Graduate opportunities

Kick-start your career and race ahead of the pack. Become an ACCC graduate. Our graduates enjoy working in a high profile agency where they can apply and expand their existing skills and knowledge.

Work in an exciting and challenging environment

Our graduates enjoy applying and expanding their existing skills and knowledge to their work with us. They form an important part of a small, high-performing agency that is committed to promoting competition and consumer protection and fair trading in the Australian marketplace.

How to apply

Apply for the 2025 graduate program.

Applications for the 2025 graduate program opened on 10 May 2024.

2025 graduate program milestones

The table provides some key dates for the 2025 program.

*Dates subject to change

Graduate rotations

Graduate rotations are designed to give graduates an understanding of the broad range of work undertaken by the ACCC. Each graduate will undertake 4 rotations across ACCC divisions over the 18-month graduate program.

To be in our graduate program

We have high expectations of our graduates and create a challenging environment for our graduates to succeed in – will you rise to the challenge?

To be considered, you will:

• have an interest in industry regulation, competition policy and consumer protection

• have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with all people

• be conscientious

• be resilient with the ability to adapt to a fast paced, challenging and ever changing work environment

• be able to gain new skills and an understanding of complex concepts quickly, and apply these to different situations

• have excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem solving skills

• possess a minimum of a Bachelor Degree* with all disciplines considered

• have completed your most recent tertiary studies after February 2020

• have a 65% or higher grade average

• be able to begin employment at the start of the program, Monday 3 February 2025, for an induction program (potentially interstate)

• be willing to undertake and pass a character clearance

• not be serving a Commonwealth Redundancy Benefit period at the start of the program

• be an Australian citizen.

*Qualifications from overseas universities must be recognised by the Overseas Qualifications Unit.

Working conditions

The ACCC graduate program is highly regarded by our managers, senior executives, employees and our graduates. The program has many benefits including:

• an intensive work program

• challenging rotations across the agency with opportunities try new things

• ongoing on and off the job learning and development to help you hone specialist skills that are relevant to your work

• flexible working conditions, including the ability to work part-time (minimum 30 hours per week), so that you can manage other commitments or enjoy work-life balance

• regular opportunities to network, socialise share experiences and develop relationships with your graduate colleagues across the country

• an entry level program coordinator and assigned buddy, both of whom are available to support you personally and professionally throughout the program

• a competitive starting salary of $71,515, with advancement to the APS 5 classification with commensurate salary of $93,004 upon successfully completing the program

• a workplace that embraces diversity, inclusion and equality.

Graduate activities

Our program is structured so that graduates work in a range of areas and take part in diverse activities.

As a graduate your work in the ACCC could involve:

• analysing key market sectors
• helping to assess applications for collective bargaining, authorisations and notifications
• helping to review the economic regulation of network infrastructure
• investigating complaints from business or consumers about possible breaches of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

You may be involved in:

• consumer liaison activities
• product safety surveys
• compliance research, or
• a wide range of activities in our Corporate Division.

Indigenous Graduate Pathway

This year we are participating in centralised recruitment through the Indigenous Graduate Pathway. As an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander you will be able to complete one application and be considered for multiple Agencies and Departments within the Australian Public Service (APS).

To apply and find out more, see the Indigenous Careers website.

Your application and other APS agencies

The ACCC is part of the Australian Government Graduate Program (AGGP).

The Australian Government offers graduates job opportunities across multiple disciplines.

We are a participating agency in the Data and STEM Australian Government Graduate streams. Applying to one of these streams means you only have to go through the application and selection process once to be considered for a range of Australian Government agencies.

Wherever you start your public service career as a graduate, you’ll do meaningful work from day one, be asked to contribute, be recognised for your perspective and see the impact you can make in the Australian community we serve.

Find out more about ACCC current vacancies.

See also

Our past graduates

Working with us