Finding Your True Path within OKDHS
within your career field or a new direction
Oklahoma Department of Human Services Human Resources Management Division
OVERVIEW
FINDING YOUR TRUE
PATH Why seek another Job
with OKDHS and the advantages of
staying with OKDHS
2
PEOPLE WHO HAVE
MADE A TRANSITION
to a new OKDHS career
5
HOW TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT A NEW JOB
before you apply
7
APPLYING FOR THE
JOB collecting
information
9
WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY
EXPERIENCE? standards to
determine what counts as qualifying experience
10
Your Guide for Career Changes
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 405.521.5263
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
using the application form,
what you can expect, and how to fix
failed applications
12 FINAL TIPS
16
Dear Employees,
OKDHS recognizes that our most valuable resource is our employees. We seek to hire employees who have a strong interest in achieving a successful career in the public sector working with the myriad of human services programs we provide to the citizens of Oklahoma. We encourage employees to develop their knowledge and skills, which will allow them to meet the future challenges in OKDHS. Career enhancement opportunities are available through
online training, workshops, academies, onthejob training, and publications such as “So you want to be a supervisor?” When you are ready to make a career change, whether to pursue
a location or program change or for career advancement, I encourage you to explore the many opportunities available by remaining a member of the OKDHS team.
HRMD has developed this publication to assist employees in understanding the agency’s application process for job announcements and navigate their own
unique path to personal and professional fulfillment. If you have questions that are not addressed in these pages, I urge you to contact the
Employment Services Unit at 4055213613 or email your question to [email protected]. Learning through trial and error or relying
on a coworker’s experiences can sometimes be frustrating and counterproductive.
I believe each employee has the opportunity to have a long and dynamic career with one of the best public service
organizations in Oklahoma. I wish you the best in your career pursuits as an employee of the OKDHS organization.
Sincerely,
Diane HaserBennett, Director Human Resources Management Division
FINDING YOUR TRUE PATH
Within OKDHS The Oklahoma Department of Human Services Human Resources Management
Division assists managers by announcing vacant positions and providing
a list of eligible applicants. Managers strive to enhance the effectiveness
of their units through hiring and promoting staff that they believe
are the most capable and willing to grow professionally.
This publication explains the advantages of staying with OKDHS,
and will help you put your best foot forward in your
quest to be considered for another position. Why Seek Another Job
with OKDHS?There are many reasons why an OKDHS
employee might consider a different position
with the agency. Perhaps a new open position can
help fulfill your personal goals more fully than the job
you have now. A new position might offer a chance to use
your skills and talents that are underused in your current job. A
different job might make it easier for you to help individuals and
families in need help themselves lead safer, healthier, more independent
and productive lives. You can build on your accomplishments, keep your
core values, and still take advantage of career opportunities within OKDHS.
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Publication 0706, “So you want to be a supervisor?” offers excellent advice on ways to enhance
your value to our agency.
Advantages of Staying with OKDHS Finding your true path within OKDHS has several advantages. You
don’t have to start over with your retirement – your original dates for
longevity and retirement eligibility remain the same. Your benefits – medical
coverage, dental coverage, and disability and life insurance – remain the same.
You keep your accumulated sick leave and annual leave. You won’t have
to restart with a probationary period. You retain access to the benefits
of the Employee Assistance Program.
As the largest state agency, with sites in almost every county, career change
opportunities become available in many locations. OKDHS needs good employees
to prepare for future leadership roles. You are building your skills and reputation
in your daytoday contributions. 3
PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THE TRANSITION To A New OKDHS Career
Linda Hall “Over the course of almost 20 years, I have worked in
Family Support, Child Welfare, and Adult Protective Services.
Due to this, I see the importance of all the programs working
together to fulfill the mission of OKDHS. I was completely happy
in my last position as a Family Support field liaison. I wasn’t even looking
for another job when an email was sent to all the field liaisons about my
current position working with the MOSAIC project as the field operations
representative. I considered the change for a long time and decided to apply for the
job. Now, I am working on an effort that I think is so important and will help the
agency as a whole so much from bottom to top. Having worked the different programs,
I have knowledge of how they all work together now. This knowledge helps support a
vision of how they can work together more efficiently in the future.”
4
The staff of OKDHS includes many who have found satisfying careers by attaining
different positions within the agency, some within their original field, and others in a new direction.
Jackie Mesarick “I started with OKDHS in August of 1989.
I was so excited to be part of such a great agency
that helps so many people. The best part about
working for OKDHS is that you are part of a
family, a very large family, where everyone cares
about everyone else. Maybe that comes from the
type of work OKDHS does or maybe we just
have the best employees. I do not believe any
other agency or private company would have
provided me with the type of opportunities that I
have received at OKDHS.
I started out in a clerical position
and was allowed to enhance my
skills through technical training that
allowed me to eventually change
to an IT career path. My career
with OKDHS continues to be
a wonderful experience.
Alecia Teacher “I worked in Child Welfare in other states prior to
coming to OKDHS in 1998. I have, however, moved
around within Child Welfare. I started as a Child
Welfare Specialist II in 1998 and I have worked in
most all Child Welfare programs including working
as Programs Administrator for CFSD State Office.
I did make a career change as I felt working
directly with the field was more of my
passion so I chose to come back to the field as an
assistant county director.
I feel that I am making
much more of an impact
on the direct practice
with children and families.”
5
Larry E. Graham “I was in Child Welfare as an intake worker for threeandahalf years, and as
you can imagine, it was very stressful. A few of my Child Welfare friends were
accepted into Child Care Licensing and they were really enjoying the change. So when
several positions were posted, I applied for one. I worked in licensing for 10 years and
about a year and half ago I was accepted as a Social Service Inspector II in the Commodity
Distribution Unit. I am very happy with my job because we are helping children and
carrying out the OKDHS mission.”
Chris Lambert “No other state agency or company could have afforded me the opportunities I’ve had
with OKDHS. I was single when I started in 1994 as a Social Work Assistant in McClain
County. As my life changed, my career was able to change as well. I’ve worked in several
offices around the state, first in Child Welfare, then as an Adult Protective Services
Specialist and Supervisor before joining HRMD in 2006. I’ve found that
in OKDHS, it’s not “who you know” but rather “who knows the work
you do.” Seeking varied experiences in multiple programs and
being willing to work in a variety of places has helped me
to build the professional friendships that are
the foundation of the work I do now.”
HOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A NEW JOB Before You Apply
You may read the entire job description for any classified OKDHS job on the InfoNet by clicking on the link for Employee Info, Compensation and Job Specifications, then classified position, and Classified Salary Administration Plan. The job titles are listed in alphabetical order.
7
Before You Apply Education and experience requirements
determine what’s needed to meet the
minimum requirements for the position.
The hiring supervisor or manager usually
evaluates applicants’ suitability for a position
based on knowledge, skills and abilities,
which are listed in the job description.
This information may be important if you
are invited to interview. Other factors also
determined to be critical to perform the
job will be listed.
If you are considering applying for an
unclassified job announcement, you may
view the job description on the InfoNet
by clicking on Employee Info, Compensation
and Job Specifications, Unclassified positions
and Unclassified Salary Administration Plan.
The job titles are listed in alphabetical order.
When you review the job description,
pay attention to preferred minimum
qualifications. Supervisors or managers may
use the Preferred Minimum Qualifications
as a guide when reviewing applications,
except in classifications that have statutory
requirements, such as nurses, physicians
and attorneys.
The hiring supervisor or manager
may announce a position and include a
preference statement. If it states preference
may be given for specified experience or
education, a highly qualified applicant who
does not have the preferred criteria might
be selected over other applicants that do.
If it states preference will be given, someone
who meets the preferred criteria will be
selected over an applicant who does not
meet the stated criteria. Neither statement
prevents applicants who do not have the
stated criteria from applying, however
it could affect which applicants are
invited to interview.
8
Selective qualification statements restrict
applications to those who meet the
minimum education and experience
requirements and also possess the
requirements stated.
On the job specification for a classified
job announcement, you will find the Salary
Band on the heading for the position level. If
the job you have is in a higher band than the
job you want, it will mean a demotion
and a probable pay cut. If both jobs are
in the same pay band, you would be
making a lateral transfer with likely no
change in salary. If your job is in a lower
band than the one you want it would be
a promotion and in most cases you may
get a salary increase.
Pay attention to the required experience. Your application must include enough information to enable the person reviewing it to determine if you meet these requirements.
9
APPLYING FOR THE JOB Use the current version of the application for employment form, 11PE012E(P 12).
The application form has to be periodically revised. Check whether the form was revised
since you submitted your last application.
Collect the information for education and experience to include on your application.
A great source for your OKDHS work experience since June 1999 is Employee Self
Services on the InfoNet. Click on Employee Info on the InfoNet. Scroll down below
Employee Focused Services on the lower right side of the screen and click on Employee
Self Services. You will need to enter your U number and password. You must click on
OKDHS Employee Service for the link to appear for My Information, which will give you
access to your official job titles and inclusive dates for each position you have held with
OKDHS. See “WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY EXPERIENCE?” on page 11 to determine the
work experience to include in your application.
Include volunteer work that is performed in a specified field. Provide a description
of the duties that relate to the required experience, the average number of hours worked
per week, and the inclusive dates of the volunteer work. OPM standards allow only
40 hours of experience credit per week. Qualifying volunteer experience and qualifying
work experience in the same week may only total 40 hours.
When specific work experience is required but not restricted to professional
experience, credit may be given for work performed in a field that is not the primary
function of the job. Specify the percent of time on a weekly basis that you performed
the qualifying work and state the inclusive period of time.
Certified Public Managers get credit for one year of professional experience
in public administration when applying for positions that require
public administration experience, if they include
certification information. 10
WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY EXPERIENCE? The Office of Personnel Management sets standards to determine what counts
as qualifying experience. The most confusing standards are highlighted below.
Administrative experience – is work performed by a professional who oversees or
coordinates functions that may be managed separately by others. The position may
or may not supervise others but is normally supervisory level or higher. Administrators
typically have major responsibility for policymaking, program development and
evaluation or fiscal administration.
Auditing experience – is work performed by a person who reviews accounting records
of an enterprise to determine if financial statements fairly reflect its financial position.
Verifying dollar amounts, such as balancing cash drawer and checking receipts is not
considered auditing.
Consultative experience – is providing expert professional advice, usually through
a contractual arrangement with an external employer, agency or institution.
A consultant may be a fulltime permanent employee such as a Programs
Field Representative.
Managerial experience – is supervising supervisors. Managers also are assigned
responsibility for overall administration, including development, maintenance
and evaluation of an identified program within an organization.
Professional – means that the position requires extensive training for entry,
or is original and creative in nature, such as artist, and is not determined
by supervisor responsibilities or number of employees supervised.
11
Professional accounting experience – is creative, analytical, evaluative or interpretive.
Often accountants and technicians will work on or with the same records, reports and
documents, and often appear to be doing the same things. Technicians have learned the
how of bookkeeping, however they are not trained
to discern or interpret effects of the total financial operation.
Public administrative experience – is professional experience with a city, county, state
or the federal government. Work experience as government employee in capacities
such as electrician, plumber and other skilltrades are not included.
Professional experience – required in a specified field means only positions where the
applicant’s primary responsibility in that category may be used to meet the requirement.
Work performed in the required category that is not the primary responsibility cannot be
used as qualifying experience. Example: A store manager may wear many hats including
hiring staff, contracting for services, ordering inventory and advertising. This
employment would not meet criteria for professional HR experience because
the HR work performed was not the primary responsibility of the management
position. Professional employment cannot be credited from technical or nonprofessional
work. Example: While ministers and counselors may perform some social service actions,
their primary responsibility is not social work and no credit is awarded for professional
social work experience.
Supervisory experience – includes routinely assigning work to other employees and
preparing performance evaluations. This does not include supervision of students,
inmates, clients or a function. Nor does it include training new employees who will
become coworkers or acting in charge in the absence
of the supervisor.
12
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION 1. Be sure you are using the current version of the application form, 11PE012E.
2. If submitting by e mail, be sure to save the document after you have made all changes.
3. Attach the application to the e mail. Do not insert the application into the body of the
e mail because this will distort some of your answers to questions.
4. Double check that you have the correct job announcement and job title. It is easy to forget
to make a change when you are updating a previously submitted application to apply on
a new job announcement.
5. If the job announcement included a selective qualification statement, such as a minimum number
of years of specified experience, be sure your application clearly shows this experience. Do not
assume that someone who may not be familiar with the career field will know that you have
the required experience.
6. Check spelling, grammar and that you have answered all questions.
7. Submit your application as early as you can. Do not wait until the day the job announcement
closes to submit your application. If you have accidentally used an outdated version of the form,
you may not receive notification in sufficient time to submit a valid application and you will
be ineligible for consideration.
8. Applications submitted by mail, interagency mail or fax must include a signature.
Applications submitted as an attachment to an e mail are considered to include
an electronic signature.
9. Due to the volume of applications received, only those submitted
via e mail are acknowledged as having been received.
13
After You Have Applied, What Can You Expect? HRMD will notify you, either by mail
or e mail, when an application cannot be
certified as meeting minimum qualifications
or you are ineligible to be considered. The
specific reason is stated, which may give you
the opportunity to provide additional
information. If an invalid application was
submitted and the job announcement
closing date has not expired, a valid
application may be accepted up to
5 p.m. on the closing date.
Common Reasons Applications Fail and Ways to Fix Them • It was received at HRMD after 5 p.m. on
the closing date of the job announcement.
Nothing can be done to fix this. Your
application will not be considered.
• An outdated version of the application
form was used. Submit the current version
to HRMD by 5 p.m. on the closing date
of the job announcement.
• You discover your application was not
received by HRMD. If the application
was originally submitted as an attachment
to a properly addressed e mail,
forward original submission to
• HRMD indicated the application
was invalid or incomplete. Resubmit
after completing it before 5 p.m. on the
closing date of the job announcement.
Don’t give up. There are ways to fix a failed application.
14
• HRMD indicated the application had an
invalid job announcement number. Clarify
the correct job announcement number as
soon as possible, preferably by e mail.
• You are in probationary status and
ineligible to apply. This cannot be fixed.
Your application will not be considered.
You must be a permanent status
employee on the day job announcement
closes. An exception to this restriction
is having reinstatement eligibility from
previous state service in a classified
position. E mail [email protected] with the
job announcement number, your name
and approximate dates of previous state
service along with which agencies you
served. State that you want to
be considered for reinstatement.
Your eligibility will be confirmed, then
your application and qualifications will be
reviewed. If you get the new job, you will
have to resign your old job and accept
probationary status in the new one.
• Application does not include sufficient
work experience to qualify. Submit
additional information needed to show
you have the required work experience.
• Some applications don’t reflect current
position with OKDHS or omit key
previous positions. Do not assume that
this information is available to Human
Resources. OPM’s standard is to only
consider the information included on the
application form. The only exception is
that HRMD will contact you when there
is an obvious disparity and request
a clarification.
• HRMD is unable to make a determination
based on information provided. Submit
additional information. This can occur
when inclusive dates for experience are
vague. For instance, the period Jan 2006
to Jun 2006 is too vague. Depending on
the actual dates started and finished, the
actual experience can be anywhere from
four to six months. An estimated date
based on your best recollection is
better than an incomplete date.
15
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FOUR FINAL TIPS 1. If you need to submit additional information, do not delay. Once the selecting supervisor or
manager is given the initial list of applicants, usually three to five days after the announcement
closes, the interview process may begin. Names that are added later may be included in the
interview process, and may or may not be interviewed at the discretion of the selecting
supervisor or manager.
2. All announcements include a salary range. The lower amount is the starting salary
for the position. The higher number is the highest salary that someone in that position
could anticipate earning during a career.
3. Many OKDHS job announcements indicate that they are open to applicants from all
sources, and also are listed on OPM’s job announcement system OKCareers.
The starting and closing dates are usually different than the dates in OKDHS’
job announcements. HRMD staff do not directly post the announcements
on OPM’s Web site, which can account for a delay.
4. The Office of Personnel Management’s OKCareers is for applicants
seeking their first job in the classified service with the State of
Oklahoma. An OKDHS employee that applies for an OKDHS
job announcement using OKCareers must take the
appropriate merit test. If selected and appointed,
merit rules require the employee to resign
their current permanent status and begin
a new probationary period.
16
SUMMARY 1. Find your true path within OKDHS.
2. Learn from those who have found satisfying careers within the agency.
3. Read the complete job descriptions. Pay attention to the required experience.
4. Make sure the application for employment form has not been revised since you submitted your last application.
5. Determine what counts as qualifying experience.
6. Always check for mistakes before submitting your application.
7. Do not delay.
Good luck on your career transition within OKDHS.
OKDHS Pub. No. 08 42 Issued 11/09
This publication is authorized by the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services in accordance with state and federal regulations and printed by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services at a cost of $1,983.00 for 3,305 copies. Copies have been deposited with the Publications Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. OKDHS offices may request copies on ADM 9 (23AM009E) electronic supply orders. Members of the public may obtain copies by contacting the OKDHS Design Services at (405) 962 1714 or by faxing (405) 962 1740.