Organisation: Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
Job Title: Intelligence Officer
Word Limit: 300 words per Question
Location: Canberra
Why are you applying for this role with ASIO?
My interest and desire to work for ASIO was sparked whilst undertaking a Bachelor of Justice that I completed in 2009. Having recently undertaken a career development and coaching session, I realised that I am still passionate about obtaining a role with ASIO and I am at the stage in my life where I am seeking a long-term and fulfilling career that offers challenge and variety.
Over the years, I have gained valuable qualifications, including a Certificate IV Government (Workplace Relations) and a Master of Social Work, as well as extensive experience and skills that will transfer well into the role of an Intelligence Officer. This includes experience working within a Government policy and industrial relations framework for the Fair Work Ombudsman, where I was required to collect, analyse and interpret information from a variety of sources to support my provision of accurate and up-to-date advice. I enjoyed this work and the various challenges that it presented.
Throughout my career, I have refined my interpersonal skills and, having worked as a Social Worker for the past twelve months, have gained a high-level understanding of human development. During my time working for the Department of Defence, I have worked with people within all three Defence services, thus enhancing my ability to liaise with individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
I am seeking a career that is different from the usual 9 to 5 job and am confident that my skills and qualifications, combined with my work and life experiences, will serve me well as an Intelligence Officer. My motivation to apply for this position is to strengthen my sense of purpose; I am pursuing a career with ASIO because I want to make a contribution to Australia’s national security, whilst experiencing a sense of challenge in accomplishing my responsibilities.
The following are job specific capabilities required of Intelligence Professionals. Provide an example of how you have displayed the following capabilities in solving a complex problem
- Providing impartial advice;
- Applying exceptional judgment;
- Operating independently;
- Gathering, researching and analysing information to prepare written and oral briefings
As a Social Worker for the Department of Defence, I display these capabilities on a daily basis through the facilitation of a broad range of programs and services to assist Defence families in managing the military way of life. My main goal whilst doing so is to build self-resilience within my clients so that they are independently able to cope through future setbacks, thus contributing to a strong, connected and resilient Defence community.
Sometimes, however, I am required to work above my scope of work, as demonstrated whilst managing a situation with a client who was experiencing severe bullying within his Unit. He had come to me for counselling and admitted that he was afraid to speak to the Sergeant of the Unit as it may cause further harassment. Usually in these cases, I would work with the client to build their confidence to deal with the situation; however, I could see the effect that it was having on him, so I applied my judgment to devise an alternative plan that would assist.
Due to the fact that a complaint would not be accepted if I spoke to the Unit directly, I worked independently to gather photographic evidence of the bullying, a statement from my client, as well as permission to act on his behalf. I then took initiative to contact the Army Fair Go Hotline, which is in place to report incidents that are unfair, including unacceptable behaviour, bullying and harassment. As a result of putting forward my case, an external inquiry was initiated which led to my client being transferred to another Unit. The Unit’s Commanding Officer found out about the work that I had undertaken for my client and commended me on my ability to take a strategic approach to resolve this complex issue.
Describe a time when you demonstrated your ability to collaborate with other team members, relying on your successful interpersonal skills to build and maintain effective relationships to achieve a positive outcome
Having always worked in team environments, I possess strong interpersonal skills with the ability to foster effective relationships through collaboration, thus leading to the achievement of goals. I have a natural ability to draw alongside others in my team, and accept and embrace colleagues regardless of background, skill level or position. This, combined with my ability to listen and respect the views of others, has added to my success in working within team environments.
These skills were demonstrated recently when I was tasked with project managing an education forum aimed at engaging schools and Defence families and informing them of support services available. One of my first responsibilities was to select a team comprising another Social Worker, a Community Development Officer, a Regional Education Liaison Development Officer, and a Family Liaison Officer. We then worked collaboratively to determine a project plan and what we wanted to achieve, then compiled a task list on how to get there. Each task had a due date and we all agreed on delegated roles and took responsibility to ensure their completion. I found that holding a weekly meeting ensured that we were all on track and provided the opportunity for team input and sharing of information. This led to discovering that parents had been asking about Defence Transition Aides, which in turn enabled me to ensure that there would be one at the forum for parents to speak with.
Working with a small team to complete the project ensured that we reached our goals and I valued the opportunity to gain a diverse range of viewpoints, opinions and ideas. As a result of our team work and collaboration, the education forum was a success and the two sessions that we facilitated attracted over 60 attendees in Amberley and 120 in Brisbane.
