Smart Questions to Ask the APS Contact Officer Before Interview

Most candidates skip this entirely

Every APS job ad lists a contact officer with a phone number. Most candidates never call them. Of the ones who do, most ask soft questions ("Tell me about the role") that signal they haven't read the ad.

The contact officer call is one of the highest-leverage 15 minutes available in your prep — but only if you ask the right questions, the ones that surface information not in the ad and not on the agency's website. The right questions also signal seniority and seriousness, which the contact officer often reports back to the hiring manager.

The 12 questions worth asking

• What are the team's two or three biggest deliverables in the next six months?
• What does success look like for someone in this role at six and twelve months?
• How is the team structured, and who would I be working most closely with?
• What's the agency's current approach to hybrid working?
• Are you on the panel, or who will be?
• Is the role open to non-ongoing applicants, or ongoing only?
• Will the role generate a merit pool, or is it a single-position recruitment?
• What's the typical timeline from interview to offer?
• Are there any specific qualifications or experience the panel will weight heavily?
• Would reasonable adjustments be available if needed?
• Is there anything you'd flag for someone preparing for this interview?
• Is there anything else I should know that isn't on the ad?

What not to ask

Avoid asking about salary at this stage — APS pay is publicly available in the Enterprise Agreement; asking suggests you haven't done basic homework. Don't ask about leave, parking, or working-from-home until you have an offer.

The etiquette

Tuesday-Thursday morning is best. Keep it to 15 minutes. Take notes during the call, not before. Send a brief thank-you email afterwards if the conversation was substantive.

How GovPrep helps

Use what you learn from the contact officer call to refine your STAR responses — GovPrep lets you regenerate or edit responses after new context emerges, right up until interview day.