1. What is the Career Opportunities System (COS)?
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COS is an on-line recruitment system that will allow applicants to search and apply for merit job openings within state government.
2. What are the benefits of COS?
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- You can view and update your personal information, work history (application), etc. on-line.
- You can search for job openings.
- You can apply on-line 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- You can create a “search agent manager” that will notify you by e-mail when there is a job opening you are interested in.
- Your personal information is secured using state-of-the-art technology.
- You can submit up to five resumes and the system will store them for you.
3. Will I have to travel to Frankfort to apply for a position?
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No, you can apply on-line, 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the convenience of your own home or anywhere you have internet access. (Did you know that the public libraries in Kentucky provide free access to the internet?).
4. Will I need to take a written test to be on the register for any position?
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No, The practice of requiring applicants to take written test administered by the Personnel Cabinet as part of the qualifications process was eliminated in May of 2008. We no longer administer written tests to applicants.
5. How is COS different from the way the state government formerly hired employees for merit system jobs?
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You now have a better understanding of the required/desired skills needed for the job because the hiring agency can provide more specific information about the job in the vacancy announcement. You may be asked to answer questions called preferred skills questions which allow agencies to easily identify applicants who have the skills and abilities they are seeking. In addition, hiring agencies now have the ability to conduct an electronic search of candidate information on applications based on desired/required skills, education and experience.
6. Do I have to submit a resume?
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No, hiring agencies are provided access to your application but if applicants have resumes, agencies may review them as well. This system provided a resume tool to assist you in building your resume.
7. Can I submit a resume instead of completing the COS application?
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No, applicants must complete the application as resumes are not considered official by regulation. The information listed on the application is used by the Personnel Cabinet to determine if the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the job vacancy in which they are applying. So, it is to your advantage to be as detailed as possible in completing the application.
8. Do I have to create an application in COS if I already had one in the old system?
Yes, COS is a new and separate system from the old one and there is no exchange of information between the two. Applicants should create a complete and thorough application in COS. The Personnel Cabinet can provide you with a copy of your previous application to assist you in entering your work history. To request a copy of your application or application update(s) please submit the application request form found here. (PDF - 17 KB)
9. Do I need an email account to apply to jobs within COS?
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Yes, you will need to use your email account as your username when creating your account. The Personnel Cabinet will also communicate information pertaining to your COS account and job submissions via email to the contact email address you provide. If you do not currently have an email account, you can create one using one of the many free providers such as Hotmail and Yahoo. Just remember that each applicant must use their own, unique email account to create their own COS account. When two or more applicants erroneously share one single COS account it will result in delays or prevention of eligibility for state employment.
10.Do I have to fill out an application every time I apply for a job?
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No. Once you have completed a COS application, you will use the same application to apply for multiple jobs. As you attain additional work history or education, you can add to your application on file by clicking the “edit your profile” button.
11. Can I fill out an application without applying to a job vacancy?
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Yes, applicants can create an application after they create a COS account by clicking on the “edit your profile” link on the welcome screen. Each of the required fields, as noted by an *, must be completed before the application may be saved. Once saved, an applicant can complete the remaining fields at any time thereafter and the application can be accessed by returning to “edit your profile” not “saved drafts”. During the process of completing the application, you should save the application periodically so that your information is not lost due to such things as an interruption of your Internet connection.
12. What should I double-check before I save my application?
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Be sure that fields that require numeric answers do not include alphabetic text. For example, do not include text in the blank for listing the number of college hours earned. Also, do not list dates that do not exist such as February 31st in your work history dates.
13. What is Veteran's Preference and how does it work?
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Veterans’ Preference provides qualified veterans, or their eligible family members, opportunities to receive interviews for Merit System positions within various state government agencies. However, being selected for an interview does not guarantee employment.
When a register (official list of individuals who apply to a specific job vacancy) is released to the hiring agency by the Personnel Cabinet, all candidates who have submitted the required documentation to claim Veterans’ Preference will be designated as having veteran status. Veterans, either disabled or nondisabled, will be identified with a “V” beside his or her name on the job register.
If there are more than five (5) candidates on the register identified as having Veterans’ Preference, the hiring agency shall offer an interview to a minimum of five (5) individuals including current state employees. Should there be fewer than five (5) candidates entitled to Veterans’ Preference on the register, the employing agency shall offer an interview to those individuals
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The following individuals may qualify for Veterans’ Preference once the appropriate documentation is submitted to the Personnel Cabinet:
Veterans and Current Members of Active Military, Reserve, or National Guard:
- Copy of DD Form 214 reflecting Honorable or General Discharge, Honorable Discharge Certificate (DD Form 256), NGB Form 22 or current military ID card
Disabled Veteran:
- Copy of DD Form 214 reflecting Honorable or General Discharge, Honorable Discharge Certificate (DD Form 256) or NGB Form 22
- Statement from VA Benefit Rating Board verifying that disability is service-connected
Spouse of Disabled Veteran:
- Copy of DD Form 214 reflecting Honorable or General Discharge, Honorable Discharge Certificate (DD Form 256) or NGB Form 22
- Statement from VA Benefit Rating Board verifying that spouse’s present disability is service-connected
- Statement from treating physician that affirms veteran cannot perform the duties of his/her usual occupation
Un-remarried Spouse of Deceased Veteran:
- Copy of DD Form 214 reflecting Honorable or General Discharge, Honorable Discharge Certificate (DD Form 256) or NGB Form 22
- Copy of Veteran’s Death Certificate
- Notarized statement that spouse has not remarried
Dependent Parent of Deceased or Disabled Veteran:
- Copy of DD Form 214 reflecting Honorable or General Discharge, Honorable Discharge Certificate (DD Form 256) or NGB Form 22
- Proof of veteran’s death while on active duty or proof that veteran’s permanent and total disability is service-connected
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Please submit the appropriate documentation indicating an Honorable or General Discharge and other necessary records to Ms. Sharen Fogle. The information can be faxed to Ms. Fogle at 502-564-0512 or mailed to her attention at Personnel Cabinet Register Branch, 501 High Street, 1st Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601. Applicants will be notified by email once the preference has been assigned.
Candidates must submit the required documentation to the Personnel Cabinet prior to any register being released to the hiring agency to be identified as having Veterans’ Preference. The preference is not retroactive to registers that have been submitted to hiring agencies.
Questions regarding this process can be directed to Ms. Fogle at 502-564-5202 or sharen.fogle@ky.gov or Stuart Clark 502-564-5148 or stuartt.clark@ky.gov
16. The directions for completing the work history section on the COS application instruct that applicant to list their work history in reverse order from the old application. Why is this?
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By listing your work history in reverse order, beginning with your oldest work experience first, you will be able to update your application when you change positions by adding the new information to bottom of your work histories. Otherwise you would need to cut and paste all your work history to “move” them down a space to allow for the new information.
17. The COS application has space to list twelve job histories and I have more then twelve. How should I list my work history?
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Your work history listed on your COS application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum requirements for job classes by the Personnel Cabinet. It may also be used by agencies to make decisions in their recruiting efforts. With that in mind, you should include any work history that pertains to the type of experience required to qualify for future job classes. For example, an applicant may have been a lifeguard in high school 20 plus years ago. If the applicant does not apply to any positions for which this experience would be needed to qualify, they would not need to list it on their application. Applicants may also use the space at the end of the job history portion of the application, called “skills and abilities” to list additional work history. Applicants should list dates of employment and average hours per week worked in association with any specific work history listed in this box.
18. Why does my name, address, phone # etc. not display on the Application page/tab?
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Your name, address, phone #, etc. will be displayed when you complete the Application and then click the Save button the first time.
19. Do I have to complete an application if I am being considered for a reclassification?
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Yes, the Personnel Cabinet must review your application in COS to determine if you meet the minimum requirements for the job class for which you are being considered for reclassification.
20. If I have been previously qualified by the Personnel Cabinet for a job classifications, will my name still go out to agencies for vacant positions?
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No. To be considered for vacancies posted on the web, you must apply to job openings in order to be considered by the hiring agencies. Doing so allows you to highlight your education, skills and abilities and will allow agencies to conduct an electronic search of candidate information based on desired/required skills, education and experience. Because COS will also allow you as the applicant to access your application and manage your contact information, such as updating your home address, we encourage you to complete your application as soon as possible.
21. How does the COS job search and search agent manager work?
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You have the ability to search on vacant jobs by selecting one or more areas such as job title, salary range, work counties, 37.5- or 40-hour work week based on your preferences, and the system will notify you by email when a job opens that matches the areas you have chosen. For example, your search agent manager can send you an email notification each time there is a vacancy posted for pay grade 14 and above in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in Jefferson County. You can then choose to apply to the position by clicking on the link in the email notification
Please note: If you select a very specific criteria for your search agent to receive an email notification, the vacancy posting must contain ALL of your selected criteria or a match will not be made and an email will not be received. For example, if you select Administrative Specialist I, Franklin County, 39- Finance and Administration Cabinet, and 37.5 hour work week the posting MUST contain an exact match to all criteria fields you have selected. A vacancy posting for Administrative Specialist I in Franklin County for the Finance and Administration Cabinet working 40 hours per week would not produce an exact match and therefore would not produce an email notification.
22. Can I create more then one search agent?
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Yes, you may create multiple searches. In fact, if you have varying conditions in which you would consider a job, you should create search agents to fit each of your preferences. For example, if you would be willing to commute a certain number of miles to a work location for a particular pay grade, you can create a search agent for all jobs that are in a certain county for pay grade X and above. You would then receive an email when one of your search agents matches a job vacancy posted. Remember though, to receive an email notification, the match must be exact for all criteria you have selected.
23. Is there a limit to how many jobs I may apply?
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No, there is no limit. However, you must apply to each job vacancy for which you would like to be considered. Only applicants who apply to and meet the minimum requirements for vacancies will be considered by the hiring agencies.
24. How will I know if I qualify for a job which I have applied?
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If the hiring agency chooses to consider you for an interview for a job for which your name has been certified to them on a register, they will request that your application be reviewed by the Personnel Cabinet to determine if you meet the minimum requirements. Applicants should always review the minimum requirements prior to applying to a job and apply to jobs for which they are qualified. To view the class specifications click here.
25. What is the expected turnaround time for response after I apply to a COS vacancy?
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Applicants applying through COS will receive immediate email confirmation that their submission was received. Applicants may receive additional email notifications based on their status relating to the job vacancy for which they applied. Applicants may also view their status related to jobs for which they have applied by accessing the “job submission status” feature in their COS account. Interest in state merit employment continues to be extremely high. .
26. What does job status mean?
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The job status feature provides applicants the ability to view the progress of a register through the entire ‘life cycle’ from when a job is opened (posted/advertised) to when an appointment is made (closed) or other possibilities such as when a hiring agency decides not to make an appointment to fill the vacancy advertised (cancelled). For the definitions of status, click the icon at the top of the job submission page or click here to view them now.
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The Job Submission status is a feature that allows you to view the status of your application for each job to which you have applied. You can view the status of the application by clicking on this link once you have logged into your COS account. For the definitions of status, click the icon at the top of the job submission page or click here to view them now.
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Many email providers filter ‘junk emails’. Their filters mistakenly categorize emails from the Personnel Cabinet as ‘spam’. To correct this problem you need to add the email address donotreply@Kenexa.com to your email address book. This will tell your email provider not to divert emails from the Personnel Cabinet.
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Your privacy and security are our highest priority. Ensuring electronic access to state government information and services while maintaining privacy is a guiding principle of the Commonwealth's Enterprise Information Security Policies, Standards and Procedures. The Commonwealth of Kentucky collects only the personal information necessary to provide enhanced services to our citizens and customers. Please note that all non-exempt information collected by Kentucky.gov services may be subject to public disclosure under KRS 61.870, the Kentucky Open Records Act (PDF - 8 KB). However, public records containing information of a personal nature are protected from disclosure by the personal privacy exemption of state law. Personal data in our possession is maintained and used in ways that respect individual privacy. The Commonwealth educates our employees about the importance of protecting personal information and consumer privacy, and only authorized employees have access to personal information. COS and its software provider, Kenexa Recruiter BrassRing, respects individual privacy. COS/Kenexa Recruiter BrassRing strives to collect and use personal information in a manner consistent with the laws of the countries in which it does business. Kenexa abides by the Safe Harbor Principles developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the European Commission.
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No, your email address is your unique identifier as part of your protected COS account. Therefore each of you will need to create your own email account and then create your own COS accounts. Creating multiple accounts using the same email address will cause errors in processing. You can create your own email account by using one of the free email providers on the web, including Yahoo, Gmail, Windows Live Mail, or AOL.
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This search tool performs optimally with the following web browsers: Internet Explorer 6 and above, Netscape 7.1, AOL 7.0 and 8.0, Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and above, and Safari 2.0 and above. It is recommended that users running Windows 98 or Windows ME download and install Mozilla Firefox 2.0. Additionally, you will need to disable popup blocking for this site and add this site as an allowable/trusted site in your browser’s internet options. .
For instructions on how to do this for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, click here to visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
For instructions on how to do this for Mozilla’s Firefox, click here to visit the Mozilla Firefox Knowledge Base.
For instruction on how to do this for Apple's Safari, click here to visit Apple Support.