Communications Officer

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

Work environment

In the Government of Canada, communications officers are called upon to provide advice and recommendations to management on communication approaches, activities and tools. Therefore, they can be called upon to develop and implement communication strategies, often for the purpose of promoting a department’s services and activities, and sometimes for supporting the handling of an issue that could affect a department or the clients it serves.

The work very often involves developing communication products (news releases, questions and answers, tweets, Web content, key messages, etc.) and coordinating and organizing special activities or media events. In some cases, the duties can be somewhat more specialized and focused on one area such as the Web, production of multimedia products, or media relations.

One thing is certain: as government communication professionals, we are all driven by the passion of our work and fuelled by the idea of making a difference in the lives of Canadians!

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THIS PROCESS

STAGE 1 – You tell us about your background
Simply submit your résumé and answer the questions in the application process (hyperlink at the bottom of this poster). The questions pertain to your experiences, and it’s important to give us concrete examples to illustrate them well. It isn’t enough to tell us that your writing skills are valued; tell us what you’ve written (articles, news releases, etc.) and specify the relevant aspects of the context, for example the target clients, the nature of the project, the results achieved, etc. That will help us determine whether you will be evaluated in greater depth. If you are asked to specify dates or time periods, remember to mention them.

STAGE 2 – You show us what you can do!
If you reach this stage, you will be asked to demonstrate your skills. For doing this, we will be able to use a variety of tools, including written tests or online evaluations. Don’t worry, though -- we’ll give you time to prepare. This is a very important stage for us and for you, too, because it enables you to demonstrate your abilities and talent. It will take more time than the other stages, but the end result will be worth the effort.

STAGE 3 – We get acquainted
If you have what it takes and you successfully demonstrated your skills, our selection committee will be pleased to meet with you for an in-person or virtual interview to get to know you better. That will also enable us to determine what other assets you can bring to our team and the type of position that would best suit you.

STAGE 4 – We validate
This is for us to validate what we have learned about you during the process by contacting the references you provide.

STAGE 5 – If you pre-qualify
You will be placed in a pool of candidates that all Government of Canada departments and agencies with a presence in Quebec can draw from. If your profile matches what is being sought, you will be called upon to take tests for measuring your proficiency in the other official language and to fill out a form for having the security screening done.

Intent of the process

The intent of the process is to create a pool that could be used for staffing various positions of varying length in Government of Canada departments and agencies with a presence in Quebec.

Please note that candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications depending on the requirements of the position being staffed. We encourage candidates to demonstrate in their application all the asset criteria that they meet in terms of experience.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

EDUCATION:
You hold a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in a field related to the position’s duties, such as communications, media studies, public relations, journalism, marketing, revision, translation or other acceptable specialization
OR
You hold an acceptable combination of education, training and experience, like a college diploma in video production, graphic design, etc.

If you were educated abroad, you must have your certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian education standards. We encourage you to start this process as soon as possible.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:
• Recent* experience in developing and writing a variety of communication products such as social media and Web content, advertising or promotional materials, media releases, articles, success stories, etc.
• Experience in providing advice to clients (internal or external) about communication products or activities.
• Experience in using existing digital communication tools, including social media.

* “Recent experience” means experience gained within the last two years.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Various language requirements

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE:
Knowledge of communication principles and practices.

COMPETENCIES:
During the evaluation stage, we will ask you to demonstrate the following behaviours:

Relationship management and collaboration – You build and maintain effective, trusting and mutually beneficial relationships through collaboration, networking and conflict management.
Effective interactive communication – You communicate and convey information in a consistent, clear manner.
Written communication - You are able to write clear, concise, logical and grammatically correct texts for sharing information and ideas with others.
Initiative – You take the lead and are in solution mode in order to solve a problem or suggest a better way of doing things.
Judgment – You consider the entire situation, the associated issues and the people involved, and use the right strategies for achieving your objectives or providing advice.
Planning and organizing – You prioritize your work and develop and adjust plans for achieving objectives and meeting deadlines.

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

Tell us what areas of communication you have worked in so that we can find the position that best suits you:

• Media monitoring and analysis
• Advertising
• Consultation or public opinion research
• Graphic design
• Video production
• Webmaster
• Coordinating the logistical aspects of activities or events
• Project management

For some positions, there may be a requirement to be able to do overtime and work on weekends, often on short notice, and to adopt a flexible schedule.

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.