MPhil (2018)
Ameer completed his Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Finance at CBE in 2018 with a dissertation to understand the impacts of earnings announcement distraction on individual trading behaviour. In 2019, he joined the Queensland Treasury and worked as an economist in their Macroeconomic and Revenue Forecasting area.
In this role, he regularly monitored and wrote complex briefs to various ministers and agencies on macroeconomic issues ranging from labour market, international trade, household lending and dwelling approvals, housing market and impact of COVID-19 on Queensland and the national economy.
Currently, Ameer is seconded to the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office where he conducts probabilistic data linkage and evaluation.
He is pursuing a graduate certificate in Data Engineering from ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science.
12 NOVEMBER 2021
Why did you choose to work in the public service rather than in academia?
Job satisfaction matters a lot to me, which is why I chose to work in the public sector. I want to make a difference and have a career that is primarily driven by providing high-quality service and improving people’s livelihood. Working in the public service also offers job stability and I was lucky enough to work uninterrupted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reflecting on your time as a MPhil student, how did you work productively with your supervisors?
During my time at CBE, I was fortunate enough to have a supportive supervisor, Dr Qiaoqiao Zhu. He helped me exceed my knowledge frontier, and gain time management, problem solving and working collaboration skills; skills that are immensely valued in job market.
During my MPhil and through weekly meetings, I fostered a good relationship with Dr Zhu. I used these meetings to discuss my research findings with him and gather feedback. Moreover, he also provided me an opportunity to regularly read emerging research papers in my subject area and present these to the interested audience. This exercise really helped me hone my presentation and conversation skills, which have proved to be extremely vital during my career.
What are your top tips for a successful public service job application and interview?
- Understand the job responsibilities by having active discussions with the contact person for the job. Create a rapport with them and understand what is expected of you.
- Research the organisation and revise your resume to highlight the skills and projects that are critical in the job. This will definitely set you apart.
- When writing responses to the selection criterion or preparing for a job interview, use the STAR approach – Situation, Task, Action, Result. I cannot stress enough how important this approach is in the job market.
- Ask a friend or mentor for feedback on your selection criteria, and if they’d be happy to role-play a demo interview with you. This will help you relax your nerves in a real interview.
- Start your application early and give yourself plenty of time to meet the deadline.
How do you build your professional network?
I actively plan and commit to networking opportunities. Once I have identified a networking opportunity, I mark it in my diary and commit to it.
When I attend networking events, it can be tempting to spend my time speaking to people I already know. However, I make sure I interact with people I haven’t met before. I find a smile, handshake and brief introduction always helps break the ice.
Professional relationships strengthen over time. Therefore, I make sure I stay in touch with people within my network. There are many ways to do this. My preferred method for maintaining professional connections is LinkedIn.