Positions Advertised and Filled By the Bureau of Human Resources

Many State positions that are open are listed on the Bureau of Human Resources web site, at www.maine.gov/bhr.

Here’s how to look for jobs that meet your skills and interests:

• Click on the button on the left titled “State Jobs.”
• When the next page opens, click on the top link under “State Jobs,” which is titled “Open Competitive Jobs.”
• In the table of job listings that opens up, look to the second column from the right entitled “How Opened.” You can choose any listing that has the code OCP (Open Competitive and Promotional). This means anyone may apply.
• Clicking on the specific job title will give you information on the pay for that job, a description of the position and required job duties, and also application procedures and any required testing procedures.

Bureau of Human Resources staff will review your job application carefully. They will see if your qualifications match those needed for the job. They will give your application a score based on the information you have provided.

Application Forms / Review of Your Completed Application

Your application form is very important. You must send a completed application for each state job you are interested in. Make sure you use the correct application form (“Direct Hire” positions use a different application form than those jobs being filled by the Bureau of Human Resources). The State of Maine Employment Application will ask you whether you have a disability (that meets a specific definition that is explained there on the application form), and whether you need any interview accommodations due to a disability. You may have to take a test for some positions.

When a job is ready to be filled, the names of the top six candidates (according to the application score) are sent to the hiring agency. If you have a disability, and have indicated that you have a disability on the EEO/ Affirmative Action tear-off section of the application form, then your name may be added to the list of the top six candidates, allowing you to interview for that position.

Some people get discouraged when they are seeking employment with a government agency. Sometimes it takes a long time to get an interview for a job. You may have to apply for several jobs before you get an interview or a job offer.

Are you eligible for services from Maine’s Bureau of Rehabilitation Services?

Maine offers job preparation and placement services for individuals with disabilities through two separate agencies:

• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR); and
• Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI)

If you are eligible for these services, counselors working for these two agencies can help you find a job in state government through a “Special Appointment for State Jobs” process. This process can help you get an interview for a job. In some cases you can choose not to take the tests for a position and still get an interview for that job. Ask your rehabilitation counselor about the “Special Appointment for State Jobs” process. Working with your counselor, review all open jobs to see which jobs match your interests, experience and skills. The counselor can then use the “Special Appointment for State Jobs” process to place your name on a register or a “certification list” for those jobs (which means that you will receive an invitation for an interview for those positions).