We have assembled some answers to frequently asked questions about careers at Natural Resources Canada.

If after browsing the FAQ area you still have a question, please contact us by e-mail for further information.

1. Are all the jobs, open to the public in the federal government, advertised on jobs.gc.ca?

Yes, the Public Service Commission (PSC) advertises all jobs open to the public on its web site http://jobs.gc.ca. It is however advisable to note certain exceptions:

1. Crown Corporation positions: although several crown corporations use the PSC site to meet their recruitment needs, none of these organizations are obliged to advertise the totality of their openings on jobs.gc.ca.
   

2. At the discretion of the Regional PSC offices, certain jobs are made available via the InfoTel service only. The number of this 24-hour service in your district may be accessed at PSC Offices
   

3. Jobs that are open to federal government employees only are not posted on the PSC's web site.

2. Why is a candidate's residence important and how is residency applied in a competition?

The geographic criterion that is often used in competitions refers to where candidates must reside; or reside or be employed, in order to be eligible for consideration. Residency has its normal meaning: it is where the individual lives. Students or other individuals temporarily residing outside the area of selection who have a permanent residence within the area of selection would normally be eligible to apply.

Definition:
A permanent residence is, generally, the place that has always been, or has been adopted as, a person's habitation or home, to which he/she has the firm intention to return.

Although, generally, a person's place of permanent residence is where the family lives, if a person is living temporarily apart from family, the place of permanent residence is where the family lives, if the person has the firm intention to return there.

3. Why can't I just send my résumé to the Public Service Commission without applying to a specific position?

Unfortunately, you may not submit your résumé to the Public Service Commission (PSC) for general consideration without applying for a specific position. Although it might be convenient for you to do so, unsolicited applications (i.e. unrelated to currently advertised positions) are simply not an effective and efficient way to manage the large quantity of applications received by the PSC. Further, the task of matching individuals to jobs that are currently open to the public would be difficult.

The PSC will regularly advertise open inventories. In these cases, you may submit your résumé, to be included into an inventory without having to apply to one specific position.

4. Why can't I just send my résumé to NRCan without applying to a specific position?

All jobs to be staffed via open competition must be posted on the central Public Service Commission (PSC) web site (http://jobs.gc.ca). NRCan cannot advertise and recruit for its own jobs. The PSC is the central agency which is mandated to perform this function. Therefore, all applications for specific positions advertised on http://jobs.gc.ca must be sent to the PSC.

5. Why are certain positions only open to one (or more) employment equity group(s) (i.e. members of visible minority groups, aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and women)? Isn't this a discriminatory practice?

The government has a legal obligation to ensure that its workforce reflects the communities it serves. This means that in some cases, where there is a need to better reflect the diversity of our communities, pro-active recruitment will target one or more of the designated Employment Equity groups to help find qualified candidates. These efforts are helping the government meet its legal obligation to Canadians by redressing the balance in its workforce.

One of the key responsibilities of the Public Service Commission (PSC) is to ensure that Canadians are served by a highly competent work force that is non-partisan (i.e. impartial and appointed without political interference) and representative of Canadian society, (i.e. reflecting the diversity that exists in the Canadian population). It does this by carrying out responsibilities provided for in the Public Service Employment Act and the Employment Equity Act. Under current Employment Equity Programs, appointments are made according to merit.

6. What is "employment equity" and "diversity"? How are they related?

Diversity at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) involves employing qualified and competent people from various pools of talent, respecting and gaining from the differences that exist within Canada through learning to use those differences creatively. It is about bringing different points of view together and thereby enriching our working lives and letting us understand the world from the widest possible perspective. Ultimately, diversity will lead to NRCan becoming a workplace of choice, a place where the very best people want to come and make their careers. Diversity is also about creating a work environment that will ensure retention of members of designated groups.

Employment equity is essential, but not sufficient, for us to achieve our goal of diversity. Employment equity has legislated definitions and responsibilities. It involves increasing the number of employees in areas of under-representation in our workforce who are members of designated groups so that our workforce becomes representative of the Canadian labour market. Building a representative workforce requires that we staff, promote and rejuvenate in a manner that reflects the actual and changing face of Canada's workforce, while fully respecting the merit principle. Achieving this goal at NRCan, and across the Government of Canada, is a fundamental priority.

7. What is merit and how does it relate to me obtaining a job in the federal Public Service?

The Public Service Employment Act gives the Public Service Commission (PSC) the legal responsibility for protecting and promoting merit-based staffing. The PSC defines merit in terms of three related values: fairness, equity, and transparency. Fairness refers to objectivity, and to not bestowing an unfair advantage upon any candidate; equity refers to the provision of reasonable access to competitive opportunities to potential candidates, and to greater representativeness; transparency refers to results that are clear and easily explainable to everyone concerned. These values ensure that all candidates are considered equally for positions for which they have applied. The merit principle is the best guarantor of ensuring a representative workforce.

8. How do I best prepare for the interview stage with a federal department, particularly NRCan?

The best preparation will come from obtaining the "Statement of Qualifications" (SofQ) of the position for which you are being interviewed. Sometimes there will be a link to the position's Statement of Qualifications on-line, other times, you might have to contact the Public Service Commission (PSC) to obtain this document. The SofQ will outline the criteria you must possess for the job. This will assist you in preparing for the interview.

As with any job interview, be prepared to answer questions relating to your experience, education, skills and abilities. Prepare to ask the interviewers any questions you might have about the position or the department. Before the interview, visit the departmental web sites to review the department's mandate and current issues.

Allow extra time before the interview to obtain a building pass and to find the location of the interview.