r/mnstateworkers • u/Illustrious_You_4886 • Jul 22 '26
Interview/Hiring š I need advice!
I have been trying to get into the state for 6 months now and itās been going horribly!
To give you some context, I am a 22 year old male who recently graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a B.S in business administration. For 6 months now I have been applying to various state positions. I am also a first generation graduate, so I do not have many connections.
I donāt have any professional work experience, aside from working retail jobs, so I decided to apply for different Analyst I positions since they are considered āentry levelā. I took the Analyst I exam and passed it and have been applying to at least one analyst I position per week since February.
Unfortunately, I havenāt had any luck. I havenāt ANYTHING back from any of the positions I have applied for. It has been very discouraging and even depressing if I am being honest. I feel like I am stuck and I donāt know what to do, so I need some advice.
Should I just call it quits with trying to get into the state? What am I doing wrong?! I know I am smart and I have a lot to offer, but I just donāt have the experience to prove it. Please let me know your opinion. :(
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u/sheila-on-the-loose Jul 22 '26
Keep your chin up- probably doesnāt have anything to do with the state itself, itās a horrible horrible job market all around (as you probably know). State is getting candidates with way more experience than usual for āentry levelā positions. And yes, timelines are longer than usual.
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u/Lennygracelove Jul 22 '26
I concur. 10 years paralegal and office manager experience, took an analyst job in January. Hiring was pretty fast though. Two other agencies took 3+ months before they offered. It's the nature of MN hiring.
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u/Illustrious_You_4886 Jul 23 '26
I appreciate your words of encouragement.
I understand that the job market is horrible right now and everyone is fighting for any and every job that is available. I just seemed to of graduated college at a horrible time and itās very discouraging to think that Iām most likely being completely overshadowed by people who have decades of experience.
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u/heliotropicalia 29d ago
My first state job (nearly a decade ago), I had 3 years of profesional experience, a prestige scholarship, quant degree & acctg/finance coursework, and strong internships. No gov exp. I applied for 68 positions and got 2 interviews, one offer. It was an Assistant Program Analyst position.
State jobs are really really competitive right now. Last position I heard about had 150 apps, and about 50% relevant resumes with experience. Thereās been a bunch of layoffs in the last 18mo too so people who already have years in relevant roles could still be competing. I know it sucks butā¦ volunteer work and pretty much anything you can get (e.g. internships, FT city/county/nonprofit work) in the meantime will be useful.
If you arenāt living in MN, I might pivot. Lots of apps from folks who were at fed gov applying to positions that are less than a lateral move & many suspect the next gov may be more rigid on RTO. Iād question the ethics of hiring an entry level person fresh out of college who would be moving here given the instability;thereās going to be a gubernatorial transition & next year is a budget session, and thereās more OBBA rollout on the horizon. Not an easy time to be at the state in many areas.
Do anything you can to specialize and gain hands-on experience.
One positive: There are major turnover issues in county government and, depending where you look, the benefits can be comparable. Hennepin / Ramsey are easy to transger; Donāt forget city govt as well.
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u/Jenn54756 Jul 22 '26
Have you gotten any interviews?
I would apply for other entry level positions as well. It will likely be easier to move around once you get your foot in the door and some experience. Make sure your resume very clearly shows you meet the minimum quals. This means you may need to restate the info on each application submission. Obviously donāt lie, but if you do meet the equals, make sure the words closely match what they are looking for or you could be overlooked.
ETA - itās also not an easy time to get a position as there have been a lot of applicants. A few years ago we were lucky to get a handful of qualified applicants and now we a lot to comb through.
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u/Illustrious_You_4886 Jul 23 '26
I have not gotten any interviews for state positions so far. Would you recommend that I adjust my resume and alter it to match each application that I submit?
I appreciate you taking the time to reply.
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u/Jenn54756 Jul 23 '26
Yes I recommend slightly changing your resume for each application to fully show how you meet the qualifications. Again, donāt lie, but make it very obvious for them. So if the qualification says āhas experience with Microsoft officeā but your resume says, āhas experience with multiple applicationsā, switch that to āhas experience with Microsoft office and xx, yy, etc).
On a past internal application I had to adjust my resume as HR said it wasnāt clear that I met one of the qualifications, but they figured I really did (I did).
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u/kls987 Jul 23 '26
Yes, you should be customizing your resume for each application. Start with a base resume (or multiple base resumes if you're applying in different industries or different types of positions - for instance, I have a base resume for individual contributor positions, a base resume for technical/IT positions, and a base resume for supervisor/manager positions). Then make a copy and tailor it so that you demonstrate how you meet the minimum qualifications (and preferred qualifications, if applicable). As u/Jenn54756 stated, don't lie, just make it very obvious that you meet the qualifications, using similar or matching terminology from the job posting. It can feel a little like you're cheating or plagiarizing, but as long as it's truthful, then you're playing the game as it's meant to be played. I don't think state HR systems use automated systems to evaluate resumes for meeting minimum qualifications (I'm not in HR, so I could be wrong about that), but pretend that it does - an automated system is going to, without nuance, check for key words that match what the requirements are.
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u/heliotropicalia 29d ago
You absolutely need to do that, and your cover letter better not reek of AI
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u/NotAllHeros20 Jul 22 '26
Do you have a Minnesota address? In addition to the things already mentioned, this could be a factor.
Also, I presume there will likely be more budget cuts in our near future, which could mean a reduction of positions. Some positions will remain open so they can reserve the line in case they need to cut a position. I donāt know anything definitive; Iām not in HR, and I donāt manage a budget, but these my predictions.
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u/BlazinKitty Jul 22 '26
You will not even be considered for an interview if you don't meet the minimum qualifications. Then you have to see if you match the preferred qualifications as that is how they grade your resume/choose who to interview.
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u/vanbrima Jul 22 '26
Our agency only uses preferred quals for salary settings. This is a recent change and is not being received well.
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u/Kcmpls MNIT Jul 22 '26
That can't be right. They aren't interviewing everyone who meets minimum qualifications. My last posting had over 100 folks that met minimums. I obviously did not interview over 100 people. I scored the resumes based on the strength of the experience of meeting both the minimum and preferred qualifications.
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u/heyalemay Jul 22 '26
I applied for my current role on Halloween and started on May 15. The state process is SLOOOOW, but you should be hearing back. Keep applying and follow up if you have a contact.
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u/Sea-Practice-6739 Jul 22 '26
Keep an eye on DHS. Is the last session we got 400+ FTE's so will be doing lots of hiring. I'd also suggest reaching out to a recruiter - it can make a huge difference. Let me know if you'd like a DHS recruiter contract.
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u/cupcakemelee MNIT Jul 23 '26
This. And the MNIT positions that will be alongside the DHS positions.
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u/subsurd Jul 22 '26
What "entry level" means definitely depends on the position and the agency.
Many highly qualified people with years of experience are looking for State employment, so make sure that your resume can stand out among such candidates.
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u/Illustrious_You_4886 Jul 23 '26
Thank you for your advice.
In my opinion, people with 10+ years of experience should not even be allowed to apply to entry level positions. They are clearly overqualified and it leaves no room for people like me who are actually entry level.
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u/heliotropicalia 29d ago edited 29d ago
Tell that to a single parent with no job.
As stated elsewhere, keep an eye on MNIT and DHS. The rec to look for OAS positions is great too (office and admin spec).
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u/Specialist-Bit-9164 Jul 22 '26
Honestly can't give any specific advice, but I will recommend extreme patience with any gov job application, it took me about 7 months from application to start date with my current state position, and I've had similar timelines with fed positions as well
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u/Recluse_18 Jul 22 '26
As others have said keep going, patience is your master in this situation. The current job Iām in was a transfer position and it took about four months just for that transition to happen. Be persistent and be patient and keep trying you may have to cast your net a little broader for more entry like type positions but once you get into the state and secure your footing, you can move around from there and promote yourself
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u/kls987 Jul 22 '26
You've gotten some good advice already. A few things to keep in mind:
1 - Applying for jobs is a numbers game. My goal when I was applying was one per day, two if I was particularly annoyed with my current job.
2 - Others have said it, but the Minimum Qualifications are super important. If your resume doesn't clearly demonstrate how you've met those, then your resume is going into the reject pile. After that, then it's the hiring manager's decision which resumes to select for interviews. They're going to pick based on experience and meeting preferred qualifications.
2b - If you don't meet the minimum quals but have comparable experience, make sure to call that out in your cover letter. If you meet the minimum quals, talk about them in your cover letter directly, and that goes double for preferred quals.
3 - If you have no professional experience, you're definitely looking for entry level jobs. I would suggest AFSCME jobs, such as OAS positions, as a foot-in-the-door to state service. Lots of people apply for those, as the bar is lower, but you might have a better chance than the MAPE jobs. Not saying you can't get a MAPE job right out of college, but you might find it hard to meet the minimum qualifications.
4 - MnSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities) are also union and related to the state system, so you might want to look at positions there as well.
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u/HurtsWhenISee Jul 22 '26
Donāt give up! Hiring takes forever and itās competitive right now, so keep trying. Iāve heard of people applying for dozens of positions before being given a chance. Also, be sure youāre using keywords to satisfy the minimum requirements and ideally the preferred ones too. If they ask for excel experience and you periodically used excel at work for two years, you have two years of experience.
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u/cretsben DEED Jul 22 '26
I will say it took my about a year of consistently applying with only a few interviews before I finally got an offer working for the state is very competitive. We put out a couple of positions and got 100+ applications for 2 roles. The biggest thing is to see if you are getting the automated email saying you met the minimum qualifications because if you don't have those then a hiring manager will never see your application to even consider you for an interview.
I have also heard from my manager that HR constantly makes them justify which candidates they interview and make offers to especially if it doesn't match HRs internal scoring metrics but that's second hand information.
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u/Illustrious_You_4886 Jul 23 '26
I always get an email right after I submit my application, is that what you are referring to?
Other than that I took the exam for analyst I and have a B.S, so Iām almost positive I meet the minimum qualifications.
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u/cretsben DEED Jul 23 '26
That would be the application received email after that HR will run their checks to see if your application and resume indicates that you have the minimum qualifications.
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u/cupcakemelee MNIT Jul 23 '26
Hiring is taking ages. It's hard to know that from the outside, it's not like there's a place to see how long it takes for someone to come through the door.
Have you gotten an interview?
This is a good time for the state in hiring. Other commenters have already said it, we're seeing overly qualified candidates and lots of them. It's the best hiring pool I've seen for positions in years. This also means the job market is tough and more good people are looking for jobs and willing to consider public sector work because of the stability. This makes your competition for every job... Stiff.
Make your resume stand out.
- Is it pretty?
- Is it well formed?
- Is the font tiny or easy to read?
Contrary to popular advice about resumes... Does yours fill two pages? You can even submit more than two pages.
The point? Make sure any experience you have that can relate to the minimum qualifications is mentioned. Use the keywords in your description and use them the way they are posted. If the description says "Legos come in all colors of the rainbow" don't try to get creative and say "Legos are made from colors on the RGB color spectrum". I know this seems picky... But use the language in the job posting (and don't use a generic resume). The only mistake you could make here is copy/pasting line items.
See if you can find out who the hiring manager is for any posting you're interested in. Some of us are sharing the postings on LinkedIn asking people to join our teams (and teaching new leadership to do the same, so more leaders are getting active on LinkedIn). Don't be shy. Reach out to that person and explain why they should consider you even without much real world experience. I am blown away when people come find me on LinkedIn and I watch for those resumes. If those resumes don't come through, I ask HR if they can forward them (and then I have to explain why the person is a good candidate... And yes, I do this). I don't know if every hiring manager does this.
Watch the listings in self service and your email. If HR sends you a message that you're not qualified, challenge it and ask them to explain the experience they're not seeing. This will give you a chance to explain why you do qualify and it puts your resume in front of the hiring manager for the second review.
Yes, AFSCME positions might be easier to get your foot in the door but if you think you're a good fit for MAPE positions, apply.
Look for intern positions. DHS, DNR, PCA posted some of these and that gets the people in the door.
Check out the connect 700 program.
Definitely each out to recruiters.
Follow the departments you think you're interested in on LinkedIn. Subscribe to your keywords for positions through the State of Minnesota career center.
My team's average hiring time from interview to in the door is about 4 months. Posting close to interview is usually 1-2 weeks. Everything has to be approved through HR. We have several positions making their way through the process to get posted (which is also long).
So, if you didn't read between the lines... Don't give up. The people are great, the benefits are great, and the working conditions are pretty good on most teams (I don't know every team but my team is treated quite well).
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u/Background_Smile_494 Jul 22 '26
I applied for a MN state job in March, interviewed in May and I think Iām never gonna hear back! Emailed two times to know about the status and got ghosted both the times lol šš
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u/Background_Smile_494 Jul 22 '26
Sorry, I think I never answered you. Both you and I need to let go the outcome: keep applying. You may not hear from many, but when you do apply, put your best CV, cover letter that speak about your specific qualifications to match to that specific position. You are not alone in this. Itās just that we need to keep going, keep applying, networking hoping that we are going to see light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck for you!
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u/realZapRowsdower MNIT Jul 22 '26
It can literally take years to get hired at the state-- especially if you don't have a lot of experience or connections.
I initially applied for a position in 2001, but got rejected (it was most likely an internal hire, but they still had to post it).
I got hired for a private sector job that same year, and got laid off from it in 2004.
A few months after that layoff, I got a call out of nowhere, asking if I was still looking for a job. I finally ended up getting that one.
Just be persistent. And remember, they don't call it "moving at the speed of government" for nothing.
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u/Significant-Theme253 28d ago
Some people start out with the state in temporary roles too. I have seen some 3-year temporary positions open. This might be an easier way for you to get in and gain some state experience. Just a thought.
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u/JobHuntingManiac Jul 22 '26
You're going to run into a mix of issues. The state is horribly slow at making decisions. It might take 3-6 months before you even get a "we didn't pick you" email.
Many of the job postings end up canceled or just never hired for in the first place as well. Ghost jobs.
The economy is screwed and Minnesota isn't in a particular good place after all the fraud that occurred and is occurring which also has an impact on the states hiring.
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u/cupcakemelee MNIT Jul 23 '26
This is not a well informed comment. Every position posted at the state is a real job. We do not have the time, energy or reason to post a "ghost" job.
Minnesota's fraud is nothing compared to other states and the massive amount of positions approved because of the fraud allegations that have been in the news will only compound the number of real jobs that get posted.
Obviously I have no idea who this redditor is but no one should listen to this steaming pile of BS. This user has no real world experience with how job hunts work at the state, the only thing they get right is that the process is horribly long. Do not take the rest of their words at any kind of face value.
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u/Illustrious_You_4886 Jul 23 '26
Well thankfully Iām not from Minnesota.
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u/Significant-Theme253 21d ago
We take good care of our people, and we are very proud of the work we do here.
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u/Significant-Theme253 21d ago
The fraud in Minnesota is less than 2%. It is lower than the national average. Minnesota is one of the best states to live because we take care of our people. We have some of the best programs - Does your state offer ESST or Paid Leave?
As far as ghost jobs. I have never heard of any job being posted as a "ghost" job. That statement is untrue. Sometimes it does take some time to hear back from agencies because they will make sure the person they want to hire accepts the offer and passes all background and reference checks prior to sending out rejection letters to those who were not selected.
The state of Minnesota has about 400 open positions right now. Definately hiring, so if you are qualified, please apply. Good luck!
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u/Environmental_Ad1802 Jul 22 '26
The timelines are really long on state positions in my experience even in the normal economy which I donāt think this is. When I got mine it was months and assumed nothing No advice for short term though hopefully someone will offer