Graduate Careers

University attended: Monash University
Degree obtained:  Bachelor of Arts (Honours) / Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

Jacqueline Lewinsohn joined the Victorian Public Service Graduate Recruitment and Development Scheme (GRADS) in 2007. She graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) where she majored in politics and completed a double minor in history and literature and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons).

I came across the Graduate Recruitment and Development Scheme (GRADS) when I was at university looking for a career which would allow me to combine my legal analytical skills with my research and writing skills. I wanted to contribute to the shaping of law and policy. Working for the Victorian Public Service seemed to provide a good fit for what I was looking for. I was also excited about the opportunity to work in three distinct areas of the public service to learn how the government worked and where I could best contribute.

I began the graduate year at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in the Specialist Investigations Unit. I then spent my second rotation as a legal policy adviser in the Legal Branch at the Department of Premier and Cabinet. I finished my graduate year in Consumer Policy at the Department of Justice.

The Graduate Recruitment and Development Scheme has certainly lived up to my expectations of providing a wide range of learning experiences and opportunities to develop professional skills and contribute to government.
Rotating through three different areas gave me a sense of how big the public service is and the wide range of roles available to cater to particular skills and interests. I have worked on writing case reviews to provide information to coroners, commercial contracts and Cabinet submissions.

This also means that I have gained a wide range of skills to use at the end of the graduate year. Throughout the year, there is a lot of training to participate in. I attended department inductions, as well as learning and development training, such as writing for government and project management training. The Graduate Learning Team Project is also a great opportunity to develop more management and leadership skills to use in your new role at the end of the graduate year, as well as getting to know and work with fellow graduates.

The graduate year is also a good time to observe your colleagues, managers and executives to absorb and learn as much as you can from them. These are the people who provided me with examples of what kind of leadership works well and what doesn't. It is my hope, and expectation, that I will keep learning and taking advantage of opportunities to enhance my professional skills and that I will enjoy the rest of my developing career in the Victorian Public Service as much as I have enjoyed this past year as a graduate recruit.