Guide to Careers in the Federal Public Service

Guide to Careers in the Federal Public Service VERSION FRANÇAISE DISPONIBLE Table of ContentsIntroduction1Canada’s Federal Public Service2Facts & Figures35 Reasons to join the Federal Public Service4Employer of Choice6Language Requirements8Programs for Students9Students Providing Aligned Research and Knowledge (SPARK)9Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP)10Co-op/Internship Program11Research Affiliate Program (RAP)12Programs for Graduates13Post-Secondary Recruitment13Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL)14Assessments15Types of Tests15Additional Resources16November, 2009. iRelated Sites16Government Jobs16Second Language Requirements16November, 2009. iiIntroductionThe government of Canada and all its provincial and territorial extensions is not only among the largest of the nation’s employers, it is listed high among the best. Given its range of opportunities and competitive pay and benefits, the government of Canada can lay claim as one of the most sought-after employers in the nation. There are myriad reasons why you should want to work for the public service in Can-ada, but desire alone is not enough to see you gainfully employed in a rewarding and lasting career. To accomplish that, you need to known more than just why you should become a government employee- you need to know how to find the best Canadian government jobs. You also need to know how to find those public-sector jobs that are more obscure- the jobs of interest and promise that are not subject to the explicit governance and of the Public Serv-ice Employment Act. Locating great government jobs is a good start, but not enough. Once you know where to find current job opportunities, you need to know how to apply to them, and you need to know how to increase your odds of landing that dream government job. There are many resources out there, and all of this information is available to you, if you know where to look. The trouble is that more often than not, the general job-seeker does not have this information readily available to them, and so promising opportunities go unreal-ized. It is for this reason that this guide has been created; it aims to balance the scales for you. Gathered from leading governmental sources, this guide combines and delivers all the essential information necessary to see you through a successful government employment search and hiring process. With the help of this guide, not only will you understand the underlying reasons of why you should seek government employment, but also pragmatic steps that outlines how you can do so. The guide aims to equip you as the next successful government job applicant, and the next proud member of the Canadian public service – a gainfully employed, content employee, building a career that finally compensates you for your education, skills, devotion, and effort. Guide to Careers in the Federal Public Service1Canada’s Federal Public ServiceThe federal public service has a lot to offer" ...in the globalisation system, one of the most important and enduring competitive ad-vantages that a country can have today is a lean, effective, honest civil service".  - Thomas FriedmanThe federal Public Service is Canada's:•largest employer•most national employer•most international employer•most diverse employer in terms of occupationsGovernment operates today in a complex global environment•Shifting demographics•International competitiveness•Changing international role•Rapid technological change•Global warming•Emerging markets•Post 9-11 security environmentWhat do "Public Servants" really do?1.We're not "the private sector without a bottom line" - we have a challenging bottom line... it's making a difference to the country2.Despite the stereotypes, it's not a "Dilbert-es-que" job-in-a-cubicle...3....in fact, there really isn't a "typical" PS job.Your unique talents could qualify you to be a test pilot with Transport Canada, a Foreign Service Officer in Macedonia, a wildlife biologist with Environment Cana-da, a computer specialist, a policy maker, a librarian, a pipeline inspector, a program manager, a nurse—the-re's plenty of variety!Guide to Careers in the Federal Public Service2Facts & FiguresIn addition to being Canada’s most international employer, the Public Service is:•Canada’s most national employer - 1,600 points of service across Canada•Canada's most multi-skilled workforce - offers over 1,000 different types of jobs•Offers real opportunity for advancement – 36 + CEO equivalents and over 4,500 exe-cutive positions.Public servant distribution•Federal Departments and Agencies - 255,000•Police and Security Forces - 23,000•Canadian Armed Forces - 65,000•Crown Corporations - 100,000+We are:•54% Female•Average Age: 44•29.5% French (first language)•9.6% Visible Minorities•5.5% Persons with disabilities•3.8% Aboriginal peoples•0.8% of the Canadian population(Sources: Jobs Home > One employer, thousands of opportunities > Facts and figures about the public service of Canada. http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/centres/presentation/facts-faits-eng.htmPrivy Council Office > Clerk of the Privy Council > Public Service Recruitment Fair. http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=clerk-greffier&sub=job-emploi&doc=20081105/index-eng.htm)Guide to Careers in the Federal Public Service35 Reasons to join the Federal Public Service1. Make your markYou can make a meaningful difference to the future of CanadaYou can be part of a non-partisan professional team delivering programs and services aimed at improving the quality of life for all Canadians. You could improve Canadians' health, protect the environment, communicate emergency preparedness or even strengthen Canada's inter-national role.Whether you work in an office or outdoors, in the far North, a rural area or a large urban cen-tre, the public service offers you the opportunity to contribute to your country's future — and to make a difference in people's lives.2. Kick-start your careerYou can explore countless opportunities and career pathsYou can choose from a wide range of rewarding and stimulating careers in a rural area, a re-gional centre or in the National Capital Region; abroad or anywhere in Canada.•With more than 250,000 employees, the size and diversity of the public service create an unmatched variety of employment opportunities in areas such as psychology, communications, law, auditing, biological sciences, economics, chemistry, forestry and human resources.•With 1,600 locations across Canada and operations in 150 countries, the federal go-vernment has more lines of business and points of service, both nationally and interna-tionally, than any other Canadian organization.3. Never stop learningYou can expand your skills and knowledge through continuous learning. Whether you want to continue your education, learn new skills or build your professional career, the public service offers a culture of learning and development.Guide to Careers in the Federal Public Service4Career developmentThe public service offers excellent learning and development opportunities. You can begin as early as your first day. Here are ways to help you develop your career in the public service:•programs and e-learning opportunities with the Canada School of Public Service•organizational learning and leadership opportunities•conferences, workshops and courses•language training in group or one-on-one settings•luncheon speakers and discussion series, educational retreats•mentoring and coaching•and much more!Each employee has an individual learning plan based on their needs for the current position or for career development. Managers meet with individuals once or twice a year to review and evaluate an employee's performance, learning plan and training needs.4. Be part of a communityYou can become an active member of professional networks, functional communities and councils based on the job you do and your professional interests. These all give you an op-portunity to find support from mentors, coaches and colleagues who share your goals and interests. Employees who share common work purposes, functions and professional in-terests belong to what is known as a functional community. They use these communities and professional networks to share and cooperate in areas such as: green citizenship, manage-ment, youth, communications, and information technology. Your ideas matterCanada's public service faces new challenges every day in a complex environment of a glo-balized economic landscape, fast-paced communications and information technologies and new emerging horizontal issues. The public service needs employees' ideas, dynamism and experience to remain relevant and effective in the 21st century.A culture of social responsibilityBe part of a culture of social responsibility and join a large number of public servants who vo-lunteer in their community or participate in initiatives such as the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign (http://www.gcwcc-ccmtgc.org/).5. Get the balance you wantCanada's public service supports work–life balance and creates an intellectually stimulating work environment where excellence is recognized and rewarded. In addition to flexible work arrangements and mobility, working for the public service also means attractive compensa-tion, vacation and other types of leave, and medical, dental and pension benefits.Guide to Careers in the Federal Public Service5Employer of ChoiceAre you committed to making a difference? Would you like to know that the work you do daily has a positive impact on the lives of Canadians?No other organization contributes so much to so many areas of Canadian society.No other organization offers such a variety of employment opportunities, some of which are even outside of Canada. There is a career opportunity for everyone.Choice of diversified workWhether you are a recent graduate beginning your career or an experienced professional loo-king for a change, the public service offers an unmatched variety of employment opportuni-ties. It also offers a chance to acquire new skills and knowledge.More than 75 federal organizations are searching for people with the skills to serve Canadians.We have jobs ranging from geologists to test pilots, from economists to ships' crews, from computer specialists to program managers.Attractive compensation packageThe public service offers a variety of excellent benefits:•fair salary•excellent medical/dental/pension benefits•flexible work arrangements•safe and healthy workplaces•vacation and numerous types of leave•opportunities for diversified work and access to modern technologyIn some occupational groups, the public service is even more competitive than other em-ployers in terms of salary.For more details about compensation, see http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/centres/benef-avant-eng.htmOpportunities for advancementGuide to Careers in the Federal Public Service6A significant proportion of current employees of the public service will retire within the next decade. This opens up opportunities for talented individuals to advance up the corporate ladder.What other employer offers such potential for growth?Helping people in a model organizationThe public service is built on values important to all Canadians and is recognized all over the world for its excellence. In fact, it is used as a model in countries that are trying to develop their own public service.Commitment to employment equityThe public service is committed to being representative of the population it serves.We actively recruit members of the employment equity designated groups (visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal persons and women).An inclusive work placeWe are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive, barrier-free workplace in the pu-blic service and to being accessible and providing the necessary accommodation for those applying for positions.Accommodation can be made for those who need it, both during the application and as-sessment processes and after appointment.If you require accommodation, it is your responsibility to inform the Public Service Commis-sion or the hiring organization in a timely fashion, of the measures required to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be treated confidentially.Complete details concerning accommodation are provided in the Treasury Board policy on the Duty to Accommodate Persons with Disabilities. (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/TB_852/ppaed_e.aspEmployment security and mobilityIn a world characterized by constant change, employment security is hard to find. Consider that in an organization as large and diverse as the public service, you can move from job to job, organization to organization, region to region.You'll have access to 75 organizations in about 1 000 locations.Consider the public service as your employer of choice!(Source: Public Service Commission of Canada/Working for the Federal Public Service/Employer of Choice. http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/centres/ec-eng.htm)Guide to Careers in the Federal Public Service7