There Are Many Jobs Available
With more than 1.7 million jobs and over 400 occupational specialties (excluding postal service and military workers), the Federal Government offers more choices than any other single employer in the United States. Whatever your interest and background, you can probably find a Government career to match.
If you’re looking for a job, consider the Nation’s largest employer. Each year, the Federal Government hires thousands of new workers. Here’s how to become one of them.
People get jobs in the Federal Government in the same way that they get most jobs in the private sector: by finding openings and submitting a resume or application. But searching for a Federal job can be more complicated than other job searches. That’s because of regulations designed to keep the hiring process fair. Job titles are standardized. Resumes are more detailed. And job qualifications are more specific.
Tailoring your search to the Federal Government’s rules will increase your chances of getting a job. Read on to discover the types of jobs available in the Federal civil service and the qualifications required.
Exploring the options and preparing for the hunt
When hunting for a Federal career, you have a myriad of choices. Federal jobs are spread across more than 100 agencies and bureaus, each with its own mission and each overseeing its own hiring and recruitment.
Jobs are found throughout the Nation and across the world. About 87 percent of Government jobs are outside of the Washington, DC, area. About 3 percent are in foreign nations.
What’s more, the Federal Government hires people for hundreds of occupational specialties. For some occupations, including forest conservation technician and geographer, the Federal Government is the primary employer.
With so many choices, you may need to sort through scores of openings to find a job that fits. Your search will be more fruitful if you understand Federal job titles, identify jobs for which you are qualified, and start with the right resources.
[Chart 1: Federal agencies with the most employment, March 2004](.pdf file)
The trouble with titles
The Federal Government uses a set of standard occupational titles, also called occupational series, to describe its jobs. Some titles—such as carpenter and chemist—are easy to understand. Others require interpretation. A person interested in marketing might look for positions with the title market analyst, for example, but he or she also might want positions with the more unusual title of trade analyst. Both involve marketing products.
Jobseekers need to be flexible in their search because titles used by the Federal Government are often broader than private sector ones. One title that people often overlook is technical writer. In the private sector, that title usually refers to jobs writing about science or computers. But in the U.S. Government, technical writing is any writing that requires specialized knowledge. The position could relate to law, education, or any other subject.
Recognizing the confusion that job titles can cause, the Federal Government provides some help. The Government’s employment website, www.usajobs.opm.gov, provides definitions for many job titles. The site also offers quizzes that relate career interests to job titles. And for more detailed information about titles, check the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Occupational Classification Manual, available online at www.opm.gov/fedclass/text/hdbktoc.htm
In nearly all cases, Federal employees must be U.S. citizens.
Beyond that, qualifications vary.
Qualifications.
The Government hires people with nearly every level of education and experience—from high school students with no experience to Ph.D.’s with established careers. Jobs in some occupations, such as engineer, ecologist, and lawyer, require that workers have a bachelor’s or graduate degree and credit for specific college classes. Other occupations require experience, education, or a combination of both. A few, such as office clerk, require no education or experience to start.
After gaining work experience, people often qualify for higher GS levels. In general, 1 year of experience related to the job could raise your grade by one GS level in most clerical and technician positions.
In administrative, professional, and scientific positions, GS level increases in increments of two until you reach a GS-12. After that, GS level increases one level at a time. With each additional year of experience at a higher level of responsibility, your GS level could continue to increase until it reaches the maximum for your occupation.
Applying for a Federal job is often simpler if you have access to the Internet. Although every part of the application process can also be completed offline, the Internet allows for faster searching, completion, and submission of applications.
Jobseekers can visit a Federal Employment Center for free access to the Federal employment websites. Many of the U.S. Department of Labor’s One-Stop Career Centers also provide Internet access for jobseekers.
Contact information for Federal Employment Centers and One-Stop Career Centers is available in the blue pages of the telephone book or by calling the U.S. Department of Labor’s toll-free career information line: 1(877) US2-JOBS (872-5627).
Without the Internet, you can conduct a search by telephone, fax machine, or mail.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management maintains a central database, called USAJOBS, that lists nearly every Federal job opening available to the public.
Searching this database online or by telephone is the first step to finding a job. Jobseekers can also contact agencies directly for assistance and for information about special hiring programs.
Finally, jobseekers shouldn’t abandon traditional methods, such as reading classified ads and attending job fairs. Many agencies use ads and fairs to supplement their recruiting efforts.
The USAJOBS website, www.usajobs.opm.gov, allows visitors to sort openings by occupation, location, occupational group, keyword, grade level, salary, and Government agency. The advanced option allows visitors to search by any or all of these factors simultaneously.
In a system that often holds more than 18,000 job postings a day, pinpointing the best possibilities takes savvy sorting. This is especially true when job titles are unfamiliar.
If you are looking for a specific job title, search for it immediately using the occupational series function. But remember: one Federal title does not necessarily cover all the jobs that use a particular skill or include a certain task. To cast a wider net, search by occupational group.
Jobseekers who are minorities or veterans or who have disabilities also can ask to speak to a specialist who focuses on helping workers in these populations. Most agencies have such specialists.
Check online or in the telephone book for agencies’ contact information. You can also find a list of agencies online atwww.firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml.
If you’re looking for a job, consider the Nation’s largest employer. Each year, the Federal Government hires thousands of new workers. Here’s how to become one of them.
People get jobs in the Federal Government in the same way that they get most jobs in the private sector: by finding openings and submitting a resume or application. But searching for a Federal job can be more complicated than other job searches. That’s because of regulations designed to keep the hiring process fair. Job titles are standardized. Resumes are more detailed. And job qualifications are more specific.
Tailoring your search to the Federal Government’s rules will increase your chances of getting a job. Read on to discover the types of jobs available in the Federal civil service and the qualifications required.
Exploring the options and preparing for the hunt
When hunting for a Federal career, you have a myriad of choices. Federal jobs are spread across more than 100 agencies and bureaus, each with its own mission and each overseeing its own hiring and recruitment.
Jobs are found throughout the Nation and across the world. About 87 percent of Government jobs are outside of the Washington, DC, area. About 3 percent are in foreign nations.
What’s more, the Federal Government hires people for hundreds of occupational specialties. For some occupations, including forest conservation technician and geographer, the Federal Government is the primary employer.
With so many choices, you may need to sort through scores of openings to find a job that fits. Your search will be more fruitful if you understand Federal job titles, identify jobs for which you are qualified, and start with the right resources.
[Chart 1: Federal agencies with the most employment, March 2004](.pdf file)
The trouble with titles
The Federal Government uses a set of standard occupational titles, also called occupational series, to describe its jobs. Some titles—such as carpenter and chemist—are easy to understand. Others require interpretation. A person interested in marketing might look for positions with the title market analyst, for example, but he or she also might want positions with the more unusual title of trade analyst. Both involve marketing products.
Jobseekers need to be flexible in their search because titles used by the Federal Government are often broader than private sector ones. One title that people often overlook is technical writer. In the private sector, that title usually refers to jobs writing about science or computers. But in the U.S. Government, technical writing is any writing that requires specialized knowledge. The position could relate to law, education, or any other subject.
Recognizing the confusion that job titles can cause, the Federal Government provides some help. The Government’s employment website, www.usajobs.opm.gov, provides definitions for many job titles. The site also offers quizzes that relate career interests to job titles. And for more detailed information about titles, check the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Occupational Classification Manual, available online at www.opm.gov/fedclass/text/hdbktoc.htm
In nearly all cases, Federal employees must be U.S. citizens.
Beyond that, qualifications vary.
Qualifications.
The Government hires people with nearly every level of education and experience—from high school students with no experience to Ph.D.’s with established careers. Jobs in some occupations, such as engineer, ecologist, and lawyer, require that workers have a bachelor’s or graduate degree and credit for specific college classes. Other occupations require experience, education, or a combination of both. A few, such as office clerk, require no education or experience to start.
After gaining work experience, people often qualify for higher GS levels. In general, 1 year of experience related to the job could raise your grade by one GS level in most clerical and technician positions.
In administrative, professional, and scientific positions, GS level increases in increments of two until you reach a GS-12. After that, GS level increases one level at a time. With each additional year of experience at a higher level of responsibility, your GS level could continue to increase until it reaches the maximum for your occupation.
Applying for a Federal job is often simpler if you have access to the Internet. Although every part of the application process can also be completed offline, the Internet allows for faster searching, completion, and submission of applications.
Jobseekers can visit a Federal Employment Center for free access to the Federal employment websites. Many of the U.S. Department of Labor’s One-Stop Career Centers also provide Internet access for jobseekers.
Contact information for Federal Employment Centers and One-Stop Career Centers is available in the blue pages of the telephone book or by calling the U.S. Department of Labor’s toll-free career information line: 1(877) US2-JOBS (872-5627).
Without the Internet, you can conduct a search by telephone, fax machine, or mail.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management maintains a central database, called USAJOBS, that lists nearly every Federal job opening available to the public.
Searching this database online or by telephone is the first step to finding a job. Jobseekers can also contact agencies directly for assistance and for information about special hiring programs.
Finally, jobseekers shouldn’t abandon traditional methods, such as reading classified ads and attending job fairs. Many agencies use ads and fairs to supplement their recruiting efforts.
The USAJOBS website, www.usajobs.opm.gov, allows visitors to sort openings by occupation, location, occupational group, keyword, grade level, salary, and Government agency. The advanced option allows visitors to search by any or all of these factors simultaneously.
In a system that often holds more than 18,000 job postings a day, pinpointing the best possibilities takes savvy sorting. This is especially true when job titles are unfamiliar.
If you are looking for a specific job title, search for it immediately using the occupational series function. But remember: one Federal title does not necessarily cover all the jobs that use a particular skill or include a certain task. To cast a wider net, search by occupational group.
Jobseekers who are minorities or veterans or who have disabilities also can ask to speak to a specialist who focuses on helping workers in these populations. Most agencies have such specialists.
Check online or in the telephone book for agencies’ contact information. You can also find a list of agencies online atwww.firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml.
posted by Ina Panken at 4:21 PM
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