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Your guide to applying to JOHS!

If you are interested in joining the Joint Office of Homeless Services to help us in our efforts to supporting those most vulnerable in Multnomah County we invite you to apply today. Below you will find information and resources to help you in the process.

Where to look for opportunities

All open opportunities can be found on Multnomah County’s careers website. To view only JOHS positions you will need to apply a filter.

Need to know vocabulary

LDA: A limited duration assignment – this is a temporary assignment that can last up to two years.

MQs: Minimum Qualifications – predetermined by the County, minimum qualifications are the required years of experience needed to be considered for the position.

PQS: Preferred Qualifications – these qualifications are not required to be considered for the position, but those candidates that have the additional qualifications will be considered more highly qualified.

Assessment: Per civil service rules, candidates undergo an assessment that determines their eligibility to perform in the position. Graded out of 100, with 70 being a passing score. The assessment could be an application evaluation, written assessment, a short interview, or another form of assessment.

Eligible/Eligible List: When a candidate passes the assessment, they are determined eligible for the position and placed on an eligible list. Our screening process determines a candidates eligibility. Candidates are placed on the list based on their score (highest to lowest). Highest scoring candidates will be invited to interview. Candidates remain on the eligible list for two years from the date they applied. Hiring Managers may decide to utilize eligible lists for future vacancies rather or in addition to a full recruitment.

How you can prepare before applying

You can start preparing while you are waiting for a position to be posted. Here are some ideas:

  • Draft a solid base resume and cover letter outlining your experience and skills.

    • Use the 5 C’s – Clean, Chronological, Custom, Compelling, Correct

  • Start a wins document. Make a note of every kudos, compliment, big project, or accomplishment that you are proud of. This will be helpful to reference when going through a recruitment.

  • Practice Sample Interview Questions

Your Application

When you have identified a position you are interested in – read the job posting carefully.

Include a RESUME and COVER LETTER. When writing your resume and cover letter consider the following:

  • Consider the minimum qualifications. Do you have the number of years experience to be considered? Make that clear.

  • Consider the preferred qualifications. Do you have those skills/experiences? Make that clear in your application.

  • Consider the primary responsibilities of the role. Do your resume and cover letter demonstrate your ability to perform those responsibilities?

  • Keep your cover letter and resume succinct, but you do not need to limit it to 1 page per document. 2-3 pages per document are preferred.
  • Use the 5 C’s – Clean, Chronological, Custom, Compelling, Correct
    • Clean: Easy to read. Don’t stress about format, just make sure it’s organized and easy to read.
    • Chronological: Most recent experience first.
    • Custom: Tailored to the position you are applying for.
    • Compelling: Filled with achievements, actions, and examples.
    • Correct: Honest and Accurate.

Apply before the last day of the posting. Reach out to the recruiter (dale.cornelius@multco.us) if you have any uncertainty of when you need to apply by.

Review of Minimum Qualifications

When the posting closes, the recruiter will review the applications for minimum qualifications. Minimum qualifications are determined by the County – all minimum qualifications for job classifications can be seen here.

You will be notified whether you passed or did not pass through the minimum qualification screening. Typically this notification comes within a few days of the posting closing. The timeline of notifications will be dependent on the recruiters capacity with the hope to be as transparent and efficient as possible.

Assessment

The next stage of recruitment will be the assessment stage. The JOHS recruiter will notify you of the assessment that has been determined for the position you applied for. The assessment could be an application evaluation, a short interview assessment, or a written assessment.

You will be graded out of 100 with 70 being a passing score. Those that pass the assessment will be placed on the eligible list – you will be notified of your score when the assessment is complete. This typically takes 1-2 weeks.

If an application evaluation is utilized to determine eligibility, a rubric will be created based on the job announcement and primary responsibilities of the role. Subject matter experts will grade your resume and cover letter based on the rubric. You will be notified of the categories you are evaluated on. **If an application evaluation is used, it is extra important to make sure your resume and cover letter are custom to the position you are applying for**

The timeline of notifications will be dependent on the recruiters capacity with the hope to be as transparent and efficient as possible.

Interviews

Those at the top of the eligible list will be invited to interview. The number of candidates invited to interview is determined by the recruiter and hiring manager and is dependent on a variety of factors, for example, number of candidates, assessment scores, spread of scores, number of positions available.

If you are invited to interview you will be notified by an email to self schedule.

The County uses a Structured Interview Panel process. You can expect:

  • To be asked to demonstrate how your experience and qualifications best align with the needs of the position.

  • Behavioral interview questions will be utilized to predict future performance by looking at past behavior.

  • The STAR Method will be a great way of organizing your examples and information.

  • Questions will typically be created based on the most important skills and qualifications needed of the position. You can expect questions based around racial equity, project management/coordination, communication, and/or teamwork.

  • Questions will be sent to you the day prior to the interview.

Interviews will be scheduled 3-10 days in advance, with a week in advance being the goal. You will receive a detailed email confirmation within 24 hours of scheduling your interview. This email will contain the expected panelists and any other important information.
After your interview

After your Interview

After your interview you can expect to hear if you have moved forward within 1-2 weeks. We try to move this process forward as quickly as possible.

If you end up not moving forward you can request feedback by email to learn how you can improve.

Resources