Report Tile

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Report Tile
Finding and Applying for Jobs in the Federal
Government
United States Office of Personnel Management
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Benefits of Government Service

• Opportunity to make a difference
• Influence the future of our country
• Work/Life balance
• Flexible work schedules and generous annual and
  sick leave

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Benefits of Government Service

• Competitive health and retirement benefits
• Excellent advancement opportunities
• Student loan repayment assistance
• Training and professional development

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Federal Pay Advancement

• Federal pay is generally competitive across a
  wide range of occupations
• General Schedule (GS) is the pay scale for many
  Federal jobs from Grades 1-15
• Varies by geographic location (the base salary
  for GS grades does not change)
• Can progress through several grades within a few
  years

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General Schedule (GS) Grade Criteria
Grade Qualifying Education
GS-5 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelors degree OR a bachelors degree
GS-7 Bachelors degree with one of the following Class standing (upper third of class) 3.0 or higher GPA 3.5 or higher GPA in major Honor society membership
GS-9 Masters degree (or equivalent)
Grade Qualifying Education
GS-5 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelors degree OR a bachelors degree
GS-7 Bachelors degree with one of the following Class standing (upper third of class) 3.0 or higher GPA 3.5 or higher GPA in major Honor society membership
GS-9 Masters degree (or equivalent)
http//www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp
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Selected 2009 Starting Salaries
Starting salaries for GS-5, 7, 9 and 11
City GS-5 GS-7 GS-9 GS-11
Atlanta 32,039 39,687 48,545 58,734
Chicago 33,639 41,669 50,969 61,667
Dallas 32,418 40,156 49,118 59,428
New York City 34,582 42,837 52,398 63,397
San Francisco 36,309 44,976 55,015 66,562
Washington, DC 33,269 41,210 50,408 60,989
https//www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/indexGS.asp
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Federal Jobs By Location
In addition, over 50,000 people work for the
U.S. Government in foreign countries!
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Projected Federal Hiring
By the fall of 2012, the Federal Government is
projected to hire 273,000 new workers for
mission-critical jobs including the following
number of people in the occupations listed.
OCCUPATION EMPLOYEES
Medical and Public Health 54,114
Security and Protection 52,077
Compliance and Enforcement 31,276
Legal 23,596
Administration/Program Management 17,287
Accounting and Budget 16,664
Information Technology 11,549
Source Partnership for Public Service
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Where to Look

• www.studentjobs.gov Find student employment
  opportunities within the Federal Government
• Agency Web sites Visit the Web sites of
  agencies whose missions interest you
• Your universitys career development center
• www.usajobs.gov the Federal Governments main
  job information website

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Where to Look STUDENTJOBS.gov
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Where to Look Agency Sites
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Where to Look Special Hiring Programs

• FOR ALL STUDENTS
• Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP)
  Student Career Experience Program (SCEP)
  www.usajobs.opm.gov/STUDENTS.asp

• FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
• Presidential Management Fellows Program
  www.pmf.opm.gov

• OTHER PROGRAMS
• Federal Career Intern Program http//www.opm.gov
  /careerintern/index.asp
• Volunteer and Internship Opportunities

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Special Hiring Programs For All Students

• Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP)
• Temporarily work for a Federal agency while in
  school
• Schedule determined jointly by student and
  agency
• Terminates upon graduation

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Special Hiring Programs For All Students

• Student Career Experience Program (SCEP)
• Work for a Federal agency until graduation
• Work related to academic goals
• All requirements/expectations spelled out in
  
  
• agreement with school/student/agency
• May be offered permanent position after
• graduation if all requirements are met

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Special Hiring Programs For Graduate Students

• Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF)
• For Graduate Students
• 2-Yr Full-Time Developmental Program
• Appointed at the GS-9/11/12
• May be offered a permanent position program
• Recruitment once a year
• Targets students in last year of grad school
• Must be nominated by school
• Rigorous assessment process
• Fellows selected in March/April

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Other Programs Federal Career Intern Program

• Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP)
• 2-Yr Full-Time Training/Development Program
• Appointed at the GS-5/7/9
• May be offered permanent position after
  successful completion of program
• Agencies determine design of programs
• May or may not be named FCIP
• Agency specific recruitment/application

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Other ProgramsStudent Volunteers and Internships

• Student Volunteers
• May work in Federal agencies as volunteers
• Designed to give students work experience
• Must be coordinated with the students school
• Internships
• Agency unique programs
• May or may not be paid
• Short and long term
• Look on Agency websites for specific programs

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Summary Tips to Help with the Job Search

• Network Talk to knowledgeable sources family,
  friends, alumni, career services offices, and
  current or former Feds
• Consider student employment opportunities
• Search through www.USAJOBS.gov and by
  agency/location, etc. be flexible

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What to Expect During the Process

• Applying for a Federal job requires time and
  special attention to detail -- but the rewards
  are worth it
• Procedures vary across Federal agencies
• Federal jobs are highly desirable and as a
  result, are often competitive

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Where to Look USAJOBS.gov
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Search by Interests

• An example
• Chicago, IL
• Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare

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Anatomy of a Job Announcement
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Anatomy of a Job Announcement
Benefits and Other Information
Qualifications and Evaluation
How to Apply
Overview
Duties
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Anatomy of a Job Announcement
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Overview of the Online Process
After selecting the job for which you would like
to apply, there are usually several steps in the
online application process for you to follow

• Create your Federal resume
• Answer the questions posed online
• Submit the complete application package by the
  stated deadline
• Follow up with the appropriate agency contact to
  inquire about progress in hiring for the position

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Building a Federal Resume Online
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Building a Federal Resume Online

• Sections
• Candidate Info.
• Work Experience
• Education
• References
• Affiliations
• Desired Locations

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Application Essays
Agencies commonly require essays as part of the
application to address characteristics they seek

• Can be extremely important in the evaluation
  process in sorting out the best qualified
  candidates
• Vary depending on the job, but examples include
  skill in written and oral communications
  demonstrated technical ability knowledge of
  specific subject matter areas
• Are similar to interview questions answers
  should provide concrete examples (coursework and
  volunteer experience count), particularly to
  demonstrate quantifiable results, complexity, or
  leadership
• Should be a narrative written in first person and
  about 1-2 pages each

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What is a KSA (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)?
KSA is an acronym for Knowledge, Skills and
Abilities

• Knowledge The foundation upon which skills and
  abilities are built
• Examples Federal regulations and directives,
  operating systems andprocedures, budget and
  accounting principles, engineering practices
• Skills The observable demonstration of
  proficiency to do a task
• Examples computer software proficiency, second
  language proficiency
• Ability The capacity to perform a job function
• Examples organize and plan work, analyze
  situations, communicate orally and in writing,
  coach and mentor others

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KSA Example
Note Specifically address each KSA in your
application, providing examples of how your
experience prepares you for this role

• Ability to communicate orally.
• Ability to communicate in writing.
• Ability to work with data on a computer.
• Ability to organize the work flow of clerical and
  administrative support functions.

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Summary Tips for the KSA Section

• Address key words/phrases mentioned in the
  position description
• Tie experiences to each KSA
• Use illustrative examples
• Focus on outcomes to which you directly
  contributed
• Use plain language, without acronyms
• Review answers to ensure they are succinct, easy
  to read, and grammatically correct

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Applicant Eligibility

• When submitting an application, agencies request
  eligibility information including

• Past or current Federal employment
• Veteran qualifications http//www.opm.gov/veteran
  s/html/vetsInfo.asp
• Disability Status
• Non-competitive appointment
• Peace Corps and AmeriCorpsVISTA volunteers have
  1 year of non-competitive eligibility
• http//www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shelllearn.wh
  yvol.profbenadv, http//www.americorps.gov/for_in
  dividuals/alumni/opportunities.asp

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2009 USAJOBS Enhancements

• Applicant Notification applicants receive the
  following updates on their application status
• - Application received
• - Application assessed for qualifications
• - Applicant referred to selecting official (or
  not)
• - Applicant selected (or not)
• Proactive Notification
• Resume Upload
• No Resume Apply (November)

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Summary Tips for Applying

• Plan ahead- allow plenty of time to thoroughly
  complete your application
• Select carefully- always consider using a
  tailored application for each vacancy you apply
• Follow-up with an agency- contact the identified
  representative to learn the status of an
  application or find out more about a job

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What Happens Next

• After the closing date for applications, the
  agency evaluates candidate qualifications
• From this assessment, the agency produces a list
  of qualified candidates
• From the list of qualified applicants, agencies
  select candidates for interviews
• At this point, agencies are like other
  organizations
• They conduct interviews and select the best
  candidate(s) for the job
• Some jobs require security clearance

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A Note About Security Clearances

• Applying for jobs that require a security
  clearance is a two-stage process
• 1) Get the job offer
• 2) Go through a background investigation
• Most individuals selected for Federal positions
  undergo a basic background investigation
  (Executive Order 10450) - 90 of Background
  Investigations are completed in an average of 37
  days
• Jobs that include access to classified
  information require a security clearance, which
  requires a more intensive background
  investigation (Executive Order 12968) - the
  average time to complete a Top Secret clearance
  investigation is 72 days

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Summary

• Federal agencies hire the best and the brightest,
  and getting a Federal job is often very
  competitive
• Increase chances of being hired by following a
  few clear steps
• Research potential opportunities
• Consider various employment avenues
• Search on job websites and specific agencies
• Follow application directions carefully

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Thank You

• For additional information on these topics,
  please visit
• www.opm.gov
• www.usajobs.gov

United States Office of Personnel Management
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Questions?

• Contact Information
• David Herman
• OPM Project Manager
• Call to Serve Initiative
• David.Herman_at_opm.gov