A career to equal your ambitions! HIRING IN THE QUÉBEC PUBLIC SERVICE

A career to equal your ambitions! HIRING IN THE QUÉBEC PUBLIC SERVICE

6 PAGE 2 Dépot légal 3 e trimestre 2003 Bibliothèque nationale du Québec Bibliothèque nationale du Canada ISBN : 2-550-41380-6 Gouvernement du Québec - 2003

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. THE QUÉBEC PUBLIC SERVICE: AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE................. 5 A dynamic working environment......................................... 5 A wide range of top-quality jobs.......................................... 5 Advantageous working conditions........................................ 5 Extensive career opportunities........................................... 5 Measures to attract the younger generation................................. 6 2. JOBS...................................................... 7 Professional jobs..................................................... 7 Technical jobs........................................................ 7 Administrative jobs................................................... 7 Types of jobs........................................................ 8 3. HOW TO REGISTER........................................... 9 How to check job postings.............................................. 9 How to apply........................................................ 9 4. EQUAL ACCESS............................................... 10 Do these measures apply to you?........................................ 10 Studies outside Québec................................................ 11 5. EXAMS.................................................... 12 Steps following your application for a position.............................. 12 Purpose of exams..................................................... 12 Written exams....................................................... 12 Practical exams...................................................... 14 Oral exams.......................................................... 14 Hiring interview...................................................... 14 6. TO CONTACT US.............................................. 15 PAGE 3

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1 THE QUÉBEC PUBLIC SERVICE: AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE Are you looking for exciting job opportunities offering farreaching challenges? Looking to increase your knowledge while putting your skills to work? Looking for a working environment that offers attractive conditions? The Québec Public Service is a top-notch employer! A career attuned to your ambitions... that's what the Québec Public Service has to offer you! Advantageous working conditions In addition to offering stimulating jobs and an exciting working environment, the Québec Public Service also extends significant benefits to its employees, including competitive wages, group insurance, flextime, parental leave, and 4 weeks vacation 1, etc. Furthermore, training activities offer employees an opportunity to update their knowledge and develop their skills. A dynamic working environment In order to continue meeting the needs of the population, the Québec Public Service must adopt innovative methods. By opting for employment with 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 replete with challenges. A wide range of top-quality jobs Extensive career opportunities If you enjoy change, you should know that you will be able to follow a number of career paths. Throughout your career, in fact, you will have the opportunity of working in different government departments or agencies and in different regions of Québec. The opportunity for promotion and possibility of changing activity sectors are further advantages that make the Québec Public Service a topnotch employer when it comes to making career choices. The Québec Public Service offers jobs in numerous sectors that rely upon new information and communication technologies. Economics, law, communications, education, administration, social work, health, computer science and agriculture are only some of the Public Service s many activity sectors. Working for the Public Sector is a unique opportunity to tackle exciting challenges, while helping Québec society grow and develop. 1 The number of vacation days per day is calculated as of April 1st, for the period up to March 31st 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. PAGE 5

Measures to attract the younger generation Since young people constitute Québec s new generation, the government wishes to increase their representation in the Québec Public Service. To do so, it has adopted specific hiring measures just for them. Hence, the Québec Public Service has developed student hiring programs specifically focusing on students just out of university, college or secondary school, as well as graduates that are still studying full-time. To learn more about the student hiring program, visit the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor s Web site on this topic [www.tresor.gouv.qc.ca/etudiants]. Knowledge and skills must also be transferred to new employees if the Québec government is to continue to offer excellent services to the public. Measures to this effect were instituted in 2001. 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 themes of interest to the government and is designed to facilitate an understanding of the Public Service. The themes discussed are: the goverment and its workings, ethics and rules of professional conduct and career management in the Public Service. If you get a job through the student hiring program, you will be eligible for a mentoring program, which involves being assisted by an experienced employee in order to speed up your integration into the Public Service. PAGE 6

2 JOBS Perhaps you ve been wondering which Public Service sectors will offer the greatest number of jobs over the next few years. The following outlines a few of the areas for which we hire on a regular basis. Professional jobs These jobs are offered to people who have completed their undergraduate studies 2. Some of these positions also require membership in a professional association. Actuarie Financial management officer Agronomist Computer analyst Engineer Physical sciences specialist (physicist, chemist, geologist, etc.) Administrative jobs These jobs require a high-school diploma, along with a certain number of years of experience, depending on the job grade 2. Secretariat Officer, Grade I (high school degree + 5 years of experience) Information Agent (high school degree + 3 years of experience) Technical jobs These jobs are offered to people who have completed their college degree (DEC) 2. Agriculture technician Applied and graphic arts technician Library technician Electrical engineering technician Computer technician Tax audit technician 2. The degree required for professional and technical positions may be replaced by a certain number of years of experience in the activity sector in question. Likewise, the degree required for office jobs may also be replaced by a number of years of experience in a paid position or doing unpaid work, including taking care of a family. PAGE 7

Types of jobs Participating in a job competition may allow you to obtain a regular or casual job. A casual position is one whose duration is determined at the time of hiring. For example, you could obtain a contract, of a casual nature, for a one-year period. Regular positions are, in essence, jobs that will allow employees to obtain a permanent status. However, before an employee is granted permanent status, a probation period must be successfully completed. Your first public service position could 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! PAGE 8

3 HOW TO REGISTER How to check calls for candidates The Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor regularly posts calls for candidates, commonly called jobs offers, to fill positions in a large variety of areas. You can find detailed information on these offers by: consulting the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor Web site [www.tresor.gouv.qc.ca/emplois] or contacting any regional office of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor; contacting a Communication-Québec office; getting in touch with a local employment centre; stopping by a Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi regional office; some saturday editions of major daily and weekly papers. Calls for candidates for student hiring programs are also available: on the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor's Web site on student hiring [www.tresor.gouv.qc.ca/etudiants]; by contacting the placement services of educational institutions; at numerous promotional activities (career days, information sessions) organized by the Recrutement étudiant Québec team. How to apply You've found a job that interests you, you believe that you meet the eligibility requirements, and you'd like to apply? The procedure is very simple! Start by completing the Offre de service Recrutement étudiant form 3, which you can obtain: by visiting the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor Web site [www.tresor.gouv.qc.ca/emplois]; by contacting any regional office of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor (see details at the end of this document); by contacting Communication-Québec or a Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi regional office. When submitting your form to the address provided in the call for candidates, you must include photocopies of all required documents: diplomas, course transcripts, certificates of equivalency, etc. If you studied outside Québec, you must consult the section "Studies outside Québec", on page 11. Incomplete applications may result in delays, or even rejection. Note that you must submit your duly completed Offre de service form to the address indicated in the call for candidates prior to the deadline for applications. 3. The Offre de service Recrutement étudiant form is used for all student hiring programs. This form can be obtained by contacting any regional office of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor, or visiting the Conseil du trésor Web site at [www.tresor.gouv.qc.ca/etudiants]. You can also get a copy of the form by contacting the placement services of educational institutions. PAGE 9

4 EQUAL ACCESS The Québec Public Service seeks to reflect the province s current population. It is modern, and distinguishes itself by its openness and diversity. Over the past several years, the Québec Public Service has implemented new measures for promoting the hiring of people from groups that are presently under-represented in the public administration. Here are a few examples: If you are a handicapped person or a member of a cultural community, you can, since 2001, apply for a competition or reserve of candidates even if you do not live in those geographic areas indicated in the eligibility criteria for a given competition or reserve of candidates. This measure makes it possible for you to apply for jobs or register for reserves throughout Québec. If you are a handicapped person, staffing competitions and reserves of candidates to be used for Public Service positions can be held specifically for you. The Québec government, furthermore, has set annual hiring objectives for native persons, members of cultural communities, Anglophones and handicapped persons. Do these measures apply to you? The Offre de service form that must be completed when applying for a Public Service position contains questions that enable you to be identified as a member of an underrepresented group, and therefore benefit from the new measures. It is essential that you identify yourself on the form, since this information will be used to determine if you can benefit from the equal access measures. In the public service the under-represented groups are : Native persons Anglophones Members of a cultural community (Members of a visible minority or persons whose mother tongue is neither French nor English.) Handicapped persons These measures, recently implemented, along with several others, complement existing equal access measures, in particular the equal access program for women, the program for cultural communities, the hiring measure for handicapped persons and the plan for increasing the employability of handicapped persons. PAGE 10 For further information on the different programs and measures, we encourage you to visit the "Equal access" section of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor s Web site [www.tresor.gouv.qc.ca/egalite].

Studies outside Québec If you studied outside Québec, you must enclose a certificate of equivalency 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. For further information on this certificate, contact your regional MRCI office: Montréal office (514) 864-9191 Montérégie office (450) 466-4461 or 1 888 287-5819 Laval, Laurentides and Lanaudière office (450) 972-3225 or 1 800 375-7426 Outaouais, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec office (819) 246-3345 or 1 888 295-9095 Capitale-Nationale and Est-du-Québec office (418) 643-1435 or 1 888 643-1435 PAGE 11

5 EXAMS There are a number of types of exams. Adapting the exams for persons with disabilities Written exams Exams can be adapted for persons with disabilities and arrangements made to facilitate their access to the exam location. Such candidates must advise those responsible for the competition of their situation when sending in their Offre de service form. Steps following your application for a position If you meet the eligibility criteria established for the student hiring program to which you submitted an application, you will be invited to sit for an exam. If a large number of people have applied to a given program, you may be invited to sit for an exam before the persons responsible for the program have had an opportunity to determine whether you meet the eligibility requirements. You will receive a convocation letter that 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. Written exams assess basic knowledge and abilities required for the position being sought out. This may include ability to serve the public, understanding of laws and regulations, French writing skills, or knowledge of a particular field. For example, to assess the skills necessary to hold the position of Secretariat Officer, the exam will focus on the ability to perform administrative office tasks; for the position of Research Officer, the exam will focus on analytical abilities and a flair for synthesis. Written exams are usually of two types: Narrative test: You must write a text (length will depend on the circumstances) to resolve problems or reply to questions that you are presented with. You may complete this type of exam in English. However, should you be offered a job, you will need to display your mastery of French, by completing an exam from the Office québécois de la langue française within the year following your hiring. Multiple-choice exam (also called "objective exams"): You must choose a response from among the options given. You must indicate your choice on the answer sheet provided. PAGE 12 Purpose of exams The goal of exams is to measure general skills, required for all job grades at a particular level of employment, essential to completing the tasks in given positions. 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 services to clients and work efficiently with colleagues so as to ensure service effectiveness. These exams, rather than focusing 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. Please note that all exams are given in French. The following options 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. 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: 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 in French 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 The correct response is (e), since the solution to the equation is 46. 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); 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 doing as well as possible 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. Read the questions and, if applicable, all possible answers, very 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. Rather, 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 are finding the exam easy. Written exams Written exams are held in groups supervised by invigilators. The duration of the sessions is predetermined. Absences from the exam room are strictly limited. The time you are absent from the room cannot be made up at the end of the session. All candidates exams are administered and corrected in the same way. Correction is anonymous. In the case of multiple-choice exams, it is done using an optical reader, a device for reading and correcting answer sheets. Narrative tests are graded by specialists, and each candidate then receives his or her results in writing. PAGE 13

Practical exams Certain competitions require that the behaviour of candidates be observed and evaluated in an actual work situation, or that an item produced or service provided be assessed. For example, to assess the skills necessary to hold a job as a mechanic, the exam could focus, among other things, on the ability to adjust the valves of an engine; for a supervisory position, the exam could consist of a discussion group. Oral exams Certain competitions also include an oral exam. This exam is a meeting between the candidate and an evaluation committee (consisting of a few people, usually three). During the meeting, you will need to answer questions, including some that are put to you as "situations" ( What would you do if...? ). These questions address your knowledge, professional skills or experience. In preparing for such an exam, you may wish to gather information on the department or agency you are meeting with, to better understand its role and mandates. 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 consults this list. You may subsequently be contacted to see whether you are interested and available and, if applicable, invited 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. If you are not chosen after a hiring interview, your name nonetheless remains on the list and you may be called again, and this for as long as the list remains valid. Accepting a casual position may notably lead to your being asked to fill a regular position, given that your name remains on the list for as long as it is in force. PAGE 14

6 TO CONTACT US If you have any questions on hiring or of a more general nature on employment management within the Québec Public Service, contact us at 1 866 672-3460 (toll-free). You can also communicate with us via e-mail [emplois@sct.gouv.qc.ca]. We also invite you to stop by any one of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor s regional offices. Below are the addresses, and telephone and fax numbers of our offices: Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions 1225, place George-V Est, 1 er étage Québec (Québec) G1R 6A2 Phone: (418) 528-7157 Toll-free: 1 888 772-3657 Fax: (418) 643-8083 Montréal, Laurentides, Montérégie, Lanaudière and Laval regions 500, boul. René-Lévesque Ouest, bureau 7.300 Montréal (Québec) H2Z 1W7 Phone: (514) 873-7701 Fax: (514) 873-5761 McGill and Square Victoria metro stations Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec regions 33, rue Gamble Ouest, RC 10 Rouyn-Noranda (Québec) J9X 2R3 Phone: (819) 763-3239 Fax: (819) 763-3876 Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine regions 337, rue Moreault, 2 e étage Rimouski (Québec) G5L 1P4 Phone: (418) 727-3806 Fax: (418) 727-3657 Côte-Nord region 456, rue Arnaud, bureau 1.07 Sept-Îles (Québec) G4R 3B1 Phone: (418) 968-9741 Fax: (418) 964-8651 Estrie region 200, rue Belvédère Nord, RC 09 Sherbrooke (Québec) J1H 4A9 Phone: (819) 820-3567 Fax: (819) 820-3889 Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec regions 100, rue Laviolette, 1 er étage, bureau 118 Trois-Rivières (Québec) G9A 5S9 Phone: (819) 371-6863 Fax: (819) 371-3772 Outaouais region 170, rue de l Hôtel-de-Ville, 7 e étage, bureau 8.700 Gatineau (Québec) J8X 4C2 Phone: (819) 772-3043 Fax: (819) 772-3349 Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region 3950, boulevard Harvey, 3 e étage, bureau 3.00 Jonquière (Québec) G7X 8L6 Phone: (418) 695-7976 Fax: (418) 695-8839