Lachlan Moore

From the start of this year, I have been employed as an Australian Public Servant (APS) employee with the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA). In my employment at the department, I am responsible for assisting in the running of the department's travel and expense8 helpdesk. This role involves many skills, including:

• Communication skills - In my current role, I am required to assist any of the 3,000+ employees who may have issues with their travel. This requires excellent communication skills to ensure effective communication with employees, regardless of rank, position, technical knowledge, or location factors, in order to ensure a positive outcome for their problems.
• Understanding and adherence to policy - In my current role, I am required to adhere to a number of legislative and departmental requirements due to the nature of having access to public money and performing public duties.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills - In my current position, I work in the travel helpdesk, which requires me to first analyse a person's issue, second, to determine the cause of the issue, and finally, to find a solution that is both practical for the employee and acceptable to the policies of the department.
• Technical skills - In my current role, I am expected to be able to navigate numerous digital systems, including Expense8, CTM, and DOLARS. These systems all present different challenges and constraints, and I require the technical understanding to be able to perform well in all of these environments.
• Efficiency - In my current job, I am required to be efficient and timely when dealing with issues that have been raised by members of staff. This is in order to ensure they are able to continue their work and meet their own deadlines.

From the start of 2024 until mid-2025, I worked at the Queanbeyan Roo's Club in a hospitality role as both a waiter and a bartender. This role involved:

• Teamwork and coordination – this role involved the coordination of all aspects of the club service delivery model, including communication and coordination between kitchen staff, wait staff, bar staff, and customer service staff, to ensure excellent service delivery.
• Critical thinking and adaptability - are essential to prioritize and balance the tasks presented by providing food service for over 300 people on a routine basis.
• Communication and customer service - in order to deal with a wide range of customers in a consistent and professional manner. Including the management and de-escalation of customer complaints, often involving situations where complainants are under the influence of alcohol.
• Leadership and team management – as a senior member of the hospitality staff, I was regularly required to manage and coordinate the sale and delivery of food for the entire club, with a service capacity of over 300 people.
• Work Health and Safety compliance - operating in a working kitchen and service area, I was required to manage and comply with WHS requirements at all times. This includes a working environment with burn and slip hazards, managing sharp objects, and ensuring manual handling is conducted in a safe and responsible manner.

Since the start of 2020, I have been a member of the Australian Air Force Cadets youth program. During my time in this program, I achieved the highest possible rank of Cadet Under Officer. Part of this progression has included the completion of three residential, personal development, and leadership courses. As Cadet Under Officer, I was responsible for the daily supervision and management of over 80 cadets. This management included:

• Producing the weekly training program for all cadets in the unit.
• Leading teams to organize and execute activities, including training days, field activities, and residential activities.
• Managing and developing a team of senior cadet instructors to improve their teaching and leadership skills.
• Operationalizing and implementing senior leadership's intent for the direction and management of the unit.
• Preparing and delivering educational modules across a range of subjects to cadets ranging from the ages of 13 to 18.
• Immediate management of any issues of unacceptable behaviour, complaints resolution, or safety that may arise.