by Diane Hudson Burns, CFJST, CLTMC, CPRW, CPCC
Federal Employment OverviewEmployment with the federal government offers many benefits. For example, the federal government employs approximately 1.8 million employees (excluding postal workers) with a wide array of job titles: chemist, information technology specialist, finance specialist, comptroller, accountant, veterinarian, clergyman, auditor, operations director, logistics specialist, doctor, nurse, lawyer, biologist, transportation manager, counselor, therapist, curator, federal security director, program or project manager, administrative officer, pilot, government relations advisor, park ranger, police officer, and the list seems nearly endless (if you can imagine the job title or function -- the government probably employs it, with a few exceptions).
The salary range is from entry level of about $17K a year, to Senior Executive Service, with salary upwards of $160K+. The benefits are excellent and may include medical, dental, Thrift Savings, life insurance, a retirement, and plenty of leave time. It also offers flextime and telecommuting in some areas. The employment opportunities are global.
More than 2,000 separate job categories exist at 15 cabinet-level agencies; 20 large and 80 small agencies. About 86 percent of federal jobs are located outside of Washington, DC, and about 50,000 positions are stationed abroad. Areas in the United States with the highest numbers of federal workers include Oklahoma City, Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, and Norfolk-Virginia Beach.
Reviewing the Vacancy AnnouncementOnce you decide to apply for federal employment, you need to prepare for the application process:
- Analyze federal vacancy announcements (from www.usajobs.opm.gov) to determine if a posting is a good fit with your credentials and experience. Review the announcement and identify the following:
- hiring agency;
- the announcement closing date;
- the area of consideration (that will tell you if the position is open to the US public, or other hiring category, i.e., the posting may only be open for merit promotion employees or veterans;
- the type of resume required to apply (hard copy/formatted, USAJOBS, Resumix (Army), or other format);
- any Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities essay requirements or self assessment questions.
- Write your federal resume and any Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities essays.
- Respond to self-assessment questions (self-assessment questions rate your level of experience/knowledge for a skill set, technical or leadership competency, or appropriate credentials, i.e., degree, license, clearance, or other).
- Apply according to the application requirements, including submitting any additional documentation, i.e., transcripts, DD-214 for military, references, and so forth.
The Federal ResumeOnce you have analyzed a federal vacancy announcement and decide that you want to apply for a specifi...
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