Find Your Right Federal Job: How to Determine If You Qualify for a Federal Job

Once you have identified the significant aspects of what you have to offer the federal government as an employee, you will have the information necessary to demonstrate that you are the most qualified candidate for an identified position.

1. Conduct a job search on USAJOBS. USAJOBS is the federal government’s primary source for federal job listings, although it’s not the only source. It’s probably the best place to start your search because of the large number of job postings there. Conduct a job search using words that characterize your skills inventory (gained from your self-exploration in Part 1 of this series). On the search page, enter your primary skill or job title in the “what” search box and the geographic area you’re interested in in the “where” search box. Note that the “what” box can be a job title (such as a nurse) or a job activity (such as a lawyer). Clicking on the “search jobs” box will bring up a list of jobs matching your criteria, with your search terms highlighted in yellow.

2. Learn about the job. Job titles are hyperlinks that, when clicked, will open the specific job vacancy announcement. This is where you’ll find out the details of the position (salary, location, duties, qualifications, how to apply, etc.).

3. Study the vacancy announcement. A federal job posting is organized into five sections. Please read each section carefully to determine if this is a position you wish to apply for and if you meet the requirements.

has. General description: Provides a summary of the job, including salary, location, job title, and who can apply for the job.

b. Homework: lists performance expectations for the job.

against Ratings and evaluation: lists information related to an applicant’s qualifications for the position. An important part of this section is “Specialized Experience,” which defines the background an applicant must have.

d. Benefits and other information: describes federal benefits and other information not included elsewhere in the ad.

my. How to apply: This section provides step-by-step instructions on how to apply for the job. The name of the Human Resources professional serving as the point of contact for the particular position is included for applicants to contact with questions about the job.

4. Request the charge. Upon completion of your vacancy announcement analysis, and have determined that you are:
(1) eligible to apply (in the Summary section);
(2) meet the requirements for the position (in the Requirements and Assessment section),
(3) you are willing and able to perform the duties of the job (in the Duties section), then you can
(4) Follow the instructions for applying for the job (in the How to Apply section).

In Part 3 of the series, we’ll explore the steps to create your federal resume so that you present yourself as the most qualified applicant for the position.