How to Find a Federal Government Job

How to Find a Federal Government JobHow to Find a Federal Government JobAbout 2 million people are employed in a government job, making the federal government Americas largest employer. Less than10% of these workers are located in Washington, D.C., the rest work in federal government jobs throughout the United States and overseas. Government employees are hired in just about every career field and a wide variety of occupations. Heres what you need to know to find a job with the federal government. Government Job Salary and Benefits The salaries for most government jobs are based ona General Schedule (GS) pay scale. There are 15 grades within the salary structure, and each grade contains 10 steps. Salaries for 2018 range from $19,048 for Grade 1, Step 1 (the lowest level) to $138,572 for Grade 15, Step 10 (the highest level). The average salary for federal, non-postal employees welches $84,913 according to theOffice of Personnel Management(OPM). Federal jobs that are hard to fill may offer special pay rates that are higher than average, and there are salary differentials based on location. In addition, there are generous benefits including health insurance, sick and vacation leave, child care and retirement savings/pension plans. Competitive Versus Excepted Service Jobs Competitive tafelgeschirr jobs are all routed through USAJobs. Candidates must take appropriate exams and abide by all Office of Personnel Management procedures for hiring. Excepted service jobs are offered through certain government agencies, and those agencies are not required to advertise through the USAJobs site. Agencies set up the screening procedures for these positions, and the process may deviate from the established OPM protocols. Veterans Preference Veterans Preferenceis a program, created under Title 5 of the Veterans Preference Act of 1944, which helps veterans advance into federal employment. Veterans are entitled to preference over others in hiring and in retention duri ng times of workforce reduction. Additionally, veterans are given extra points on the entry-level Civil Service Exam. Veterans Preference does not apply to promotions, reassignments, or transfers. Candidates for Veterans Preference must meet the following requirements 1.Have an honorable or general discharge. 2.Military rank must be lower than major or lieutenant commander, unless the veteran is disabled. Levels of Veterans Preference There are two levels of preference eligibility, Disabled and Non-Disabled. These levels translate into bonus points on Civil Service Exams. Veterans are eligible on the disabled level (5 extra points) if they received a purple heart or have any service-induced disability, and eligible on the non-disabled level (10 extra points) if their active duty was one of the following 1.Over 180 days (other than training) after September 11, 20012.Between August 2, 1990 and January 2, 19923.Over 180 days (other than training) between January 31, 1952 and Octob er 15, 19764.Receipt of a campaign badge between April 28, 1952 and July 1, 1955 Federal Government Job Search Tips The best place to start looking for a government job is on theUSAJobswebsite. In addition, if youre interested in working at a specific government agency or department, youll find career information available on the careers section of the agency web site. The USAJobs site details information about hiring paths for special categories on candidates including veterans, disabled workers, students/recent graduates, native Americans, military spouses, and current/past federal employees Agency websites are the best place to look for excepted service positions since they may not be posted on the USAJobs site Office of Personnel Management (OPM)FBI JobsForeign Service CareersInternal Revenue Service JobsPost Office JobsTransportation Security Administration (TSA) JobsUS Government Departments and AgenciesEmployment Sites for Federal Agencies Networking for Government Job s Candidates should conductinformational interviewswith college alumni, church, family and professional contacts who work for government agencies. These individuals can provide insight about vacancies relevant to your hintergrund and coach you through the application process. Your contacts may exert some influence upon hiring in their agency especially for exempt service positions if you impress them during your consultation. How to Apply for a Federal Government Job There are a variety of ways to apply for a government job. In all cases, the first step is to reviewcurrent openings. Then you can decide which jobs are of interest and follow the instructions on how to apply. TheUSAJOBsweb site has an online Resume Builder. Users can create online resumes specifically designed for applying for Federal jobs. Resumes created on the USAJOBS resume builder can be printed from the system for faxing or mailing to employers and saved and edited for future use. For many of the vacancies l isted on the site, job seekers can submit resumes created through USAJOBS directly to hiring agencies through an electronic submission process. Regardless of the format you choose, you will need to include certain information in addition to the specific information requested in the job vacancy announcement Job InformationAnnouncement Number, Title and Grade(s) Personal InformationFull Name, Mailing Address, Zip Code, Phone Numbers (day and evening)Social Security NumberCountry of Citizenship - in most cases you will need to be a U.S. CitizenVeterans Preference - if you are a veteranReinstatement Eligibility - if you have a previous worked for the federal governmentHighest Federal civilian grade held EducationHigh School - Name, Address, Zip Code, date of diploma/GEDCollege/University - Name, Address, Zip Code, Degree(s), and Major(s)List credits earned if you did not graduate Work ExperienceFor each jobJob Title (include series and grade if Federal job)Duties and AccomplishmentsEmpl oyers Name and AddressSupervisors Name and Phone NumberNote whether your current supervisorin can be contactedStart and End Dates (Month/Year - Month/Year)Hours Per Week, Salary Other QualificationsJob-related training courses (give title and year)Job-related skills (other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, machinery, typing speed, etc.)Job-related certificates and licenses (current only)Job-related honors, awards, and special accomplishments (publications, memberships in professional/honor societies, leadership activities, public speaking, and performance awards)Give dates, but do not send documents unless requested. How to Get Your Application Noticed Carefully review your application to make sure that you have incorporated all the information required in the job announcement. If your resume or application does not provide all the information requested on this form and in the job vacancy announcement, you may lose consideration for a job.Proofread your document for spel ling and grammatical errors before submitting.