How to get promoted in California state government: An expert’s guide

California state jobs likely are going to become more competitive under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s orders to fill only the highest-priority vacancies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

That means state workers angling for promotions might need to sharpen their application and interview skills to move up.

Michelle Allen, a consultant who teaches a class on getting state jobs at Sierra College in Rocklin, said many opportunities remain for employees willing to “think outside the box” and move among departments.

Allen suggests workers start taking qualifying exams and applying for new state jobs as soon as they’re hired, saying the state’s protections for workers shield them from the negative repercussions of job-hopping that people assume exist in the private sector.

Additionally, state workers have rights of return to either the last position they held, a position at the same level or a position to which the employee could have transferred. And they get to keep accrued benefits.

“The private sector is not nearly as forgiving nor as promotion-opportunity-geared as the state is,” she said.

Allen, who has helped people get hired and promoted at the state for 13 years, shared some tips with The Sacramento Bee. Workers looking to promote can also ask their unions for help. The California Association of Professional Scientists and SEIU Local 1000 recently told The Bee they have specific resources dedicated to helping state workers get promoted.

Where to apply

Her biggest piece of advice? Take as many of the state’s qualifying exams as possible to get on eligibility lists, which allow people to apply for openings.

On jobs.ca.gov, the state’s hiring portal, there’s a link for “state employees.” At that link, workers can browse state jobs and find out what exams are required for each. The site also features an “exam/assessment search” tool that lets users search for job classifications and see the associated exams.

Three of the most common positions are office technician, which is an entry-level job; staff services analyst, which is a step up and requires a four-year degree or equivalent experience; and associate governmental program analyst, which is a step up from staff services analyst. Those classifications cover a broad range of work across state agencies.

Each position has an “official exam bulletin” listing requirements. Allen says to make sure to click the link to “review the study guide” for each position. She said the exams are essentially open-book tests allowing workers to reference sample questions in the guides.

Employees at small agencies should look to larger agencies for more opportunities, and at a time like this they should even consider how departments are funded, she said, noting departments that generate revenue through things like licenses and permits likely will fare better than those that depend heavily on the state’s general fund.

Filling out an application

After passing the exams, applicants need to be extremely careful to follow directions on the state applications, she said.

For example, some questions say they should only be filled out if they’re applicable to the job. If they’re not needed for the job, don’t fill those out.

When filling out the “employment history” section, applicants should carefully read the duty statement for the job and tailor the descriptions of their experience to match as closely as possible the qualifications listed in the duty statements (without lying), she said.

A common mistake is to describe at length an applicant’s past experience without matching it to the job’s requirements, she said.

“Use their words. Always. Don’t deviate,” she said.

The duty statement language should also be used in filling out statements of qualification, she added.

Applicants should save their responses after filling out one or two applications and adapt them to the next applications, but make sure to tailor the language to fit the job, she said.

Interview tips

When it comes to interviews, she recommends keeping in mind the military-like chain of command of California state government.

She said a common interview question goes like this: You have two assignments due by Friday. Your supervisor comes by your desk and says she needs something else done by Friday. You don’t know that you can complete all three. What do you do?

While someone in the private sector might pledge to finish all of the assignments no matter what, the correct response in a state interview, Allen said, is “I would always ask the supervisor to prioritize the assignment.”

As another example, she cites a question that was asked of someone applying for a dentist job at a state prison. The dentist was asked what he would do if two of his employees called in sick, but he still had a full schedule of patients for the day.

He responded that he would explain the situation to his remaining staff, see some patients and reschedule some of them as needed.

That was the wrong answer. The correct answer, Allen said, can often be used to answer similar questions: “I would always follow the protocols and procedures of the department.”

Think outside the box

Examples from an applicant’s career should only be furnished after that initial response, she said.

“There’s a way to do everything in state service and that’s because it has to be uniform,” she said.

Allen said the main things she sees holding back state workers from getting promoted are inertia and fear. But applicants from other agencies often pique the interest of hiring managers looking for something new, she said.

“What I’ve told them basically in a nutshell is to think outside the box,” she said. “Many of them think they need to move up in their own agency and for some reason they’re thwarted. I tell them, ‘look at the big picture.’”

Allen has more information on her website, www.michelleallencaliforniastatejobs.com.

This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 6:00 AM.