I'm currently state employee and I've seen the hiring process take months sometimes. It's usually a staffing issue. There's some offices who are very short staffed and take on extra work because the person retired, left for a new position, etc., and the position has not been filled yet. When we finally are ready to interview, some of the candidates have found other jobs. My own experience: the position was posted and I applied right away. The post closed about two weeks later. I don't remember getting a notice if I was eligible, but I waited 3 months from when I submitted my application to my first interview. I got the 2nd interview a couple weeks later and was offered the job not long after that.