A degree

This year applications will be open for those with a bachelor degree or higher in one off the following areas:

• communication
• marketing
• commerce
• management.

You will also need to have one of the following majors:

• advertising and marketing
• graphic design (Canberra only)
• marketing or public relations
• communications or multimedia
• journalism (Canberra only)
• writing or editing.

The right skills

We are looking for successful marketing and communication graduates who can:

• think strategically
• achieve results
• manage relationships
• act professionally
• communicate effectively
• perform the technical aspects of working in marketing and communications.

They say there is nothing more certain in life than death and taxes, but did you know that encouraging and supporting people to pay their taxes could be so innovative?

Marketing and communications play an important role in supporting our work and helping us to achieve our strategic vision:

Australians value their tax and superannuation systems as community assets, where willing participation is recognised as good citizenship.  

Good communication is vital to managing the tax and super systems effectively. Our aspiration is to communicate in a clear and open way that positively influences compliance behaviour and confidence in our administration.

Our program of work is closely aligned to our five strategic themes: encourage, support, protect, enhance and champion.

Our marketing and communications area contributes to a wide range of activities, including:

• strategy and product development
• internal and external communications
• research
• graphic design
• publishing.

Our marketing communications stream designs and delivers high quality marketing communication services to a wide range of audiences using multiple channels.

We work collaboratively with many areas to coordinate and provide strategic advice and support for both internal and external communications.

Marketing communication aims to:

• encourage collaboration and sharing of knowledge
• provide a forum for discussion of ideas and problems
• broaden learning and development.

As one of our marketing communication graduates, you will be given a unique opportunity to work on tasks such as:

• developing strategies and campaigns
• graphic design, writing and editing
• website design and publishing
• promoting new products and services
• new and multi media
• managing media and public relations.

During your 12 month graduate program you will be:

• provided challenging work to develop your skills, knowledge and experience
• offered a range of training opportunities to improve career prospects
• presented with opportunities to develop your initiative, self-confidence, ethical behaviour, leadership, drive and application
• given hands-on training in different disciplines
• provided with opportunities to learn and grow through our innovative mentoring system.

We encourage our people to ask why we do the things we do and what outcomes we want to achieve. We support an inquiring mindset that comes from pride and care in what we do.

Our approach is highly structured and we constantly seek ways to inform, enthuse and delight with our work – but always with the aim of changing attitudes and behaviours. We will inspire your imagination and encourage the question is there a better way? 

You will be innovative with your marketing communication skills to help achieve our outcomes, as innovation in the work environment is a key strategic focus for us. In the view of the Commissioner, the innovation mandate for all of our employees is, 'If you can see something that can be done more efficiently, do something about it.'

Experiencing diverse areas and opportunities will help you identify which areas interest you most. You don’t have to do the same job forever; we encourage you to try new directions. When you work for us, you get a career, not just a job.

We look forward to you joining our marketing communication team and sharing your innovative views while you sketch your future with us.

Michelle Murray

After graduating with a bachelor of media at the University of Adelaide, I worked in a contracted position for six months as a communications assistant, before commencing the ATO graduate program.

Having experienced the uncertainty of contract work I was attracted to a career in the public service as it offered job stability. I was particularly keen on a position in the ATO graduate program as it offered genuine opportunities for career progression.

Add to that, the offer of a specific marketing communications program, a competitive starting salary and a guaranteed position at the completion of the program, I knew the ATO was an employer of choice.

What I have enjoyed most about working at the ATO is just how diverse an organisation it is, and diverse in so many ways – the people who work here and the various skills they bring, the places I can work, the business areas and teams I can work within and the different projects and activities we undertake.

Being such a large organisation the ATO has the resources to really train and mentor their graduates. So I have been able to undertake work in areas which I did not have much prior experience and really challenge myself. The ATO really values the different skills people bring and invests in their employees to build their professional capabilities.

I have undertaken really interesting and meaningful work and been exposed to a range of marketing communications activities. My graduate year has allowed me to experience a number of roles, everything from writing and editing articles for various internal publications, developing, implementing and evaluating communication strategies and assisting the event management and video production teams.

I like how structured the graduate program is, so on top of the continual learning and on the job training in our rotations, we also undertake formal corporate training, stream specific training and have the opportunity to work on a more large scale graduate project.

As well as the wonderful professional development opportunities, for me a highlight has been the fantastic networks I have built. I have received a lot of support from various managers and mentors and also just made some really great friends.

Commencing the ATO graduate program has been more than just starting a new job, it has launched my career.

If you’re considering a career with the ATO, I encourage you to just go for it and apply. Challenge yourself. You’ll be amazed at just how rewarding the graduate experience is. There is a whole world to the ATO that you don’t know about, until you start working here.

This is just the start, and while you’re fresh out of uni and new to your chosen career it’s nice to have support and encouragement at work, and the ATO certainly offers that.

Emily Marsden

After completing my studies, I wanted to do a graduate development program in federal government and was really pleased to discover the ATO had a marketing communication stream in Brisbane. As part of the program, I participated in three rotations, giving me a broad range of experience and exposing me to different types of communications work in the ATO.

In my first placement, I delved into the world of tax schemes in our Aggressive Tax Planning area, then worked with social media in online marketing and contributed to discussions on the future of tax agent communications in our Tax Practitioner and Lodgment Strategy area. The teams you are placed with are always interested in a fresh perspective so I had the opportunity to contribute to some really interesting projects.

The project management aspect was the most challenging part of the program; however it turned out to be one of the most valuable. Not only was it a chance to learn and experiment with project management under the guidance of an experienced team leader, but you also finish up with a qualification!

I feel very fortunate to have been a part of the graduate development program; it is a very supportive environment in which to develop the skills, experience and networks needed to succeed in a career at the ATO. There are plenty of opportunities for a marketing communications professional in the ATO in Brisbane after the program. I am currently working in corporate communications so I have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects across the different business areas.