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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CANVASS & CANDIDATE CONCERNS
WHAT EMAIL ADDRESS WILL THESE CANVASS LETTERS GO TO?
Canvass emails will be sent to the email address you provided on your exam application, which is linked to your Government Jobs profile. IMPORTANT: You must notify the Nassau County Civil Service Placement Unit of any changes you make to your profile.
WHAT IF THE EMAIL GOES TO MY SPAM OR JUNK FOLDERS?
It is recommended that you save no-reply@nassaucountyny.gov in your contact list to reduce the likelihood of these emails going to your spam or junk folders. It is your responsibility to regularly check your email and respond to all canvass letters.
HOW DO I RETURN ELECTRONIC CANVASS LETTERS?
The email will have a link to the canvass letter. The link works best on desktops, but many mobile phones have successfully been used as well. Review the details outlined in the canvass letter, select your availability and submit your response. The canvassing agency will receive your reply and will proceed accordingly.
IS DECLINING A CANVASS AND NOT RESPONDING THE SAME THING?
No, declining a canvass letter is not the same as not responding. You may decline as many canvasses as you wish, but you must respond. More than two no-responses will result in your permanent removal from the list. It is the candidate’s responsibility to respond to canvass letters and to track whether this was done or not. A confirmation email is sent after each letter is successfully submitted.
I MISSED THE DUE DATE, SHOULD I STILL RESPOND?
Yes, it is always better to respond late rather than not at all. The canvass link is active for 30 days past the due date allowing for late responses. Once the link has expired, it is too late and a “no-response” will be registered. Neither the canvassing agency nor the Civil Service Commission can reactivate a link or permit responses beyond that time. More than two no-responses will permanently remove you from the list.
HOW DO I CHANGE A RESPONSE TO A CANVASS LETTER?
It is the candidate’s responsibility to communicate directly with the canvassing agency to revise their response to a canvass letter. If the change of response occurs after the stated due date, that response would be treated as if it were LATE. Agencies are not required to consider late responses.
WHAT HAPPENS TO MY NAME ON THE LIST WHEN I CHOOSE DIFFERENT RESPONSES?
Always be mindful of the response you choose when answering canvass letters. Responding accurately provides feedback to the canvassing agency while correctly maintaining your status on the list.
- Available – the agency will contact you for an interview if/when your grade becomes reachable. You can subsequently decline at any time by emailing the canvassing agency HR Dept directly.
- Decline for salary or hours – this provides clear feedback to the agency as to why you are declining. You may not receive future canvasses from that agency for similar the salary and/or hours.
- Decline for location – this ceases future canvasses opportunities from this particular agency
- Decline this position but keep me active – this will not cause any interruption to future canvass opportunities
- Decline / Temporarily Unavailable - this removes yourself from the list and ceases future canvasses
I RESPONDED TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE – WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
When you respond that you are unavailable until a specified date, you have essentially inactivated your name from being sent to any agency until that date. You must still respond to all canvass letters you are sent, as those agencies received your name while you were active. Not responding to those canvass letters will still count against you and may result in permanent removal from the list. Any canvass letters you missed out on due to this selection is irreversible.
If you wish to re-activate yourself before the date you specified, send an email to placement@nassaucountyny.gov requesting so. Your compliance will be reviewed and if eligible, you will be made active for future certifications once again.
I CAN’T OPEN THE CANVASS EMAIL OR LINK – HOW DO I RESPOND?
Emails with the canvass link cannot be resent. Responding via the link is the only way to guarantee that your response is collected accurately and without delay. We strongly suggest that you take time to diligently search your inbox, outbox, spam, junk, deleted and all other folders to find the email in question and respond using the link provided. If you are still unsuccessful:
1. Contact the canvassing agency who sent the email and request a copy of the canvass letter.
2. Print and review the canvass letter
3. Indicate your response – select whether you are available or the reason why you are declining
4. Write in your Date/Signature/Phone#/Email
5. Scan/save a copy of the completed canvass response
6. Send the completed canvass letter to both the canvassing agency and placement@nassaucountyny.gov
7. Follow up with the canvassing agency directly to ensure receipt
I RETURNED MY CANVASS LETTER – NOW WHAT?
When an agency has a position they wish to fill, they will canvass the list to gauge interest of the candidates. If the agency proceeds to the interview phase, they will contact the ‘available’ candidates directly. They interview candidates in the order of 'reachability'. Being reachable means that you are one of the top three scorers interested in taking the position. As people decline the position, the agency can work its way through the grades. Because of this, it is rather common to be canvassed but not interviewed especially if the list has a large number of candidates. Additionally, agencies have the option to non-select up to two candidates with or without canvassing them. Agencies also do not need to fill positions they canvass for; they may cease recruitment efforts at any time.
HOW DO I CHANGE MY NAME OR CONTACT INFORMATION?
You must update your profile on the Government Jobs website. Log-in with the same credentials as when you applied for your last exam. Review and update your profile information to ensure all information is current and accurate. If you do not remember your username or password DO NOT CREATE A NEW PROFILE, use the tools to help you log-in to your preexisting account. Multiple profiles may cause issues with future applications and will likely result in your personal information remaining inaccurate. Unfortunately, there is no way to merge multiple profiles. IMPORTANT: After this is complete, notify us that a change has been made so that we can make the necessary revisions across our applications.
Government Jobs Website: www.governmentjobs.com / Government Jobs Support: 855-524-5627
I RECEIVED A CANVASS LETTER FOR A PROVISIONAL POSITION – WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
A provisional position is basically interim, pending the outcome of the next examination. Provisional employees must apply for and take the next examination for that job title when it is announced. After the exam is held and list is established, the list must be canvassed by the agency and the provisional employee must be ‘reachable’ in order to be appointed. If they are not reachable, the provisional employee must be terminated from that position within 60 days of list establishment. To learn more about provisional appointments, you can review our Rule Book which can be found on our website: www.nassaucivilservice.com |