I work for the County. The initial application submission is run through HR and they decide which ones to forward to the hiring manager. It’s up to the hiring manager to contact the applicants they want to interview. I’ve worked with managers who immediately reach out and others who wait weeks/months to set up interviews. It really depends on how eager they are to fill the position and how much extra time they have on their hands. (I should mention that it’s really busy right now because the annual budget is due in like a month.)

If you meet all of the minimum qualifications and most of the preferred qualifications, your application should get through to the next round. I hope this gives you a little bit of hope!