How to Apply

To apply online

Our recruitment campaigns are held every year in mid-September and run for approximately three weeks. Once the campaign has begun, you can apply on-line from the FORD/IARD main page or by going to the post-secondary fall recruitment campaign of the Public Service Commission on the Careers in the federal public service website, where you will find FORD/IARD positions advertised.

What to Expect

Applicants to the FORD/IARD Program are required to write the following three tests: The Situational Judgment Test, the Graduate Recruitment Test and the Written Communication Proficiency Test. You can find more information about these tests on the website of the Public Service Commission. As part of the application process, you will be required to register for a testing session with the Public Service Commission, or to indicate it if you already have valid test results. These testing sessions will be held across Canada and abroad in November.

Candidates who have agreed to be tested in either English or French as a second language will be invited by the Public Service Commission for second language evaluation, provided they have met the educational requirements and have sufficiently high test scores. If you already have valid language test results from the Public Service Commission, please make sure this is indicated in your application.

The FORD/IARD team receives the candidates' files and test results from the Public Service Commission in late December or early January. Program applicants who meet the educational requirements and have strong scores on the three tests may be called for an interview between January and April.

If you are successful at the interview, your name will be placed in our national inventory for up to 12 months and your file will be referred to hiring departments and agencies as suitable job openings arise. If a hiring department is considering you, they will invite you to attend an interview or they may conduct a telephone interview with you.

Important Considerations

It is essential that you fill out the application accurately and completely. We receive a great number of applications during our annual recruitment campaign. For this reason, we cannot follow up with candidates who submit incomplete applications. If you omit any of the required information, your application will be rejected.

When you fill out the application, please ensure that you:

• Fill in all required fields.
• Correctly and clearly indicate your level of education and your graduation date.
• List all your relevant university courses by name and course code. A list of course codes only is not acceptable. Please note that if your application does not clearly show that you have the required number of accounting/audit courses, it will be rejected. For example, it is not sufficient to simply indicate that you have a major in accounting, you must list the course names and codes. Keep in mind that it is better to list all your courses than to risk not including enough.
• Describe in the resume portion of the application your progress, if any, towards a professional designation (CMA, CGA, CA, CIA). Indicate what level of the program you are at, any courses that you have taken, and when you expect to obtain the designation.

Interview Preparation

Interviews are based on the requirements set out in the Statement of Merit Criteria, which is part of the job posting. If you are invited for an interview, read the interview invitation carefully as it will list all the items from the Statement of Merit Criteria on which you will be assessed. You can prepare for the interview using these criteria as a guide.

The interview is usually a combination of situational and behavioural questions. For situational questions, you will be presented with a scenario and asked how you would handle it. With behavioural questions, you will be asked to describe a time when you effectively demonstrated the quality being assessed. Come to the interview prepared to talk about yourself and your abilities. Remember that it is important to give detailed answers to the interview questions so that you fully demonstrate your knowledge and abilities.

If you are successful in qualifying for the FORD/IARD program, you may be invited for an interview with a hiring department. You can ask whether the interview is for a finance or an internal audit position. You can also ask what to expect at the interview. Lastly, it is a good idea to visit the department's website and read some background information on the department, including its mandate and programs. You can find a list of government departments online.