Candidate application form
In order to be eligible for Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) positions you must respond to all questions or criteria
set out on this application form.
Note: you are only required to address the key selection criteria (KSC) listed on this form. Individual
responses to the KSC listed on the position description are not required.
For further information regarding the position you should contact the hiring manager as set out in the
advertisement, however if you require assistance or clarification regarding this form or the recruitment
process please contact our People and Culture team via [email protected]
Section 1 – candidate and position details
Candidate name: Xiang Zhang
Position applying for: Senior Finance Officer
VLA employee status: ☐ Current ☐ Previous ☒ N/A
All VLA employees are required to attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line
with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and
willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.
Are you currently located in Victoria or a nearby border community?
☒ Yes ☐ No (please specify current location) Click or tap here to enter text.
If no, are you currently able and willing to relocate to Victoria? Click or tap here to enter text.
Section 2 – candidate responses
Please provide responses to the questions listed below. You don’t need to provide individual responses
to the key selection criteria listed in the position description.
We review many applications, and your time is valuable. While we ask for examples in your answers,
please be concise.
What has attracted you to apply for this position and VLA as an organisation?
I am drawn to this position at VLA for several reasons. Firstly, I am impressed by VLA's commitment to
its mission and the impact it has on the community. The organisation's dedication to providing valuable
legal services to those who might not have easy access aligns with my personal values of social
responsibility and making a difference. Additionally, the specific role in question aligns well with my skill
set and career goals. I have a strong background in finance, and I am excited about the opportunity to
use my financial expertise to contribute to VLA's mission. The prospect of working in an organisation
where I can combine my passion for finance with a sense of purpose is highly appealing to me.
Provide examples of how your previous finance experience is relevant to this position?
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Victoria Legal Aid
Candidate application form
In my current role as a Senior Accounts Receivable Officer, I've gained extensive experience in
financial management, which I believe is highly relevant to the Senior Finance Officer position. Here are
a few examples:
a. Budget Management: I have been responsible for monitoring and managing accounts receivable,
ensuring that payments are collected on time. This includes creating and maintaining detailed financial
records, tracking outstanding balances, and initiating collection activities when necessary. This
experience has honed my financial analysis and forecasting skills, which are vital for the preparation
and management of budgets and financial reports in the Senior Finance Officer role.
b. Risk Assessment: In my current position, I assess the creditworthiness of clients and make informed
decisions about credit limits. This involves a deep understanding of risk management and financial
analysis. These skills are directly transferable to the Senior Finance Officer position, where I would be
involved in assessing the financial health of the organisation and making recommendations to mitigate
financial risks.
Provide examples in meeting multiple deadlines and how you have used your skill and
knowledge to ensure all tasks are completed on a timely manner.
In my current role, I need to manage over 100 clients and each of them has its own due date. I normally
set up a schedule and reminders for myself and follow the schedule to complete them one by one.
Provide examples of the contributions you have made to create and foster a collaborative team
environment.
I have initiated process improvement projects within the accounts receivable team. These projects
involved cross-functional collaboration with other departments such as sales and customer service to
streamline order-to-cash processes. By involving team members in these initiatives, we've not only
improved efficiency but also strengthened interdepartmental cooperation.
Describe your experience of working with internal and external auditor and what support you
provided during the audit process.
In my current and previous roles, I need to provide the documents to auditors for their sample requests.
The documents may include a contract, invoice, payment and reconciliation spreadsheet. I was also
required to explain to auditors their questions regarding debtors’ reports.
