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Hello, i'm a college student thats about to graduate this winter with a bs and i'm thinking about taking some civil service exams to find a job for when i graduate. I know the job market sucks right now and government jobs (and all other jobs) are hard to get right now but i'm trying to get any information about what the process on these tests are.
Has anyone taken either a state or county civil service test or even know someone who has? The tests sound to be similar to the SAT with more general reasoning skills than questions about a specific subject, is this true?
I won't have my degree by the date required on the announcements but the announcement says if i have my degree by summer of next year that i can be admitted to the written test but will not be considered for appointment until i send them proof of graduation. Is it worth it to apply for these jobs?
Really, if theres anything you can tell me that you wish you knew when you were applying to these type jobs i'd appreciate it.
Last edited by bobdaman18; 09-20-2010 at 06:51 PM..
Reason: Another question
It depends on the job. The computers exam will be all basic computer stuff like levels of raid or what is scsi. Your local library will have the study materials for the tests.
Is it worth applying for CS jobs? When the economy is booming CS jobs are frowned upon by college graduates but when economy is in the tank (like now) CS positions are gold my friend. I have been cleaning up puke,emptying garbage cans and mopping floors for almost 30 years and my salary just hit $70k with incredible benefits.Am I rich? Nope,but I will retire with a decent pension,payed off a mortgage,managed to save $45k in a 529 for my kids college and have $almost $200k in an annuity.My bride too is in CS and she has done the same.It's all about personal responsibility and lifestyle choice.
CS workers are looked upon as pond scum by most that post here. Don't be biased by it. As the PP said, you'll never be rich, but you won't starve either. The Chief, is a CS newspaper, for sale most any newsstand, and has announcements of many CS exams. The library is also a great place to start your search.
Civil Service is a great move. How great varies by job. It's pretty much life time employment, and if you get the right job, it's the gravy train.
I've taken a bunch of these tests over the years.
10 years ago, maybe 150 people show up for an exam. In the past 2 years...300/400, maybe more at some of them. These days everybody wants a piece of the CS gravy train, so you really gotta score high on the test and rank high on the list to even have a shot. 90's or better. Be prepared to wait a few years to actually get hired.
Buy a subscription to The Chief, it's a civil service newspaper. All exams in NYS are announced in that paper. You can buy a print or online subscription. Good Luck.
It depends on the job. The computers exam will be all basic computer stuff like levels of raid or what is scsi. Your local library will have the study materials for the tests.
The Nassau County IT Specialist tests have nothing to do with computers at all. Mostly Math / Logic questions and some reading comprehension questions. As long as you grade yourself an 'expert' in every area in the self assessment you score 100. Same thing goes for the CUNY IT titles which only has a self assessment.
I'm not going to be getting a computer related degree (unfortunately), i'll be getting my bs in biology but it looks like some openings don't care what you got your degree in.
Also, i didn't mean to ask whether civil service itself was worth it, i meant to ask whether it would be a good idea to take tests that i wouldn't meet the education requirement by the deadline but would be put on the eligible list later on when i got my degree. I've worked in physical labor jobs for state agencies as summer jobs before so i have a bit of an idea of what its like.
Lastly, The Chief, will that show any civil service exam announcements that i can't find on suffolk's website or is it just a useful tool in understanding the process?
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