How to apply for a federal job
- Thread starter RetPara
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Have you worked with them in the past?only thing holding me back is the thought of having to work with the ATF
Ah. Good to know.
Looking forward to applying for Health System Specialist job at the VA or DoD next year. This thread looks like a good place to start, I was told to put keywords like "expert" into the questions and resume for particular KSAs because they are filtered through software before a person ever looks at them.
Anyone else have any input on this?
Anyone else have any input on this?
Many commands and even agencies are using expedited hiring authorities. If that's the case, you don't even apply via USAJOBS which is extremely helpful at getting past the computer screener. Otherwise, I would definitely tailor each resume to include keywords directly from the job posting and the questions they ask. You shouldn't need to write expert as you will hit the Expert radio button on a questionnaire. When you get to the end, reupload a your resume based upon the questions before hitting submit. Often times the job postings are vague but once you get into the application it will tell a better story of what you will be doing.
Here are my bonafides...I am a GS 12, Senior Land Surveyor for a bureau in the Department of the Interior...I do not nor have I had hiring authority...but let me say this about that...until my supervisor retired from 19th Group, I was responsible for screening prospective applicants while he was off on JCETs. While I didn't hire anyone, I had the authority to eliminate prospective candidates, which I did with a good deal of regularity. At any rate, the advice on parroting the requirements listed in the position description is spot on...that is one of the requirements to making the certification (a document the hiring manager receives after the applications have been screened by the HR folks). As far as claiming expert abilities goes, I guess it depends on the hiring manager. If someone states they are an expert a resolving boundary issues but their resume shows no experience working as a land surveyor, I am very tempted to set their application aside, especially if their transcripts do not reflect any related course work. If provided to me, I will review the DD214 to see if there's relevant military experience (I assume a mortar maggot or cannon cocker has a little more than rudimentary map, compass and equipment skills) and determine if the candidate can be trained at an entry level.
I could relate several tales of qualified people being left off a cert because of the way their resume was structured, as well as stories of folks who passed muster due to stretching the truth or faulty review of resumes and transcripts, but I'll defer. Where I work, veterans are hired first, unless they are completely unqualified.
Hard to say. The government moves in strange and mysterious ways...I applied in October, was interviewed in March, hired in May and had a competing offer from another bureau in August...
We interviewed folks in February, had the position readvertised and can't go forward due to the current situation.
We are still advertising positions, however we are currently not onboarding. That's pretty standard across the board.
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I have given up for the time being. I even had my resume tailored for federal jobs.
You had one interview at least. We just need to find you a higher graded job.
Thanks for the input 
Since I will be applying for a job posted based off education (next year), not experience, will my resume still need to be tailored the same way?
My buddy offered to help me with process, I think he said his sister or MIL was a federal HR person for the VA or DOD medical command, but who knows where we'll be a year from now.
Since I will be applying for a job posted based off education (next year), not experience, will my resume still need to be tailored the same way? My buddy offered to help me with process, I think he said his sister or MIL was a federal HR person for the VA or DOD medical command, but who knows where we'll be a year from now.
I would. Education can be pretty deceptive and in those cases, the resume can help. We get people who are considered qualified by education because they've taken survey classes...Survey of English Literature, Survey of Humanities, Survey of Etc...the software that is used to screen the input data doesn't logically see that those courses have nothing to do with land surveying...Thanks for the input
Meanwhile, coursework that is germane to the position, such as Remote Sensing, Boundary Evidence, Land Development aren't immediately picked up and the HR personnel really don't have a clue.
Wanted to throw some input here. I'm currently on my first ever interview panel and we are looking to hire interns.
As this is entry level, the questions we are asking are not technical questions about contracts, but rather situational questions. One question focuses on failure, something everyone has experienced in life, and yet almost everyone has said they have never failed at anything. If you are being interviewed, answer the question you are being asked and don't try to over think it. For this particular question we are listening for how you responded to failure, what you learned, and what changes you've made as a result.
Also, show up on time for your interview. We've had 4 candidates out of 13 (have 2 left to interview today so we'll see if they show) we have had planned to interview not even dial in or let us know they were cancelling. The worst culprits have been prior service members too, specifically Marines.
As this is entry level, the questions we are asking are not technical questions about contracts, but rather situational questions. One question focuses on failure, something everyone has experienced in life, and yet almost everyone has said they have never failed at anything. If you are being interviewed, answer the question you are being asked and don't try to over think it. For this particular question we are listening for how you responded to failure, what you learned, and what changes you've made as a result.
Also, show up on time for your interview. We've had 4 candidates out of 13 (have 2 left to interview today so we'll see if they show) we have had planned to interview not even dial in or let us know they were cancelling. The worst culprits have been prior service members too, specifically Marines.
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That is unsat. And as someone who does quite a bit of hiring myself, I am often disappointed by how shortsighted some candidates are. It’s a small electronic world, too small to be burning bridges.
I never had a chance to apply for the position inwas talking about, 0671 Health System Specialist. After the Great Pandemic of 2020almost all entry level positions have disappeared in the dtates I was looking, OH, NY, TX, CO etc.
Left the program for nursing, failed nursing, and may never return to finish the worthless MPH.
HOWEVER, i may return to nursing school, or laboratory tech, but I am really interested in Nuclear Materials Courier. Just looks like a cool job, not too different than contracting, and want to move to TX.
Anybody ever use a professional resume writer? They have companies that claim to tailor your resume specifically for Fed/USA jobs.
Left the program for nursing, failed nursing, and may never return to finish the worthless MPH.
HOWEVER, i may return to nursing school, or laboratory tech, but I am really interested in Nuclear Materials Courier. Just looks like a cool job, not too different than contracting, and want to move to TX.
Anybody ever use a professional resume writer? They have companies that claim to tailor your resume specifically for Fed/USA jobs.
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Professional resume writers are great - if they are used to doing resumes for USAJOBS - otherwise, the one and two page resumes that most "pro's" will prepare for you, just wont normally get you across the finish line for a position posted on USAJOBS. You certainly want to tailor your resume to the job posting but there is one more tweak that many people don't seem to consider...
Every position on USAJOBS comes with a "Questionnaire" that will ask you if you are untrained on a task, trained but haven't done the task on the job yet, done the task as part of your job but needed to be supervised, performed the task independently and without supervision, or considered to be an expert at this task can normally supervises others.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT in every question.
You can be an expert in every single task and STILL NOT GET THE JOB
The resume you post in USAJOBS needs to reflect the content of the questions in that questionnaire...
"Identify training problems or shortfalls through mission analysis, job analysis, and other operational feedback and recommend effective solutions."
Sure go ahead and put that you are an expert at this task. If you are looking for a GS11 job, great - you could also get away with putting that you can do it independently and without review...
...wont matter - as a GS11, you aren't going to be in charge of anyone anyway.
Just make sure that instead of writing a bunch of flowery language that says, "Ran the most productive division in the company. Selected to be the dark overlord of the known universe"
EVEN IF ITS TRUE
Instead try slipping the words from the questionaire into your resume,
Increased production by Identifying training problems and shortfalls through detailed mission analysis. Recommended effective solutions using operational feedback while serving as the dark overlord of the known universe.
Everyone - including USAJOBS - will swear that they do not use an AI protocol to find matches between the job posting and your resume - so it must be a coincidence - but it is a pretty consistent coincidence.
I'd say go with it and gamble on 'the coincidence' that the resumes that match the questionnaire "seem" to get picked up more often than the ones that dont...
I've picked up two different gigs on USAJOBS (a GS11 and a GS12) using that approach and got all the way to the final round of interviews (GS-13) on a third. I knew the guy that got hired for the GS-13 job and he was flat out, a better all around pick than I was.
I've worked with a couple of contractors that applied for GS positions in the sections that they were already working in that "knew better than me" and used their own resume strategy - neither of them even got an interview.
That questionnaire is like having the answers to the test.
Your milieage may vary
Every position on USAJOBS comes with a "Questionnaire" that will ask you if you are untrained on a task, trained but haven't done the task on the job yet, done the task as part of your job but needed to be supervised, performed the task independently and without supervision, or considered to be an expert at this task can normally supervises others.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT in every question.
You can be an expert in every single task and STILL NOT GET THE JOB
The resume you post in USAJOBS needs to reflect the content of the questions in that questionnaire...
"Identify training problems or shortfalls through mission analysis, job analysis, and other operational feedback and recommend effective solutions."
Sure go ahead and put that you are an expert at this task. If you are looking for a GS11 job, great - you could also get away with putting that you can do it independently and without review...
...wont matter - as a GS11, you aren't going to be in charge of anyone anyway.
Just make sure that instead of writing a bunch of flowery language that says, "Ran the most productive division in the company. Selected to be the dark overlord of the known universe"
EVEN IF ITS TRUE
Instead try slipping the words from the questionaire into your resume,
Increased production by Identifying training problems and shortfalls through detailed mission analysis. Recommended effective solutions using operational feedback while serving as the dark overlord of the known universe.
Everyone - including USAJOBS - will swear that they do not use an AI protocol to find matches between the job posting and your resume - so it must be a coincidence - but it is a pretty consistent coincidence.
I'd say go with it and gamble on 'the coincidence' that the resumes that match the questionnaire "seem" to get picked up more often than the ones that dont...
I've picked up two different gigs on USAJOBS (a GS11 and a GS12) using that approach and got all the way to the final round of interviews (GS-13) on a third. I knew the guy that got hired for the GS-13 job and he was flat out, a better all around pick than I was.
I've worked with a couple of contractors that applied for GS positions in the sections that they were already working in that "knew better than me" and used their own resume strategy - neither of them even got an interview.
That questionnaire is like having the answers to the test.
Your milieage may vary
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