The process and some tips
Once you have fulfilled all of the requirements listed on the first page, along with any other ones that may be specific to your internship posting, you are good to apply. The state application can take a while to do the first time, but after you do it once it saves almost all of your information so applying for additional jobs can be done in less than five minutes.
There are a few things that consistently look really good to hiring managers I have been able to talk to and are things they look for. Volunteer hours is a big one, if you take the time to volunteer at parks before you apply it builds your experience, shows you are willing to put in work for the job, and shows you value the mission of the agency. Log as many of these as you can and it will set you apart from other applicants. Prior jobs or experiences that demonstrate responsibility is another key thing. Having experience either through work or other activities that shows you can handle larger responsibilities such as safety, leadership, or delivering results in stressful situations is a great way to help build a hiring managers faith in you. Then having diverse references, if you have had multiple jobs and multiple bosses then it may be possible and good to have all of your references be professional. But if you have only had one or two jobs, try to include other references. Having three references where they are all from one job you worked does not show much more than having one reference from that job. Include references that can attest to your personal character and other soft skills besides previous job performance.
Make sure you always attach a resume and at a copy of your transcript, even if it does not say it is required, your contact will want to see it. The resume you attach and use for applying to jobs with TPWD will be very different from the normal one page quick resume most private employers ask for. Your resume should include everything that applies to the job, and because of this expect it to be multiple pages, and the older you are the longer it will be most likely. On the application look the the requirements section that is posted with the job listing, and then make sure you address each one of those on your resume and application. When TPWD selects people for interviews it is done on a grading system of seeing who has the highest score of meeting the most parameters, so ensuring you have addressed all of them is a great way to secure an interview.
Being a government agency TPWD uses lots of standardized procedures, so apply to and interview at as many parks as you can. The questions will always be very similar, and in some cases they will be the same questions every time. If you pay attention after a few interviews it is very possible to develop almost a script for the questions and have well prepared answers as soon as you are asked a question.
Using these techniques it is entirely possible to go into the application process ahead of the game. Positions are typically posted staring in January and closing in late February or early March, but this can fluctuate. Some postings are up for a month or more, and some are only up for two weeks, so check frequently and apply for all posting that interest you, even if you think there is no chance of getting it it builds name recognition.
Once you are ready to apply go to https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/802/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en to view all job postings TPWD has up. If you have a park in particular that you want to intern with it is fine to call the hiring manager at that park and talk to them about it, if you do not know of someone in particular then emailing tpwdintern@tpwd.texas.gov or just calling a local state park is a great way to get started and find someone to talk to. Also keep an eye open for career fairs hosted by TPWD. Sometimes in the Spring they host these at their Austin headquarters and they are a great chance to learn some inside tips and meet many of the people who oversee their intern programs.
If you have any more questions about my experience in particular you can email me at alex99steinhauser@gmail.com and I will be happy to help in any way I can.
There are a few things that consistently look really good to hiring managers I have been able to talk to and are things they look for. Volunteer hours is a big one, if you take the time to volunteer at parks before you apply it builds your experience, shows you are willing to put in work for the job, and shows you value the mission of the agency. Log as many of these as you can and it will set you apart from other applicants. Prior jobs or experiences that demonstrate responsibility is another key thing. Having experience either through work or other activities that shows you can handle larger responsibilities such as safety, leadership, or delivering results in stressful situations is a great way to help build a hiring managers faith in you. Then having diverse references, if you have had multiple jobs and multiple bosses then it may be possible and good to have all of your references be professional. But if you have only had one or two jobs, try to include other references. Having three references where they are all from one job you worked does not show much more than having one reference from that job. Include references that can attest to your personal character and other soft skills besides previous job performance.
Make sure you always attach a resume and at a copy of your transcript, even if it does not say it is required, your contact will want to see it. The resume you attach and use for applying to jobs with TPWD will be very different from the normal one page quick resume most private employers ask for. Your resume should include everything that applies to the job, and because of this expect it to be multiple pages, and the older you are the longer it will be most likely. On the application look the the requirements section that is posted with the job listing, and then make sure you address each one of those on your resume and application. When TPWD selects people for interviews it is done on a grading system of seeing who has the highest score of meeting the most parameters, so ensuring you have addressed all of them is a great way to secure an interview.
Being a government agency TPWD uses lots of standardized procedures, so apply to and interview at as many parks as you can. The questions will always be very similar, and in some cases they will be the same questions every time. If you pay attention after a few interviews it is very possible to develop almost a script for the questions and have well prepared answers as soon as you are asked a question.
Using these techniques it is entirely possible to go into the application process ahead of the game. Positions are typically posted staring in January and closing in late February or early March, but this can fluctuate. Some postings are up for a month or more, and some are only up for two weeks, so check frequently and apply for all posting that interest you, even if you think there is no chance of getting it it builds name recognition.
Once you are ready to apply go to https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/802/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en to view all job postings TPWD has up. If you have a park in particular that you want to intern with it is fine to call the hiring manager at that park and talk to them about it, if you do not know of someone in particular then emailing tpwdintern@tpwd.texas.gov or just calling a local state park is a great way to get started and find someone to talk to. Also keep an eye open for career fairs hosted by TPWD. Sometimes in the Spring they host these at their Austin headquarters and they are a great chance to learn some inside tips and meet many of the people who oversee their intern programs.
If you have any more questions about my experience in particular you can email me at alex99steinhauser@gmail.com and I will be happy to help in any way I can.
