Frequently Asked Questions

How will I know when you're hiring for a specific job?
How do I apply for a job with the county? May I go directly to the department of interest or must I go through Human Resources?
I work during business hours; I live/work out of town; I will be on vacation on the date you will be having your test. Will you be flexible?
I hear the county has a probationary period. What is it and how long is it?
I am an Extra-help employee of the county, will this job lead to a permanent position with the county?
I work in the private sector, I can get a raise by talking to my manager; I hear it is different in the public sector. How does that work?
How do I apply on-line?
I created an application in the website previously and now when I try to log in, it doesn't recognize me. What do I do?
I created an application in the website previously and now when I try to send my application, it kicks me back out of the system to the login page. What do I do?
How can I edit or delete information on my on-line job application?
Can I rearrange the order of my educational or work history?
Can I get help navigating through the on-line application process?

Q. How will I know when you're hiring for a specific job?

A. All current recruitments will be listed on the Job Opportunities page of our website, www.sonoma-county.org.

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Q. How do I apply for a job with the county? May I go directly to the department of interest or must I go through Human Resources?

A. If you apply online, your application materials will be sent automatically to the County of Sonoma's Human Resources Department. If you apply with a paper application, you must turn in your materials to Human Resources. Please refer to the information on "Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma" from the Recruiting and Examination Activities page.

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Q. I work during business hours; I live/work out of town; I will be on vacation on the date you will be having your test. Will you be flexible?

A. As much as we can. Please let us know as soon as possible by calling 707.565.2331 or e-mailing us if there is a conflict with the process or date of the test. When making contact, please be prepared to give us information on when you will be available and an recruitment analyst will get back to you.

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Q. I hear the county has a probationary period. What is it and how long is it?

A. Please refer to "Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma" for information related to the probationary period.

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Q. I am an Extra-help employee of the county, will this job lead to a permanent position with the county?

A. Being an extra-help employee does not automatically lead to permanent employment with the county. You must take and pass the civil service testing processes in order to be considered for permanent employment; however, extra-help employees have an opportunity to enhance their chances for being hired by taking advantage of opportunities for learning the county systems, practices, and procedures.

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Q. I work in the private sector, I can get a raise by talking to my manager; I hear it is different in the public sector. How does that work?

A. Sonoma County employees may receive a merit increase after satisfactorily completing 6 months of full-time hours worked. After continued satisfactory full-time hours worked, employees are eligible for an annual merit increase of approximately 5% up to the top step of their pay range. Employees also receive cost of living adjustments based on negotiated union agreements.

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Q. How do I apply on-line?

A. ON-LINE APPLICATION PROCESS

Instructions in a printable PDF format.

Find a Job You'd Like to Apply For

From the Job Opportunities screen, find the job title for which you wish to apply. Click on the title (link) to bring up the job bulletin. You may wish to print the job bulletin to see any supplemental questions connected to this particular recruitment prior to making your application and for referral later in any testing process. To print the job bulletin click on the "Print Job Information" icon then click on the "Print" button in your web browser. When you wish to apply, click on the "Apply"? button.

User Accounts and Logging In

If this is the first time you are using the on-line application system, you will need to create an account and select a Username and password. To do so, click on the "Create Your Account Here" link and complete the form. You will then be able to login to your account.

If you have created an account previously, login to your account by entering your Username and Password and clicking the "Login" button.
Building Your Employment Application
After logging in to your account you can build an application by clicking on the "Build" job application button. This application can be saved and used at a point later in the process and can also be used to apply for more than one job opening.

IMPORTANT:
As you complete your application, remember to save work in progress often. If you have been in the system for more than an hour without saving your entries you will be automatically be logged out as a security measure and your information will be lost.
We also suggest creating and saving any text answers to the supplemental questions in a word processor and then copying and pasting them into the appropriate text box prior to submission of your application.
Make sure you sign out of the Career Seeker part of the system when you have completed the process by clicking on the "Sign Off" link in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Submitting Your Employment Application

After you've finished building your application and are ready to submit it for consideration, click on the "Send" button and complete the supplemental questionnaire.

If you do not see the "Send" button or are not logged in to your account, return to the Job Opportunities page of the County of Sonoma website and locate the title of the job you wish to apply for. Click on the title (link) to bring up the job bulletin then click on the "Apply" button.

If you are logged in, you will be taken directly to your "CareerDesktop." Click on the "To apply for position [POSITION TITLE] click here." link and complete the supplemental questionnaire.

If you are not logged in, you will be taken to the login screen. Enter your Username and Password and click the "Login" button and you will be taken directly to your "CareerDesktop." Click on the "To apply for position [POSITION TITLE] click here." link and complete the supplemental questionnaire.

Once you have answered the supplemental questions, click on "Save & Proceed." Your application will come up for you to review and edit as needed. Once you have reviewed your application and answers to the supplemental questions, we advise you to print a copy of the page for your records. Then click on "Confirm and Send Application." The "Privacy Statement and Certificate of Applicant" will come up for you to either "Accept" or "Decline". If you "Accept" a message will come up that thanks you for applying and tells you that your application has been received. You will also receive a confirmation via e-mail. Please retain this confirmation as proof of receipt.

Multiple Applications

If you have more than one application stored, you will need to select one and click on "Send Application." This will bring up a list of supplemental questions for you to complete.

Make sure you sign out of the Career Seeker part of the system when you have completed the process by clicking on the "Sign Off" link in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

If you have any questions about the application process, please call 707.565.2331 and someone will attempt to assist you.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COUNTY OF SONOMA!

Q. I created an application in the website previously and now when I try to log in, it doesn't recognize me. What do I do?

A. There are two things that may cause this to occur.

1. You are entering the incorrect password. In this case you may click on the "Lost Password" link, complete the e-mail request for the user name and password and it will be sent to you in just a few minutes. If the username and password are correct, it may be the second reason listed below.

2. The issue you are experiencing usually occurs because cookies are not enabled in your web browser. Your browser must be set up to accept browser cookies, and specifically Per-session Cookies (Microsoft Internet Explorer). If the problem persists, please contact the Sonoma County Human Resources Department at 707.565.2331 and ask for an application packet to be sent to you.

To accept cookies and turn the notification feature off in the standard browsers:

Netscape Navigator 4.0 (Communicator 4.5):
Select Preferences from the Edit menu.
In the Category list on the left, click Advanced.
Check the Accept all Cookies option.
Remove the check for Warn Me Before Accepting a Cookie.
Click OK to close the dialog box.

Internet Explorer 5.0:
From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
In the dialog box, click the Security tab.
Be sure the Internet Web content zone is selected (the globe icon).
The default selection, Medium, allows cookies to be stored. You can verify
cookie options by clicking Custom Level. In the cookies section, be sure
Enabled is checked for Allow Cookies that are Stored on your Computer; and
Allow Per-session Cookies (not stored).
Click OK to close the dialog box.

Internet Explorer 6.0:
In Internet Explorer, click Internet Options on the Tools menu.
On the Privacy tab, move the settings slider to Low or Accept All Cookies.
Click OK.

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Q. I created an application in the website previously and now when I try to send my application, it kicks me back out of the system to the login page. What do I do?

A. The issue you are experiencing usually occurs because cookies are not enabled in your web browser. Your browser must be set up to accept browser cookies, and specifically Per-session Cookies (Microsoft Internet Explorer). If the problem persists, please contact the Sonoma County Human Resources Department at 707.565.2331 and ask for an application packet to be sent to you.

To accept cookies and turn the notification feature off in the standard browsers:

Internet Explorer 6.0:
In Internet Explorer, click Internet Options on the Tools menu.
On the Privacy tab, move the settings slider to Low or Accept All Cookies.
Click OK.

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Q. How can I edit or delete information on my on-line job application?

A. When an Career Seeker enters information into the application and clicks 'Save', that data is stored and a record appears in the 'Application Navigator' on the left hand side of the screen. To review that stored record, simply click on the link within the 'Application Navigator' and that record will load on the screen.

Example: If you created the skill language 'Arabic' and clicked "Save & Add Another Language", that record would appear in the 'Application Navigator' under the heading 'Skills'. Click on that record to review or make changes.

The information seems to 'disappear' because once you click 'save' the screen is refreshed and ready for the applicant to input another entry.

To remove records that appear within the 'Application Navigator', click on the garbage can icon located to the right of the record you wish to rem

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Q. Can I rearrange the order of my educational or work history?

A. Regarding the applicant's ability to re-order data within the application navigator, this is restricted by the system. The information (education history and work experience) will appear in chronological order, most-recent first.

Q. Can I get help navigating through the on-line application process?

A. Yes! We have written instructions on how best to work through the system. Click here for the Adobe Acrobat document, On-Line Application Process.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COUNTY OF SONOMA

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These documents are saved in Adobe Acrobat format and you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the reports. Visit our page to download Acrobat Reader.