You haven't quite decided if Canberra represents the end of life and civilisation as you knew it or if, actually, it is a really cool place to live.

You're being inducted. And serious departmental professionals are saying to you that graduate intakes are like wine. Some vintages are outstanding; some are fair to middling; some are just rubbish.

Be not middling and be not rubbish you are told.

Now, the reality is that you deserve congratulations. For you have the chance to do work that is valuable for the country, professionally interesting and personally rewarding.

Because it's your duty to make this so, remember these things.

The first and most important point that you must incorporate into your DNA as a professional public servant is that values are important. Integrity is important. You are paid to be respectful, honest, responsive, constructive and generous in your dealings. You are paid to be courageous in a reasonable way.

The positive values that you adopt mean that you are a steward in your role. The public service is an institution that works best when the valuable insights and memories of your organisation - those of your leaders, managers and colleagues - are captured and put to good use. You inherit a noble tradition and your work will create an embellished legacy.

As a steward, you faithfully serve the government of the day and are apolitical in all your dealings. You serve the public by serving the government and by designing policy and delivering programs that generate value.

In how you do this, understand that your success is intimately linked to the success of your team and the project you are working on and will be shared rather than seized by you alone. The principle of generosity holds here: be generous with the people you work with; treat people fairly; share what you know.

The networks and positive relationships you form in this graduate year will exist for the rest of your professional life. If you set these friendships up properly, then no matter where you go, you will find people whom you can trust and turn to when you're stuck.

The world and public discourse may have entered a post-truth phase, but the Australian Public Service has not. Facts not only matter, but facts and evidence, reasoned conclusions, underpin the work that you do. You must be clear about what you know, based on evidence and reasoning, and clear about the things you do not know.

The facts are important because they enable you to solve problems. And the work of solving problems and finding solutions will consume you as a public servant. Of course, before you solve a problem you must first define it. This ability to think quickly and clearly about problems is an essential skill for you as a professional.

Next comes a constant of professional life. You must pay attention to detail, follow proper process and properly record the reasons why decisions were made. There is much lazy talk these days of the importance of being agile, nimble and innovative, as though these were the only things that matter for a modern public servant. You will serve your organisation best by doing the basics brilliantly. Be thorough in your research; scrupulous in administrative work; lawful in what you do; clear in what and how you communicate; respectful in your dealings with others.

By doing the basics well, you liberate time and energy to do more creative and difficult work. Because systems degrade and processes, at some stage, are no longer fit for purpose, offer ideas that will make your organisation run better. Managers love officers who identify a problem, think carefully about what can be done better, articulate a possible solution and then crack on. If you've finished a particular job, then see what else you can improve or fix.

Be a respecter of authority and process, but pay no respect to the argument that we have always done this in a particular way. Do things because of good sense rather than empty tradition. If a task is unlawful, unclear or unreasonable, or if the resources you are given are not up to the mark, then speak up. You come with a set of fresh eyes, so you may well solve a problem that has bedevilled your organisation for a very long time.

Sometimes, it is true, you will be stumped. You'll be handed a task or given a problem that you have never worked on before-and perhaps you will struggle. In this case, there is only one rule: speak to your supervisor straight away. Get the necessary insights and support that you need to succeed. Don't stay silent, ask for assistance and don't work alone.

As a professional you must communicate clearly. This is a basic and indispensable skill. Over the course of your career, you will be briefing busy ministers, executives and managers, and informing your fellow Australians about programs and initiatives. Understand that ministers or Australian citizens do not need to know everything that you know on a particular subject. All they need is the information that allows them to make a good decision or act in a particular way. They know things you don't - and you will take as much from them as they from you.

Therefore, learn how to write clearly, speak clearly and listen carefully. The mantra you repeat to yourself as a professional communicator is ABC: I must be accurate, brief and clear.

Finally, we come to the need for you to look after yourself. In this new role and in this new town, look after yourself and look out for your colleagues. Eat good calories; drink good alcohol; give up smoking; exercise; hang out with friends; be interested in things other than work; don't be an island; don't forget the people you love.

And at the end of a tough day, rest, recharge and return to work renewed.