The Federal Government: On the path to applying

Working for the federal government certainly has its perks; great benefits, job security, mobility, and travel are among the few. Maybe that's why the application process tends to be a more tedious and time-consuming one (sometimes taking up to six months). However, after you've completed one federal application, you should be in a great position to quickly and easily apply for other federal jobs. Here's how you can get started:

1. Locating federal government jobs: The government has worked very hard to improve and create an easily navigable one-stop shop for federal openings at http://www.usajobs.gov/.
You can search through the listings by state, agency, or occupational series.

2. Thoroughly research the job description noting each of the following sections:

• Overview: Review the salary range, grade level, and short job summary.
• Duties: Observe the major responsibilities of the position.
• Qualifications: Take notes on or highlight the desired skills, education level, and experiences also known as the KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities).
• Benefits & Other Info: A salary is only one part of the total compensation. Read through all of the federal benefits before passing on a job due to salary.
• How to Apply: Within this section, make sure you notice if there are multiple application components. You will likely have to upload your federal resume and may have to complete vacancy specific questions or KSAs.

3. Writing your federal resume: A federal resume differs from your everyday one-page business resume. Use your business resume for the basic structure, but expand each job description and provide more personal information. Here are some quick tips for new additions for each resume section:

• Personal information: Include your social security number, the job announcement number, job title, job grade, your citizenship, and indicate if you have veteran's preference.
• Education: Make sure to tack on your high school and include zip codes for each institution.
• Job Descriptions: Add the zip code to your organization information, and indicate your salary or hourly wage. You will also want to include your supervisor's name and contact information, and whether he/she may be contacted. Under each job, create sections that highlight your job-related skills. For example, as a Career Advisor, I utilize the following skills: coaching, public relations management, employer relations, editing and communications, program coordination, public speaking, and workshop facilitation. I would highlight each of these skills using bullets and then provide detailed explanations of how I have proved these skills in my work using numbers and accomplishments.
• Additional sections to tack on: job-related certifications or licenses, relevant trainings, memberships, awards, and publications.

For sample resumes and more tips on how to write a federal resume, visit: http://www.usajobs.gov/EI64.asp (USAjobs tips) and http://www.sec.gov/jobs/jobs_sampleres.shtml (federal resume sample)

Prefer to work from a book? The Federal Resume Guidebook by Kathryn Kraemer Troutman provides a step-by-step guide with excellent samples on writing an effective federal resume (http://www.resume-place.com/).

Good luck!