Applying for Executive Advertised Appointment Processes

I. Find out which positions are available:

Vacancies for executive positions are advertised electronically on the following sites:

• internal processes (available to Publiservice clients only)
• external processes

A telephone information service is also available in the National Capital Region at 613-941-8979 and elsewhere in Canada at 1-800-461-6263 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST.

II. Determine whether or not to apply:

• Are you part of the group which this position is "open to"?
  • "Employees" of the public service refers to individuals employed by organizations listed in Schedule I, Schedule IV and Schedule V of the Financial Administration Act.
  • "Persons employed in the Public Service" refers to employees of the public service and individuals employed by organizations identified by Designated Orders.
  • "Persons residing in Canada and Canadian citizens residing abroad" .
• Is your expertise/background commensurate with the level of responsibilities of the position?
• Are you mobile to the location advertised?
• Will you be available for assessment?
• Does this vacancy meet a need on your career path?
• Do you meet the linguistic profile?
  • imperative staffing – the language requirements of the position must be met at the time of the appointment
  • non-imperative staffing – the position can be staffed with a person who agrees to become bilingual within a period of two years through language training at government expense
• Most importantly, do you meet all the essential requirements listed on the job advertisement? Failing to demonstrate this will result in your application not being given further consideration in the process.
• Other qualifications may be used at any time during the selection or appointment process.  These qualifications are asset qualifications, operational requirements and organizational needs. A candidate may be appointed to a position even though he or she does not meet any or all of the other qualifications.  However, meeting these criteria is desirable and may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed.
• Obtain a job description and a statement of merit criteria (available on-line or by contacting the person whose name and number appear on the advertisement). These documents will help you gauge your answers to some of the above questions. Should the answer to any of these questions be "no", it is best that you do not apply. It is generally not a good idea to compete for the sake of experience. You risk leaving a lasting impression, especially if your performance on the board is far from satisfactory.
• The job description and statement of merit criteria will also assist your preparation for the assessment phase.

III. When and how to apply:

• Apply using only one of the following methods: on-line (recommended), e-mail, regular mail, fax or courier.
• In all cases, your application must be sent to the address indicated on the job advertisement.

IV. Application do's and don't's:

• The documents you submit are your first introduction to the hiring manager. They speak on your behalf. Compare them to keys. Will they open doors for you?
• Do not send copies of your passport, performance appraisals, letters of reference, and sample reports along with your application.
• Your application should consist of a cv and letter clearly demonstrating how you meet each of the screening requirements (i.e. education and experience). There is no need to discuss the knowledge, abilities, and personal suitability elements stipulated on the selection profile as they will form the basis of assessment, should your education and experience be deemed to meet expectations.
• Your CV should not exceed three pages. (See EX Resourcing document The CV: Tips for Executives)
• Be sure to include your complete mailing address, including your electronic mail address and phone numbers where you can be reached, and update this information if it changes during the staffing process.
• Don't hesitate to call the contact person indicated on the job advertisement for guidance.
• You should start preparing as soon as you submit your application; you may be expected to be available for assessment shortly after the closing date.