How to apply for a federal job

Thank you for the information

Thinking of a civilian career change myself after achieving my Army career goal. Been thinking about applying to ICE, only thing holding me back is the thought of having to work with the ATF
:ack:
 
Met a few. All Dbags. Don't really trust anyone whose job it is to hunt Americans of their firearms

Everything in their agency's name is what you need for a good party, and they bust balls over all of them? Party poopers!
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?
 
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?

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.
 
Anyone else have any input on this?
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.
 
I applied for a position early Feb and interviewed mid March. I'm assuming the stop movement is holding things up a bit.
 
I applied for a position early Feb and interviewed mid March. I'm assuming the stop movement is holding things up a bit.
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.
 
I have given up for the time being. I even had my resume tailored for federal jobs.

:(
 
Thanks for the input đź‘Ť 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.
 
Thanks for the input đź‘Ť 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?
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...

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.
 
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