Resources for Deaf and hard of hearing employees

If you want to apply for a position in the NSW public service, you will need to do these things:
Write your cover letter.
Update your resume.
Apply online.
You should make it easy for the person reading your application to know how you are the right
person for the job. A good way is to provide example of work you have done that show the
focus capabilities you have.
Focus capabilities are listed in the role description.
Cover letter:
1-2 pages long.
Uses plain English.
Well structured.
Specific to the job you are applying for.
Resume:
Keep it simple – no more than 3-5 pages
Name and details of the best way to contact you, for example you could say “email only”
Introduction
Education, qualifications and training
Work experience
Skills and achievements
Referees
Applying online:
Notice what keywords are being used in the job advertisement.
Notice what focus capabilities are in the role description.
You might be asked to answer some targeted questions. Be specific – don’t say what you think
you might do in the situation – tell them an example of what you have done.
Give examples of work you have done that demonstrate the focus capabilities.
Use the STAR method.
There is another short video that briefly explains the STAR method.
If you are contacted for an interview or further assessment, it is important to let the job
contact person know if you need an adjustment. You will not be disadvantaged if you ask for an
adjustment.
Do you want to learn more. You can look at the “I Work for NSW” website and you can talk to
your manager or HR.

The NSW government uses the capability framework when employing people, so what is it? It
is a tool that helps the public sector to grow their workforce.
It provides information and a common language for:
• job descriptions
• recruitment
• role expectations
• role mobility
• learning and development activities
• career planning
The framework has capability groups which explains the knowledge, skills and abilities that
employees need to have.
Focus capabilities are the most important capabilities.
When you apply for a role, you will be assessed against the capabilities for that role.
The capabilities for a role are located in the role description. You can find the role description
in the job advertisement or by asking HR.
There are behavioural indicators that show you what behaviours and actions are needed to be
effective in your work role.
There are additional capability groups which explain the specific capabilities needed for some
professional, technical or trade roles in the NSW government.
The capability discovery tool is a tool you can use to measure your skills against the capability
groups.
You can assess yourself to find out:
• What your knowledge, skills and abilities are
• What skills you need to develop and improve on
• If you have the right skills and knowledge for a new role
How can you use the discovery tool?
You can assess the role you do now – do you have the all the knowledge, skills and abilities to
do your role effectively?
Do you do an excellent job, a good job or do you need professional development?
You can also measure your skills against a new job that you may be interested in applying for.
When you have finished you can download your report.
You can talk to your manager if you are comfortable doing so, about your discovery tool, so
that you can work on a plan for applying for new roles, and you can get feedback too.
You can talk to your colleagues or a mentor for advice.
You can ask HR for support if you are stuck, and you may want to ask an interpreter to
translate the report into Auslan for you.

When you have a job interview with PSC you can use the STAR technique to tell a story about
the work you do and the skills you have.
S – Situation
T- Task
A-Action
R- Result
STAR can be used when you are asked questions and you need to tell a story.
Examples are:
Tell me about a time when…
What would you do if…
Give me an example of…
Describe what happened….
When you need to tell the interviewers of things that happen in your work – you need to be
concise and to the point – you do not want to ramble.
STAR helps you to do this.
Let’s unpack STAR:
S – Situation
Briefly explain the situation – paint a clear picture. You don’t need to add things that are not
relevant.
T-Task
Explain your role in the situation – what task did you have. What were your responsibilities?
A-Action
What did you do to solve that problem? How did you complete the task?
Explain specific things you did.
Don’t say “I worked hard” – this is too general.
Explain your work so the interviewer knows your skills.
R-Result
This is a great time to explain how your work was successful.
Explain to them how your actions brought a good result.
If you received feedback from the customer or the team – tell the interviewer what was said.
Also explain how you feel – proud, satisfied etc
You can also use STAR to talk about a time when things did not go well or were hard/
challenging.
If you made a mistake you can talk about that, but it is important to discuss the important
lessons you learnt from that.
Using STAR is a good way to answer questions in an interview. You need to prepare and
practice using STAR, so that you feel more confident when you have a job interview.
Do you want to know more about STAR? Talk to a colleague or your manager about this.

Interviews are a very important part of the hiring process. They can be scary but there is a lot
you can do to prepare.
It is important to let the job contact person know if you need an adjustment to do an interview
or to complete assessment tasks. You will not be disadvantaged if you ask for an adjustment
when you apply for a role. Adjustments might include having an interpreter present, extra
interview time, or asking for a different type of assessment task.
You can also use the interview to explain how you communicate best, such as through MS
Teams, emails or using the free National Relay Service for phone calls.
Some other interview tips:
Investigate the role you are interviewing for.
Write a list of your skills and experiences.
Write down the things that are important for you to talk about during the interview.
Bring that list to the interview in case you forget things when you are nervous.
Use the STAR method to answer questions in the interview.
Ask questions in the interview to show that you are interested in the job and the agency.
Create a strong first impression – smile, be confident, make eye contact.
Engage in small talk – it is a way to help build rapport.
Do you want to learn more about how to prepare for an interview? You can look at the “I Work
For NSW” website, or talk to your manager or to HR.

Workplace adjustments support a person with disability to perform at their best. You can
request that adjustments are made to ensure you are able to participate in the workplace on
an equal basis with others. Adjustments can be requested at any stage during recruitment, or
while you are employed in a role.
Adjustments can range from changes to equipment, work practices and environment and may
change as people’s needs change. Most adjustments are simple to organise.
Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 workplaces must provide workplace adjustments
if requested. These adjustments are important as they will help you to
• Perform at your best.
• Work productively
• Work safely
• Feel included.
• Help you to be motivated.
These adjustments are important to give staff what they need to be on an equal basis with
others.
You can speak with your manager about your needs and what you need to perform your role
You have your individual rights and choices and you do not need to share information about
your disability if you do not want to. If you do share your information, you manager cannot
share it with others without your permission.
There are multiple options for funding workplace adjustments. Your agency may choose to
fund workplace adjustments through existing budgets.
Additional funding and support is available through Job Access. This is through EAF and Work
Assist.
EAF is financial assistance from the government for staff with disabilities and mental health
conditions. This funding allows employers to buy modifications, equipment, Auslan services
etc.
Some examples are:
• Auslan interpreting
• Equipment for work
• Communication devices
• Disability (deafness) awareness training
• Mental health awareness training
• Adjustments to your physical workspace
Work Assist can also provide support if you are having difficulty fulfilling the essential
requirements of your role due to an injury, disability or health condition.
If you are eligible, a Disability Employment Service provider can also work with you and your
employer to help in a variety of areas.
Check your agency intranet for more information on workplace adjustment policies or speak to
your HR team about requesting any adjustments you need.

The NSW Government wants to support you in your employment.
There are various ways you can get support:
EAP – this free service provides counselling and support for you and your family members. The
service is independent from government and all information remains confidential. The EAP will
provide adjustments such as interpreters or captioning so deaf employees or family members
can access this service.
Mentoring- Your department or team may have a formal mentoring program which you can
participate in. If there is not one, you can still approach someone that you are comfortable
with, such as a manager or HR. They may be able to provide informal mentoring or give you
ideas on how to get mentoring.
You can contact your diversity team and find out what mentoring opportunities may be
available to you.
The PSC website can also provide you with valuable information on requesting workplace
adjustments, sharing disability information and employee networks.
You can also develop your own support networks outside of your workplace; you can find other
professional peers to talk to and get advice and support. You can also support others.
Do you want to learn more about this – speak to a manager or colleague.