This framework will also help you understand your strengths, current capability levels and what is required to move forward successfully in your career progression, forming the foundation of your productive career plan as a contractor. Remember, although the organisation may not lay out a career path, match the framework to your lifelong learning practice to develop the right skills to get you ahead.

The government at federal and state levels think of roles as levels with competencies and functional skills mapped to those levels. As a contractor, being aware of these can help you map out your skills and identify those you need more development in. Self-learning and all the potential resources you can pull on are essential.

Make sure you lean on and share skills developed through previous experiences, such as volunteering work, part-time positions or studies. Here, you are building your skills inventory, essential in finding a job.

understand the development opportunities that are on offer within your organisation.

An increasing number of departments will conduct formal assessments, constructive professional feedback, and self-assessments with contractors to identify your development needs. Yet again, it is up to you as a contractor to drive this conversation. Be proactive and ask what might be available to you.

Once identified, ask if you can further your development activities with job rotation, shadowing colleagues and managers and undertaking different roles and projects that should take place for you to gain exposure to different environments and opportunities that may suit your needs in professional development.

This framework will help you better understand job expectations and assist in planning development. It will potentially help you find meaningful and compatible work with your goals.

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