Searching for work in Perth starts with choosing the right vacancies and showing how your experience fits them. Use this guide to find WA government opportunities, prepare evidence for selection criteria, and make your location and availability clear when applying for metropolitan or site-based work.
Where to look for jobs in Perth
- WA Government Jobs lets you search by job title, agency, location and job category. Read the location and employment type on each vacancy before preparing an application.
- WA Jobs Hub application resources bring together advice on resumes, cover letters, interviews and government applications.
- Jobs and Skills WA provides access to a network of centres offering free career, training and jobseeker support. This can be a useful starting point if you are changing careers or returning to work.
For private-sector work, combine job-board searches with the careers pages of employers you want to work for. Keep separate searches for Perth metropolitan roles and positions involving travel or site work. A vacancy mentioning Perth does not, by itself, tell you where you will spend each working day.
Build a WA government application from the advertisement
The WA Jobs Hub government application guide explains that requirements vary between agencies. Some applications ask for selected criteria in a cover letter; others require a fuller response. Follow the advertised format, word limits and deadline, and use the listed contact person to clarify anything unclear.
- Save the advertisement and application pack. Highlight the requested documents, criteria, closing time and job reference.
- Match each requested criterion to evidence. Choose a real example that shows your contribution, rather than repeating the criterion as a skill.
- Explain the action and outcome. State the context, what you personally did and what changed. Separate your work from the wider team's contribution.
- Check the finished application against the pack. Confirm that every requested attachment is present and that your response fits the specified limits.
Illustrative evidence prompt: if an administration vacancy asks for competing-priority management, describe a week when urgent enquiries coincided with a reporting deadline. Explain how you triaged requests, confirmed priorities and tracked outstanding work. Finish with the actual result, such as submitting the report on time while keeping requesters informed. Use your own experience and only include figures you can substantiate.
For help turning an example into a structured response, see our selection criteria writing support.
Make Perth location and site availability clear
Use the top of your resume to remove practical uncertainty. If relevant, state your current location, realistic start date and willingness to travel. For a site-based or FIFO vacancy, check the advertised point of departure, roster and required credentials before saying you are available. Ask the vacancy contact if these details are missing.
Example wording to adapt: “Based in Perth; available for metropolitan assignments from [date]. Open to site travel subject to the advertised roster.” If relocating, give an honest planned arrival date instead of presenting yourself as already local. Mention licences or tickets only when you hold them and they are relevant to the vacancy.
Show the evidence your target employer needs
A maintenance application can explain how you scheduled work orders, coordinated contractors and kept service records current. A customer-service application can show how you resolved an enquiry and maintained accurate records. Choose examples that match the actual role; the same summary will rarely serve both applications well.
Use our resume guides by occupation to choose relevant evidence, then compare your draft with the employer's requirements. If you want feedback before applying, request a free resume review.
A practical weekly job-search routine
- Shortlist roles you can realistically perform and record their closing dates.
- Keep a simple tracker with the employer, location, reference number, required documents and application status.
- Prepare each application from the saved advertisement and check the upload confirmation.
- Record feedback and revise the relevant example before your next application.
Official resources checked on 7 September 2026. Follow the current advertisement and application pack if requirements change.