APSC Graduate Careers

Applications for the 2021 Indigenous Graduate Pathway are now open.

Indigenous Graduate Pathway participant Nancy Fintic, whose grandfather was a Vietnam Veteran, joined the program and is happy she did.

‘My name is Nancy Fintic. I’m originally from Papua New Guinea, but I grew up in Cairns. I work in Mental Health Policy here at DVA (Department of Veteran Affairs) and I’m an Indigenous graduate.

‘For me it comes from a personal background, my grandfather served. He’s one of my inspirations and reasons why I really wanted to come and make a difference working with other veterans that have served.

‘He loves talking about the war and sharing his stories about how he served. He’s originally from Croatia and was a mechanic - so he flew from Croatia to Papua New Guinea and fixed the vehicles.

‘Because he’s a veteran, I wanted to make a difference for veterans. Working with DVA was a no-brainer – I just instantly clicked with it.

‘I’m looking forward to learning a lot, gaining insight into what DVA actually does, learning from the different divisions and gaining a new perspective on how I can contribute to other people’s lives.

‘I’m doing my honours year next semester and they’ve been very helpful at letting me do my next rotation in Brisbane while studying, so they’ve been really flexible with that.

‘The way the Graduate Pathway was advertised on social media was very engaging. And especially for Indigenous applicants, there’s not a lot of Indigenous people that work here in the Australian Public Sector  so I thought just being a part of that number would be a great opportunity for me.

‘The application process was really easy, especially the yarning circle – it was very informal and a great way to get to know the applicants.

‘Canberra is very different, it’s much colder than Brisbane – much smaller as well, but I find the people here are very friendly, welcoming and very passionate about their work as well.

‘There’s lots of new people that I’ve come across as well, it’s easy to make friends. One of the main things I like about working in the city is there’s lots of nice coffee shops and food areas.

‘I’m looking forward to attending the galleries and museums, because I know there’s a lot of cool museums and hiking areas. I know that Canberra is a very family friendly area, so I’m looking forward to seeing all the new sights and getting to know new people.

‘After my graduate year, I’m hoping to gain some full-time employment, not in any particular area – just gain some insights and make a difference in the Australia Government.

But for now I’m really looking forward to the graduate program. It seems like it’s going to be a really awesome opportunity’

If like Nancy, you’d like a career where you too can make a difference in lots of different ways, apply now for the Indigenous Graduate Pathway.

Applications close 4 April 2020.