After many years being cold-shouldered by students, government jobs have suddenly become sexy.
Indeed, a recent survey found the public service ranked alongside Google as post-secondary students’ most desirable employer.
And it’s an employer with plenty of opportunities. Canadian baby boomers are about to retire in their thousands from the public sector, opening up opportunities for new graduates.
So why have government jobs become so popular? And do they really deserve the good press they’ve been getting lately?
Graham Donald of Brainstorm Consulting, who co-authored the 2007 From Learning to Work Report which revealed the popularity of public-sector jobs, said students perceive four big benefits of working for the government: the work is worthwhile and serves the public good, there’s good career stability (to help pay of those student loans), there are a lot of opportunities in many different roles, and there’s the chance of a career with a good work-life balance.
But Donald offers job-hunters a word of caution. "Government is a huge place with many different organizations, so for students I think it is a challenge of deciding which of those criteria are most important to them and finding out what they need to know to evaluate the position against these possibilities."
In other words, not all government jobs are created equal – it’s up to you as a job-seeker to evaluate each job and each ministry on its own merits. Take the time to contact the ministry and speak with people who work there.
"If you can’t get your questions answered, if it’s such an impersonal a place, then it may not be a good sign," Donald cautions.
Where to Find Jobs
It’s certainly a lot easier to research government jobs than what it used to be. Whereas in the past all federal government hiring was through the Public Service Commission, now individual ministries are reaching out to potential recruits.
In addition to federal government, there are plenty of opportunities at provincial and municipal level.
The variety of work is huge – from a job in forestry to behind a desk at the Canada Revenue Agency. (Indeed, the Revenue Agency sits alongside Industry Canada as one of the biggest federal government employers.) For a sample of the kind of jobs available, see the sidebar.
Where to Start
So how do you start looking for a job in government?
Most searches start online. For municipal-level opportunities, google "employment + government + your city"; for provincial and federal jobs, visit their recruitment websites (see box for website addresses).
Special Programs Available
The federal government and several provinces and municipalities have programs for post-secondary entrants.
The federal Post-Secondary Recruitment (PSR) program offers many opportunities. Disciplines such as business and public administration, sociology, economics, accounting, and mathematics are some of the fields of study that are most commonly required by the federal government. But the disciplines needed vary from year to year depending on government needs.
To apply, first create a job file online that contains personal information, such as education, language and information about your ability to move elsewhere in the country. You will also file a résumé that will be matched to job opportunities that best meet your qualifications and preferences.
Some provinces have similar programs. Ontario, for example, runs an internship program which is a paid, two-year, entry-level employment opportunity in one of seven professional fields, from business planning to project management. It offers hands-on experience in various job assignments, with a salary of between $41,000 and $57,000.
British Columbia is also targeting students with its Pacific Leaders program. Perhaps most attractive of this scheme is the chance to allow the government to "forgive" your student loan at a rate of one-third for each year you are working for the province. In other words, if you work for the B.C. public service for three years, your loan will be paid off. See www.pacificleaders.gov.bc.ca for more information.
Life in the Government
So what’s it like to work in the public service? All meetings and paperwork? Not always.
There’s a huge variety of government work, from flying a helicopter in Atlantic Canada to programming a computer in Ottawa. That means there’s plenty of choice of jobs in public service.
Government is renowned for a good benefits package – and it’s true. The medical, dental and pension benefits are generous. Salary, too, is often aligned with the private sector.
There are plenty opportunities for advancement. The baby boomers working through the government system are set to start retiring over the next few years. Indeed, it’s estimated that more than a third of government employees are set to leave in the next 5 years and more than half of all public servants are aged 45 or over. That means there will be plenty of chances to climb the ladder.
Choose well, and you could find yourself in a job that is not only professionally fulfilling, but also allows you to contribute to society.
Job Application Tips
Every job has a statement of merit criteria, which include essential qualifications that you must meet. If you have the required education and experience, list each essential qualification in your résumé and briefly explain how you meet them. Repeat or stay very close to the exact words from the essential qualifications in your résumé and make a link between your education or experience for each one. Otherwise your application could get screened out.
Each job has a language requirement. While some positions only require the knowledge of English or French, others will require the knowledge of both official languages. In order to determine whether you meet the language requirements of a bilingual position, you will need to take a language test.
Many jobs have a lengthy list of requirements. Fortunately, you don't need to keep your résumé to one or two page
