Ever consider working for the Federal government? Here is how the job hunt is different

Sep 20, 2021

The process of job application in the federal govt is much different from the private sector.

There are differences and similarities to be considered.

These are important to keep in mind so you can apply for the job you are qualified for.

While the process is much slower than the private sector, for some the rewards are worth the wait and hassle.

It can take upto 6-24 months to land a federal govt job.

You may not succeed on your first attempt, and that is ok too.

If you pay attention to the mechanics of the system, you will eventually succeed.

And the system is completely different from the private sector.

Why work for federal government?

The Federal government is the largest employer with over 2.1 million employees.

Nearly 10,000 job are posted daily on daily on USA jobs...that is a lot of jobs

During the pandemic Staffing needs have gone up as well

Whether you want to live and work in your home state or you are looking for an international opportunity, there are ways to make a difference as a federal employee, serving your country.

80 percent of jobs are outside Washington DC areas.

In Texas alone, there are 200000 federal jobs.

More than 45 percent of federal employees are over the age of 50, avg employee is 15 yr older...this makes for a great second or third career

Great insurance coverage, retirement plan, ability to work remotely, bereavement leave, vacation time, sick time and other similar make for a pro family employer.

You can look for yourself the number of people hired by the federal govt here.

Understanding federal application process

You are going to create a USAJOBS account- this requires 2 factor identification

You can perform individual searches without an account but for in-depth searches, using filters such as salary, geography etc and for also setting up a search agent to do the searching for you, you will need an account.

The search agent can send you updates with new searches so you do not have to go through the 10,000 daily listings yourself.

Next you will review and analyze the posting which carries a lot of info.

You can build your resume in USA jobs and while there is an option to upload a resume, there are some agencies that will not accept an uploaded resume.

Depending on your background and the job, you might need a transcript, evidence of peace corp, americorp, military documentation and occupational questionnaire.

Job postings close at 11 59 ET at night.

Once submitted, your application will be reviewed by the agency and if selected an interview extended.

Majority interviews are panel interviews-multiple interviewers

Once selected, an offer will be made. This whole process can take upto 200 days.

Resume:

A federal resume is different from a private sector resume

And while there are differences, there are some similarities as well.

For example a federal resume is also keyword rich, highlights your achievements, uses metrics to give context to your experience, productivity and achievements and demonstrates your capabilities well.

On the other hand a federal resume is much longer, 5-7 pages as opposed to a brief 1-2 page private sector resume.

USAJOBS is not an application tracking system. Which means that it is not populating forms with information pulled from your resume. The only automation that occurs in USA JOBS is the questionnaire that comes with the job posting where the candidate self scores...that is pretty much it.

In the federal system the real Gatekeepers are federal HR people.

Average federal job gets 500 or more applications per job. So to get through HR all of your qualifications must be well articulated on your resume.

There is stuff that you would never put on your private sector resume for example number of hours worked, name and phone number of your supervisor, and your salary. However in government positions, salary is considered public information.

You can find the agency’s contact information on the last page of job posting.

Linked in and networking play a much smaller role in federal job search as opposed to private sector.

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