The Pennsylvania Office of Administration held a seminar on state employment on Friday, April 11.

The afternoon’s talk was led by Michelle Frechette, the HR program director for the Bureau of Enterprise Recruitment. According to Frechette, the seminar’s purpose was to “take the intimidation out of applying” for Commonwealth positions.

The meeting focused on how to find vacant positions on the Commonwealth employment website. This included information on experience requirements for different positions, the application process and how to prepare for exams.

Topics discussed included how to sort jobs by salaries, locations and departments to find vacant positions that appeal to different career paths.

Frechette also broke down the different types of jobs that applicants can look for, mainly the differences between civil service positions, non-civil service positions, internships and local government jobs.

Frechette went into detail on what the application process looks like. According to her, being detailed on all prior work experiences is crucial for applying for any position.

“There is little description of your work behaviors in your resume,” Frechette said. “Paint the clearest picture for the evaluators. If you didn’t write your experience down, we can’t assume, so it doesn’t exist.”

Frechette explained for seniors that the best time to apply is three months before graduation. Seniors should make sure they fulfill any credit requirements a job description calls for.

Frechette had the audience draw similarities between applying for a Commonwealth job and baking cookies.

The activity was meant to emphasize the importance of honesty and detail when applying. According to Frechette, “If you said you made cookies, but you just licked the spoon, you didn’t make the cookies.”

Frechette emphasized the need for honesty and detail when applying, as well as learning how to analyze job postings. 

“You only get one opportunity for each vacancy,” Frechette said.

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