How to apply

Here are some things you will need to work at VACCA.  

What you should have before you apply: 

• Current Victorian Driver’s Licence 
• Current Working with Children Check (for Employees)
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccinations (including booster)

What you need to pass before we can offer you a role (we manage this process):

• National Police Check (go to #7 below for more information about the police check)

The best thing to do is to join our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Talent Pool. Email our Organisational Development team and our team can support you to find a role that suit your interests, skills, and experience. 

All of our jobs are advertised on our website. VACCA has offices across Victoria, and you can search by location to find the right job close to you. 

Tip: A resume and CV (‘curriculum vitae’) are the same thing.  

There are lots of websites that can help you write a resume. (Try here or here.) There’s no ‘right way’ to do a resume, but there is certain basic information you need to include:

• Name and address
• Education
• Employment history (remember, every job teaches you skills! Include all of your paid jobs – like babysitting, fast food and short-term summer jobs).

Other things you can include: 

• Key skills 
• Lived experience*
• References (you will need at least two references, but these can be provided later)

It’s important that your resume looks professional but you are allowed to be creative too.

*‘Lived experience’ is experience from your life that might make you suitable for a particular role. For example, if you have been in foster care, you might be suitable for a role in our foster care team. If you have had experience in the criminal justice system, this might make you really good at working with young people at risk. Your lived experience can give you understanding and perspectives that other people don’t have. 
 

Tip: Try and keep you cover letter short – one page is good. 

A basic cover letter has three parts: 

1. A paragraph introducing you and stating the role you are applying for. You can add why you are interested in the role, or why you are interested in working for VACCA.
2. A paragraph about why you are suited to the role. Choose three of the skills or traits the role is looking for and respond to each one.
3. A paragraph (or two) about why you are suited to the role and why you would be the right person to employ. 

Finish your cover letter with your thanks eg:

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to meeting you and discussing the role with you in more detail. 

Kind regards, 
<your name>
 

Tip: ‘Criteria’ are usually skills, individual qualities, or experiences that you have that will make you suitable for the role. 

Some roles will ask you to respond to the ‘key selection criteria’. You should do this on a separate page to your cover letter and resume. Put ‘Response to Key Selection Criteria’ at the top of the page, copy the first criteria on to the page, then use 2 or 3 sentences to show how you have that skill or ability. 

Repeat until you have responded to all of the key criteria. 

It’s great if you meet every criteria – but it’s not always the case. Don’t let this put you off applying for a job! And remember, experience across all parts of your life is relevant – it doesn’t have to be only paid work experience.
 

Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions. Or email our Organisational Development team to find out more about our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Talent Pool so we can help you start your deadly career with VACCA!

Tip: ‘HR’ stands for Human Resources. Depending on the organisation or company, this department might be known as ‘People and Culture’ or something similar. At VACCA we use ‘HR’ and also have an ‘Organisational Development’ team who manage things like education and training. 

Usually, nothing happens until the job application period closes. Once the job is closed, the applications will be reviewed all at the same time. Sometimes this can take week or two if someone is very busy or on leave, but we try to make this process as quick as possible. 

1. You submit your application – you will receive an email from us confirming that we’ve received your application immediately after you apply (check your junk folder if you don’t receive anything!) 
2. Application review – the applications are then reviewed by the selection panel. The ‘selection panel’ is usually made up of the person the role will report to, plus someone from HR and someone else from the team – but this can vary. 
3. Candidates are shortlisted – ‘candidates’ are all the people who have applied. The ‘shortlist’ are the most suitable candidates, usually 3 or 4 people, but sometimes more. 
4. Shortlisted candidates are contacted – usually you will receive a call from HR to schedule a time for an interview. If you’re not shortlisted, you will also be contacted. You are allowed to ask why you weren’t shortlisted and if you’re interested, we can help you apply for a role that might be better suited to your skills and experience.   
5. Interviews are held – usually our interviews are online (a video call on Microsoft Teams), however sometimes they will be a phone call, or in-person. If they are online, make sure you have a quiet space where you can have your interview. If this is difficult for you – let us know! We will do our best to find a solution that works for you. 
6. The interview process – during the interview you will be asked a series of questions – usually these questions are based on the key selection criteria. So even if you didn’t submit a response the key selection criteria in your application, it’s a good idea to come up with responses to each point and practice talking about them. Remember to give examples. The selection panel will take notes while you are talking and at the end of each question they will give you a score based on your response, so there may be a gap between questions. (Use this time to take a deep breath and have a drink of water!) Interviews can feel quite formal and you might be very nervous. This is very common and ok! If you need a question repeated, just ask!
7. Preferred candidate chosen – after the interview process, a ‘preferred candidate’ is chosen by the selection panel. They do this by comparing the notes and scores they took during the interview to ensure the process is as fair as possible. 
8. Reference checks are made – if you didn’t supply your references on your resume, you will need to do that now. HR will contact you and ask you to provide two referees (name and contact phone number). Each of your referees will be contacted and asked how they know you, and if they think you would be suitable for the role. You can have a personal referee (this might be a community elder, a teacher or someone significant in your life who isn’t in your immediate family). You should also supply a referee from a paid job you have had (if possible). 
9. Police check – once the reference check is complete, you will need to complete a police check. This process is managed by VACCA and you will be sent a link where you can submit all the information required. It is important for VACCA to do police checks because of our work with vulnerable children, young people, and families. This doesn’t mean you won’t get the job if you have a police record – it will depend on the role and type of record. We can’t do a police check on you without your consent – but we can’t offer you a job unless a police check has been completed. This process is essential to protect the safety and welfare of our clients. 
10. Working with Children Check – if you don’t already have a Working with Children Check (for Employees), you will need to apply for it now. All the information can be found on the Services Victoria website, and there is a cost to apply for an employee card. If you need any help with your application, please let us know. 
11. Job offer – once the police check has been completed and we are able to offer you a job, you will receive an email from us with a formal job offer. This will include a contract, which outlines the terms of your employment (such as your title, expected starting date, working hours, location, who you report to) and a series of other documents and forms. (It might seem like a lot of information! It is!) Everyone at VACCA gets the same forms when they begin. Just take it one form at a time and contact us if you have any questions. 
12. Start your career with VACCA! 

Maybe the job was offered to another candidate after the interview. Maybe you didn’t get an interview at all. Don’t give up! 

Didn’t get an interview? 

• Review your resume and cover letter. Do you think you responded to the role requirements? Ask someone you know to look at them and get their feedback. 
• Email our Organisational Development team to get some tips about how to improve your chances to get an interview!

Got an interview, but didn’t get offered the job?

• Maybe another applicant was a better fit for the role or had some more suitable experience. You are allowed to ask for feedback. Email the person who set up the interview and ask if they can give you some feedback and suggestions for how to do better next time. 
• It’s usually NOT because you ‘failed’ the interview – even if you were really nervous! But it’s good to practice answering questions. Get a friend to practice with you – look at the selection criteria for the type of role you are interested in and use that. 
• Email our Organisational Development team to get some tips about how you could improve your interview for next time!