On average, plan to spend 3-4 hours developing an initial cover letter and 1-2 hours tailoring it to future roles you apply to. This guide describes how to apply for jobs using the Career Page web site.The process consists of the following steps: This sample is intended to provide you with a template for developing your board postings. Please customize it to meet your needs. The Department of Environmental Health and Quality provides the following forms and applications as a reference and service to its customers. Hiring process overview. Our application process explained. In our sample, the lengthiest step in the classified hiring process was the time it took hiring departments to submit a requisition to Personnel. If you do not have an email address, please create one prior to completing a job application form.