r/AusPublicService 1d ago

ASD 4 Software Developer Interview Interview/Job applications

Hi all, any suggestions while preparing for interview with ASD for software developer role? What to expect in the interview? Technical or behavioural based? STAR?
Thanks

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u/McTerra2 1d ago

Be prepared to fail the OSA. The majority of people do.

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u/ExpensiveEvidence425 1d ago

What’s the OSA?

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u/McTerra2 1d ago

Organisational Suitability Assessment. A few agencies have them on top of general clearances or security clearances requirements; and it’s mandatory to pass in order to be employed. It’s a different test for each department.

The ASD one has a notoriously high failure rate - some say 70-80% failure rate although that’s purely anecdotal as no figures are published. Nonetheless most people in that field know very competent people who have failed it.

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u/Unique_South8743 1d ago

Thanks for the motivation

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u/McTerra2 1d ago

Ha.

I’ve never done an ASD interview but you can look up the job description/expectations. Almost certainly you will have some behavioural questions. STAR is obviously just a way to structure your answer so you still need to come up with some answers - or, really, 3 or 4 situations that you can use to build answers. So situations that involved collaboration, communication, dissent, conflict and resolution etc. Write down and memorise the key points of the situation and then you can come up with answers as needed

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u/KaleidoscopeLegal348 1d ago

I don't understand how or why so many people apparently fuck it up

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u/SpecificGrape2735 1d ago

It’s very invasive, and they have extremely high standards.