An offer arriving is the point everything has been heading towards, and it's also where a lot of otherwise organised people find the thinking harder than expected. You spend weeks being methodical, and then the decision itself feels less clear-cut than the preparation did.
Weighing the offer
A decision like this rarely comes down to one factor, and it's worth taking some time rather than answering the moment the offer lands.
A few things worth going through:
- An honest look at where you are now: what you'd keep, what's wearing you down, and what's actually holding you in place.
- Your own list of what matters to you in a role, roughly ranked. Worth writing down or updating, since priorities can shift over the course of a search.
- The offer held up against that list, one item at a time: the work itself, the team, the classification and conditions, location, development prospects, and how it fits your life outside work.
- The calendar: leave you've accrued, a pay step due soon, family circumstances, anything that changes the cost of moving right now.
- A conversation with your partner or family, since a role change affects more than just you.
Advice from people you trust can genuinely help, and there's no need to keep the decision to yourself. It's worth remembering that anyone you ask is working from a partial picture, so weigh their advice alongside your own judgement. The final decision should reflect your own priorities and circumstances.
An offer that matches most, but not all, of a long and honest list may well be a better fit than one that matches everything on a very short list, since a short list usually means fewer things were checked.
Understanding what's negotiable
The classification and salary range for a role are published before you apply, tied to the enterprise agreement that sets pay and conditions for that department. The scope is usually narrower than private-sector salary negotiation, because the classification and advertised range are already set.
What can vary is where you start within that range. Enterprise agreements often include several pay points within a classification, though the structure differs between agreements, so it's worth checking the one that applies rather than assuming. If your experience sits at the stronger end of what the role asks for, it's reasonable to ask whether there's room to start above the minimum. Recruitment or HR can explain whether a higher starting point is available and what approval is required. It isn't guaranteed, and it's a short practical exchange rather than a negotiation.
Before you resign: understand what stage the offer is at
It's worth being clear about exactly what you've been offered before resigning. These aren't the same thing:
- A verbal indication that you're the preferred candidate
- A written offer
- A conditional offer, pending checks like citizenship, security clearance, health assessment or qualification verification
- A confirmed start date
If your offer is still conditional, it's worth understanding what's outstanding and roughly how long it might take before you resign from your current position. Recruitment or HR can usually tell you where things stand.
Resigning professionally
Tell your manager directly where practical, before sending the formal written resignation. A conversation first, in person or by phone or video depending on how you work, is usually the better order. Where that isn't practical or appropriate, a written resignation is still perfectly proper.
Be clear rather than tentative. If you've accepted another role, say so as a settled thing: "I've accepted a position elsewhere," rather than "I'm weighing up another offer." Tentative wording can be read as leaving the decision open.
Keep the letter brief. It needs to do three things: express genuine thanks for the opportunity and what you learned, confirm you're resigning and state your final day, and offer a reasonable handover. It doesn't need to name the new role or employer.
Check your notice requirement. There's no single universal notice period. Check your employment contract, the relevant enterprise agreement and any workplace policy, along with the start date agreed with the new department, and set your final day accordingly.
Handle work property and information properly. Personal belongings and personal information should be handled in line with your workplace's policy. Departmental information, records and work products stay with the department; don't copy, remove or retain them.
Agree on a realistic start date, taking into account your notice period, any outstanding conditions like a security clearance, accrued leave, relocation, and your personal circumstances. There's nothing wrong with a longer gap where you need one.
Leave grievances out of the conversation and the letter. If you have feedback worth giving, an exit interview is a better place for it, kept constructive.
If asked for reasons, focusing on what the new role offers, rather than a list of complaints, usually keeps the conversation straightforward.
Retention offers
Sometimes, once you resign, your current employer offers something to try to keep you.
There's no surprise bonus in the APS, since pay is tied to classification. What's available instead includes things like a higher duties allowance, a move to a different or more senior role, support to pursue a promotion through a proper merit process, more flexibility, or an internal transfer that addresses the specific thing that had been wearing you down. What's actually available varies between departments and situations.
Some of that can be a genuine and appropriate resolution, particularly if your reasons for leaving were about something the new arrangement directly addresses. A few practical questions help:
- What exactly is being offered?
- Is it temporary or ongoing?
- Is it in writing?
- Does it actually address the reason I was considering leaving?
- What approval or merit process is still required?
A higher duties allowance sits on top of your substantive classification and isn't a permanent reclassification; it can end when the higher duties arrangement finishes or the structure changes. A non-ongoing move to a different role is temporary by definition. Understanding what's really on the table matters more than the timing of when it was offered.
If you decide to withdraw from an accepted offer, communicate promptly and professionally, since changing an accepted offer affects the other department's workforce planning.
There are genuine reasons to stay. Sometimes the search itself gives you a clearer view of your current situation, or something material changes partway through, a difficult manager moves on, or a restructure produces the role you'd wanted. The question worth asking is whether what's now on offer addresses the reasons you started looking.
If it doesn't, it's reasonable to thank your employer and hold your position. You weighed the original offer properly, and that's still the decision that reflects your considered judgement.