It is widely believed that initial experience in temporary and/or casual employment may act as an important steeping-stone to permanent or more desired employment. This is because, on the demand side, employers are increasingly using non-standard employment as a means of labour force screening, and, on the supply side, such jobs offer workers a chance to broaden workforce skills and improve employability. What is not known is how important the non-standard route has become in labour market transition or whether it offers a preferred route to traditional job search methods? In this paper labour force transition is investigated using data gathered from a longitudinal database (MOHRI) covering staff movements in the Queensland public service. The database covers those who have entered the public service through traditional recruitment methods as well as those that have entered through temporary and casual appointments. Empirical analysis used in the paper is based upon cumulative incidence function testing and competing risk hazard function analysis. The results also allow consideration of some of the determinants of exit from the public service.