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The leap to the Senior Executive Service (SES) requires a fundamental shift in how you articulate your value. You are no longer just a subject matter expert; you must prove you can operate at the enterprise level.
Panels now assess your behaviours as rigorously as your outcomes. Our premier coaching package bridges the gap between your operational track record and the strict requirements of the SES Performance Leadership Framework.
At PS Interview Coach, we specialise in executive career transitions. As former senior APS hiring managers, we understand the exact Work Level Standards (WLS) and behavioural markers panels use to scrutinise potential SES candidates. We ensure your narrative is strategically aligned, heavily quantified, and bulletproof.
The rules of SES selection have changed. Under the latest APSC guidelines, how you deliver is weighted equally with what you deliver. Your pitch and interview examples must explicitly demonstrate:
Directly aligning your examples with the Secretaries' Charter of Leadership: Dynamic, Respectful, Integrity, Value others, and Empower people.
Addressing the SES Work Level Standards (WLS) by showing scale, nature of impact, and how you shape long-term organisational strategy beyond your immediate branch.
Proving your ability to resolve divergent views, influence Ministers' offices, and build high-stakes partnerships across the Commonwealth.
Develop the sophisticated leadership narrative required to succeed at the SES band.
Targeted, 1-on-1 sessions focused on elevating your mindset from operational delivery to broad organisational stewardship and impact.
Rigorous mock interviewing and strategic narrative development to handle complex, highly sensitive scenario-based panel questioning.
Direct alignment of your career achievements with the strict psychological safety and ethical expectations of the APS values and ILS.
Techniques to articulate complex program delivery, regulatory enforcement, and policy implementation strictly through a strategic leadership lens.
Shift from EL2 operational thinking to enterprise-level SES leadership positioning.
Rebuild your examples to align with DRIVE behaviours and WLS expectations.
Simulated SES panel interview with real-time feedback and challenge.
Final polish of delivery, structure, and executive presence.
We have sat on SES recruitment panels. We know exactly how candidates are assessed — and where they fail.
Limited intake due to high-demand SES candidates
Choose the level of executive support required to secure your transition into the Senior Executive Service.
The core intensive coaching program for EL2 and acting SES professionals.
The ultimate end-to-end SES application and interview solution.
Includes comprehensive application writing
Includes everything in the standard program, PLUS:
Many exceptional EL2s fail because they focus entirely on the complexity of the *work* they delivered (the "what"). At the SES level, the panel is equally, if not more, concerned with *how* you delivered it. The new SES Performance Leadership Framework mandates a 50/50 split between operational outcomes and your demonstration of the DRIVE leadership behaviours.
Yes. The "acting trap" is incredibly common. Candidates assume the panel (often containing their current managers) already knows their worth, leading to under-prepared, informal interview responses. We coach you to systematically prove your strategic value, demonstrate continuous improvement, and articulate your enterprise-wide impact without sounding complacent.
Don't risk your transition on generic advice. Work with former hiring managers who understand the exact mechanics of SES selection and the new Performance Leadership Framework.
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Not sure which option is right for you? Contact us for a free 15-minute consultation to discuss your specific needs and target role.
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