Steps to Apply for a Federal Job

Currently, the federal government comprises 2.1 million civilian workers—a figure that’s almost 6% of the total US workforce. It also announces thousands of jobs every year. Although the process of applying for jobs in the federal government is almost the same as in the private sector, there are some differences. While many people find the idea daunting and the process complicated, it’s actually very easy. Moreover, it’s not just the high-ranking officials the federal government hires. Employees of all education, skill and experience levels are hired. No matter where your professional interest lies, you’ll find a job that suits your skills and experience.

The job search process can last about 6-18 months and it’s considered quite lengthy for some people. But the effort is definitely worth the wait. For instance, federal jobs come with several benefits. These include paid leaves, pensions, healthcare, life insurance and training. To be successful, you should only apply for jobs you’re qualified for. Moreover, you should also be a US citizen as green card holders are not eligible to apply for most federal jobs.

Now that you’ve found the job that suits you, you can begin applying. Here are some steps to applying for a federal job.

Create Your USAJOBS Account

If you don’t already have an account, make one on USAJOBS.gov. Federal jobs are almost always listed here. You’ll also find details about minimum qualifications, duties, and application instructions. When you’re making an account, make sure to complete your profile before you apply for any job through USAJOBS. Since it will be used for all job applications, it’s important to be thorough and accurate. While using USAJOBS, you can also save jobs that might interest you and review them later.

When you’re filling in the application, you should list the skills and competencies you have that are relevant to the position. For the past jobs, highlight only the information found in resumes. Start with the current position and backtrack to the other positions in chronological order. Mention the job title and the start and end dates. You should also list down the employer’s name and address, and major accomplishments. Moreover, mention if the job was full-time or part-time and the name and number of your recent supervisor.

Highlight your accomplishments and job duties in a way that shows you’ll be a good fit for the job. The best thing to do is to study the job description on USAJOBS and highlight the part of your work history that matches the description. It’s also a good idea to talk about your work history in laymen’s terms since human resources might not be familiar with your area of work.

Recheck Your Qualifications

Federal jobs attract hundreds—if not thousands—of job applications for a single position. To weed through the applications, the HR professionals only hand over the “best qualified” candidates to the hiring managers. The hiring manager goes through the list and decides who to interview. The rest of the applications are put in the rejected pile.

HR personnel chooses the “best qualified” candidates based on the minimum qualifications outlined in the job description.Here’s the thing: the candidate is only put on the “best qualified” list if he has met all the minimum requirements. Since HR will be scanning everything on your resume very clearly, it’s best to recheck everything you’re putting in the application and the resume.

Tailor Your Resume

Several applicants use the same resume when applying for jobs. Although that’s convenient, it’s not necessarily the best course of action. In fact, it can lower your chances of even getting an interview. That’s because the resume might not match the “best qualified” positions.

To avoid this problem, you can create a master resume. From your education to skills to experience, it will contain everything. You can make it as long as you want. Here’s the catch: you won’t be sending it anywhere. It’s to help you build tailored resumes. Every time you create a new resume, you can refer back to the master resume and list down only the relevant information. You might consider using a federal resume builder as it lets you create up to 5 versions of the federal resume. This is sure to make the process easier.

Break the One Page Rule

Now that you’ve highlighted your qualifications and put in detailed information about your work experience, your resume will probably exceed the one-page requirement. Not to worry, though. With a federal resume, you can submit a resume up to 5 pages long. That doesn’t mean you put in irrelevant information to make it longer. You still have to list down the relevant information but do it in a way that’s sure to leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager. For instance, you might have taken several courses in college, but there’s no need to list down every one of them. Instead, highlight only the courses you know will give you an edge. Keep the resume clear, concise, and long enough forthe hiring manager to understand easily and without getting bored.

Apply For the Job

Once you’ve created the account, listed the qualifications, and tailored the resume, it’s time to apply. You should submit the application by the closing date, but it’s best to do so immediately. That’s because competition is very tough. Applications should reach the destination before 11.59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST). You should also submit any documents required by the government. Here’s a tip: Before you begin the application, you should read the How to Apply section. It will tell you if there’s any document you’re required to submit. Once you’ve submitted the application, verify whether the agency has received it. The application status should say“received”if it was submitted correctly. If the status has not changed, you might want to contact the agency. But keep in mind it sometimes takes a couple of hours for the agency to update the status.

Are you interested in applying for a federal position? We can help. At Civil Service Success, we help applicants land their dream job. From civil service tests to firefighter department exams, there are a lot of preparatory classes we offer to the citizens of NYC. Get in touch to learn more about us.