How can I find out about available employment opportunities?
What happens to my application once submitted?
If I want to apply for more than one job, do I have to file more than one application?
How do I find out about the job duties, educational requirements, and type of examinations?
What are the minimum requirements to be a police officer or police recruit?
Where do I park?
Where do I find the employment application?
Tips on navigating the online application.
I don't have an Email address - What do I do?
What do I do if I have no computer?
May I submit a resume?
Will you notify me when a job opens in my field?
May I create an application to use for future job openings?
What are supplemental questions?
What about paper applications?
What about closing dates?
How do I get feedback on my application?
- What are the hours of operation?
Standard Hours – 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM – Monday through Friday.
- How can I find out about available employment opportunities?
Job opportunities are posted on this website and in the Human Resources Department of the City of Grand Rapids. Open positions are also advertised in the Grand Rapids Press (Sunday edition) and a variety of publications serving the local community.
When there is a vacancy in a specialized field where there may be a lack of qualified applicants, every effort is made to reach these applicants through newspapers, professional journals and universities throughout the country.
- What happens to my application once submitted?
If your online application has been successfully submitted you will receive a confirmation email immediately. You will also see the confirmation message on your PC screen. After the closing date of a tested position, candidates are notified by mail or email of the examination time, date, and location. Individuals who successfully pass the examination will be placed on an eligible list for the specified position. Names on the eligible list shall be maintained as delineated in the Civil Service Board Rules and collective bargaining agreements, but placement on such a list does not guarantee employment with the City of Grand Rapids.
The selection process involves many steps, which includes review of applications, written/skills tests, oral interviews, post-offer physical exams and background investigations. All applicants are subject to a criminal history check.
All will be notified of their status in the selection process.
- If I want to apply for more than one job, do I have to file more than one application?
You must submit a separate application for each position for which you wish to be considered. Once the first application is complete and submitted, it will be stored in the system and can be used to apply for another job.
- How do I find out about the job duties, educational requirements, and type of examinations?
The City of Grand Rapids Job Announcement contain a list of the job duties, educational requirements, and type of examinations of current job postings. To view the job duties and educational requirements of a position not currently posted, click on the Job Descriptions / Job Interest Cards link and click on the job title in which you have an interest.
- What are the minimum requirements to be a police officer or police recruit?
- The minimum requirements as mandated by Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES):
- Must be an U.S. citizen.
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- Education – high school graduate or GED certificate.
- No felony convictions.
- Possession of a valid Michigan driver's license or a current valid license from another state and the ability to obtain a Michigan license by the date of employment.
- 20/20 corrected vision and the absence of color blindness.
- Police Officer or Police Recruit applicants should fill out the appropriate certification form and the test location form to submit with the employment application.
- Where do I park?
There are a variety of locations in the downtown area. Please note that most require a parking fee.
- Where do I find the employment application?
Click on any job title from the Current Job Openings list to view the job announcement. The link to the online application appears on each individual job announcement. The application is designed to be completed while you are online. It cannot be downloaded to your computer.
- Tips on navigating the online application
- When you click on the word APPLY on the job announcement you will be taken to governmentjobs.com. This is our vendor's secure site where you will be walked through creating an account and filling out and submitting your application for the position. If you have not submitted an application using the system yet, click on the link which appears below the log in box to CREATE your account. Remember the User Name and Password you create - it is your key to your application account.
- Always move forward through the application by using the SAVE AND PROCEED buttons at the bottom of each page.
- If you are composing lengthy information you should do the composing in your word processing program and then copy and paste the information into the fields on the application. This will ensure that you do not lose information you spent a lot of time composing if you get disconnected from your browser.
- Your application information is saved as you complete each page and use the "Save and Proceed" button. You can close down, then come back later and pick up where you last saved information.
- Once you complete your application the information will be stored and available for your use for future job openings.
- If you submit your application and you wish to apply for a 2nd job before signing off you must return to the list of Job Openings. Click on another job title. The system will walk you through reviewing your application information and submitting your 2nd application.
- The fields on the application which have an asterisk (*) are required fields and you must type in something in order to continue with the application. NOTE: Failure to complete the employment application in its entirety will result in your application not being considered.
- If there is an error or missing (*) information the system will re-load the page with the fields that need to be corrected identified near the top in red.
- I don't have an email address - What do I do?
The email address is a necessary part of the application. It is used to send out a confirmation receipt when you submit an application and other notices during the application process. You may set up a free account at Yahoo.com.
- What do I do if I have no computer?
If you have no access to a computer you may:
- Visit our office at City/County Administration Building, 300 Monroe NW, 8th Floor – Room 880, Grand Rapids, Michigan and use the public access computer in our Applicant Resource Center.
- Visit any employment service office (MI Works) in your area (most have public access computers).
- Visit your local library to use the public access computers.
- May I submit a resume?
You may submit your resume but only in addition to a completed application. The online application provides an opportunity to attach or copy and paste your resume into the application.
- Will you notify me when a job opens in my field?
You may browse through our Job Descriptions / Job Interest Cards section and use the link on each job description to request notification when a job opens in which you have an interest.
- May I complete an application to use for future job openings?
If you don't see a current job opening for which you wish to apply, but want to build and store your application in anticipation of a future job opening, go to Governmentjobs.com and click on the CAREER SEEKER tab. Create your account, then build and store your application. When you see a City of Grand Rapids job opening for which you wish to apply and you click on the word APPLY on the job announcement this is the account from which your application information will be pulled.
- What are supplemental questions?
When you are reading a Job Announcement you may notice a tab at the top entitled “Supplemental Questions”. These are questions that you will encounter as you complete the application for that position. They are designed to obtain information about skills you have which are directly related to the job opening.
- What about paper applications?
Paper applications are no longer accepted. Submission of an online application is required for our job openings.
- What about closing dates?
To be considered for a job, your online application must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the closing date for the position. The closing dates are on the Job Openings list in the right column. You may also view the closing date on the job announcement by clicking on the PRINT JOB INFORMATION link.
A position with a closing date of "Continuous" means that applications are continuously evaluated as they are received.
- How do I get feedback on my application?
Application status or employment application updates can be made by clicking on the Applicant Login link in the navigation pane. All will be notified of their status at various steps in the permanent employment recruitment process. Positions with a closing date of "Continuous" are held for 6 months and no notification of status is given or available online.