Tips For Successful Employment Application Materials

We strongly recommend you use our online application system at: http://www.lanecounty.org/Jobs/

Your employment application, and supplemental questionnaire, and other required application materials must be received by Lane County Human Resources as specified on the job announcement.  We do not fax or accept faxed applications and/or supplemental questionaires.  Some positions do not have a closing date.  Instead of closing date, they are designated as “open until filled”.  We encourage you to submit your employment application materials as soon as possible because Lane County reserves the right to close these types of positions at any time. 

General Tips:

1. We encourage you to take your time in completing the application materials.  Because of the large number of applications we receive, be as thorough as possible with relevant information as you will be competing with a large number of qualified candidates.
   
2. Review your application materials before you submit them.  Once you click on the submit button, you may not make any changes. 
   
3. Be sure to check your application materials, including a check for spelling and grammar.
   
4. You may want to have a third party review your materials to make sure you are communicating clearly. 
   
5. DO NOT say "see résumé" anywhere on your employment application materials.  We do not accept resumes in lieu of the employment history requested on the application.  Unless specifically requested to attach one, we will not review extraneous documents.

Application Requirements, Minimum Qualifications, and Supplemental Questionnaire:
Be sure to carefully read the recruitment announcement and pay special attention to the experience and training required as well as any special requirement listed.  Determine if you are or are not qualified to apply for the job.  You must show clearly on your employment application that you meet the minimum qualifications.  Your supplemental questionnaire will only be reviewed if your application clearly shows you meet the minimum qualifications.

Suggestions for completing a more successful employment application:

Note: Human Resources staff relies on the employment application form to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the job.

• Carefully read the entire job announcement and follow its special instructions and requirements.
  
• Show how your background meets the specific requirements listed in the Qualifications section of the job announcement. Explain in detail your qualifying experience in your employment or volunteer history. You can attach additional pages if you run out of room.
  
• List each job separately. Do not lump jobs together, even if they were with the same organization. Include all relevant experience, whether paid or unpaid.
  
• Avoid jargon or acronyms.
  
• Complete all parts of the application form.  Provide a number for the average hours worked per week (instead of "varies").  List jobs that are relevant to the position for which you are applying.
  
• If you are submitting a hard copy and it is handwritten, make it legible.  
  
• If you are submitting a hard copy, sign and date the application form. Staple additional material to your application form.
  
• Keep a copy of your completed application packet.
  
• Submit your application to Lane County Human Resources by the closing date listed on the announcement and time as specified on the job announcement.  Please note that Lane County is on Pacific Time).

Suggestions for completing a more successful supplemental questionnaire:

Note: The hiring department relies on your responses to the supplemental questionnaire to rank all candidates who met the minimum qualifications.

Before you begin responding to the supplemental questions, review your current and previous job position descriptions, duties, accomplishments and performance appraisals.  This quick review could greatly improve your answers.
 
In each answer, show clearly how your background closely matches the needs of the position.

• Make sure you answer all of the questions on the supplemental questionnaire.
  
• Tell us what you have accomplished or completed, not what others have done.  Responses such as "I was involved in the budgeting process" are not descriptive enough. Tell us what your specific job duties were and what you did to achieve results.
  
• Repeat yourself if necessary.  Remember, each response is evaluated independently from the others. You may need to repeat some information from one response to another.
  
• Be concise, yet thorough.  Stick to factual data.  Avoid digression into philosophy and theory.  Unless the announcement instructs you otherwise, there is no "right" number of words or pages.
  
• Specifically identify to which question each response refers. If the question has several parts, be sure to answer and number each response separately.
  
• Many terms are interchangeable, for example: strategic planning and long-term planning.  Don't be concerned about using "government" lingo. 
  
• Avoid vague language, jargon and acronyms.
  
• If you handwrite your responses, write legibly.

DO:

• Read the questions carefully before you answer.  If you are asked to list experience that covers a certain number of years, be certain you have that number of years in your employment history.
  
• Demonstrate how your experience is relevant to the specific job for which you are applying.
  
• Answer every question completely.  Provide as much relevant information as possible, without omitting any pertinent details about your experience.
  
• Write "N/A" in the space, if something doesn’t apply to you.
  
• Write in the correct position for which you are applying and the correct posting number, if submitting a hard copy.
  
• List your full name and mailing address, including your city, state and zip code.
  
• List the position held where the application asks for it.
  
• Check either the full or part-time boxes and fill in dates of employment, supervisor, and contact information.
  
• Describe thoroughly and accurately the work performed for each of the employers you list on your employment application
  
• Fill in every blank, answer every question, and don’t forget to complete the employer/title/dates information, if asked.
  
• If you choose to use acronyms, please be sure to spell them out.  Acronyms may have different meanings depending on the context. 

DO NOT:
(What works against you in the screening process and may be the basis for disqualification of your application).

• DO NOT say "see résumé" where the application asks for a description of your job duties.
  
• Leave any questions unanswered. If a question doesn’t pertain to you, write "N/A" in the space provided.
  
• Provide incomplete answers, spaces left blank, lack of signature on the application or supplemental, inconsistent employment records.
  
• Provide lack of verifiable data (for instance, you only listed one or two jobs, going back one or two years, when the application asks you to list all jobs within the last 10 years).
  
• Submit your application without the supplemental questionnaire, or vice versa,
  
• Submit the wrong supplemental questionnaire with your application.
  Provide inconsistent information.
  
• Include irrelevant personal information on your employment application materials (SSN, graduation dates, gender, age, race, disability, nationality).  Do include this information, as requested on the EEO form.  This information will not be reviewed to ascertain your qualifications for the job.
  
• Submit personal photos, videos clips, sound clips.
  
• Submit an employment application from another employer.

Please use the attached document as a guide for completing the Lane County Application for Employment.

If you have questions that are not addressed by this document, please contact Human Resources at (541)682-3665, Monday through Friday between 10:00am and 5:00pm.

Step-By-Step_Instructions-090928.pdf (71KB)   Step-By-Step Instruction Guide

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