Wanted: men and women to join Australia's newest national security agency. Must be willing to take an oath, use force, and fire a gun.
The Australian Border Force, the paramilitary unit that drew ridicule last week when it ruined a police operation in Melbourne, is looking for staff.
The job advertisement gives detailed insight into the Abbott government's controversial military-style overhaul of frontline immigration roles, which until recently were filled by regular public servants.
The recruitment drive comes amid calls for the purpose and powers of the new security agency to be more clearly defined, after public outrage over its visa-check plans forced a complex police operation to be aborted.
The 150 new recruits must "complete Use of Force training" and be willing to "use personal defence equipment, including a firearm".
So far about 860 people have applied online for the $42,865-a-year job, plus super - a wage level criticised on social media as "disgustingly low".
The recruitment campaign has drawn strong interest on the Australian Border Force Facebook page, however some users questioned the merits of joining after last week's embarrassing debacle.
Recruits would be trained at an Australian Border Force college in Sydney or Canberra.
They would be required to take an oath or affirmation, pledging to discharge their duties well and uphold "the good reputation of the Australian Border Force".
They must also undergo fitness tests, which the department said involved "flexibility, agility, strength, balance, coordination, power, speed and endurance" activity.
The Border Force began in July when frontline immigration and customs functions were merged.
Fairfax Media reported in January that existing workers who wanted to keep their operational jobs were forced to submit to boot-camp style tests including push-ups, squats and shuttle-runs. Those who failed would be punted to a desk job.
Female border officials aged over 55 were expected to perform four push-ups and six repetition squats, plus heart rate tests after climbing 22 steps in 60 seconds.
Those aged up to 34 years were asked to do eight push-ups plus 15 repetitions squats for male officials, and 12 for females.
Most officers were being fitness-tested for the first time in their working lives.
As reported on Tuesday, the Border Force, is building a 5000 to 6000-strong body of officers, most trained to use force. Several thousand are already trained to use guns.
Following last week's controversy, government appointed Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson said the "increasing paramilitarisation of wandering bureaucrats" would only lead to those "unskilled and untrained to overstep the mark and risk infringing our civil liberties".
The Greens called for the powers of Border Force officers to be clarified, telling the ABC "it needs to be cleaned up. They're not an arm of the military and they're not a police force."
A department spokeswoman did not provide details of the firearms used, or guidelines on when they should be discharged, but said all training was "consistent with legislation and international best practice".
"Only officers certified in appropriate [use of force] training can deploy with personal defensive equipment which includes a firearm," she said, saying the training was given only to staff in the marine and counter-terrorism units.
She said Border Force officers planned to take part in the Melbourne police operation would not have been armed.
Recruit applications close on September 6.
