Applying for Government of Canada jobs: How to apply

About This Job

Applying for Government of Canada jobs: How to apply

Service interruption

GC Jobs will be unavailable Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 from 6:45 p.m. (EST) to 11:45 p.m. (EST).

During this time, you will not be able to search or apply for jobs, or take online tests.

Thank you for your understanding.

GC Jobs will be unavailable Tuesday, July 28, 2026 from 7:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. (EDT/EDST).

1. What to expect

1. Before you apply

1. How to apply

1. Test, accommodation measures and assessments

1. What happens next

1. Contact and help

Find and apply for a job

Login to your account to apply for a job or to review the status of your application

Search for available public service jobs

Use filters to refine your job search

See our tips on getting the best results from your search, including leaving the job field blank

To make your job search easier, you can:

create a saved search

sign up for email alerts, where the search criteria you have chosen will be applied and will be saved to your account

On the job advertisement, select the Apply online link

Work your way through the list of Requirements, completing each section and saving as you go

If you identify as a woman, or are an Indigenous person, a member of a visible minority, or a person with a disability, you may self-declare in the Employment Equity section of the Requirements, using consent option 3.

Submit your application before the closing date and time listed on the job advertisement, using the Submit application link

Employment equity: Count yourself in!

The Government of Canada hires people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes the public service even more talented, inclusive and diverse. Self-declaration is voluntary, but by self-declaring as a member of one of the 4 employment equity groups, you’ll be considered for job opportunities where belonging to one of these groups is a requirement. Your information will be kept confidential.

Join us in building an accessible, inclusive and barrier-free public service. Learn more about employment equity and how the Public Service Commission of Canada is building a representative public service.

Tips and tricks

GC Jobs tips

Take it one step at a time

Only apply if you have all the essential qualifications listed on the job posting; asset qualifications are beneficial, not essential, so apply even if you don’t have any of them

Save, save, save: the GC Jobs system doesn’t save automatically

Save your answers in a separate document, so you can:

use it before you apply to get feedback from friends or mentors, and use tools to check your grammar and spelling

repurpose your answers for other job opportunities

You can make changes to your submitted application right up until the closing date:

your application stays in the “Submitted job applications” section of your account until the closing date

just select “Retrieve application” and make your change, but be sure to re-submit your application by the closing date, or you won’t be considered for the job

Apply ahead of the deadline to allow for any technical issues on the part of GC Jobs or on your end

Top 3 résumé tips

Create an unformatted résumé for GC Jobs (no bullets, underlines or bold), as the system will remove most formatting when you paste it into your online profile

Keep it up to date, and tailor it for each job you apply to

Watch Alex’s Tips and Tricks video

Screening questions 101 Create your best possible answer

While applying, you may need to answer screening questions related to the qualifications on the job poster, such as experience and education

Read the screening questions carefully

Don’t just state that you have the experience or education; provide details or examples

Avoid acronyms to ensure the person reading your application understands

When talking about your work, describe your role and accomplishments

If the question uses “and” you must demonstrate that you have all the skills or experiences required

Example: “Do you have experience participating in and leading a team?”

Write about your experiences as a participant and as a leader in the answer

If the question uses “or” you need to demonstrate that you have at least one of the skills

Example: “Do you have experience in planning meetings or events?”

Write about your experience in planning meetings or events

Check out these model answers

When answering “yes” to a screening question, write a full answer in the box below it to prove you have the experience in question

Check out the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to design an answer that pops

S

Situation

Describe the situation

T

Task

Give details on what you had to do

A

Action

Give details on actions you have taken

R

Result

Describe the result of the situation

Review this example of a complete and an incomplete answer to a screening question:

Question: Do you have experience in complex research, using archival documents, historical maps and databases?

Complete answer: I have 3 years experience in complex research, using archival documents, historical maps and databases as a Master’s and undergraduate student in North American history at the University of Guelph in my senior years (1999-2001) and Dalhousie University (2003-2004). For various projects and major research papers, I pulled original archival research from local and national archives, searched newspaper databases digitally and via microfiche for small, independent publications, and used historical maps to track historical events across Canada. I built relationships with librarians and archivists who helped me unearth original, hard-to-find documents. As a result, I was able to pull original research and tell new stories about social movements, public memory and events that resulted in 2 articles in academic publications and an award for innovative research from York University.

Incomplete answer: Yes, I did historical research and used archives as a history student in undergraduate and master’s studies at university. Please see the education section of my résumé for details.

Top 4 résumé tips

Create a very simple, unformatted résumé for GC Jobs (no bullets, underlines or bold) as the system will remove most formatting when you paste.

Keep it up to date, and tailor it for each position.

Watch this video for résumé tips and examples (starting at 25:27).

Use this checklist in the résumé section.

Screening questions 101

Create your best possible answer

Use keywords: Use the exact keywords and skills from the screening question in your answer. Do not use synonyms.

Use “I,” not “we” to talk about your work

When answering “yes” to a screening question, write a full answer in the box below it to prove you have the experience in question. Follow the STAR method to design an answer that pops!

Q: Do you have experience in complex research, using archival documents, historical maps, and databases?

Complete Answer: I have three years experience in complex research, using archival documents, historical maps and databases as a Master’s and undergraduate student in North American history at the University of Guelph in my senior years (1999-2001) and Dalhousie University (2003-2004). For various projects and major research papers, I pulled original archival research from local and national archives, searched newspaper databases digitally and via microfiche for small, independent publications, and used historical maps to track historical events across Canada. I built relationships with librarians and archivists who helped me unearth original, hard-to-find documents. As a result, I was able to pull original research and tell new stories about social movements, public memory and events that resulted in two articles in academic publications and an award for innovative research from York University.

Incomplete Answer: Yes, I did historical research and used archives as a history student in undergraduate and master’s studies at university. Please see the education section of my resume for details.

Read the question carefully

If the question uses “and” you must demonstrate that you have all the skills or experiences required.

Example: “Do you have experience participating in and leading a team?” you must write about your experiences as a participant and as a leader in the answer.

If the question uses “or” you need to demonstrate that you have at least one of the skills.

Example: “Do you have experience* in planning meetings or events?” you can write about your experience in planning meetings or events.

Page details

2026-07-28

Position Name

Applying for Government of Canada jobs: How to apply