You can sign up for email alerts when new jobs are posted
Through your GC Jobs account, you can sign up to receive email alerts for jobs you may be interested in. These alerts can be set up using a variety of criteria, including location, salary, title and hiring organization.
When you apply for a job, you don't need to complete the entire application at once
You don't have to complete your application all at one time, as long as you finish and submit your application before the closing date. You can complete your application at your own pace and view a checklist of what is outstanding. You can work on your application, save it and go back to it later. Until you 'submit' your application, you haven't applied yet.
You can also 'rescind' your application and update it any time before the closing date.
You don't need to have a security clearance done before applying
Once you are qualified and are deemed the right fit, the hiring organization will start the security clearance process. Even if you already have a security clearance from another organization, the hiring organization will need to obtain its own clearance.
What happens to your application after you click Apply
After you've applied, you can check your GC Jobs account for updates on your application status to see whether your application was selected for further review in the process or included in an inventory. If you've applied to a staffing process, you will be notified a few weeks after the closing date has passed. Initially, you won't receive any emails about your status, but if you are selected for further consideration, you'll be contacted by the hiring organization.
Clearly articulating your education and experience on your application will help ensure that you pass the screening stage
Review the requirements carefully: to pass the screening stage you must meet the essential education and experience requirements and be part of the area of selection. If you are asked to complete a questionnaire on your education and experience, be sure to provide enough information to the assessment board to demonstrate that you meet these qualifications. On your application, do your best to be clear and provide complete answers to screening questions by answering 'where, when and how' you acquired the associated experience.
Preparing for assessments
The job advertisement will always show the qualifications required for the position. Furthermore, when you receive an invitation to an assessment, be it an exam or interview, the invitation will list the qualifications you will be assessed on. To prepare,
- review the qualifications
- think about potential situations where this qualification would be important for the role you are applying for and how you would handle them
- think about your own experience and come up with some solid examples of times you demonstrated these qualifications in the past.
Consider setting up a career folder where you can document some of these examples. This will save you time and effort when preparing for future assessments.
Interviews are conducted in-person or virtually
Depending on the process, AAFC conducts interviews in person, virtually, or a combination of both. If you apply for a position outside of your home city, you will likely be given the opportunity to participate in an interview virtually instead of in person. Recently, to respect health guidelines regarding COVID-19, we have been conducting many interviews virtually.
Virtual interview tips
- Familiarize yourself with the application you'll be using. Reach out to the contact and ask if you can schedule a practice run with the application. Test it using the device, be it laptop, tablet or smartphone, that you plan to use for the interview. If you prefer keeping your physical space private, consider using a virtual background through the video conference application. Don't forget to check your internet connection, microphone, speakers and power source.
- Make notes of key points you wish to discuss, and keep them next to you in the interview so you don't forget them.
- Eye contact is not essential, but does help with non-verbal cues. Position your video window near your camera for best results.
- Practice makes perfect. Practice going through your key points with the technology and physical space you will be using. Adjust height of your device and lighting as appropriate. Treat it like an in-person interview with a screen between you and your interviewer.