Managers at HRSDC are committed to a process of organizational renewal that includes recruitment of the best and brightest from Canada's universities.
On January 8 and 9, I had the opportunity to participate in the second round of interviews for the Human Resources Social Development Canada (HRSDC) Post-Secondary Recruitment (PSR) Process in Ottawa. To be chosen for the second round of interviews was an amazement to me. I was adamant that I performed quite below my abilities during the first round of interviews, but I guess the interviewers had a different perspective.
When I received the e-mail back in December, I was hesitant. But after some thoughtful and insightful conversations with a couple of close friends, I accepted the invitation. While the "bridging" option was still open (and still is...), I did not want to close any doors and took this invitation as a way of challenging myself; experiencing what it is like to participate in the second round of interviews of an open competition, and to learn new things. Although I may not come out with a job, I still gain more than if i did not attend.
And boy, did I ever enjoy myself.
Monday, January 7
Getting to Ottawa was a challenge on its own. I had booked a flight to Ottawa and I arrived at the airport at 2pm for a 3:10pm flight. While waiting in line to check-in, a lady then announced that all flights to Ottawa for the rest of the day were cancelled due to heavy fog. CRAP! S0 I quickly got on the phone and booked a seat on another flight that departed next morning. My mom suggested that I should get into Ottawa tonight so that I can rest up. I looked at my watch and realized that a train departs from Toronto at 5:30pm! I quickly got on th
e phone with VIA Rail and reserved a seat.We reached Union Station at around 4:30pm and the line-up was soooo long (like I had expected). The train was completely sold-out and most of the people in line were also on the same boat as me -- flight cancelled. I was one of the lucky few who got their own seat during the train ride after the man beside me left at Cobourg. It was a long train journey, as it stopped at every possible station along the way to Ottawa. I did not get into Ottawa till around 10:30pm and to the hotel till around 11pm. I was so tired.....but good thing I made it. I heard that some people did not get into Ottawa till around 2 or 3am, because they had to take the bus since their flights were cancelled as well. Ouch.
Tuesday, January 8
I woke up early to go on a Timmy's run. Since I was familiar with the Gatineau area around Les Terrasses de la Chaudiere and Promenade du Portage, I knew where the Tim Horton's was located. I got my muffin and some Timbits. Because the Timmy's was located in Phase IV, where I used to work, it felt a little awkward to be back there, not as an employee, but as someone who just wanted food. I kept my eyes peeled for people I knew and recognized a few faces.
After breakfast, I went downstairs to register and there were more people than I had anticipated. After receiving my Candidate Kit and registering for the Parliament Hill tour, I sat down at a table with girl I met while waiting in line. Each table seated about 10 people, and I think there were at
least 20, so maybe around 200 people were invited. We had to wait for everyone else to register so we just sat at the table introducing each other and getting to know each other. The groups had such a diverse background. We came from all across Canada (Newfoundland, Alberta, BC, Quebec, PEI, Ontario) and had different educational backgrounds (some were had their or working on their Masters or Ph.D.). It is amazing to hear that a lot of people want to work for the federal government.Afterwards, there were speeches by the Deputy Minister for the Labour Program, Munir Sheikh and by Scott Streiner, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Labour Program. The Labour Program will be picking the bulk of the candidates from the pool, but there were also presentations by Senior Managers and Directors from specific directorates (Aboriginal Affairs, Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, Corporate Secretariat, and Strategic Policy and Research Directorate) who will be participating in the pool as well. The presentations gave a brief overview of their organization's responsibilities and roles, and what jobs are available; therefore, it gave us (the candidates), a good indication of what to expect.
After the presentations, it was a buffet-styled lunch and a networking opportunity. This gave us the opportunity to talk with some of the presenters and ask them more specific questions. I was too intimidated so I just talked with the other candidates.
The Parliament Hill tour was nothing too special, as I already have been to numerous ones. We had the option of attending or not, but I went because I wanted to see the Library of Parliament after its renovations. When we left the hotel, it was pretty nice and warm. When we left Parliament, about an hour later, it was pouring rain and very heavy fog. Pretty ridiculous how the weather can change so drastically in an hour.
In the evening, I went to visit Cortnee at Brooks 138 (the scene of many good and bad memories) and Danielle. It was fun because we had our long overdue pizza night.
Wednesday, January 9
My interviews did not start until 2pm, so I spent the morning studying the material I received in my kit, but I later found out that the interviews were not so much a formal interview, such as asking you knowledge-based questions about their directorate and mandate, but rather informal conversations with the managers about the various positions and simply stating whether you would be interested in such positions or not.
Because HRSDC simply matched our background with prospective managers, it was difficult for some candidates to receive the interviews they had wanted. I was lucky enough to have been interviewed by the Strategic Policy and Research Directorate, which was one of the most sought-after directorates, and two regional branches (Vancouver and Toronto). As a result, it was recommended that we also approach managers who were in directorates that were of interest to us, and possibly sit down and chat (depending on their schedule). Since I got all three that I wanted, I did not have to do such intimidating acts. But during my last interview, I was also referred to another manager because my background and knowledge in occupational health and safety could possibly be an asset to them.
I had four interviews and after each one, I came out feeling more confident about myself, knowing that I did a pretty good job. I stated my interest in each one (so to get my foot in the door, right?) and plugged my bilingualism and Cantonese abilities for each one, particularly the regional one, where it is more front-line delivery service than with research and policy.
So what are my chances of landing a job with HRSDC? Here are some of the numbers I heard from the lady heading up the PSR recruitment for HRSDC:
- around 1,400 people applied to be part of the pool
- the number was dwindled down to around 750 candidates because they did not meet certain aspects in the Statement of Merit Criteria
- the number was still too big; therefore, they proceeded to grade the essays that were written in conjunction with our application. Each essay had to earn a grade of over 80% in order to move on
- around 450 candidates were chosen to move on to the interview stage
- based on the score of the interviews (which had to be 80% on each and every question), around 200 candidates were chosen to move on to the second round
I have tried to stay humble throughout this whole process and will continue to do so, but it does make me feel good that I am considered by HRSDC to be one of the best and brightest in Canada. I guess I am no failure.
This was one of the best experiences of my life (better than co-op interviews for sure) and I really recommend to all my friends to give the federal government a shot. While it may seem very slow and tedious (and I can attest to that fact), it is a very good learning opportunity and you also get to meet many people along the way.
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