About you
I was born and grew up in Vietnam. I first landed in Australia in 2016 for my PhD at the University of Queensland, where I studied mobile learning for teacher professional development. My husband, two kids and I now call Brisbane home.
Back in Vietnam, I worked as an English, Japanese and Vietnamese tour guide for seven years, followed by nine years as a university lecturer. Since moving to Australia, and prior to joining Policy Futures, I worked as a casual academic at UQ, a research assistant at Griffith University and a certified reviewer for The Australasian Society for Computers.
What interested you most about the program?
Graduating during the peak of the pandemic was not the best experience, but it gave me time to reflect on my career pathway and what I wanted to do next. Higher education, like many other sectors, struggled through lockdowns and closed borders. While I was lucky enough to still have plenty of work this period gave me time to reconsider my life priorities. I wanted to spend more time with family, especially my kids, who were also going through bumpy times. I then came across the Policy Futures advertisement, and it sounded great. The opportunity to experience three different departments in the public sector in two years, the learning journey and potential impact that I can create for the community, and better work-life balance. What more could you want?
What was the recruitment process like for you?
The recruitment process was fast, well-designed, and efficient. Before I knew it, I had already completed all stages of the process. Having not gone to school in Australia, I struggled a little bit with the online testing, but I used my logical thinking to answer the questions and was pleasantly surprised when I received an invite to the final interview, followed by the offer phone call not long after that.
Was the program what you thought it would be?
I came to the program with an open mindset, considering it as a learning opportunity so was keen to explore without any expectations. It was a real career change for me, from an experienced academic to a novice public servant, but I have learned so much and enjoyed both the rotations immensely so far.
Has the program shaped your career direction?
As a graduate policy officer, I was involved in project evaluation at the Department of Education, as well as research and program design for digital inclusion at the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy. I joined the Community Recovery Ready Reserve and was deployed to Gatton to help those affected in the 2022 floods. All these have helped me understand the cycle of policy development, implementation and evaluation, and the impact it has on stakeholders.
I love research and teaching and had always thought I would keep working in the higher education sector. But the experience with Policy Futures has motivated me to reconsider. I enjoy the work-life balance and flexible work arrangements that the public sector offers, and also the impact and contribution that I can create in this space. I am enjoying every moment of the journey and excited to see where it will take me.
Tips and advice
Whether you are a fresh graduate or experienced professional looking for a career change, definitely give it a go. There are many aspects of policy work and the public sector for you to discover, and what you do may have an impact on the life of Queenslanders, including people you know and love.
I recommend reading as much of the information provided as you can. The Policy Futures website contains very useful information and links to different aspects of the program that can help you get a clear picture of what to expect. The same applies to the emails you receive throughout the process. They are usually loaded with preparation strategies, tips and sample responses that may help you better prepare for the online tests, interviews and also the assessment centres.