How to Find a Job

Before you begin

Before you begin your job search online-

1. It is very helpful for you to translate your major into Federal job titles before you begin the job search on usajobs. Federal job titles are different than those in the private sphere. The chart is really helpful towards achieving this end.

b. Which agencies would you most like to work for?

First gather information about the different agencies—a good place to get this information is at www.firstgov.gov. Select the agencies that meet your personal and career interests and check out their websites to get detailed information about them, including employment opportunities.

c. Target your grade level and salary

There are two systems currently in use by Federal agencies

• The Job Grade and Salary schedules
  The oldest, most familiar and still in use system is called the GS (Grade and Salary) system. You will want to base your search on which GS level you are qualified. For instance if you have your bachelor’s degree, you will want to search for jobs that have a maximum grade category of  G-5…but if you also have strong experience, you can apply for a higher grade. In the federal government, experience is paramount but you can a) substitute experience with education or b) enhance your GS level if you also have strong experience in addition to the undergraduate degree.



See Educational Qualifications Chart which shows which GS level you are qualified for depending on your education and academic performance.

• The Pay Banding Pay Schedules⁵
  Eventually, Grades (GS levels) will be replaced by Paybanding.  This is a different pay system then the traditional GS pay system described above. It allows an organization to combine two or more grades into a wider “band.” The pay banding system gives the agency more flexibility to determine pay based on performance. The “grade” information for jobs in agencies using pay banding will have a different look than what the GS system—something like XP-1 or NO-2 in place of GS-5 or GS-7, and each agency may have its own system. For examples of what a Pay Band system looks like in comparison to the GS system, click on this link.

When you see the pay banding terminology, focus on the duties, the salary, whether you are qualified for the job, and whether you would like to have it.

The 5 basic job categories—See descriptions
Professional—GS-5 through 15
Administrative—GS-5 through 15
Technical—GS-6 through 9
Clerical—GS-1 through 5
Other—GS-3 through 15

Begin your Search of Vacancy Announcements⁶

Now that you have identified the federal job agencies and titles that you are qualified for based on your degree and experience, your grade and salary ranges, and the locations of where you want to work—you are now ready to do your job search (See How to Find a Job.)

1. There are 2 reasons to research vacancy announcements early in the job search process
1. To locate and target the specific jobs for which you are qualified
2. Identify the “keywords” required to write an effective and successful federal resume. Each agency’s unique culture and mission is reflected in these descriptive words used to express the agency’s requirements for the job advertised. Finding and addressing the keywords is vital to writing an effective and successful electronic federal resume. You will find the keywords, typically, in the “duties” and “qualifications” sections.

It is very, very important to read carefully the ‘how to apply” directions found in each vacancy announcement. Each agency and job has different application requirements and it is important that you do what they ask.

2. Important elements in a Vacancy Announcement
1. Closing date
   Do not apply unless you have your federal resume already drafted and prepared to send with the application. If it is ready, then go for it!
   
   If the closing date says “Open Continuously,” “Inventory Building”, or has a closing date that is far off in the future, then the organization is using this announcement to build an inventory of future job candidates. Names of qualified applicants will be placed in a database for future ( and also possibly current) job openings. Such announcements represent many jobs that the agency expects to open up at any time.

2. Who Can Apply
   "Open to anyone With or Without Status.” If the announcement says “Open to Anyone,” then you can apply. “Status” refers to current federal employees and former employees whose length of previous federal employment and type of appointment qualify them for reinstatement.

3. Office
   The office titel will help identify the mission of the job.

4. Location/Duty Station
   Make sure you are willing to work in the geographic location of the position you are seeking. When hiring new employees, federal agencies must accept applications regardless of where the applicant lives. However, the agency may refuse to pay moving and relocation expenses. Read the announcement carefully to find out what your obligations are.

5. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities, or KSAs (which may also be called “competencies”)
   This is a very, very important section and may well be the section that determines whether you are the person hired for the job or not. Read the announcement carefully to see if KSA narratives will be required to be written on separate sheets of papers, or if the KSAs can be described in the text of your resume. See Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities section for instruction on how to write KSAs.
   
   
6. Duties
   Read the duties section carefully because the title of the position may not accurately reflect the duties of the job. The juties could represent a completely different job than the one you thought would be described. Sometimes government job titles just do not match the duties you would expect.
   
   
7. Qualifications
   Read the qualifications to determine if you have the generalized and specialized experience, or have education that can substitute for it. If the announcement uses the term “one year,” that means 52 weeks, 40 hours per week. Relevant experience gained from part-time jobs can be combined to determine how much job-related experience you have. If the hours combine to make one year of specialized experience, then you can be credited with that year. For many jobs, qualifications are expressed in terms of experience or education, or combinations of the two. Possession of a Bachelor’s Degree is often enough to qualify someone for an entry-level (GS-5 or sometimes GS-7) job in many professional or administrative occupations—the type of jobs most graduates seek following college.
   
   For career changers returning to college for another degree, you may qualify for your new career as a GS-5, 7, 9, based on your education alone. You will probably have to move back in your earnings, but you can move ahead in your new career.
   
   
8. How to Apply
   Read the instructions to determine what to send with your application and which resume format to use. Sometimes this is not clear. While most agencies now use an online application system that takes you step-by-step through the application process, many still do not. The burden is squarely on the applicant to submit a complete, accurate application in a timely manner. If you are going to take the time to apply for a federal job, be sure you submit a complete application!

 

                                     
³ _{Ibid. p. 28}

⁴_{Troutman and Troutman; The Student’s Federal Career Guide: 10 Steps to Find and Win Top Government Jobs and Internships. 2004. pp. 16-21.}

⁵  _{Troutman and Troutman; The Student’s Federal Career Guide: 10 Steps to Find and Win Top Government Jobs and Internships. 2004. p. 49}

⁶_{This section is adapted from Troutman and Troutman, Chapter 5, pp. 62-93}