Tips and tricks to land a TfNSW role
Are you in your final placement and getting ready to start applying for jobs? Or are you interested in settling in a permanent role within the Transport Cluster? Either way, we’ve got you covered with our top tips and tricks to land a Transport role!
We recently interviewed a range of ex-Talent participants who were previously in your shoes. See what words of wisdom they had to say when asked about their best piece of advice to getting their roles in the Cluster.
Mikaela Friman, Project Engineer, Sydney Trains
Be keen and take responsibility for your own learning, such as doing your PDP, getting feedback for your work and asking questions.
“At the end of my cadetship, a permanent entry level role opened up. One of the engineers who I worked closely with and sat in on my PDP meetings looked over my application and gave me pointers for the interview. In the interview I was able to use all my placement-related examples from successes and mistakes made.”
Elaine Luu, Transport Planning Support Officer, Transport for NSW
Go through the Transport Interview Questions Library.
“Make sure to prepare your answers to the capabilities listed in the role description, even if it’s just to familiarise yourself with what they could ask. I did this for my own interview and found it very useful!”
Liam McDiarmid, Content and Engagement Officer, Point to Point Transport Commission
Don’t forget to reach out to the Talent team for resume reviews and talk to your referees before your interview so they are prepared for that phone call.
Maintain your relationships because you never know who’ll be referring you for a job in the future, or even on an interview panel. Make sure to also apply for jobs that you don’t necessarily want or need – go to these interviews as practice and to settle your nerves for the main event. Last but not least, back yourself!
Andrew Ho, Junior Rail Systems Engineer, Sydney Metro
Leave a good impression, have background knowledge of the team’s role, and a bit of luck.
“There is no one size fits all – there are many different factors involved. Show that you can get along with everyone, you can overcome difficult situations, and you get work done. Using these tips and being optimistic helped me secure my role during the interview process.”
Bronte Rivers, Internal Communications Advisor, Sydney Metro
Just keep applying and seek help!
“Ask your placement manager to look over your CV and cover letter, particularly if their background is similar to the role you are applying for. This was the case with my placement manager as she was able to provide some advice about how to “sell” my skills to better align with the position description.”
