This year’s Post Secondary Recruitment Campaign will run from September 16, 2015 to October 6, 2015.
Every year, tens of thousands of applications are received for a few coveted positions. The main reason that many university students do not succeed is due to a lack of adequate planning and preparation. A sound knowledge of how to correctly prepare your resume, study for the Government exams, and practice for Government of interviews are imperative for success.
What’s new this year?
Similar to last year, the Public Service Commission (PSC) will require job candidates to write a supervised an unsupervised Public Service Entrance Exam (PSEE) and a supervised PSEE.The Situational Judgement Test and the Graduate Recruitment Test continue to be removed from the initial stages of testing; however, as noted last year, some departments may request that these exams and the Written Comprehension Proficiency Test during their additional screening processes. This is why we have kept them in our preparation package.In respect to job opportunities, it is definitely a more interesting year than 2014 as there are several options for job candidates. This year, there are different career streams than last year and several interesting job positions in departments that usually receive several thousands of applications (e.g., Department of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Development, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and the Treasury Board). There are several other interesting opportunities that will be highlighted later in this post.
How will the process work this year?
Applicants are invited to apply to five career streams or specific job positons. The streams have been chosen based on the needs presently in demand in the Government of Canada. Once the pools have been established, departments are invited to draw from the pool of pre-screened candidates. The career streams chosen for this year are:
Career Streams
Careers for Aboriginal Persons
This inventory will be used to staff positions in a variety of disciplines. Employment tenures, work locations, linguistic requirements and security clearance levels may vary according to the position being filled.
Examples of occupational groups which may be staffed (but not limited to) from this inventory are: CR, AS, PM, WP, NU, PE, EC or CS.
Degrees that are being required are:
Anthropology, Economics, Chemical Dependency Work, First Nations Management, Sociology, Political Science, Community Support Work, Social Welfare and Social Work, Criminology, Arts, Native Studies, Social Sciences, Psychology, Industrial Relations, Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Techniques, Administration, Marketing, Secretarial Studies, Project Management, Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Office Administration, Commerce, Information Management, Communications, Aboriginal Studies Law, Law, Paralegal Studies, Education of Native people, Education, Community Health, Nursing, Psychiatry and Mental Health, Health Sciences, Web Development and Design, Computer Science, Computer Technician, Computer Programming, Information Technology, Accounting, Finance, or Auditing.
Careers in Engineering and Engineering Technology
Careers in this stream are usually responsible for the following:
- Researching emerging technologies;
- Installing, testing and configuring new hardware and systems;
- Policy and strategy development;
- Administering an organizational network;
- Providing systems operations, maintenance and support;
- Performing systems analyses; and
- Data warehousing.
Examples of occupational groups which may be staffed (but not limited to) from this inventory are: EN-ENG, EL, and EG
Graduates in areas such as: Engineering, Electrical and Electrotechnical Engineering, Building Engineering, Hydraulics and Pneumatics, Electrotechnology, Aircraft Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Control Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Agricultural Equipment Technology, Engineering Management, Power Engineering, Naval Architecture, Engineering Drawing and Design, Architectural Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Automotive Engineering should consider applying to this stream.
Careers in Human Resources and Policy
This will most likely be the most popular stream as many applicants choose this stream for their future careers.
Examples of occupational groups which may be staffed (but not limited to) from this inventory are: EC, PM, CO, CR, AS, and PE.
Applicants applying to this stream will conduct research, use the principles of economics to explore new ways to develop or enhance government politics, and support the relationships between global governments and the government’s interactions with private enterprises. Positions will most likely include the following tasks:
- Developing, analyzing and interpreting qualitative and quantitative information for the purposes of editing legislation, drafting policies or conducting studies;
- Analyzing, evaluating and applying statistics, survey methods and systems;
- Conducting research, analysis and evaluation of economic or sociological issues;
- Determining statistical measures and techniques for data analysis and reporting;
- Providing advice or forecasting in the fields of economics, sociology and statistics; and
- Planning surveys and censuses.
Graduates in areas such as: Administration, Project Management, Communications, Public Relations, International Relations, Human Resources Management, Commerce, Industrial Relations, Social Sciences, Economics, Occupational Health and Safety, Labour and Industrial Relations, Organizational Behaviour and Development or Education should consider applying to this stream.
Careers in Information Technology (IT), Graphic Design and Communications
Examples of occupational groups which may be staffed (but not limited to) from this inventory are: CS, PM, GT, IS, and AS)
Applicants applying to this stream will be working to support the IT infrastructure of the Government of Canada.
Graduates in the areas such as: Computer Engineering, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Computer Technician, Network Management, Information Technology Security, Management Information Systems, Software Development and Engineering, Web development and Design, Marketing, Graphic Design, Public Relations, and Advertising should consider applying to this stream.
Careers in Program Delivery and Project Management
Examples of occupational groups which may be staffed (but not limited to) from this inventory are: PM and AS)
Applicants applying to this stream will be working to support the delivery and management of programs and projects in the Government of Canada.
Graduates in the areas such as: Project Management, Public Finance, Economics, Human Resources Management, Public Administration, International Business and Management, Business Administration, Industrial Administration, International Business and Supply Chain Management, Social Sciences, Finance, Natural Resources Management, Customs Administration, Public Policy, Psychology, Social Welfare and Social Work, and Management should consider applying to this stream.
Specific Job Positions
The following departments will be recruiting for the 2015 PSR Campaign:
How will applicants be tested this year?
1) On-line testing (unsupervised) – Public Service Entrance Exam
- The unsupervised Public Service Entrance Exam (PSEE UIT 370) is divided into two sub-tests: the Test of Reasoning and the Test of Judgement. All applicants are required to take the Test of Reasoning (sub-test 1), the Test of Judgement (sub-test 2) is required only if additional information is needed to complete the assessment.
- The PSEE can be written in an unsupervised environment anywhere the applicant has access to a computer and an Internet connection.
- An applicant is permitted to write the PSEE once. Your score will be applied to all PSR jobs to which you apply this year. You will only be invited to attend an in-person testing session if you pass the on-line PSEE.
- Applicants will not be informed of their exact scores.
- An invitation to write the PSEE will be sent between October 12 and October 23, 2015.
- Note: If you passed the online PSEE, you will only be invited to attend an in-person testing session; however, you will not be given your mark.
2) The Supervised Public Service Entrance Exam (PSEE)
- The Supervised PSEE (PSEE 371) will be administered after the candidate has successfully succeeded in the unsupervised PSEE.
- The PSEE 371 is a supervised test consisting of two separately timed sub-tests: Sub-Test 1: Test of Reasoning assesses reasoning and problem-solving ability and consists of 30 multiple choice questions. There are four types of questions:
- Arithmetic reasoning:
- Logical reasoning;
- Analytical reasoning; and
- Number or letter series.
You will have 90 minutes to complete this sub-test.
- Sub-Test 2: Test of Judgement assesses the judgement required for solving problems in work-related situations and consists of 40 multiple choice questions.
You will have 60 minutes to complete this sub-test. Total test time is approximately 3 hours, including 30 minutes of administration time.
Testing is not expected to take place until November 2015 to early January 2016.
Note: Results for the Supervised PSEE (only) are expected to take at least six weeks before becoming available.
What resources does IG provide?
Our team provides a suite of services that will assist you to prepare for this year’s campaign:
- NOTE: All test materials have been revised and updated for the 2015 Post Secondary Recruitment Campaign.
- The IG Resume (and Cover letter) Revision Service with the Platinum Study Guide, for more information click here
- The IG Platinum Guide, for more information click here
- The IG PSSE Study Guide, for more information click here
- The IG SJT Study Guide, for more information click here
- The IG GRT Study Guide, for more information click here
Dates to remember
September 16, 2015
- Post Secondary Recruitment opens.
- Applicants have a little less than three weeks to apply.
October 6, 2015
- Last day for applicants to submit applications.
October 12-23, 2015
- E-mail invitation is sent to applicants with instructions on writing the PSEE.
November 2015 to early January 2016
- The supervised PSEE is administered across and abroad on specified dates.
End of January 2015 and onward
- If the supervised PSEE is passed, applicants may be referred to for a job position.
March 15, 2016
- The inventory specific to Aboriginal persons will close.
Source: http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/psr-rp/index-eng.php