REFERENCE DOCUMENT FOR STUDENTS STUDENT HIRING IN THE QUÉBEC PUBLIC SERVICE

Transcription

1 REFERENCE DOCUMENT FOR STUDENTS STUDENT HIRING IN THE QUÉBEC PUBLIC SERVICE

2 REFERENCE DOCUMENT FOR STUDENTS STUDENT HIRING IN THE QUÉBEC PUBLIC SERVICE

3 Legal deposit 3 rd quarter 2004 Bibliothèque nationale du Québec National Library of Canada ISBN : Gouvernement du Québec

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. A CAREER TO EQUAL YOUR AMBITIONS Make way for youth Make way for a new generation: student recruitment! WHY CHOOSE THE PUBLIC SERVICE? A wide range of top-quality jobs Advantageous working condition Extensive career opportunities Measures that foster renewal REGISTERING FOR STUDENT RECRUITMENT Who is eligible for student recruitment? How to check the calls for candidates How to apply Types of jobs EXAMS Multiple-choice exams Written exam sessions How to prepare for written exams Advice for success on written exams Adapting the exams for persons with disabilities Hiring interview EQUAL ACCESS Do these measures apply to you? Studies outside Québec TESTIMONIALS HOW TO REACH US

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6 1 A CAREER TO EQUAL YOUR AMBITIONS Are you looking for exciting job opportunities offering far-reaching challenges? Would you like to increase your knowledge while putting your skills to work? Are you interested in finding a working environment that offers attractive conditions? You re in luck! The Québec Public Service is looking for young, skilled workers and offers careers reflecting your aspirations! Make way for a new generation: student recruitment! Since young people constitute Québec s new generation, the government wishes to increase their presence in the Québec Public Service. To do so, it has adopted specific hiring measures just for them. Therefore, the Québec Public Service reserves annual recruitment campaigns for students who are just out of university, college or secondary school and for graduates that are still studying full-time. Make way for youth... Over the next few years, the Québec Public Service will face a wave of retirements. It plans to take this opportunity to modernize and revitalize its staff. Working in the Public Service means playing a key role in the social, economic and cultural advancement of Québec. Recent graduates are thus invited to contribute to Québec s development through their dynamism and innovative ideas. The government is hereby giving them the opportunity to take part in the considerable project of modernizing the State. PAGE 1

7 2 WHY CHOOSE THE PUBLIC SERVICE? By opting for the Public Service, you will see your innovative ideas, resourcefulness and sense of initiative recognized and appreciated. You will meet dynamic individuals and find a working environment that is full of challenges. For more reasons to choose the Public Service, read on A wide range of top-quality jobs The Québec Public Service is looking to fill jobs offering exciting challenges in many areas using new information and communications technologies. Economics, law, communications, education, administration, social work, health, computer science and agriculture are only some of the Public Service s many sectors of activity. Advantageous working conditions In addition, the Québec Public Service offers substantial benefits to its employees, including competitive wages, group insurance, parental leave, 4 weeks vacation 1, training activities promoting skills and knowledge development, and flextime, which makes it easy to reconcile the demands of your private life and your career. Extensive career opportunities If you enjoy change, you should know that throughout your career, you will have the opportunity to work in different government departments or agencies and in different Québec regions. The opportunity for promotion and changing sectors of activity are further advantages that make the Québec Public Service a top-notch employer, when it comes to planning career choices. Measures that promote renewal Knowledge and expertise must be transferred to new employees if the Québec government is to continue to offer excellent services to the public. This is why measures were instituted to this effect. As a new employee, you will have the opportunity of participating in the government s orientation program. Intended for all new public service employees in a regular position, this program deals with subjects of interest to the government and is designed to facilitate an understanding of the Public Service. The themes discussed are: the government and its workings, ethics and rules of professional conduct and career management in the Public Service. In addition, you could be eligible for mechanisms put in place to facilitate integration of new staff, such as a job-shadowing or mentoring program, which involves being assisted by an experienced employee. PAGE 2 1. The number of vacation days per day is calculated as of April 1 st, for the period up to March 31 st of the following year. As such, the number of vacation days for the first year of employment may vary depending on the month in which you begin working.

8 3 REGISTERING FOR STUDENT RECRUITMENT If you are not eligible for the student recruitment campaign, watch for competitions designed for the public at large, requiring little or no experience. How to check the calls for candidates Given its goal of ensuring a young, dynamic and skilled generation of employees, the Québec Public Service is committed to student recruitment. Who is eligible for student recruitment? You are eligible if you are a full- or part-time student and you will be completing your last year of studies in the next year in order to obtain a diploma accepted for a student recruitment campaign. University recruitment campaigns are held once per year, in the fall, whereas college recruitment campaigns focussed on students in technical programs are held during the winter. Recruitment campaigns for students in vocational training programs take place in the spring. The calls for candidates, or job offers, are made public during these recruitment programs. You can find detailed information on these offers by: Example: One of the eligibility requirements for a college recruitment campaign is that candidates must be in the process of completing a collegial studies diploma (DEC) in data technologies. If you are a full- or parttime student enrolled in a collegial studies program in data technologies and, at the time of applying, you are in the process of completing the last year of studies for that program, you may apply. You are also eligible for the student recruitment campaign if you already hold the degree that is a pre-requisite and are still a full-time student. Example: One of the eligibility requirements of a university recruitment campaign is that candidates must have a bachelor s degree in administration. Thus, if you have completed this degree, and are a full-time student in the Master s program, you may apply. Visiting the Website of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor [ or contacting any regional office of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor; Contacting the placement services of educational institutions; Attending promotional activities (career days, information sessions) organized by the Recrutement étudiant Québec team and the regional offices of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor. When submitting your application to the address provided in the call for candidates, you must include photocopies of all required documents: diplomas, course transcripts, proofs of study, education credential evaluation report (proof of equivalency), etc. Incomplete applications may be rejected or result in unnecessary delays. PAGE 3

9 How to apply Do you think you meet the eligibility requirements and would like to apply? The procedure is simple! Just complete the Offre de service Recrutement étudiant form, which can be: printed out from the Website of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor [ etudiants]; obtained in any regional office of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor (see telephone numbers and addresses at the end of this document); obtained through the placement services of educational institutions, Communication-Québec, local employment centres or at Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi regional offices. Types of jobs Student recruitment campaigns are designed to fill both regular and casual positions. A casual position refers to a job whose duration is determined at the time of hiring. For example, you could obtain a casual contract for a one-year period. Your first public service position may be a casual one, seeing that a significant number of such positions are offered each year. Such a position can be an interesting opportunity, for it will enable you to learn more about the public service, make your skills and knowledge known, and gain experience. Accepting a casual position may also lead to being asked to fill a regular position. Don t dismiss it! Regular positions are, in essence, permanent. However, before an employee is granted permanent status, a probation period must be successfully completed. PAGE 4

10 4 EXAMS If you meet the eligibility criteria established for a particular student recruitment campaign, you will be invited to sit for an exam. The convocation letter will indicate the date, time and location of the exam, as well as a brief description of the tests you will be asked to take. When faced with one of these possibilities, consider it in the same light as the other choices since it is not necessarily the correct response. The following are examples of questions that could be included in a multiple-choice exam: Student recruitment exams are usually written tests, consisting of multiple choice questions (also called objective exams ). Their goal is to measure general skills, required for all job classes at a particular level of employment, essential to carrying out the duties of a particular position. For example, the duties of professional staff usually include finding solutions by analyzing information and drawing conclusions. Such employees must also be able to provide quality service to clients and join efforts with colleagues so as to ensure service effectiveness. These exams, rather than focussing on a verification of the knowledge acquired during the course of studies, are designed to determine whether candidates have the basic skills necessary for all jobs within a particular employment level. This means that no particular preparation is required regarding the material learned. 1. Indiquez le mot qui n est pas correctement orthographié. a) absence b) language c) référence d) accessoire e) bicyclette The correct response is b), since the word is spelled langage. 2. Trouvez la réponse à l équation suivante : (11 x 12) + (156 3) =? 4 a) 41 b) 48 c) 56 d) 44 e) aucune de ces réponses Multiple-choice exam You must choose the best response from among the options given. You must indicate your choice on the answer sheet provided. In this type of exam, you are usually asked to choose the correct answer from among a list of four or five options. The following may be among the possible responses: 1- «Aucune de ces réponses». This choice is placed at the end of the list of possible answers. It means that none of the other possibilities answers the question. 2- «Toutes ces réponses». This choice is also placed at the end of the list of possible answers. It means that each of the other possibilities answers the question. The correct response is e), since the solution to the equation is 46. Written exam sessions Written exams are held in groups and supervised by authorized persons. The duration of the exam sessions is predetermined. Leaving the exam room is strictly limited. The time you are absent from the room cannot be made up at the end of the session. The exams are in French, and are administered and corrected in the same way for all candidates. Correction is anonymous and done using an optical reader, a device for reading and correcting answer sheets. Each candidate then receives his or her results in writing. PAGE 5

11 How to prepare for written exams The night before the exam, we suggest that you: re-read the letter of convocation to double-check the date, time and location of the exam and to make certain to bring the authorized materials (e.g. a ruler or a calculator); Adapting the exams for persons with disabilities Exams can be adapted for persons with disabilities and arrangements can be made to facilitate access to the exam location. Such candidates must advise those responsible for the competition of their situation when sending in their application. make arrangements for an appropriate means of transportation and plan how long it will take you to get to the exam location; plan to bring a watch so as to better organize your time during the exam; remember that the best way to prepare for the exam is to arrive well-rested and determined to succeed. Be confident and have a positive attitude. Advice for success on written exams Listen carefully to the instructions you are given. Before beginning the exam, do not hesitate to ask questions if you do not understand the instructions or require further information, e.g. on how to use the answer sheet. Hiring interview If you pass the exam, your name is put on a list of qualified candidates. When a government department or agency is looking for staff, it may contact you to see whether you are interested and available and, if applicable, invite you to a hiring interview. This interview is conducted to determine which candidate, among those convened, has the profile that best corresponds to the specific requirements of the position to be filled. However, if you are not chosen after a hiring interview, your name remains on the list of declaration of competency. You may thus be called again, for as long as the list remains valid. PAGE 6 Read the questions and, if applicable, all possible answers carefully. For longer exams, take a few minutes to look over the exam, noting the number of questions, the time you have to complete it, and the number of points for each question. Consider the possibility of beginning with the questions worth the most points. Do not get stuck on a question you find difficult, simply go on to the next one. You can always come back to problem questions at the end. Remember, your time is limited and you must work relatively quickly in order to answer all of the questions. Leave yourself time to re-copy or look over your answers, if need be. Do not let yourself be influenced or distracted by the other candidates. For example, the sound of pages being turned quickly does not necessarily mean that they find the exam easy. Hiring takes into account government programs, measures and plans, in particular those related to equal access. To know more about exams and the selection process, you may consult the Website of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor under the section Examens de la fonction publique [ tresor.gouv.qc.ca/examens] (French only).

12 5 EQUAL ACCESS Do these measures apply to you? The Public Service is a reflection of today s Québec. It is modern, and distinguishes itself by its openness and diversity. In the past few years, the Québec Public Service implemented new measures for promoting the hiring of people from groups that are presently under-represented in the public administration. Therefore, in the Québec Public Service, 25% of new Public Service hiring must come from native persons, Anglophones or members of a cultural community. This objective applies to all employment categories: regular, casual, student internships and summer employment. In addition, in order to facilitate the mobility of members of cultural communities, native persons and Anglophones, a moving allowance is available for residents of the greater Montréal area who accept a position in the Public Service outside of that region. Such measures are being implemented in addition to existing equal access measures, including the equal access program for women, the program reserved for cultural communities and the hiring plan for handicapped persons. For further information on the different programs and measures, we encourage you to visit the Website of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor under the section Accès à l égalité [ egalite] (French only). To apply for a position in the Public Service, you must complete the Offre de service Recrutement étudiant form. It contains questions which enable you to be identified as a member of an underrepresented group. It is essential that you identify yourself properly on the form since this information will enable us to determine if you can benefit from the equal access measures. If you apply for a position, be sure to answer the following questions on the Offre de service Recrutement étudiant form: Native persons Native persons are persons of Amerindian, Inuit or Amerindian/Inuit background. Vous identifiez-vous comme autochtone? oui non Anglophones Anglophones are persons whose mother tongue is English. Mother tongue is defined as the first language learned and still understood. Quelle est votre langue maternelle? Français Anglais Autre (précisez) PAGE 7

13 Members of a cultural community Member of a cultural community means any person who is a member of a visible minority or any person whose mother tongue is neither French nor English. Members of a visible minority Members of a visible minority are persons who are not Caucasians. This includes people from the following groups: - Far-East Asians (China, Japan, Korea, etc.) - Southeast Asians (Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, etc.) - West Asians or Arabs (Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, etc.) - Indo-Pakistanis or South Asians (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc.) - Pacific Islanders (Philippines, Polynesia, etc.) - Latin Americans (South America, Central America, Mexico, etc.) - Blacks (Canada, United States, West Indies, Africa, etc.) - Other visible minorities Avez-vous une déficience qui vous limite dans certaines activités de la vie quotidienne? oui non You are deemed to be a handicapped person if, for example, you have a hearing, visual, motor, physical, psychiatric, speech or language impairment. If you identify yourself as being a handicapped person, you must provide an intervention plan when you apply. This form is available through the Website of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor under the section Accès à l égalité [ gouv.qc.ca/egalite] (French only). Studies outside Québec If you have studied outside Québec, you must enclose an education credential evaluation report (proof of equivalence) with your Offre de service Recrutement étudiant form. You can obtain this document from the Ministère des Relations avec les citoyens et de l Immigration (MRCI). For further information on this certificate, contact the regional office of the MRCI nearest you: PAGE 8 Vous identifiez-vous comme membre d une minorité visible? oui non Persons whose mother tongue is neither French nor English Remember that mother tongue is defined as the first language learned and still understood. Quelle est votre langue maternelle? Français Anglais Autre (précisez) Handicapped persons Under the Act to secure the handicapped in the exercise of their rights, a handicapped person is a person limited in the performance of normal activities who is suffering, significantly and permanently, from a physical or mental deficiency, or who regularly uses a prosthesis or an orthopedic device or any other means of palliating his handicap. Montréal office (514) Montérégie office (450) or Laval, Laurentides and Lanaudière office (450) or Outaouais, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec office (819) or Capitale-Nationale and Est-du-Québec office (418) or If you meet the eligibility requirements set out in a call for candidates, you will be asked to take a Public Service qualifying examination.

14 6 TESTIMONIALS I believe in the Public Service since it s committed to youth and the future. Biases against the Québec Public Service are unfounded. The challenges offered are exciting and enriching. I m convinced that rejuvenating the Public Service is bringing added value for Québec society. I ve been working in the Public Service for two years now and, believe me, it s a privilege. New technologies are a priority here! Geneviève Caron, age 26 Computer Science Technician Working for the public good gives me very real satisfaction and is very stimulating, especially at a time when individualism often reigns. What are the collective choices and challenges facing our society? Our parents had the Quiet Revolution to help Québec enter the modern era and to help build the Québec state. Today, we need young people with new vision to breathe new life into the system. I m proud of the work I do every day and feel I m doing something important. Aircraft maintenance requires great precision since there s not exactly any room for error. What I like about working in the Public Service is the opportunity to touch on a wide range of areas to develop my versatility. And, we re given time to learn. Billy Larouche-Savard, age 32 Aircraft Maintenance Technician Maxime Routhier, age 30 Intergovernmental Affairs Advisor «Working in the Public Service is motivating! I m part of a dynamic team, the challenges are numerous and the work is stimulating. In addition to the usual secretarial duties, my work involves informing the public about the various services the government offers. Nothing is more gratifying than their satisfaction when I find the answer to their question. I expand my knowledge while benefiting from my colleagues expertise. The Public Service makes room for young people and I m proud to be part of it. Katie Boivin, age 30 Secretariat Officer» PAGE 9

15 7 HOW TO REACH US... Do you have any questions on student recruitment, or, more generally, on employment with the Québec Public Service? Don t hesitate to contact us by calling toll-free at You can also send us at [recrutementetudiant@sct. gouv.qc.ca]. We also invite you to stop by any of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor s regional offices. Below are the addresses, telephone and fax numbers of our offices: PAGE 10

16 Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches Regions 875, Grande Allée Est Québec (Québec) G1R 5R8 Phone: (418) Toll-free: Fax: (418) Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec Regions 33, rue Gamble Ouest, RC 10 Rouyn-Noranda (Québec) J9X 2R3 Phone: (819) Fax: (819) Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie Îles-de-la-Madeleine Regions 337, rue Moreault, 2 e étage Rimouski (Québec) G5L 1P4 Phone: (418) Fax: (418) Côte-Nord Region 456, rue Arnaud, bureau 1.07 Sept-Îles (Québec) G4R 3B1 Phone: (418) Fax: (418) Estrie Region 200, rue Belvédère Nord, RC 09 Sherbrooke (Québec) J1H 4A9 Phone: (819) Fax: (819) Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec Regions 100, rue Laviolette, 1 er étage, bureau 118 Trois-Rivières (Québec) G9A 5S9 Phone: (819) Fax: (819) Montréal, Laurentides, Montérégie, Lanaudière and Laval Regions 500, boul. René-Lévesque Ouest, bureau Montréal (Québec) H2Z 1W7 Phone: (514) Fax: (514) McGill and Square Victoria Metro Stations Outaouais Region 170, rue de l Hôtel-de-Ville, 7 e étage, bureau Gatineau (Québec) J8X 4C2 Phone: (819) Fax: (819) Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean Region 3950, boulevard Harvey, 3 e étage, bureau 3.00 Jonquière (Québec) G7X 8L6 Phone: (418) Fax: (418) PAGE 11

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