Careers & volunteers

Volunteering at the State Library offers a unique and rewarding opportunity to discover the collections, interact with clients, and be involved with events. 

Volunteering activities include assisting State Library staff to deliver literacy activities to preschool children, helping at events and with exhibitions, collecting survey responses, working with collections, and more. 

Volunteering will provide you with the chance to contribute to the State Library and Western Australian community. Please note that we do not provide work experience training through the volunteer program and volunteers do not undertake professional librarian tasks.

To find out about current volunteering opportunities

To discuss volunteering contact the Volunteers Team Leader on 08 9427 3111 or volunteers@slwa.wa.gov.au

Existing volunteers can log in here

Want to work at the library?

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an equitable and diverse workplace. We encourage applications from people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally diverse backgrounds and youth.

Benefits

  • Generous leave entitlements including 20 days' annual leave and 15 days' personal leave (pro rata part time employees) after serving 12 months; long service leave after 7 years' continuous service; 3 extra public service holidays and the option to purchase additional leave.
  • Work life balance options including flexible working hours, part-time and job-share arrangements, paid parental leave, phased retirement
  • Access to an Employee Assistance Program that provides confidential counselling and support services at no charge; funded flu vaccinations.
  • Learning and development opportunities including the ability to act in various positions, study leave assistance for approved courses, specific training as required
  • Salary benefits including 11% superannuation contributions on top of stated salary, salary packaging options.

Eligibility to work with us

To be eligible for employment with us, please ensure you meet the following requirements:

  • To be eligible for permanent appointment, you must be an Australian citizen or have permanent resident status in Australia.
  • To be eligible for a fixed term appointment you must hold a working visa for the period of the fixed term contract.
  • Ex-WA public sector employees who have received a redundancy or voluntary severance pay out need to have served their re-employment restriction period.
  • The ability to satisfy our pre-employment integrity checks.

Pre-employment integrity checks

We carry out pre-employment integrity checks so the community can be confident in our staff and the services we provide to the community. As part of this process suitable candidates will be asked to provide:

  • ID documents that prove their identity and any name changes.
  • documents that prove they are an Australian citizen or hold permanent residency (or hold a valid working visa covering the term of the fixed term contract).
  • a National Police Clearance Certificate (no older than 6 months).
  • two referees (a line manager is preferred) that can verify their employment history, including their role and responsibilities, conduct, performance and reasons for leaving.

Depending on the role there may be additional checks, which include:

  • confirmation of educational qualifications and professional memberships applicable to the position with the issuing organisation.
  • Working with Children Check for positions that involve child-related work.

Applying for a role

The application process for a position may vary depending on the role so it is important to read the job advert carefully to identify what is required.  To be shortlisted for further assessment you will need to demonstrate to the panel that you can meet the work-related requirements of the role.

Below is some general information that may help you to prepare your application:

  • Update your CV
    Make sure your CV is as up to date as possible. As a minimum it should outline your employment history and educational qualification/s. For each position you have occupied it is recommended you outline the roles and responsibilities you carried out.
  • Addressing work-related requirements
    Read the essential work-related requirements on the job description form to determine if the position suits your skills, abilities and experience.
  • If the job advert requests a document that outlines how your skills, abilities and experience relate to the work-related criteria it is recommended that you use each work-related criterion to be addressed as a heading.  Under each criterion prepare statements that demonstrate how you satisfy the required skill, ability, knowledge, experience etc
  • Be clear and concise in your statements, draw on your previous experiences and where possible include examples from previous roles that demonstrate your contribution, responsibilities and outcomes.  The SAO approach may help:

Situation: Where and when did you do it?

Action: What did you do & how did you do it?

Outcome: What was the result of your actions?

A quick guide to the recruitment process

A selection panel will be formed and may use a variety of methods to assess your suitability against the advertised job. The key steps in the recruitment process are:

  • The selection panel assesses all written applications and agree on a shortlist of the most competitive applications.
  • Shortlisted applicants are assessed further. Generally an interview is conducted, but other assessment methods may also be used, such as a writing exercise or presentation.
  • Referee reports will be sought for the most competitive applicants.
  • A selection report is prepared and recommendation endorsed.
  • All applicants are notified in writing of the outcome. All applicants are encouraged to seek feedback on their application.
  • A breach claim period of four (4) business days is activated, during which time applicants can lodge a claim against the process in accordance with the Public Sector Management (Breaches of Public Sector Standards) Regulations 2005 and Commissioner’s Instruction No. 1 - Employment Standard.

Reasonable adjustment

We provide reasonable adjustments during the recruitment processes to allow people with a disability to participate effectively. Reasonable adjustments can also be made available to assist you in the job, if you are successful in gaining employment.

Ready to apply?

Current employment opportunities are advertised on JobsWA.

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