Focus on transferable skills such as technical capability, problem-solving, and teamwork. These are often just as valuable as direct industry experience, particularly in complex, safety-critical environments.

What strengthens an application even further is evidence of learning. Sharing examples of relevant projects, certifications, training, or self-directed learning helps bridge the gap between past experience and future potential.

Tailoring your resume, using job-relevant language, and quantifying your impact with metrics can strengthen your application. For example, “improved process efficiency by 20%.”

That also means translating experience into more universally recognised skills. Instead of industry-specific jargon, candidates are encouraged to highlight collaboration, stakeholder management, delivery outcomes and adaptability.

Providing concrete examples helps hiring managers see capability beyond job titles or sector labels, enabling them to factor in additional training time where needed. Each case remains role-dependent and specific to the business unit.

A well-written cover letter is an opportunity to explain how knowledge gaps will be bridged, what you bring that allows you to get up to speed quickly, and why you’re motivated to work in the role and the organisation.

Because for Sportsbet, industry familiarity matters far less than values alignment and intent. 

Industry-specific knowledge can be learned, but mindset is harder to teach. Curiosity, willingness to grow, and the ability to adapt to new challenges are often stronger indicators of long-term success than a perfectly matched background.

What we look for is adaptability, a commitment to safety, teamwork, a learning mindset and your diverse perspective. 

Candidates should feel confident emphasising their ability to quickly understand new environments and regulations.

In government, applications are framed around the QLD government leadership competencies and there is a similar one for the federal government. There isn’t a selection criteria per se, but make sure that you frame your experience around the key accountabilities for the role.

Communication skills, strategic thinking, problem solving, stakeholder engagement and relationship building, willingness to work as a team (and more) are the fundamental tools that everybody can build and strengthen. The ‘growth and opportunity’ lies in which industry you want to apply your skills.

“I wanted to apply my technical expertise and leadership skills in a role with greater purpose.”

“Now working within a global organisation of over 80,000 people across 63 countries, they collaborate across rolling stock, signalling, services, and corporate functions — alongside colleagues from 184 nationalities.”

“Breaking into a new industry isn’t about starting over — it’s about unlocking new possibilities with the skills you already have.”

“Up until joining QAL, working as a broadcast journalist was all I knew, and honestly, the thought of transferring into a new industry was a bit daunting. I didn’t know much about aviation as an industry other than it connected people all over the world, but I was interested and had heard positive things about QAL as a workplace, and that was enough for me to apply. 

I can happily say now that once I’d joined, the skills I’d learnt in my previous job were far more transferrable than I’d realised, and truly, the people at QAL made that transition even easier. Now, three years later I even find myself answering the odd aviation question (and enjoying a bit of plane spotting here and there!).”