AFP Graduate - Jonathan Dean
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22 May 2008
The first few weeks in the program absolutely flew. I found myself assisting with an audit into secondary employment, designing marketing strategies to encourage more women to join the AFP, creating presentation packages and merchandise lists for new employees, and organising tour days.
I was given three main projects for my first rotation. The first one involved facilitating and launching the AFP Speakers Bureau. The Speakers Bureau is a national program between the AFP and educational institutions which is aimed at recruiting and increasing the awareness of the AFP within the community. This proved to be a valuable experience as I had the opportunity to liaise with managers and coordinators. This exposure allowed me to build important networks within the organisation.
My second project was to conduct an online feasibility program researching the possible use of Facebook, MySpace and Youtube as recruitment tools for the AFP.
This was particularly interesting as I had to scope out the target markets using these sites, what interested them and what might attract them into a graduate program. I also gained an insight into other graduate programs, in terms of their scope and structure. I concluded that these three social networking sites would be a very effective and cost efficient way of attracting people into the AFP. Now for the hard part…. negotiating security problems associated with social networking sites!
The final and most complex project was to draft a marketing plan and procurement strategy for the AFP Indigenous Traineeship program. This involved working closely with a number of departments, mainly National Procurement & Contracts and Marketing & Media. I had to source Registered Training Providers and find out what they could deliver and most importantly, how much they could deliver it for….. The main challenge was finding a provider that could deliver an Australian Public Service (APS) course equivalent to a Certificate III/IV whilst satisfying the components of our Indigenous Traineeship Program.
Before I knew it, my time in Human Resources was over and I was heading into my first mini rotation…Occupational Health & Safety (OHS). With a Certificate IV in Workplace Safety and Degrees in Exercise Science/Business studies and Kinesiology, I was looking forward to putting the concepts and theoretical knowledge learnt in the first half of my degree to good use.
OHS was a really good experience. Within the first few days I had been to observe the Defence facilities at Russell, Canberra Airport, Government House, and a number of AFP sites located around Canberra. The highlight was definitely a tour of the AFP’s new state-of-the-art Canine facility at Weston.
After filling out the necessary reports to go along with my inspections, it suddenly dawned on me that I was now a third of the way through my Graduate program…Wow!!!! Next stop Legal…Procurements and Contracts here I come…
8 May 2008
Gday,
My name is Jonathan Dean. I am 23 years old and come from the small coalmining town of Lithgow NSW. After travelling overseas playing tennis on the U.S. college tour and lower level professional circuit for the past 3years, I decided to apply to join the AFP’s inaugural graduate program.
I have recently completed a double degree in Exercise Science / Business Studies from Charles Sturt University Bathurst and a degree in Kinesiology from Charleston Southern University, USA.
I have always had an interest in the AFP. My Aunt has been a Federal Agent for the past 29 years and it was growing up listening to her stories and learning of the exciting opportunities that existed within the AFP that ultimately influenced my decision.
I always had a desire to become a sworn Federal Agent and become involved in the operational side of things. I never really contemplated the possibility of joining the AFP in a non-policing role because I had always envisaged Federal Police in their plain clothes conducting drug busts and investigating crimes against the Commonwealth.
Upon learning that I could build a career at the local, national or international level with non-policing roles, it didn’t take long to realise that this was an opportunity too good to give up.
The next few weeks were spent practising interviews, psychometric and aptitude tests, trying to prepare in the best way possible. Before I knew it, the assessment day had come and gone and I was waiting for a phone call. We were told that there had been close to 400 applicants Australia wide and that there were only 12 positions available. Naturally I wasn’t expecting too much, and considering the high standard of applicants at my assessment centre, I was hopeful at best.
When I got the phone call to say I had been successful I was ecstatic. Straight away I told my mum and dad and rang all my family members and friends. It was only late August and I had the rest of the year to finish my studies and organise myself…smooth sailing or so I thought…
This was only the first step in a long recruitment process. The euphoria of the occasion soon gave way to a sense of frustration. First there was the dreaded security package feared by most AFP employees, a 65 page comprehensive document requiring much time and effort. This was followed by the signing of a Statutory Declaration, a medical and a drug test.
Sitting around and waiting for each process to be completed was by far the hardest part of the whole application. This was compounded by a lack of security knowing that I couldn’t be certain of gaining a place until the entire recruitment process was complete. In the meantime I just had to pass up other job offers that had come my way.
Finally I received my security clearance and my offer of engagement into the AFP arrived soon after. After finishing the required paper work, completing my packing and saying goodbye to my family I headed towards Canberra.
As I reached the outskirts of Canberra I could see Telstra Tower dwarfing the city. My thoughts suddenly turned to my first week of work. Doubts started to creep in to my head and I found myself wondering if I had made the right choice.
A typical Canberra day greeted me the next morning, the rain and drizzle couldn’t dampen my spirits as I was looking forward to meeting my fellow graduates, mentor and most of all, the Commissioner. Everybody was friendly and looking forward to a new beginning, it was evident that most of us had the same hopes and fears. After introductions we sat down over lunch and got to know one another.
We were given our 3 rotations for the next 12 months. My first rotation will begin in Human Resources.
The most exciting part of the day was when we were given our AFP badge numbers and passes to swipe in. We were all now officially employees of the AFP…You beauty!
The day finished with a tour of the police college. Inside we were shown the dorms, gyms, library, dining room and lecture theatres.
Tuesday was a relatively easy day. The hardest part of not knowing what lay ahead was out of the road. We had a group induction and familiarised ourselves with the AFP website.
Wednesday was the first full day of our rotations. Walking into the building was like walking back into high school….full of confidence with a big smile on the inside. Watching men and women file into elevators in full business attire was a far cry from the boardies, thongs and singlet I was use to wearing.
I was given a tour of the office floor and introduced to fellow staff. Everybody was so warm and friendly that I instantly felt right at home. I was constantly texting my mum and dad all the exciting news of the day...where I had been and what I had been doing….
The rest of my first full working week absolutely flew…by the time I was given access to the AFP computer network, negotiated my way around the building and set up my email address and telephone it was Friday afternoon. I had achieved my first goal of surviving my first week… Only another 30 years before I become Commissioner!
Next week I will begin work on my first project. I have been assigned the role of helping the Indigenous Recruitment Officer. Our main aim is to develop and implement strategies and plans to increase the numbers of Indigenous Australians employed within the AFP. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity and one I look forward to with great anticipation!