University recruitment: Frequently asked questions

Department of Finance Canada hires university recruits through three streams:

• Economist and Policy Analyst
• Tax Legislation
• Doctoral Research

Job posters for each of these streams can be found in the links above.

This is a competency-based career development and progression program designed for the Economics and Social Science Services (EC) community in Department of Finance Canada's six policy branches, in all three work streams: economist and policy analyst stream, doctoral stream and legislative stream.

The program aims to develop high-calibre individuals, starting at junior levels across the three EC work streams, to the target level of their respective work streams within three to five years.

Progression through successive EC levels up to the target level is based on a combination of performance evaluation and merit assessment within established program guidelines.

• Economist and Policy Analyst stream employees enter the program at the EC-3* level and the target level of progression is EC-6.
• Doctoral stream employees enter the program normally at the EC-5 level and the target level of progression is EC-6.
• Legislative stream employees normally enter the program at the EC-5 level and the target level of progression is EC-7.

The department does not generally hire summer students as policy analysts or economists.

If you graduated outside of Canada, it may take a few weeks to obtain an assessment of your foreign degree. However, an assessment is not required for you to apply. If you are selected for an interview you will be required to bring your Canadian equivalency with you.

The Public Service of Canada will accept any foreign educational credentials as long as they are deemed comparable to Canadian standards through a recognized credential assessment service.

The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials can assist you in obtaining an assessment of your educational, professional, and occupational credentials through referral to an appropriate organization. Please refer to the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for more information.

Please refer to our University recruitment: Job descriptions and advertisements for each stream:

• Economist and Policy Analyst
• Tax Legislation
• Doctoral Research

Essential qualifications are the minimum requirements needed to be considered for a position. They are listed in the Essential Qualifications section on each job poster.

It is important that you meet the educational requirements for the position. You are also required to meet the essential qualifications for the position in order for your application to be considered.

However, we are willing to consider applicants from programs that are similar to our target areas. For example, we may consider your application if you are graduating with a degree in international economics or economic policy, as the title of degrees can vary from one university to another. We reserve the right to make this decision.

The Department of Finance Canada requires applicants to have the equivalent of three full-year economics courses (e.g., six half-year courses, or two full-year courses and two half-year courses). Applicants who are pursuing a graduate degree in finance will require three or more half-year courses in economics to be considered. We will accept economics courses at either the graduate or undergraduate university level. We do not accept courses at the college or CEGEP levels.

However, we will accept courses that are offered outside of a school's economics department, as long as they are grounded solidly in economics. We reserve the right to make this decision. Your transcripts will be used to validate the number of courses completed.

The written assignment is intended to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively in writing, analyze and synthesize information, understand issues, and identify their economic, social and/or financial implications.

The written assignment will be administered to the candidates who meet the initial screening criteria.

Economists hired through the Doctoral Researcher stream usually work in a Division with a broad mandate to conduct in-depth policy-relevant economic research to provide strategic advice to the Minister on issues that are of medium- and long-term significance.

The Division conducts policy research on a number of economic issues, including economic growth, sources of productivity growth, population aging, public finance, trade, natural resource economics, pension systems and human capital.

The research document submitted should be whichever best demonstrates your abilities as a research economist who might work at the Department of Finance Canada. This does not necessarily have to be part of your dissertation. However, the document will be used to assess your written communication, as well as your ability to conduct high quality research in a relevant field of economics.

Only one paper will be read per candidate, it is incumbent on the candidate to select what they feel is the best example of their research.

Candidates are encouraged to highlight any other research documents by attaching abstracts to their CV. The research document you submit will be a central topic of discussion during the initial interview.

The purpose of the interview process is to evaluate whether a candidate possesses the competencies necessary to work at The Department of Finance Canada as laid out in the Statement of Merit Criteria.

The interviews also offer you the opportunity to learn about the different areas of the Department, and to determine which area best matches your interests.

The Department of Finance will usually get approximately 500 applications each year. In 2020-2021, the Department of Finance Canada has hired 25 economists and policy analysts and in 2021-2022 has hired 26 to date.

Managers may begin to make offers of employment soon after the completion of the interviewing process. These offers are conditional on obtaining a secret security clearance.

Start dates are determined based on the availability of the recruit and his or her new manager's operational requirements.