Ask not what your country can do for you...

There’s nothing like ANZAC Day to remind us about the importance of serving our country. One way to do that even in the modern world is to join the defence forces. Another is to work in the public service.

Working for the defence forces doesn’t just mean fighting or peace keeping in far flung corners of the world. All manner of support staff members are needed to keep the defence forces running and the roles on offer can be very fulfilling indeed. Some of those roles on offer include:

• Rehabilitation counsellor. This job involves counselling staff members who are experiencing a disability or health condition.
   
• Chef. An army marches on its stomach and there are many roles in the defence forces for trained chefs and other hospitality workers.
   
• IT and software development. Computer skills are in big demand in the defence forces, which need IT support in all areas both at military bases and on the land, sea and air.
   
• Medical staff. The forces need doctors and psychiatrists nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other medical staff. There are full time, part time and locum roles available.

For more jobs listed on SEEK for the defence forces, click here.

For the public good. There are many ways to “serve” others through a government career. For example, former banker David Boyle took a whopping 30% pay cut to move to a government job where he could use his knowledge to help the public.

Boyle, who started in banking at the age of 17, had risen to “General Manager Funds Management” at ANZ when he decided he wanted to use his experience to help a wider audience, not only people who could afford to invest with the bank.

At close to 50, Boyle had paid his mortgage off and could afford to live on less. “That meant I could take all my experience in financial services and use it for something more meaningful,” he says.

The perfect role for Boyle arose at New Zealand’s Commission for Financial Capability, which is charged with improving the public’s financial literacy. “The Commission gives me a chance to raise people’s financial knowledge and make financial matters simpler for people to understand, instead of selling a product,” he says.

A breadth of options. As Boyle’s role shows government jobs come in all sorts of flavours. You could give back to your country by becoming a prison officer, librarian, a traffic camera operator, a recycling officer, a health and safety officer, a noxious weeds officer and quite literally thousands of other jobs from graduate roles right up to the head of government ministries.

If you’ve been thinking you want a change of direction or a whole new career that benefits others, then consider studying government and defence courses.

Even if your personal situation doesn’t allow you to move to a job in the public sector, you can support your fellow Australians by volunteering. Look for the right opportunity on SEEK Volunteer.

You could give back to your country by becoming a prison officer, librarian, a traffic camera operator, a recycling officer, a health and safety officer, a noxious weeds officer and quite literally thousands of other jobs from graduate roles right up to the head of government ministries.