Your guide to applying for a govt job

There are specific requirements that need to be met when applying for a vacancy in government. 

To empower the youth with the necessary knowledge about these requirements, Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), in partnership with the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), recently held a webinar on ‘How to apply for a government job’.

The webinar was part of the Vuk Talks initiative, which is a series of free webinars aimed at assisting the youth.

David Jacobs, Chief Director of Cluster Supervision at GCIS, explained that the webinars are modelled along the lines of the internationally known Ted Talks series.

“But Vuk Talks is different as it’s about the ‘how to’. The webinars share educational content and real skills with the youth, so that they can improve their lives,” said Jacobs.

He added that Vuk Talks is an ongoing programme with many more webinars in the pipeline to empower the youth.

Dos and don’ts

The aim of the ‘How to apply for a government job’ webinar was to make information about public sector vacancies more accessible and inform the youth about the dos and don’ts when applying for a job in the public service.

Renel Singh-Dastaghir, the Director for Employment Management at the DPSA, said that those seeking public sector employment can search for vacancies on a number of platforms, including Public Sector Vacancy Circulars which are posted every Friday on the DPSA’s website (www.dpsa.gov.za). Most vacancies are also loaded onto GCIS’s website (www.gcis.gov.za); government’s website (www.gov.za); individual government departments’ websites, in vacancy portals; and are advertised in the media.

Singh-Dastaghir gave a live tutorial of the DPSA’s website and showed participants where to access the weekly Public Sector Vacancy Circulars. You can do this by following these steps:

• Go to the DPSA’s website (www.dpsa.gov.za).
• Click the red button at the top that says ‘DPSA to Gov communication’. Click ‘Public service vacancies’ on the left of your screen.This will open the latest circular.

Information for applicants

The vacancy page also contains detailed information, above the circular, for applicants.

It states:

• Applications must be submitted on form Z83, with full particulars of the applicant’s training, qualifications, competencies, knowledge and experience (on a separate sheet if necessary, or a CV). This must be forwarded to the department in which the vacancy exists.
• Applicants must indicate the reference number of the vacancy in their application.
• Applicants requiring additional information regarding an advertised post must direct their enquiries to the department where the vacancy exists.
• Applications must reach the relevant department on or before the closing date.

Vacancies are listed under the relevant national or provincial department in the circular. Applicants must click on the relevant link to view each vacancy.

New Z83 form

Singh-Dastaghir said a new Z83 application form was gazetted on 1 January 2021.

“If your application is not submitted on the new Z83 form, it will not be accepted and you will be disqualified,” she explained.

Singh-Dastaghir said public service departments are governed by the Public Service Act, which means that anyone who applies for a Public Service Act post is required to complete the Z83 application form.

A new, editable Z83 form is also located on the vacancy page, to make the application process easier.

“Applicants can enter their details electronically and then print the completed form. Once printed, they must sign it and include it with their application,” she said.

Senior posts

Applications for senior public sector posts will have additional application requirements, including a pre-entry certificate course that must be completed prior to your appointment.

The course enables applicants to better understand the public service environment, including its structures and strategic and governance processes.

Every vacancy post contains a ‘note’ to candidates.

“It’s important that candidates read this note as it will contain specific information about the advertised post and its requirements. Failure to comply will result in your application being disqualified,” said Singh- Dastaghir. 

To watch the full webinar, visit Vuk’uzenzele’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VukuzenzeleNews, find the post on the webinar and follow the instructions.