STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS (SOQ) REQUIRED
All interested applicants are required to submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ). You must provide direct responses to each of the numbered items listed below. Each individual response must be numbered and include the full text of the numbered items prior to your response. Please include specific examples of your education, training, and/or experience.
The SOQ header should include the Job Control #, your name, “Statement of Qualifications” and your response. Resumes, cover letters and other material will not take the place of the required SOQ. Applications without an SOQ will not be considered. Your response to the SOQ should be no more than four (4) pages in length, formatted in 12pt Arial font, and should have a one-inch margin.
For each question, we’ve included optional prompts to help you reflect on your experience. These are not intended as a checklist; you do not need to answer every prompt. Rather, they are provided to guide and inspire a thoughtful, well-rounded response.
1. Describe a time when you helped improve a service, product, or experience based on the needs of the people who use it.
Include your official role, project scope and duration. In your response, address:
- The tools or methodologies you used to understand user needs (e.g., research, data analyis, journey mapping)
- How you translated those insights into actionable changes
- The specific improvements you contributed to or led
- The impact of those changes on user experience, service delivery, or outcomes
- What you learned from the experience and how it informs your current work
Your response should highlight your individual contributions and decision-making, especially how you centered user needs in shaping the outcome.
2. Public services often involve many teams, rules, and legacy processes. Tell us about a time when you had to work within a complex or bureaucratic system to make progress on a project or initiative.
State your role, context, and duration of the effort. In your response, cover:
- Key challenges you encountered navigating bureaucracy or cross-functional coordination
- How you developed an understanding of the environment and key players
- Specific strategies or actions you took to move the work forward
- The outcome of your efforts
- What you might do differently in the future and why
Your response must highlight your own strategic thinking, navigation of complexity, and results.
3. Why are you interested in joining the Critical Services team at the California Department of Technology?
In your response, consider the following:
- What draws you to this kind of work or mission
- What impact you hope to have in this role
- What you hope to learn or grow into
- How this position aligns with your values or goals
This question is designed to understand your motivation and alignment with our team's mission. We are looking for authentic, well-considered responses.
