Electorate Officer - Career Advice - Government and Defence

Electorate officers manage and run the electoral office of a politician. They undertake a range of administration duties, as well as responding to enquiries from members of their electorate, and Future Growth Very Strong liaising with Government departments and other organisations. Electorate officers also co-ordinate correspondence between their office and other individuals and organisations, organise particular aspects of election campaigns, schedule meetings, and supervise other office staff.

ANZSCO ID & Description: 224911: Manages the electorate office of a politician, and liaises with constituents and the media on their behalf.

Knowledge, skills and attributes

An electorate officer needs:

strong written and oral communication skills
concern for their electorate
good organisation skills
the ability to work as part of a team
administration skills
an interest in the political process.

Electorate Officer at work
(Source: Your Career)

Duties and Tasks

Electorate officers perform the following

manage the electorate office of a politician, and liaises with constituents and the media on their behalf
establish and facilitates communication between different community groups, organisations and governments

Working conditions

Electorate officers work in the offices of elected politicians, in the cities and large regional centres where electoral offices are located. They usually work regular hours, but may be expected to work longer hours during election campaigns and in the build up to elections. They may be required to travel locally, within their electorate to facilitate meetings or official events. They may also be required to travel to Canberra.

Parliament House Canberra
(Source: Parliamentary Education Office)

Tools and technologies

Electorate officers use computers, especially data management software. They also spend significant amounts of time on the phone and may also be required to travel with a laptop computer in order to update information and work on the road.

Education and training/entrance requirements

To become an electorate officer you usually need to complete a degree majoring in a relevant area such as politics, international relations or law. An understanding and interest in the Australian political system will be useful if you are considering this occupation.

Did You Know?

The selection criteria for a position as an Electorate Officer are

The following Selection Criteria form a specific part of the selection process. Applicants for this role are required to address each of these items specifically in their application.

1. Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to hear from and liaise with community groups, government and non-government organisations, and the media.

2. Excellent writing skills including the ability to prepare correspondence, briefing notes, submissions, speeches, newsletters and media releases.

3. Demonstrated superior organisational skills to work effectively under pressure and manage competing priorities and deadlines.

4. Demonstrated capacity to exercise sound judgement and ability to perform at a high standard under limited supervision and within a team environment.

5. An interest in, and understanding of, the Australian political context and Australian parliamentary procedures and processes.

6. Demonstrated research and analytical skills including the ability to analyse policy and legislation.
(Source: Townlife)