Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Internship Program 2020/21
Application process + qualities looked for in an intern and grad:
The following is based on my experience applying for and completing the RBA internship program in
2020. Applications opened early April and closed at the end of April. The assessment centre was
conducted online in July, and I received my offer at the start of October – offers were delayed due to
COVID‐19.
1. Online application
You are required to submit your CV, fill in details about the number of Economics/Finance and
Econometrics courses you have taken, and your grade average in these subjects. There are two long‐
answer questions too. The first asks about your involvement in volunteering since leaving high
school – joining the subcommittee/executive of societies and mentoring at university are two
possibly ways you could gain experience as a volunteer.
The second asks why the RBA should consider you for the internship program. This is similar to a
cover letter, where you can link your achievements and skills to the qualities the RBA look for in their
interns, found here: https://rba.gov.au/careers/graduate‐careers/intern‐program.html
It is also useful to incorporate a couple of their values into your answer: https://rba.gov.au/about‐
rba/our‐values.html. When talking about their values or how you fit their selection criteria, make
sure to back up your answer with relevant experience, interests, or achievements. Ensure the key
points you want to make are clearly set out, and concise.
2. Online aptitude test
The second stage is a series of online tests, conducted through SHL. You often receive the email
invitation for this stage shortly after submitting your online application (a few days maximum),
provided you are successful. The tests involve numerical reasoning (have a calculator handy), verbal
reasoning and problem‐solving skills. There were quite a few mathematical questions, and logic
puzzles – have a pen and paper nearby too.
3. Video interview
Shortly after completing the online aptitude test, you will receive an email invitation for a video
interview, to be completed within a certain timeframe (if you are successful). This is conducted
through SHL too. It is not with another person. Once you commence the interview, a question will
appear on the screen, and you are given around 30‐60 seconds to think about it. After which you will
answer the question by talking to the camera. You are given about 1 minute to answer each
question. Once the timer runs out, the next question will automatically appear on the screen. There
are several questions, focused on yourself and the RBA. These will likely involve introducing yourself,
why you’re interested in the RBA, and the RBA’s work aside from monetary policy.
You can prepare by brainstorming your key qualities and experience and being able to link them to
the RBA’s work and values (similar to the long answer question in the online application). Creating a
short summary about yourself, that is not only about your academic life would be useful too, as well
as thinking about what drew you to the internship program (e.g. skill development, contributing to
public policy). Have a look through the RBA’s website to see what they do, current
statements/activities, values, careers and any equity & diversity initiatives too.
Here are a few links to get you started:
https://rba.gov.au/about‐rba/our‐role.html
https://www.rba.gov.au/media‐releases/
https://www.rba.gov.au/careers/
https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/annual‐reports/rba/2020/our‐people.html
4. Assessment centre
The assessment centre consisted of 3 tasks: a written task, presentation, and face‐to‐face interview.
They were all conducted online. If you are successful, you will receive an email invitation to the
assessment centre, and an RBA staff member will call you to arrange an interview time.
Written task: The written task is about 90 minutes. You are provided with briefing material – about 8
pages worth – of information and graphs and are asked to create a briefing paper (about 1‐2 pages).
This usually involves selecting and presenting the most relevant information, as well as the topic’s
relevance to the RBA’s mandates and implications for policy.
The briefing note required me to address two ideas. The first involved summarising the recent
trends in the material, linking them to the RBA’s mandates, and pointing out why they should
understand new changes and review existing policy. This was essentially the motivation for the
briefing note. The other part was discussing potential areas for policy changes – e.g. suggesting
changes or additions to current policy, expanding on current trends and their effect on individuals
and businesses.
You don’t need to have any prior knowledge about the topic, as they provide you with plenty of
background materials. It could be useful to have a look at publications on the RBA’s website,
particularly any past briefing notes, to familiarise yourself with their writing style and formatting.
Presentation: The presentation involved 20 minutes preparation and 5‐10 minutes to present online.
Your presentation is recorded, and a member of the RBA team sits in on the presentation (virtually)
just to check the recording works but doesn’t ask any questions. You are given briefing materials and
asked to draft a short presentation on the topic – visual aids/powerpoint slides aren’t required.
The presentation is on a similar topic to the written task but has new information. I was asked to
construct a for or against argument, and what the economic implications would be regarding a policy
change.
Interview: The interview takes up to 75 minutes and was conducted online. There are three
interviewers on the Zoom call. They asked both behavioural and technical questions, as well as
general “tell us about yourself” “what interests you about the RBA” questions. The behavioural
questions were mainly situation‐based, e.g. tell us about a time you showed teamwork. The STAR
approach is often recommended for this type of question – Situation, Task, Action, Response –
google it for more information.
The technical questions were mostly theoretical but knowing a little about current trends and the
RBA’s stance would help. They also asked about COVID‐19’s effect on a couple of areas of the
economy, and the RBA’s actions.
They asked follow‐up questions about the presentation. It would be useful to reflect on your
strengths and weaknesses in the presentation, and what you took away from it – any interesting
points and your final stance.
What they look for in an intern (based on the application process):
Thinking on your feet – taking the time to ponder the question, and talk through an answer
Acknowledging if you don’t know an answer/aren’t sure and are willing to listen to feedback,
or be pointed in the right direction
General (doesn’t have to be extensive) knowledge and interest in the RBA’s activities and
public policy
A good understanding of basic economic concepts e.g. supply and demand, appreciation and
depreciation of exchange rates, interest rates
Communication, teamwork, self‐reflection
What they look for in a grad:
These are a few qualities I noticed that the RBA value when looking for graduates, based on the
feedback and comments I received during my internship program. First and foremost, it’s about
potential, not perfection.
● Being able to work independently, but knowing when to seek help/opinions of others and
ask questions
● Problem solving and analytical skills – drawing out important conclusions from the data,
brainstorming solutions to an unexpected problem
● Genuine interest in their work – reaching out to talk to RBA staff, showing curiosity
● Meeting deadlines, managing your workload to satisfy time constraints
● Handling criticism well and incorporating feedback into your work – during the internship,
you draft a project note that is edited by other staff. It is then returned to you, and you work
in their edits.
● Adaptability and resilience – during my intern project, the coding software couldn’t create
my original model, and it looked like the project would change. It is good to show that you’re
willing to work on anything and can find something of interest in it.