Monika

Senior Economist, Department of Treasury and Finance

Length of service: 2 years

My journey so far

I started as a graduate in the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) after previously working in the not-for-profit sector.

In my graduate year, I had the opportunity to rotate through different areas of the public service including the Department of Health and Human Services as well as in the revenue forecasting and social policy teams of DTF.

Since returning to an ongoing position at DTF, I have worked across a wide range of policy areas. I'm now a senior economist working on social impact investing, and health and human services policy.

My day-to-day work

An average working day for me can change quickly depending on the immediate priorities of the Government, stakeholders, and the community.

As well as conducting longer-term research and analysis, I might be called on to provide an urgent briefing or work through a difficult problem with an inter-departmental team.

How my work contributes to the Victorian community

By providing advice to the Treasurer about the economic value of social policies, I help the Government to make well-informed decisions about how to best use its scarce resources to maximise social benefit to the community.

The ultimate aim is to improve the lives of Victorian residents by ensuring they have access to effective and efficient Government services.

Public sector opportunities like no other

There is no other workplace where you get such direct access to the people that make the most significant decisions in our society.

Working so closely to the government allows you to contribute to public policy in a very direct way, and gives an invaluable insight into how decisions are made at the highest level.

There aren't many places where you can be working on a policy issue one day, and see it in the news headlines the next. 

Experiencing diversity and inclusiveness

The Victorian public sector commitment to gender diversity is strongly embraced in my Department, which has increased the proportion of women in executive roles from 35 to 43 per cent in less than a year.

This culture of embracing gender diversity has meant that with the support of senior executives and colleagues, I’ve been able to establish a mentoring program for female high-school students interested in a career in economics.

Proud of my work

I'm proud to have worked on research that has gone on to have a tangible influence on areas of policy that directly affect people I know.

It’s very cool to hear someone talk about something good that the Government is doing and be able to think 'I worked on that'. It’s amazing to see even small things change and knowing that I played a part in making that happen.

Join me in the Victorian public sector

There are a lot of great things about working in the Victorian public sector, particularly the depth of remarkably intelligent colleagues you get to work with.

The thing I enjoy the most though is being able to work on policies that have a measurable impact on people’s lives and being part of the process that shapes the way those policies are developed.

You too can be a part of that.

Monika