In the light of the recent recession and despite a federal worker pay freeze, some would appreciate the stability and the security of a government job. I can shed a little light on the process of obtaining such a position and help with your job search.
The first step in searching for your government job is to visit the website usajobs dot com. This is the website that all of the federal departments advertise their job openings. The job openings on this are searchable by location, keywords, and series code. Begin by searching by keywords to locate the job you are interested in. The keyword search should bring up a list of available openings. It is important to notice the series code. This is how all federal positions are categorized. The series code should be a four digit code in the middle of the position classification (e.g. GS-XXXX-01, where XXXX is the series classification code). You can use this series code for future job searches to make your results more specific.
Create an account on usajobs and keep a resume on file there. You will be able to apply to job announcements from the announcement itself. There are announcements that are always open. You can recognize these announcements by their vacancy number, it will be four to six digits. You will want to apply to these jobs under your series code to keep an active resume on file, should a job open and the hiring official decide to pull a list of names.
The open job announcements will have a long vacancy announcement number. It varies by department, but could be as long as fifteen digits. You can apply for these positions directly from the announcement.
The announcements will have a list of qualifications and duties listed. Make sure that you are qualified for the position that you are applying for. Most announcements list the education required for that position, but they may also list the experience that they are looking for or that they will except in place of education. Education and experience is something that you can expound upon while you are creating your resume. There are also other factors such as military history and specific data that show you are the person that they are looking for.
In the past, the qualified applicant search has relied upon keywords within your resume. I would not falsify any information in your resume, but if it pertains to you, it would be a good idea to have some information from the job announcement itself in your resume. This would help your resume show up on a list of qualified personnel if they are still using keywords.
I’m afraid the interview is up to you. Also some positions in different areas offer moving expenses and some don’t, but this information will be listed in the announcement. Be sure to pay attention to all of the information within the announcement. Some openings may require you to visit that specific department’s website and fill out information. Follow these tips and you will be well on your way to your government job.
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