What advice would you like to give students applying to the Post Secondary Recruitment process?
A: I have a few things that I would like to mention:
1) The Post Secondary Recruitment process does work – I am proof of that. I had no contacts in the Government of Canada and I went through the same screening process as everyone else and succeeded.
2) Take the Post Secondary Recruitment process seriously – There is a lot of competition for jobs in the Canadian Public Service. The competition that I won screened in over 10 000 people and hired only a small percent of that. You will hear and see people telling you not to buy this or do that. Beware! While there are good natured people, there are many individuals who are out there for themselves.
A perfect example is the first night of my competition process. I was going back to the hotel with a few of the candidates and one in particular
stated that she would be going to bed for the night because interviews are always easy. The next morning, the individual confessed that she
stayed up until 4 the next morning studying. A lot of people that I know that now work for the Government spent money on preparation exams
and books explaining government interviews. It’s a personal choice, but once you obtain a job, the $200-$300 that you spent on these
resources is made back in the first 2 days of work. Waiting one year until the next Post Secondary Recruitment process is a long time…
3) Be patient – Rome was not built in a day and your application won’t be done in one either. I was one of the lucky individuals whose Post
Secondary Recruitment process was extremely fast. This was the exception rather than the norm. Be patient, many competitions work out for
the best.
4) Cast your net wide – Many Post Secondary Recruitment applicants will have the same educational background as you, as well similar
G.P.A.’s. The only way that you can ensure that you are on the top of the list is to excel in the Post Secondary Recruitment standardized tests. In
my opinion, the tests to focus on are the Graduate Recruitment Test (GRT) and the new Post Secondary Entrance Exam (PSSE). The more
examples you can get your hands on the better. Looking at practice exams will help you develop an eye for the different type of problems. If you
are an avid reader and enjoy writing, the Written Comprehension Proficiency Test (WCPT) is straight forward. The Situational Judgement Test
(SJT) should really reflect your values, practice questions may also help but I don’t think it’s necessary to cram for the SJT.
5) Never give up – I have met people who have applied for internal position several times until succeeding. If a government job is what you
really want, then never give up on your dream.