The County of Contra Costa is one of the largest employers here, and its jobs come with steady pay, benefits and a pension. Getting hired works differently from a private company, though. You do not send a resume and wait for a call. You apply to a recruitment, take a test, land on a ranked list, and are interviewed from that list.
Here is each step, taken from the county’s own job announcements and FAQ, and what trips people up along the way.
1. Find the opening
Every county job is posted at governmentjobs.com/careers/contracosta. The county only takes online applications, and each recruitment needs its own application.
No computer at home? You can apply at the county Human Resources office, 1025 Escobar Street, 2nd Floor, Martinez, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, or from a public library or job center. Our Online Job Resources page lists the free job centers.
2. Read the whole announcement
The announcement gives the salary, the duties, the minimum qualifications, how you will be tested and the filing deadline. It also tells you which of three kinds of recruitment it is:
- Open: anyone who qualifies can apply, usually during a filing period of two to four weeks.
- Promotional: only current county employees who have passed probation.
- Continuous: applications are taken all the time and reviewed on a set schedule.
Not sure you meet the minimum qualifications? Apply anyway. Human Resources decides, not you.
3. Treat the application as your resume
The county is clear on this. It says a resume cannot replace the completed application and is not used to decide whether you meet the minimum qualifications. If a qualification is only in your resume, it does not count.
- Fill in every job with dates, duties, your supervisor and your pay. Thin work history is one of the common reasons for rejection.
- Use the words in the minimum qualifications when you describe experience that matches them.
- If a degree or coursework is required, attach a transcript or a copy of the diploma. Unofficial copies are fine. Never send originals.
- Attach the documents again with every application, even if you sent them for an earlier one.
- Answer the supplemental questions with specifics, and make sure they match what your application says.
4. Take the test
Many entry-level jobs use an online multiple-choice test. For Clerk, Experienced Level, it covered clerical skills, math, grammar, vocabulary and customer service. For Eligibility Worker I, a single multiple-choice assessment counted for 100% of the score, was taken remotely, and could carry over to later recruitments. Someone who took it in the past six months could not retest.
Clerical jobs can also require a typing speed. The Clerk posting asked for 40 words per minute. Our typing certificates page shows where to get one.
5. Wait on the eligible list
Pass the test and you are placed on an eligible list, ranked by score. The two announcements above both said the list may stay in effect for six months. Departments with openings interview people from the list, and the hiring department contacts you by phone or by mail.
- Keep your phone number and address current. The county has a Change Request form for that.
- You can turn down an interview, but after three turn-downs your name may be removed from the list.
How to improve your odds
- Subscribe to the job titles you want. On the county job site, open the Job Descriptions tab, click a title and choose Subscribe. You get an email when it opens, for twelve months.
- Apply to more than one recruitment in your field. Each one has its own list.
- Practice for the interview. Take our Are You Interview Ready? quiz to see where you stand.
- Look at the other public employers too. Cities, school districts and special districts post on their own job sites, listed on our Online Job Resources page.
Questions about a specific recruitment go to the county at Jobs@hrd.cccounty.us. For everything else in the county, browse the jobs on ContraCostaJobs or set up a job alert.