Application Process & Interviews at Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

It is a long process and requires both group and individual assessments/tasks.

Application process, predictive text interview, cognitive assessment, group interview, merit pool

The interview and selection process took about 8 months. It involved cognitive and logic tests, automated interviews, group exercises and a panel interview.

The graduate program as a lengthy hiring process. There is multiple assessments and a group/individual interview.

Application to the Grad Program is a 5 step process that spanned a 7 month period from first applying to receiving letter of offer. Steps included the application, an online interview, an online assessment, virtual interviews and then an integrity check.

Following submitting the initial application there were some cognitive assessments to complete. I found these incredibly challenging and didn't actually come away from them feeling like I had done very well. Next there was an online interview and group activity assessment centre. This was a good experience, I was interviewed by two very nice people who put me at ease and made me feel less nervous.

You need to submit your application through ATO careers, and they will send you a link to do the assessments.

Why do I want to work at the ATO? Previous experiences of data analysis and delivering excellent client service.

It was geared toward explaining situations where you have communicated well or dealt with difficulties or used technology to solve problems or produce results.

Questions about my previous work experience, questions about the company's values and visions, and questions about how I handle challenging situations.

Pretty standard interview questions, e.g describe a time that you dealt with a difficult situation, or a time you showed innovation.

I was asked about my experience and knowledge and how I would apply this to a task by using the STAR model.

Provide an example of you collaborating within a team.

To provide STAR examples of times you showed various good work traits (teamwork, initiative, problem solving etc.).

Give me an example where you have been innovative in solving an issue. Give me an example on how you manage stakeholder relationship. Where do you see yourselves in 5 years time?

Practice common interview questions using the STAR method.

Prepare personal and professional STAR examples .

Review the ATO graduate program website and resources, as well as getting to know the STAR model.

Understand why you want to work at the ATO. Learn the correct structure of an answer response (STAR). Have various examples ready.

Be patient. The recruitment process takes time. When doing the online assessment, don't stress about how long it takes you to answer each question. Take your time, think the questions through. To prepare, think about times in your career or life where you have delivered an outcome that benefited your client/customer. Upsell yourself!

Research the company. Think about why you want to work here. Prepare some examples of situations where you displayed skills that would be attractive to the company.

Familiarise yourself with the corporate values and visions, as well as the cultural traits and prepare examples as to how you demonstrate these.

I would suggest that candidates do their research prior to applying and interviewing for a role. Learn about the values (both the APS Values and the agency values), the role or work type you're interested in. Come prepared with some quality questions to ask of your interviewer at the end of the interview (e.g. Could you tell my why you enjoy working at the ATO?; How long have you been with the ATO and what has your career journey looked like during this time?; etc.). Be honest, authentic and genuine with your answers! Don't try to give an answer you think the interviewer wants to hear, speak from your experience instead.

Look at the criteria in the pack and have a few star examples prepared for each skill.

Get use to the STAR model as that is how interviewers structure the interview. Understand transferable skills and align them with the ATO and its values.

Keep calm and do your best.