Can my boss really tell me what I can or can’t do on my lunch break?

To try to make this situation a little better, rather than simply having to endure the next 18 months, try to have an open conversation with your boss. Acknowledge your earlier discussion had been difficult. Let them know you want to work together effectively – ask them to clarify what they meant about being more deferential and ask how they would like you to raise concerns with them in future.

At the same time, document your concerns if you observe your boss doing anything unethical. This does not mean just decisions you think are political or examples of where they may exercise poor judgment. If needed, you can report your concerns to someone more senior based on factual evidence only.

I applied for a short-term higher-level position in my government organisation and prepared using the position description. At interview, however, the questions seemed unrelated to it. The successful applicant is the same person repeatedly given acting opportunities, despite failing to meet performance targets and struggling to retain staff. I am frustrated by what appears to be a self-perpetuating system: they receive opportunities that give them the experience needed to secure the next one. Am I missing something, and how should I respond?

Your preparation was a great idea, but unfortunately a position description is not an advance copy of the interview script. Panels will often use unexpected questions to test judgment, adaptability and how you might apply your experience, not just how well you have rehearsed predictable examples.

It is worth asking for detailed feedback on why you were unsuccessful. Something like, “Could you explain what capabilities the questions were designed to assess, where my responses were less competitive and what evidence I need to demonstrate next time?”