Job announcements for existing and future positions in state or local government are posted by the New Jersey Department of Personnel (DOP) when the DOP identifies a need. In general, these announcements are open for 21 calendar days.

Applying for government jobs can be quite a lengthy process, complete with testing and lots of patient waiting. Once you go through the process, however, you will be placed on a list that will make you eligible for many future positions even if you don't get the job you first applied for.

Top The Application Process: Part One

Boiled down to its basics, the application process is as follows:

• Find a job listing you're interested in and make sure you meet all background and experience requirements.

• Fill out an application. (If you can't download the form, please call the application staff at (609) 984-4645 to have one mailed to you.)

• Submit the completed application with $15 application fee by mail or in person (see addresses below).

Application fee exemption: You won't have to pay the application fee if you are receiving one of the following:

• General Assistance - Send a copy of your benefits ID card or a letter from your local welfare director with your application.

• Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) - Send a copy of your ID card showing your case number with your application.

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Send a copy of your latest annual awards letter, or copy of your ID card showing your Medicaid number, with your application.

Licenses and certifications: If a particular job opening requires a license or certification, attach a copy of the document, which must be current and valid, to your application. (A valid New Jersey driver license is required if the operation of a motor vehicle is necessary to perform the basic duties of the job.) Where applicable, attach a copy of your official college transcript to your application as well.

Mail your application to:

• Open Competitive Application Processing Section

• New Jersey Department of Personnel

• P.O. Box 321

• Trenton, NJ 08625-0321

Or, hand-deliver your application (between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.) to:

• Information Center

• New Jersey Department of Personnel

• 44 South Clinton Ave.

• Trenton, NJ 08625

Top The Application Process: Part Two

Once your application and documents have been mailed, you'll play the waiting game. The DOP will review your application and notify you if you are ineligible for the position.

If you do not receive a Notification of Ineligibility, your next communication from the DOP will be a supplemental application, a notice of rank and score (if your application was evaluated for education and experience), or a notice to appear for an examination.

The Questionnaire/Supplemental Application: This is a "self-report" of your background and experience that you must submit to the DOP by a given deadline. The questions are based on the basic points of the position being tested.

You may also be required to take one or more of the following tests:

Written test: This is usually a multiple-choice test or an essay test that measures your job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The supervisory test battery: This is sometimes combined with a test of technical knowledge in an examination for a particular job title.

The management test battery. This is designed to measure your skill in handling a variety of management-level situations.

Computer-based testing: These tests follow a multiple-choice format, and you will receive your raw score (the number of correct answers) as soon as you finish the test.

If you pass your test (or tests), you will receive a Notification of Eligibility, which means that you have been placed on a list of eligible candidates. When a hiring agency notifies the DOP that it needs to fill a vacancy, the DOP sends that agency the names that are ranked highest on that list.

At this point, you may be interviewed and considered for the position, and when you receive a Notification of Certification, you must write to the appointing authority within five business days if you are interested in the job.

Good luck in your job search!

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