If you are looking at Aboriginal identified and targeted positions, the most useful question is: what does this employer require for this particular job?
As a former NSW Government hiring manager, I would start there before helping someone choose their application examples. Eligibility, cultural capability and professional experience can all matter, but they answer different parts of the recruitment process.
This guide covers the distinction in NSW and the APS, then looks at how to prepare an application without losing sight of the work you would be doing.
Aboriginal identified positions in NSW
The NSW Government’s guidance describes Aboriginal identified roles as restricted positions where Aboriginality is a genuine occupational qualification. The requirement should be clear in the advertisement.
NSW Health’s Stepping Up guidance explains that Aboriginal identified positions require Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent, self-identification and acceptance by the relevant community. Read the vacancy’s confirmation requirements carefully.
That does not remove the other requirements of the job. If the role calls for a particular qualification, licence or demonstrated experience, include the evidence the employer requests.
Aboriginal targeted positions: read the priority wording
A targeted role may be a mainstream vacancy used to increase Aboriginal employment. However, the label alone is not enough to establish whether other applicants can be considered.
NSW Health’s employer guidance explains its identified and targeted arrangements. Its recruitment policy, Appendix 4, distinguishes restricted recruitment from open recruitment with Aboriginal applicants considered first.
If you are a non-Aboriginal applicant, confirm that the advertisement actually allows you to apply. If you are an Aboriginal applicant, check the priority process and prepare a complete application. I would never suggest treating priority consideration as a reason to give the panel less evidence of your skills.
APS identified positions work differently
In the APS, an identified position can be open to everyone. It requires relevant cultural understanding and the ability to work effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. When an APS role is advertised under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affirmative measure, eligibility is restricted.
The APSC’s recruitment guidance explains the distinction. A vacancy can have both features, so check for an affirmative-measure statement even when the title already says “identified”.
For the wider comparison, read our targeted-versus-identified positions guide. The practical point here is to use the agency’s full eligibility statement.
Ask about confirmation early
Do not assume every employer accepts the same document or asks for it at the same stage. The NSW Government recruitment guidance recognises that agencies have their own confirmation processes and that alternative corroborating information may need to be considered.
If you are unsure about the requested documentation, speak with the named recruitment contact or Aboriginal workforce contact. Ask what they accept, when they need it and how to provide it securely. Avoid leaving that conversation until the closing afternoon.
My advice is to make that a practical conversation about the process. You do not need to turn your cover letter into an explanation of every personal circumstance behind your documents.
Build your application around the actual responsibilities
Once eligibility is established, I would put the position description beside a blank page and work through the main responsibilities.
- What work needs doing? A project role, field role and client-service role need different examples, even when they share an eligibility requirement.
- What was your contribution? Explain the decisions you made, the tasks you owned and when you sought advice.
- What does the criterion ask about cultural capability? Address the actual wording. Show relevant practice rather than relying on a general statement of commitment.
- What changed? Describe an outcome you can support. If it was a team effort, make your part clear.
For example, where a criterion asks about community engagement, I would want to understand how the applicant approached the relationship, listened to different views and used what they learned. A list of meetings tells me much less.
Keep community information, personal stories and confidential workplace details out of an application where you do not have permission to share them. You can explain your own approach without identifying someone else’s circumstances.
Questions worth asking before you apply
Beyond eligibility, ask what the role is expected to deliver in its first few months, who it works with and what support is available. If travel or community engagement is central, clarify the practical expectations.
I would also ask which requirements need to be addressed in the written application. Don’t spend a page answering a question the employer has not asked while missing a required response.
For a NSW Health vacancy, our NSW Health selection criteria guide can help you turn relevant experience into a focused answer.
Can Aboriginal applicants apply for other roles too?
Yes. NSW Health’s candidate guidance explicitly encourages Aboriginal applicants to consider any relevant vacancy. Identified and targeted positions are additional opportunities, not the limit of your job search.
I would search by the work you want to do as well as by the recruitment pathway. You may find a strong match in a general project, administration, operational or leadership vacancy.
Help preparing your documents
If you have found an eligible role and want support explaining your experience, Team 3Thirty’s government application writing service can help with the requested written documents. Direct eligibility and confirmation questions to the employer.
Research checked 19 October 2026, Australian Eastern Daylight Time. Employer requirements vary; check the current advertisement and candidate information pack.