"I have had an excellent year working in Government Procurement and would highly recommend its graduate program."

Hadassa

The first thing that I noted about Government Procurement (GP) was how highly it values the career development of its graduates. Graduates are given complex and meaningful work to undertake independently, however with help and support always available where required. As well as being supportive, the people in GP are very welcoming and fun to work with. Also, GP invests a lot of time and effort into training and also creates opportunities for graduates to meet key people within the Department.

The graduate program involves two rotations in different areas of GP. My first rotation was in Client Procurement Services Health Cluster, where I assisted agencies to develop tenders for the procurement of health support products and services. In general, facilitating a tender process involves assisting a government agency client to plan the scope of their procurement, developing tender documentation, facilitating an evaluation of the tender responses, and finally awarding a contract. Following the Health Cluster, I commenced my second rotation in Information Communication Technology (ICT) Sourcing, managing a number of Common Use Arrangements (CUA) for the supply of ICT related software and services. Managing a CUA involves being the point of contact within government for any queries relating to the CUA and also, among other things, keeping relevant contract management documentation up to date, monitoring suppliers’ Key Performance Indicators, undertaking contract management meetings and analysing sales reports. While in ICT Sourcing I was also fortunate to be involved in the development of a whole of government strategy for Data Centre procurement in WA, and liaising with high level stakeholders in the public and private sectors as part of this process.

What I like about GP is that there is a good balance between people oriented work, such as advising, negotiating and building relationships with stakeholders, and task oriented work, such as research, analysis and writing. I have had an excellent year working in Government Procurement and would highly recommend its graduate program.

"The work is both challenging and diverse, and will help you develop a wide range of skills that will hold you in good stead throughout your career."

Brendan

During my time as a Graduate Officer at the Department of Finance, I have had the chance to develop my procurement skills in a supportive environment that provides excellent training and development, and understands the importance of achieving a work/life balance.

Whilst working for Government Procurement I have been able to manage a number of diverse procurement processes for a wide range of Government agencies. GP affords you the opportunity to work autonomously to a great extent, whilst also providing a professional work setting which allow you to draw upon the knowledge and experience of your colleagues and managers.

I have had the opportunity to work within two different teams at Client Procurement Services during my graduate year. These roles have given me the chance to work with numerous Government agencies and Departments to assist them with their purchasing needs. I have managed my own Tender processes from the planning stage through to award, which has given me substantial development in the fields of relationship building, research and analysis, and government writing skills, amongst others.

The Department of Finance Graduate Program will provide you with a unique opportunity to work in a field of great importance to the Public Sector. Government Procurement plays a vital role in ensuring that the WA Public see value for money outcomes achieved when public money is spent. The work is both challenging and diverse, and will help you develop a wide range of skills that will hold you in good stead throughout your career.

"I am extremely glad I took this chance to change my career and attain new skills. Procurement as a profession is an exciting and rewarding opportunity I would encourage anyone to embark upon."

Joanne

I entered the Department of Finance Graduate Program as the result of looking for a career change. I was looking for something challenging and interesting where my previous experience would be relevant and yet where I would be in an entirely new field. I have found the Department of Finance Graduate Program to be extremely rewarding and supportive. The working environment is encouraging and motivating and the work inspires me to think in a different way every day.

Procurement as a profession is new and undergoing massive growth. The skills acquired during the training provided in the graduate year are fundamental to procurement and yet are relevant to those from various backgrounds, enabling people from various fields to apply their knowledge.

My role includes meeting with clients from a wide range of Government agencies to discuss their procurement needs and advising on procurement policy, developing contract documents, reviewing and evaluating supplier tenders and negotiating terms and conditions of contract, as well as many other things. The contracts I have been involved in have been so varied, ranging from low to high risk and low to high value. There are always team members around to support and help me and I have always been encouraged to put my hand up for opportunities.

I am extremely glad I took this chance to change my career and attain new skills. Procurement as a profession is an exciting and rewarding opportunity I would encourage anyone to embark upon.

"Even without a strictly business background, if you enjoy building relationships, problem solving, analysis and professional writing then I think you will find this type of work satisfying. "

Chris

I have found the Graduate Program to be very rewarding. The Government Procurement culture is fun to work within, is flexible in terms of work/life balance and importantly provides some excellent opportunities for professional development.

In my graduate year with Government Procurement I worked on a wide range of meaningful tasks that have real positive public benefits. I assisted other government agencies with their higher value purchasing needs and was also involved in contract management work for a whole of government Common Use Arrangement. In many cases there is always something new to keep your interest; rarely are there two goods or service procurements exactly alike.

I encourage you to consider procurement even if you don’t know a great deal about the profession. The Department strongly encourages training and the people here are incredibly friendly and supportive. Even without a strictly business background, if you enjoy building relationships, problem solving, analysis and professional writing then I think you will find this type of work satisfying.

I set out to challenge myself and this has been a rewarding program to be a part of.

"I have assisted government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Culture and the Arts and WorkCover WA in undertaking procurement processes. "

Megan

When I finished university I had no idea of the career path that I wanted to pursue but felt that a graduate program would offer the ideal transition out of university and into the workplace. I applied for the Graduate Program after talking to some past graduates and being impressed by their genuine enthusiasm for working with Finance. I have since learned to share that enthusiasm and have found Finance provides an incredibly supportive and fun environment in which to work.

Throughout my year working in Government Procurement I have been involved in a diverse range of projects. I have assisted government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Culture and the Arts and WorkCover WA in undertaking procurement processes. I have also been involved in the implementation and management of some whole of government Common Use Arrangements for services such as Human Resource Investigations, Freight Transport and Motor Vehicle Rental. Working with such a wide range of public sector bodies and private sector industries has been an interesting and rewarding experience.

I think the Graduate Program has been the ideal start to my career development and I feel lucky to work with such a great bunch of people.

"Looking back, I value the experiences where I was challenged - it is these experiences that ultimately help me to build upon skills and knowledge needed to provide value added procurement services to government agencies in the future."

Steve

My graduate year in the Government Procurement (GP) has been both rewarding and challenging.  During my time here, I have been involved in developing and managing contracts on behalf of government agencies that range between the values of $100,000 to $270 million.  This has certainly given me greater insight into legal and commercial aspects of creating or managing contracts in the public sector arena. 

What I appreciated most while working in GP as a graduate was that I:

• felt valued in a friendly and supportive environment
• was given opportunities to be involved in complex contractual processes
• was afforded a certain level autonomy to carry out my work, but could always fall back to the experience, advice and guidance of peers and management
• was given substantial formal training in procurement and other soft skills (e.g. negotiation, and project management) and
• was able to have a healthy work/life balance where I had time to be involved in activities outside of work.

Looking back, I value the experiences where I was challenged - it is these experiences that ultimately help me to build upon skills and knowledge needed to provide value added procurement services to government agencies in the future.