account, or if you are an existing user, you can enter your details to get started. As part of the application process, some statistical information is collected to ensure we are meeting our equal employment opportunities within our community. Please note this is optional and has no bearing on the selection process.

2. Upload your resume:

Your resume will need to be uploaded and saved as part of the online application process. Please ensure your resume contains the following information:

 

• Your employment history – stating your previous employer’s name, the period of employment (from start date to end date), position held and whether it was casual or permanent. Please also include a description of your responsibilities and duties for each role.

 

• Your educational – this should include trades, certificates, and diplomas. List the qualification, the institution where studies were undertaken and year it was completed. If you are currently studying, list the subjects that have been completed to date. You should also include the types of training undertaken, the training group (ie TAFE) and the year completed etc

 

• Relevant licences – this should include licences and certificates such as WHSS certificates, first aid, truck and forklift licences. List the certificate/licence, the issuer (RMS, Work cover) and the year it was completed.

 

• Two referees – a referee is a person who we can contact to discuss your personal or work history. List their name, position, company and daytime telephone number. Councillors from Moree Plains Shire Council should not be canvassed, used as referees or references.

3. Address the essential and desirable criteria:

To maximise your chance of gaining an interview for a position, it is important that you address the essential and desirable criteria, as well as work skills and experiences. You can do this effectively through the use of examples from your previous work history. However, it is not sufficient to say, “I work well within a team environment” and you will need to outline specific situations you have been in. For example – completing a certain task with workmates, working with voluntary groups to achieve a goal for the community etc.

The selection panel cannot overlook any of the essential criteria and cannot add any new criteria not included in the advertisement, so it’s important that your responses are closely aligned with the criteria. If a large number of applicants meet all the essential criteria, the selection panel will compare all of the applications and choose to interview those applicants who best meet the criteria.

Your answers to the selection criteria questions can be typed directly into the criteria field boxes online however, it is recommended that you compose your responses in a separate document, such as Microsoft Word, then copy and paste into the relevant online fields.

4. Submit your application:

Your online application must be submitted prior to the job’s closing date and time as indicated in the advertisement. Late applications will only be accepted and considered if prior arrangements have been made with the person(s) indicated on the advertisement or our Human Resources Officer. Otherwise, your application will not be considered.

5. Where to get help with your application:

Moree Plains Shire Council regularly holds free Information Sessions to explain the process of submitting a competitive job application. This is a great way to gain valuable knowledge about the key principles to ensure your job application for Council addresses essential and desirable criteria and includes relevant information. These sessions are held quarterly and are always advertised in the Moree Champion.

For further support to complete your job application, you can contact Council’s Human Resources Officer on (02) 6757 3222 or you can seek help from an employment agency.

How do I know if I am granted an interview?

Interviews are usually held two to three weeks after the position closes, if you are successful in gaining an interview, you will be contacted by phone (and an email confirmation will also be sent to the email listed in your online application). If you do not secure an interview, you will be advised via email that your application was unsuccessful.

If you have been granted an interview and need wheelchair access to the building, an interpreter because you are hearing impaired, or have any other special needs, please advise the HR representative who makes contact.

If you are unsuccessful after the interview process, you will also be advised in writing or via email. If you are an internal applicant and have not been successful in the interview period, you may appeal. While a preliminary offer of employment may be made to an external applicant following the selection process, a formal offer will be made until the appeal process has been finalised and a pre-employment medical completed.

 

Unsolicited applications

Moree Plains Shire Council regularly receives unsolicited resumes, however potential candidates are reminded that all permanent roles must be advertised and appointed based on merit. All Council positions are advertised on our Current vacancies page and our Facebook and Linkedin pages.

 

Undergoing employment checks

A pre-employment health check and a three-month probationary period apply to all positions with Council. All employees are also subject to drug and alcohol screening at the pre-employment health screening and random testing will occur throughout the probationary period. A pre-employment health screening is used to certify that the successful applicant is medically fit to carry out the relevant duties of the position prior to appointment.

Working with children checks also apply for some positions within Council, which involves a national criminal history check and review of findings of workplace misconduct. The result of a working with children check is either a clearance to work with children for five years, or a bar against working with children. Approved applicants are subject to ongoing monitoring, and relevant new records may lead to the clearance being revoked.

This check is fully portable which means it can be used for any paid or unpaid child related work in NSW for as long as the employee remains cleared. For further information relating to working with children checks or to apply, please visit www.newcheck.kids.nsw.gov.au and fill in the online application form, or you can contact a customer support officer on (02) 9286 7219 for assistance with your application.

Once you have submitted the online application, you will receive an application number which will be either: APP1234567E (the ‘E’ means it is for paid work) or APP1234567V (the ‘V’ means it is only valid for unpaid work). Applicants must then take their application number and proof of their identity to a NSW motor registry office and pay a fee of $80 for a five (5) year clearance. Following payment and processing by the registry office the application number can now be used in the online verification process that the Employer will undertake, pending the final outcome of the working with children check application.

 

The three-month probationary period

All positions with Moree Plains Shire Council have a three-month probationary period. During this time, your performance will be reviewed regularly and feedback will be provided. Employees are expected to attend the required induction training sessions and able to demonstrate their learnings. Employees will also be expected to perform any tasks which were claimed at interview stage and display suitable conduct and attendance during this period. Once an employee has successfully completed the probationary period, you will receive a letter of confirmation.

Your checklist - applying for a position

In order for your application to be considered, please ensure you follow these steps.

• A valid email address – an email address is required as part of the application process, so you will need to create one if you don’t already have one. ✓
• Attach your cover letter – ensure your cover letter summarises the key points but do not rely on it to address the criteria, this must be done in your online application. ✓
• Attach your current resume – ensure your resume is up to date.✓
• Answer the essential, common and desirable criteria. ✓
• Attach any relevant documentation – such as certificates.✓

Drug and alcohol testing

Successful applicants will also be subject to a breath test for the presence of alcohol and a urine screening for testable drugs. If you provide a positive alcohol breath test or a non-negative drug screening result, the screening agent will contact Council to review the result and the urine test may be forwarded to a Lab for confirmation.

Depending on the result Council may decline to offer you employment. More information about the detection and quantitation of drugs can be found here.

Hearing assessment

Some positions with Council will require a pre-employment audiometry assessment. This includes positions based in noisy environments. Applicants should be aware that Council will notify you if audiometric results indicate a hearing impairment, and we will work with you to examine your previous work history and identify the source of this impairment prior to appointment. Hearing assessments for positions in noisy environments are a mandatory requirement of Council.

Immunisation

Some positions with Council will require pre-employment blood tests or immunisation. These are positions where the risk of infection is heightened due to the tasks required by the employee. Applicants must be aware of these mandatory requirements and if you have any concerns regarding these matters it needs to be raised at interview or prior to accepting employment with Council.

Pre-employment checks

Some positions with Council will require a pre-employment clearance, such as a working with children check or a police check. For positions which are working with children, applicants will need to apply for a 'Working with Children Check' as a component of the selection process. Council relies on checks provided by NSW Office of the Children's Guardian and does not directly investigate an applicant’s history with regards to working with children. Applicants who fail the check will be advised of this outcome and encouraged to contact the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian. For more information, please read the NSW Working With Children Check

.

 

You Tube video courtesy NSW Kids Guardian

Eligibility to work in Australia

Council has a legal obligation to ensure that all employees are Australian citizens, or have appropriate work entitlements. An individual is eligible to work in Australia if they are either an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australian, a New Zealand citizen who entered Australia on a current New Zealand passport or a non-Australian citizen holding a valid visa with work entitlements. Under the legislation, it is not sufficient to simply ask a person if they are an Australian citizen, so you will be required to provide evidence of your eligibility to work in Australia upon employment. This includes providing one of the following documents:

• A full Australian Birth Certificate
• An Australian Citizenship Certificate
• An Australian passport
• A valid visa permitting you to work for the duration of the position

Unique Student Identifier

Obtaining a Unique Student Identifier is a condition of employment and is required in order to access any recognised training – you only need to create it once. Please visit this page to create your USI, which should take less than 5 minutes.

Reference checks

If you are short-listed as one of the preferred applicants for a role at Council, we will conduct reference checks. This helps us to obtain independent information about your previous on-the-job performance. The information we gather during a reference check is directly related to the key selection criteria of the role the applicant has applied for and allows the selection panel to validate the information provided by the person at the interview.

As part of your resume, you should include two referees who we can contact to discuss your personal or work history, which ideally one should be a supervisor from a previous role. You can also list a colleague, a person you have worked closely on a project (professionally or as a volunteer), a teacher or school principal, customer or client. You cannot use Elected Members (Councillors) as referees or references, or canvass them in relation to a position.