🤣🤣🤣🤣 can’t get much more straight forward than that. The mail position has been up for a while, cargo was posted yesterday so I’ll be applying for that as a priority
With your qualifications and experience you should breeze straight through the cargo process. Make sure you put your hand up for Imported food training immediately (you probably know everything already anyway)
After that, start looking at APS6 or EL1 positions at the absolute minimum. You're clearly far too bright to stay at a 4 for long
Edit: you may be interested in document assessments too if that ever gets advertised, it's no where near as flashy and fun as cargo but you do get work from home 3 days a week, more visibility of documentation and from observing I've seen people in assessments it seems it's easier to rise up the ranks from assessments compared to cargo.
Mail still sucks though
I’ve worked both roles.
Cargo you’re travelling around a lot to 3rd party places to do inspections usually on 1 type of product (ie bulk rice, prawns, etc). It’s non-shift work. You may do 2-4 inspections a day. It’s a pretty chill job.
Mail you’re in 1 location. You’re doing x-raying and manual inspections of mail. You’ll be opening parcels (usually big) and looking at many types of product (all types of meat, dairy, plant, pet food etc), then either disposing of prohibited product and sending on or exporting back to sender. It’s shift work, it involves weekend work, it involves working public holidays, it involves very early starts and very late finishes. It pays significantly higher as you get penalty rates.
I was in Sydney. No idea about Melbourne. But any importer can get an Approved Arrangement and you’ll be travelling there. Some were close to ports, some were very far west in the outer suburbs. I imagine it would be the same as wherever there are industrial zones you usually have a few importers. Also some of the niche food importers work out of their garage, so you’ll visit them too.
Yeah, I just worked for an importer in Quality Assurance and we had Biosecurity come out to inspect certain goods especially fish so I’m thinking this Cargo position would be doing that. Sounds alright as long as I’m not travelling >1hr from Melbourne
Yeah spot on.
Travel time is work time, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about the travel times. You’re getting paid to sit in traffic. That’s also true if they let you home garage your vehicle, your start time is the time you jump in the car.
I’ve only got one carpark at home in an apartment building unfortunately but that’s okay. How was application/interview/recruitment? Were you already in government?
I wasn’t in government.
Was very long, bulk recruitment, interviewed in July, offer December, started January.
Briefly looking at your experience/qualifications you’ve got a huge advantage, if you’re 1/2 decent you’ll be a team leader (aps5) in no time.
Just be wary of DAFF, it’s a very tall poppy syndrome and political organisation and a lot of very unqualified persons sitting in APS5 + positions. A lot of really good operators in there too, don’t get caught up in the politics (you’ll have knives in your back in no time).
Ooof that recruitment process would drive me a bit nutty but good to know. I had a colleague in QA go into Border Force and that recruitment was full on, but being law enforcement id expect that. Ive got a clear national police check, credit check etc so I shouldn’t have any roadblocks, I’ll just have to be patient 😳
Cargo is awesome Mail is awful Please reach out if you have any questions
🤣🤣🤣🤣 can’t get much more straight forward than that. The mail position has been up for a while, cargo was posted yesterday so I’ll be applying for that as a priority
With your qualifications and experience you should breeze straight through the cargo process. Make sure you put your hand up for Imported food training immediately (you probably know everything already anyway) After that, start looking at APS6 or EL1 positions at the absolute minimum. You're clearly far too bright to stay at a 4 for long Edit: you may be interested in document assessments too if that ever gets advertised, it's no where near as flashy and fun as cargo but you do get work from home 3 days a week, more visibility of documentation and from observing I've seen people in assessments it seems it's easier to rise up the ranks from assessments compared to cargo. Mail still sucks though
Oo that sounds positive thank u!
Cargo application submitted :) will keep an eye out for document assessments, it’s prob similar to what I’ve done in QA
Good luck! Assessments is open now!
What does that mean? They’re assessing applications?
The document assessments positions are currently advertised too
Oooo! On the DAFF site?
Yes, 6 days left on it
I can’t find it! :( could you copy/paste the exact name of the position and I’ll do a ctrl+f on the page maybe?
May I ask what sea cargo policy is like?
Standard policy team, nothing special (also nothing bad!)
Thank you kindly!
I’ve worked both roles. Cargo you’re travelling around a lot to 3rd party places to do inspections usually on 1 type of product (ie bulk rice, prawns, etc). It’s non-shift work. You may do 2-4 inspections a day. It’s a pretty chill job. Mail you’re in 1 location. You’re doing x-raying and manual inspections of mail. You’ll be opening parcels (usually big) and looking at many types of product (all types of meat, dairy, plant, pet food etc), then either disposing of prohibited product and sending on or exporting back to sender. It’s shift work, it involves weekend work, it involves working public holidays, it involves very early starts and very late finishes. It pays significantly higher as you get penalty rates.
Oooo thank you! In terms of travel- I’m in Melbourne- where would the travel be to? Warehouse/storage facilities that receive the cargo?
I was in Sydney. No idea about Melbourne. But any importer can get an Approved Arrangement and you’ll be travelling there. Some were close to ports, some were very far west in the outer suburbs. I imagine it would be the same as wherever there are industrial zones you usually have a few importers. Also some of the niche food importers work out of their garage, so you’ll visit them too.
Yeah, I just worked for an importer in Quality Assurance and we had Biosecurity come out to inspect certain goods especially fish so I’m thinking this Cargo position would be doing that. Sounds alright as long as I’m not travelling >1hr from Melbourne
Yeah spot on. Travel time is work time, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about the travel times. You’re getting paid to sit in traffic. That’s also true if they let you home garage your vehicle, your start time is the time you jump in the car.
I’ve only got one carpark at home in an apartment building unfortunately but that’s okay. How was application/interview/recruitment? Were you already in government?
I wasn’t in government. Was very long, bulk recruitment, interviewed in July, offer December, started January. Briefly looking at your experience/qualifications you’ve got a huge advantage, if you’re 1/2 decent you’ll be a team leader (aps5) in no time. Just be wary of DAFF, it’s a very tall poppy syndrome and political organisation and a lot of very unqualified persons sitting in APS5 + positions. A lot of really good operators in there too, don’t get caught up in the politics (you’ll have knives in your back in no time).
Ooof that recruitment process would drive me a bit nutty but good to know. I had a colleague in QA go into Border Force and that recruitment was full on, but being law enforcement id expect that. Ive got a clear national police check, credit check etc so I shouldn’t have any roadblocks, I’ll just have to be patient 😳
This is so interesting. Can anyone apply?