Frequently Asked Questions

Current job openings can be found and applied for through our Civil Service Employment Portal. For more information on other employment-related topics, visit our Employment page.

You must complete a separate application for every job or exam for which you want to be considered. (The City uses the same application form for both current job openings and Civil Service examinations.) Remember that every job category will have different training and experience requirements. Include information about your educational background, experience, and relevant licenses you hold that shows that you meet the minimum qualifications stated on the announcement.

For more information, visit our Employment page.

No. For some job categories, all candidates who meet the requirements for appointment ("minimum qualifications") are eligible for consideration by the Hiring Department without an examination. For a small number of jobs there are no experience or education requirements. But for most job categories, candidates who meet the minimum requirements are ranked by means of an examination. The Department then makes its choice from the people at the top of the "eligible list."

Postings for job openings and exam announcements offer a wealth of information about jobs and their requirements. They describe the duties of the job. The "minimum qualifications" list the experience or education needed to be approved for the exam or considered for the job opening. In addition, the exam announcement includes the:

• A description of the topics to be tested
• Exam’s "scope"
• Type(s) of exam (there may be more than one part)
• Weight given to each part

For more information or to review current job postings, visit our Employment Portal.

No.

Applications submitted after the final filing date are not accepted. The exam announcement is considered to be a kind of contract with the public. In order to be fair to everyone who sees the announcement, we must reject any application that is submitted after the closing date for applications. Therefore it is important to pay close attention to all the dates on the exam announcement. If a candidate who submits a late application also submits an application fee, the fee is not refunded.

If the analyst determines that the combination of education and experience you described on your application doesn’t meet the minimum qualifications, you will get a letter from the City. You will be given a chance to submit more information or clarify what you told us before. If you did not tell us about all your relevant experience or education the first time, this is your opportunity.

Admittance letters are sent out 10 to 14 days before the exam date. If you have not received your admittance letter by the Wednesday before the exam date, you should call Personnel at 518-434-5049.

No. The City of Albany may choose to exercise a "residency preference" in hiring. That means that the names of City residents will be sent to Departments for consideration first, and the names of non-residents only if there are not enough residents available to fill the positions.