21st Century Pocket Guide to Jobs, Resumes, and Practical Career Advice - Interviewing, Applications, Federal Jobs, Job Search Techniques, Cover Letters, References
EDITION: VERSION 1.0 – 09/2010
Reality Now Press
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Copyright 2010 Progressive Management
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Resumes, Applications, and Cover Letters
Chapter 2: Sample Cover Letter
Chapter 3: Building Your Resume on USAJOBS
Chapter 4: How to Get a Job in the Federal Government
Chapter 5: Federal Job Titles by College Major
Chapter 6: Create an Effective Resume - with Samples
Chapter 8: Action Verbs to Describe Accomplishments
Chapter 9: Sources of Education, Training, and Financial Aid
Chapter 10: Finding and Applying for Jobs and Evaluating Offers
Chapter 11: Job Interview Tips
Chapter 12: Strategies for an Effective Job Search
Chapter 13: References and Letters of Recommendation
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CHAPTER 1: RESUMES, APPLICATIONS, AND COVER LETTERS
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You have skills that employers want. But those skills won’t get you a job if no one knows you have them. Good resumes, applications, and cover letters broadcast your abilities. They tell employers how your qualifications match a job’s responsibilities. If these paper preliminaries are constructed well, you have a better chance of landing interviews - and, eventually, a job.
The availability of personal computers and laser printers has raised employers’ expectations of the quality of resumes and cover letters applicants produce. E-mail and online applications help some employers sort and track hundreds of resumes. Technology has also given resume writers greater flexibility; page limits and formatting standards are no longer as rigid as they were several years ago. “The only rule is that there are no rules,” says Frank Fox, executive director of the Professional Association of Resume Writers. “Resumes should be error free - no typos or spelling mistakes - but beyond that, use any format that conveys the information well.” However, the no-rules rule does not mean anything goes. You still have to consider what is reasonable and appropriate for the job you want. Advertisements for a single job opening can generate dozens, even hundreds, of responses. Busy reviewers often spend as little as 30 seconds deciding whether a resume deserves consideration.
This article provides some guidelines for creating resumes and cover letters that will help you pass the 30- second test and win interviews. The first section, on resumes, describes what information they should contain, how to highlight your skills for the job you want, and types of resumes. The next section discusses the four parts of a cover letter - salutation, opening, body, and closing. A final section offers suggestions for finding out more about resumes and cover letters.
Resumes: Marketing your skills
A resume is a brief summary of your experience, education, and skills. It is a marketing piece, usually one or two pages long, designed to interest an employer. Good resumes match the jobseeker’s abilities to the job’s requirements. The best resumes highlight an applicant’s strengths and accomplishments. There are four main steps to creating a resume: Compiling information about yourself and the occupations that interest you, choosing a resume format, adding style, and proofreading the final document. You may also want to prepare your resume for e-mailing and an online application form.
Gathering and organizing the facts - Start working on your resume by collecting and reviewing information about yourself: previous positions, job duties, volunteer work, skills, accomplishments, education, and activities. These are the raw materials of your resume. This is also a good time to review your career goals and to think about which past jobs you have liked, and why. After compiling this information, research the occupations that interest you. Determine the duties they entail, credentials they require, and skills they use. Your resume will use your autobiographical information to show that you meet an occupation’s requirements. You will probably need to write a different resume for each job that interests you. Each resume will emphasize what is relevant to one position. Remember: Even if you do not have many specialized and technical skills, most occupations also require abilities like reliability, teamwork, and communication. These are particularly important for entry-level workers.
The next step is to organize the personal information you have assembled. Most resume writers use the following components. Contact information. This includes your name; permanent and college campus addresses, if they are different; phone number; and e-mail address, if you have one. Place your full legal name at the top of your resume and your contact information underneath it. This information should be easy to see; reviewers who can’t find your phone number can’t call you for an interview. Also, make sure the outgoing message on your voicemail sounds professional. If you list an e-mail address, remember to check your inbox regularly. Qualifications summary. The qualifications summary, which evolved from the objective statement, is an overview designed to quickly answer the employer’s question “Why should I hire you?” It lists a few of your best qualifications and belongs below your contact information. A qualifications summary is optional. It can be particularly effective for applicants with extensive or varied experience because it prevents the important facts from being lost among the details.
Education. List all relevant training, certifications, and education on your resume. Start with the most recent and work backward. For each school you have attended, list the school’s name and location; diploma, certificate, or degree earned, along with year of completion; field of study; and honors received. If you have not yet completed one of your degrees, use the word expected before your graduation date. If you do not know when you will graduate, add in progress after the name of the unfinished degree. The education section is especially important for recent graduates. Include your overall grade point average, average within major, or class standing, if it helps your case. The general guideline is to include averages of 3.0 and above, but the minimum useful average is still widely debated. Graduates should also consider listing relevant courses under a separate heading. Listing four to eight courses related to a particular occupation shows a connection between education and work. College graduates need not list their high school credentials.
Experience. Resumes should include your job history: The name and location of the organizations you have worked for, years you worked there, title of your job, a few of the duties you performed, and results you achieved. Also, describe relevant volunteer activities, internships, and school projects, especially if you have little paid experience. When describing your job duties, emphasize results instead of responsibilities and performance rather than qualities. It is not enough, for example, to claim you are organized; you must use your experience to prove it. Job descriptions often specify the scope of a position’s duties - such as the number of phone lines answered, forms processed, or people supervised. If you worked on a project
Applications: Fitting yourself to the form - Many jobs require jobseekers to complete an application instead of submitting a resume. But an application is a resume in disguise: Its purpose is to show your qualifications. Assembling the following information about yourself in advance will make it easier to complete applications: Identification. Be prepared to give your name, address, phone number, and social security number. You may also need to bring proof of identification when you pick up and drop off the application. Employment history. List the month and year you started and ended each job; your supervisor’s name, address, and phone number; your job title, location, salary, and major duties; and your reason for leaving. Education and certification. Know the name and city of the schools you attended and the year you received your degrees and the name, level, and award and renewal dates of certification.
Special skills. List any special skills you have that are closely related to the job, such as computer applications, or equipment operation. References. Provide the names, phone numbers, and addresses of three or four people who have agreed to recommend you. When you pick up an application, don’t miss an opportunity to make a good first impression. Dress as you would for the job. Politely request two copies of the form, or make your own copies of the original before you start filling it out. Read the entire application before you begin. Then, use one copy as a rough draft and the other as the final product. Write neatly with black ink. Answer every question on the application. Write “not applicable” or “none” if a question does not apply to you. Some reviewers suggest answering “will discuss in interview” if asked for information that might disqualify you. Make a copy of your completed application. If you go back for an interview, take this record with you. Having a completed form will also make it easier to fill out the next one.
Although forms do not offer the same flexibility as a resume, you can still find ways to highlight your best qualifications. For example, you can use strong action verbs to describe your duties. If you do not have paid experience, you can give job titles to your volunteer work or list relevant academic experience, substituting student for job titles.
Computer applications. If you are filling out an application for a computer database, you will want to use keywords and simple formatting. Put the most important information first. Include as much information as you can for each question without becoming wordy or repetitive. The more relevant details you provide, the better your chances of using a keyword that matches an employer’s requirements. Before submitting the form, copy and paste your answers into a word-processing program so you can check the spelling with other people, tell the reviewer your accomplishments came from a team effort.
Also, mention any promotions or increases in responsibility you received. Use specific accomplishments to give your experience impact. Note any improvements you made, any time or money you saved, and any problems you solved - for example, were you praised for handling difficult customers? Were you always on time or available for overtime? Did you start a new program? Mention quantifiable results you accomplished, such as a 10-percent increase in sales, a 90-percent accuracy rate, a 25-percent increase in student participation, or an A grade.
Activities and associations. Activities can be an excellent source of experience, especially for students in high school or college who don’t have much work experience. Students can list their involvement in school or extracurricular activities as a way of showing a prospective employer their initiative. Activities might include participation in organizations, associations, student government, clubs, or community activities, especially those related to the position you are applying for or that demonstrate hard work and leadership skills.
Special skills. If you have specific computer, foreign language, or technical skills, consider highlighting them by giving them their own category - even if they don’t relate directly to the occupation you’re pursuing. For jobs in information technology, for example, jobseekers may list programming and computer application skills in a separate section. But because most occupations now require computer skills, jobseekers in other fields also may list those skills separately.
Awards and honors. Include formal recognition you have received. Do not omit professional or academic awards. These are often listed with an applicant’s experience or education, but some list them at the end of their resume.
References. Usually, resumes do not include names of references, but some reviewers suggest breaking this rule if the names are recognizable in the occupation or industry. Some resume writers end with the statement “References available upon request.” Others assume reference availability is understood and use that space for more important information.
Regardless of whether you mention it on the resume, you will need to create a separate reference sheet to provide when requested and to carry with you to interviews. A reference sheet lists the name, title, office address, and phone number of three to five people who know your abilities. Before offering them as references, of course, make sure these people have agreed to recommend you. At the top of the sheet, type your name and contact information, repeating the format you used in your resume.
Other personal information. Your resume should include any other information that is important to your occupation, such as a completed portfolio or a willingness to travel. Your resume is your own, and you should customize it to fit your needs. However, some information does not belong on a resume. Do not disclose your health, disability, marital status, age, or ethnicity. This information is illegal for most employers to request.
Choosing a format - There are three main resume formats - chronological, functional, and combination. Each is defined by the way it organizes your experience. Choose the one that shows your experience to its best advantage.
Chronological. This resume type is the most common. It organizes your experience around the jobs you have held. This format is an excellent choice for people with steady work histories or previous jobs that relate closely to their career objective. To create a chronological resume, list each position you have held, starting with the most recent and working backward. For each position, give the title of your job, name of the organization you worked for, and years you worked there. Next, relate the duties and accomplishments of that job. When describing jobs, use action statements, not sentences. Instead of writing “I managed a fundraising campaign,” write, “Managed a fundraising campaign.” Use strong verbs to begin each statement. Be specific, but not overly detailed, in describing what you did. Employers say three to five statements are usually sufficient for each job. And no job should have more than four consecutive lines of information under it; large blocks of text are difficult to read. If you must use more space, find some way to divide the information into categories. Your most important positions should occupy the most space on your resume. If you’ve had jobs that do not relate to the position you want, consider dividing your experience into two categories: Relevant experience and other experience.
Describe the relevant jobs thoroughly, and briefly mention the others. If you have had many jobs, you probably do not need to mention the oldest or least important ones. Just be careful not to create damaging gaps in your work history.
Because the chronological format emphasizes dates and job titles, it is often a poor format for career changers, people with inconsistent work histories, or new entrants to the work force. For these applicants, the functional resume is a better choice.
Functional. The functional resume organizes your experience around skills rather than job titles. This format is ideal for students who have some work history, but not in positions that relate directly to the job they want. Organizing experiences around skills can connect less relevant jobs to career qualifications; a job waiting tables, for example, can be combined with other responsibilities to show organizational and customer service skills.
To create a functional resume, identify three or four skills required for your target job. For each skill, identify three to five concrete examples to demonstrate that ability. Again, use action phrases - not complete sentences - when writing your list. Arrange your skill headings in order of importance. If you have a specific vacancy announcement, match the arrangement of your headings to that of its listed requirements. The closer the match between your skill headings and the reviewer’s expectations, the more qualified you seem. The last part of the functional resume is a brief work history. Write only job titles, company names, and employment years. If you have gaps in your work history, you could use the cover letter to explain them, or you could fill them by adding volunteer work, community activities, or family responsibilities to your job list.
Combination. This format combines the best of the chronological format with the best of the functional format. Combination resumes are as varied as the histories they summarize. One variation begins with a chronological format but then subdivides each job description into skill categories. Another variation uses a functional format but, for each example of a skill, identifies the organization where the example occurred.
Adding style - You will create a good impression if your resume is attractive and easy to read. An inviting style draws attention to your qualifications. If you take pity on the reviewer’s eyes, chances are better that he or she will spend more time reviewing your resume - and will remember it better.
To make your resume easier to read and copy, print it on high-quality white or lightly colored paper. Loud, garish colors may attract attention, but they risk creating an unprofessional impression. Also, use a laser printer and keep the font size at 10 point or above. The reviewer shouldn’t have to struggle to read your words.
Design. Good resume writers use design elements strategically. Boldface, large type, capital letters, centering, or horizontal lines make headings stand out on the page. Bullets or italics can draw attention to key accomplishments. One-inch margins around the page and blank lines between sections will make all the information easier to see.
Any graphics you use should be consistent with your occupation’s standards. Graphics appropriate for one occupation might be inappropriate for another. As a general rule, small design elements - such as a border or a name and address printed in letterhead style - are fine. But large, bold graphics are risky for an accountant who isn’t applying for a position as a graphic artist. To give your resume a consistent flow, maintain the same style from beginning to end. Every section should have the same design elements. For example, if your education heading is bold and centered, every heading should be bold and centered. In the same way, chose one typeface, such as Arial or Times New Roman, and use it throughout. When you have finished, hold your resume at arm’s length and examine it. Make sure the type is easy to read and that the material lays out evenly on the page. You may need to experiment with different styles before deciding which you like best.
Length. A long resume is difficult for a reviewer to digest and retain; and, given the volume of resumes many reviewers receive, long resumes are often ignored. Although rules about length are more flexible than they once were, general guidelines still exist. Most students and recent graduates use a one-page resume, other workers use one or two pages, and the very experienced use two or three pages. If your resume doesn’t match this pattern, it probably contains unnecessary words or irrelevant information. Eliminate anything that does not help prove you’re qualified for the job.
Proofreading - Take time to prepare the best resume you can. You might not be the most qualified candidate for every job, but your resume might be better than the competition. The most common mistakes are simple typographical and spelling errors. Computer spelling checkers do not catch correctly spelled words used incorrectly - “ of” for “on,” for example, or “their” for “there.” You want your resume to stand out, but not for the wrong reasons. Avoid mistakes by having several people proofread for you. Before you send out a resume, review the vacancy announcement and fine-tune your resume to meet employers’ criteria. Sprinkle your resume with language found in the position description, paying special attention to your qualifications summary if you have one.
Cover letters: Introducing yourself - Every resume you send, fax, or e-mail needs its own cover letter. Sending a resume without a cover letter is like starting an interview without shaking hands. The best cover letters spark the employer’s interest and create an impression of competence. Cover letters are an opportunity to convey your focus and energy. Especially for students who may not have a lot of experience, the cover letter is a way to show enthusiasm. And following up with a phone call shows the employer drive and interest. Although you should feel free to consult references and models, use your own words when writing a cover letter; don’t mimic another person’s writing style.
Parts of the cover letter - Cover letters should be written in standard business format with your and the reviewer’s addresses at the top and your signature above your typed name at the bottom. (E-mailed cover letters do not include mailing addresses.) All letters should be single spaced, flush left, with each paragraph followed by a blank line. Use professional, polite words. Revealing your personality is fine, as long as your style conforms to business protocol. Most cover letters are two or three paragraphs long. Every cover letter should fit on one page and contain the following four parts: Salutation, opening, body, and conclusion. Salutation. Whenever possible, send your letter to a specific person rather than to an office. Consider how differently you respond to a letter addressed to you, as opposed to one
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CHAPTER 2: SAMPLE COVER LETTER
John Ryan
15 Spring Road
Hamlet, LS 41112
(545) 555-5555
January 5, 2009
Mr. Brian Carson
Hiring Manager
Rest Easy Hotel
Hamlet, LS 41112
Dear Mr. Carson:
The management trainee position you advertised in today’s Hamlet Gazette greatly interests me. The Rest Easy Hotels have always served as landmarks for me when I travel, and I would like to contribute to their continued growth. I have enclosed my resume for your review. In May, I will be graduating from Large State University with a degree in business. While in school, I developed strong organizational and customer service skills. As a dormitory assistant, I organized events, led meetings, and assisted students. As treasurer of the Business Society, I maintained the budget and presented budget reports. My summer jobs also required extensive interaction with the public. I believe these experiences have prepared me for your management trainee position. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss my qualifications more fully in an interview. I can be reached at (545) 555-5555. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
John Ryan
John Ryan
Addresses are omitted for e-mailed cover letters
Letter is addressed to a specific individual, if possible
Place your phone number near the end
Sign each letter
Sell yourself
Request an interview
State position applied for
If you do not know whom to write, call the company and ask who is hiring for the position. Check that the name you use is spelled correctly and the title is accurate. Pay close attention to the Mr. or Ms. before gender-neutral names. Finally, use a colon after the name, not a comma.
Opening. The first few sentences of your cover letter should tell the reviewer which job you are applying for and the connection you have to the company. If someone the reviewer knows suggested you apply, mention that recommendation. If you are responding to an advertisement, refer to it and the source that published it.
Your knowledge of the company might give you another opportunity to connect yourself to the job. You could briefly describe your experience with its products, cite a recent company success, or refer to an article written about the company. But don’t go overboard; save specifics for the interview.
Body. The next portion of your cover letter is a brief explanation of your qualifications. Don’t simply repeat your resume; summarize your most relevant qualifications or provide additional details about a noteworthy accomplishment. Address the employer’s requirements directly, and don’t be afraid to use special formatting to your advantage. You might, for example, create a chart matching the employer’s requirements on one side to your qualifications on the other.
You can also use the body of your cover letter to address gaps in your work history or other problems evident on your resume. But do not volunteer negative information unless you must. Always maintain a positive, confident tone.
Closing. In your final paragraph, thank the reviewer, request an interview, and repeat your home phone number. The closing is your chance to show commitment to the job. If you tell the reviewer you plan to call, make sure you do it. Making the effort to call and follow up helps to keep your name in the mind of your interviewer.
Submitting your qualifications - You introduce yourself to prospective employers through both your cover letter and your resume. Because first impressions are usually lasting ones, make sure yours is a good one by proofreading your cover letter as carefully as you do your resume. When sending your resume through postal service mail, consider how it will look when it arrives on a reviewer’s desk. Hastily stuffed, illegibly addressed, and sloppily sealed envelopes do nothing to enhance your image as a neat, would-be professional. When submitting a resume through email, it’s best to put the cover letter as the body of the e-mail. The resume should either follow the cover letter in the body in plain text or be a separate attachment, depending on the reviewer’s preferences.
Learn more about writing resumes and cover letters by consulting the many sources of information available on both subjects. One of the best places to go is your local library, where you can read a variety of books that match your needs and preferences. Some books give general advice and instruction, some address specific problems or occupations, and others are a compendium of sample resumes and cover letters. Be careful to choose recently published books; resume standards change with time. Look in the Occupational Outlook Handbook for information about the job duties, working conditions, and training requirements of many occupations. The Handbook is available online at www.bls.gov/ooh and can also be found in most libraries and career centers. Visit the counselors at your school, career center, or State employment office. They have resources and advice to help you choose an occupation; write resumes, cover letters, and applications; and develop a job searching strategy. State employment offices offer free advice and computer access to people who are unemployed. To find your State office, visit online at www.servicelocator.org or call toll free, 1 (877) 348-0502. The Internet is full of resume writing advice - but remember, Web sites are not filtered for accuracy or timeliness. Some established sites are:
JobSmart: Resumes and Cover Letters, jobstar.org/tools/resume/index.php
The Riley Guide, www.rileyguide.com
Rebecca Smith’s Electronic Resumes, www.eresumes.com
The Quintessential Guide to CareerResources, www.quintcareers.com
Another option is a commercial resume writing service. The Professional Association of Resume Writers, established in 1990, has about 1,000 member companies. For a fee, professional resume writers help jobseekers write resumes and cover letters. Many of these professionals offer student rates, but fees may be higher for people with longer work histories. For a list of association members, visit the association website at www.parw.com or write:
The Professional Association of Resume Writers
1388 Brightwaters Blvd., N.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33704
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CHAPTER 3: BUILDING YOUR RESUME ON USAJOBS
In an effort to drive the Federal hiring process toward a universal application format, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) gathered together several agencies from around the government to create one resume format that would include all of the crucial data required for Federal application into one uniform resume format.
The product that resulted was the USAJOBS Resume Builder. The USAJOBS Resume Builder allows you to create one uniform resume that provides all of the information required by government agencies. Instead of creating multiple resumes in different formats, you can build your resume once and be ready for all job opportunities.
USAJOBS Resume Builder
Resume and KSA (knowledge, skills & abilities) tips: Pay Attention to Keywords
Whether you're writing your first resume, updating an existing one, or answering a position's Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's), stop and think about which keywords you need to add. You could be the most qualified person for the position, but you could be lost in a sea of applicants without the right keywords.
A Single Keyword Communicates Multiple Skills and Qualifications
When a recruiter reads the keyword "analyst," he or she might assume you have experience in collecting data, evaluating effectiveness, and researching and developing new processes. Just one keyword can have tremendous power and deliver a huge message.
Study Job Announcements
This is the best way to determine important keywords. Review several job announcements and their questions for your ideal position. The jobs don't have to be in your geographic target area. The idea is to find skills, experience, education and other credentials important in your field. You will probably find keywords frequently mentioned by different agencies. Focus on the "requirements," "skills" or "qualifications" sections of job ads, and look for “buzzwords” and desirable credentials for your ideal job.
Be Concise
Don't confuse telling your story with creating your autobiography. Recruiters are inundated with applications and are faced with weeding out the good from the bad. The first step involves quickly skimming through submissions and eliminating candidates who clearly are not qualified. Therefore, your application needs to pass the skim test. Look at your resume and/or KSA's and ask yourself:
Can a hiring manager see my main credentials within 10 to 15 seconds?
Resume - As you may have noticed if you have begun your Federal job search, agencies have varying and unique application procedures to meet their hiring needs. One application format may be acceptable for one agency and not another. In the past, this proved to be frustrating for job seekers applying to multiple positions.
USAJOBS is the Federal Government's official one-stop source for Federal jobs and employment information.
Does critical information jump off the page?
Do I effectively sell myself on the top quarter of the first page?
The Sales Pitch
Because applications are quickly skimmed during the first pass, it is crucial your resume and KSA's get right to work selling your credentials. Your key selling points need to be prominently displayed at the top of the first page of the resume and directly address each question asked in the KSA section. For example, if an advanced degree is an important qualification, it shouldn't be buried at the end of a four-page resume. If a KSA question asks about your writing ability, immediately detail your experience instead of enjoyment of it.
Use an Editor's Eye
Many workers are proud of their careers and feel the information on a resume should reflect everything they've accomplished. However, a resume shouldn't contain every detail and KSA's should only address the question at hand. So be judicious. If your college days are far behind you, does it really matter that you pledged a fraternity or delivered pizza? The editing step will be difficult if you are holding on to your past for emotional reasons.
Use Numbers to Highlight Your Accomplishments
If you were a recruiter looking at a resume or an answer to a KSA, which of the following entries would impress you more:
Wrote news releases.
Wrote 25 news releases in a three-week period under daily deadlines.
Clearly the second statement carries more weight. Why? Because it uses numbers to quantify the writer's accomplishment, giving it a context that helps the interviewer understand the degree of difficulty involved in the task. Numbers are powerful resume tools that will help your accomplishments draw the attention they deserve from prospective employers. With just a little thought, you can find effective ways to quantify your successes on your resume.
Think Money
For-profit, nonprofit, and government organizations alike are and always will be concerned about money. So as you contemplate your accomplishments and prepare to present them on your resume or in your KSA's, think about ways you've saved money, earned money, or managed money in your internships, part-time jobs and extracurricular activities so far. A few possibilities that might appear on a typical college student's resume:
Identified, researched and recommended a new Internet Service Provider, cutting the company's online costs by 15 percent.
Wrote prospect letter that has brought in more than $25,000 in donations to date.
Managed a student organization budget of more than $7,000.
Think Time
You've heard the old saying, "Time is money," and it's true. Companies and organizations are constantly looking for ways to save time and do things more efficiently. They're also necessarily concerned about meeting deadlines, both internal and external. So whatever you can do on your resume or in your KSA's to show that you can save time, make time or manage time will grab your reader's immediate attention. Here are some time-oriented entries that might appear on a typical college student's resume:
Assisted with twice-monthly payroll activities, ensuring employees were paid as expected and on time.
Attended high school basketball games, interviewed players and coaches afterward, and composed 750-word articles by an 11 p.m. deadline.
Suggested procedures that decreased average order-processing time from 10 minutes to five minutes.
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CHAPTER 4: HOW TO GET A JOB IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
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Designing the International Space Station, uncovering security threats, conserving the Florida Everglades, creating an ad campaign to combat disease - these are examples of just a few of the tasks done by workers in the Federal Government.
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.
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. Then, learn how to find and apply for jobs.
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.
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.
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Federal Agencies with the Most Employment, Ranked from Lowest to Highest:
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
U.S. Department of Education
Smithsonian Institution
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. General Services Administration
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Social Security Administration
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of Defense, other
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of the Treasury
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Navy
U.S. Army
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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So, how can you find all the titles that fit your skills? If you are a college graduate, start by scanning the list. It shows how different occupational titles relate to various college majors. If you have a degree in history, for example, titles such as archivist or historian could be a perfect match. But so might other titles, such as writer-editor or foreign affairs specialist, that are mentioned under different liberal arts majors. Some of the job titles you’ll find are unique to the Federal Government. Program analyst is the most common example. Workers with this title evaluate Government programs, make recommendations for change, and tell decisionmakers what resources programs need. If research, policy analysis, or business is your interest, try this title. 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. Jobseekers also need flexibility because titles in the Federal Government are often not as current as those in the private sector. Consider Web designer. The Government does not use that name, but it does hire people to do that type of work. Web designing jobs might be listed under visual arts specialist; public relations specialist; or, if the job requires technical computer skills, information technology manager. A good strategy for finding positions is to search for many different titles or by broad occupational group.
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.
Qualifications required - 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. The qualifications needed for each job are described in detail in the vacancy announcements that advertise job openings. Each job also has a code that corresponds to its minimum requirements. Understanding these codes will speed your search.
Shortcut to matching your qualifications: Cracking the GS code. The coding systems used to classify jobs vary by agency, but the most common system is the General Schedule (GS). The GS assigns every job a grade level from 1 to 15, according to the minimum level of education and experience its workers need. Jobs that require no experience or education are graded a GS-1, for example. Jobs that require a bachelor’s degree and no experience are graded a GS-5 or GS-7, depending on an applicant’s academic credentials and an agency’s policies. The table below shows the GS levels for entry-level workers with different amounts of education and little or no work experience. College degrees only qualify you for a particular grade level if they are related to the job. For occupations requiring general college-level skills, a bachelor’s degree in any subject can qualify you. But other occupations require a specific major. 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.
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GS LEVELS BY EDUCATION
GS-1 - No high school diploma
GS-2 - (GS-3 for clerk-steno positions) - High school diploma
GS-3 - 1 year of full-time study after high school
GS-4 - Associate degree or 2 years of full-time study after high school
GS-5 or GS-7, depending on agency policy and applicant’s academic credentials - Bachelor’s degree or 4 years of full-time study after high school
GS-7 - Bachelor’s degree plus 1 year of full-time graduate study
GS-9 - (GS-11 for some research positions) - Master’s degree or 2 years of full-time graduate study
GS-9 - Law degree (J.D. or LL.B.)
GS-11 - (GS-12 for some research positions) - Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate or advanced law degree (LL.M.)
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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. Resources online and off - 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 tollfree career information line: 1(877) US2-JOBS (872-5627). Without the Internet, you can conduct a search by telephone, fax machine, or mail.
Finding openings: 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.
USAJOBS: The official source -The first place to check for job openings in the Federal Government is the USAJOBS website or automated telephone line. If there’s '61 Federal job that needs to be filled, it’s likely to be listed here. In fact, in most cases, agencies are required to advertise job openings on the USAJOBS system. Website searches. 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.
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TOP 25 OCCUPATIONAL SERIES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, MARCH 2004 - RANKED FROM LOWEST NUMBER TO HIGHEST NUMBER
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Budget analysis positions
Correctional officers
General education and training positions, including instructors and consultants
General biological science positions
Engineering technicians
Tax examining positions
General engineers
Electronics engineers
Human resources management positions
Medical officers, including doctors
General inspection positions, including investigators and compliance officers
General business and industry positions
Air traffic controllers
Contracting positions, including contract officers and specialists
Contact representatives
Social insurance administration positions
General attorneys
Criminal investigators
Secretaries
Management and program analysis positions
Nurses
Safety technicians
Information technology management positions
Miscellaneous administration and program positions
Miscellaneous clerks and assistants
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Central Personnel Data File Occupation Employment
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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.
An alternative approach is to start searching by geographic location. Some locations might have only a handful of openings at a given time, and that could be a manageable bundle to sort. To make sure you find other relevant jobs, supplement your hunt with a keyword search. These searches scan each vacancy announcement for given words and are ideal for jobseekers unfamiliar with Federal job titles. A search for “mathematics,” for example, could yield openings for accountants, physical scientists, and other positions related to math.
To identify jobs that require a given level of education or experience, specify the appropriate GS level, as described in the last section. Jobs listed under other classification systems will be included automatically. If you decide to search by agency, remember that opportunities might be available in unexpected places.
Environmental engineers, for example, are hired not only by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service, but also by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Navy, the Department of Energy, and more than 30 other agencies. You can program the USAJOBS site to repeat your searches automatically and e-mail the results every day or every week.
Automated telephone system. The USAJOBS automated telephone system, available by calling (703) 724-1850, is the offline alternative to the website. It lists the same openings and is available 24 hours a day. Customer service representatives are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. eastern standard time. Although the system changes periodically, it gives callers search options that are similar - but not identical - to the ones on the website. Knowing the occupational titles and series codes that interest you can speed a telephone search because callers can key these into the telephone menus to start a job search.
Callers can also search by occupation type (professional, senior executive service, clerical and technician, and trades and labor), length of job (temporary, full time, part time, or summer), or hiring agency. Callers can refine their results by specifying location or pay range. The telephone system gives a few details about each job opening, including job title and location, and then offers to mail the full announcement.
Contacting agency offices: The direct approach - In addition to using the USAJOBS database, applicants can contact Federal Government agencies directly. This method is especially important when searching for jobs that are not required to be posted on USAJOBS. But contacting agencies should not replace searching USAJOBS. Some agencies update their own websites less frequently than they do their USAJOBS submissions. Also, the human resources specialist you speak with might not be aware of every opportunity. And you might not know about all the agencies with openings. Even so, there are still many benefits to calling agencies directly. Human resources specialists can often direct jobseekers to appropriate openings quickly, helping them to match their skills to jobs. They can also explain special hiring programs, including the Outstanding Scholar Program for people who are college graduates, who have grade point averages of at least 3.45 or who have academic honors, and who are applying to designated occupations; the Bilingual or Bicultural Program for people who speak Spanish or have cultural knowledge important to the job; and the direct-hire authorities for occupations identified as having a shortage of qualified workers. Workers in information technology occupations and some medical occupations currently qualify for direct hiring programs in many agencies.
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 at www.firstgov.gov/agencies/federal/ all_agencies/index.shtml.
Other sources of openings: Newspapers, job fairs, and more - Federal employers often supplement USAJOBS postings with advertisements in newspapers and journals and on private job boards. Many Government agencies also provide school career centers with information about jobs, internships, co-ops, and special programs for students and recent graduates.
Many agencies also rely on job fairs to recruit new workers. In fact, if you arrive at a fair with a resume, there’s a chance you could leave with a job offer. Under direct-hire regulations, some agencies can hire applicants on the spot for a few designated occupations. In the more likely case, recruiters will accept your resume and start the traditional hiring process.
A few agencies and occupations are exempt from some standard regulations that govern Federal hiring in the civil service. Jobs in those agencies and occupations do not have to be listed on USAJOBS. And people who apply for those jobs might have to fill out different application forms or follow different procedures than the ones described in this article.
Excepted-service agencies include those in the legislative and judicial branches of Government and several agencies in the executive branch, including the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the intelligence services.
A few occupations, such as attorneys and Foreign Service workers, also are exempt from some of the procedures described here, and so are positions that last fewer than 180 days. Even when they don’t have to, many excepted-service agencies still follow the standard procedures. These agencies often list openings on USAJOBS, for example, and require the same information in applications and resumes. Contact excepted-service agencies to be sure of their hiring methods.
Finally, a small percentage of positions in the Federal Government are set aside for political appointees. People are appointed to these jobs by elected officials.
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CHAPTER 5: FEDERAL JOB TITLES BY COLLEGE MAJOR
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Below is a sampling of titles that relate to various college majors. Many of these positions allow for the substitution of experience for a degree. Most of these titles require either a bachelor’s degree or 5 years of closely related experience. A degree in the subject listed does not necessarily meet basic requirements of the position. Some require specific coursework in other subjects, and some, such as project manager, require experience. Titles marked (*) can be entered with no education or experience, but coursework leading to an associate, vocational, or bachelor’s degree can qualify workers for a higher level of responsibility and pay. Finally, there are many other titles related to these subjects, and official titles change with changing regulations. Use this list as a guide, but search for positions by keyword and occupational group, as well.
Agriculture and agronomy
Agricultural commodity grader
Agricultural engineer
Agricultural management specialist
Agricultural program specialist
Agronomist
Foreign agriculture affairs specialist
Irrigation operation occupation*
Social conservation technician*
Soil conservationist
Soil scientist
Architecture and construction science
Architect
Construction analyst
Construction control inspector
Landscape architect
Naval architect
Art
Arts specialist
Audio-visual production specialist
Design patents examiner
Exhibits specialist or technician
General arts and information specialist
Illustrator
Museum specialist or technician
Photographer
Recreation and creative arts therapist
Visual information specialist
Astronomy
Astronomer and space scientist
Geodesist
Physical scientist
Biology
Animal health technician*
Animal scientist
Biological science technician*
Biological scientist, general
Consumer safety specialist
Fish and wildlife refuge management
Fishery biologist
Food inspector
General fish and wildlife administrator
Government Acountability Office (GAO) analyst
Microbiologist
Range conservationist
Range technician*
Veterinarian or veterinary health scientist
Wildlife biologist
Zoologist
Botany
Agronomist
Botanist
Forestry technician*
Geneticist
Horticulturist
Plant pathologist
Plant physiologist
Plant protection and quarantine specialist
Plant protection technician*
Business
Business and industry specialist
Contract specialist or procurement analyst
Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyst
Miscellaneous administrative and programs specialist, including acquisition manager
Program analyst
Accounting and finance
Accountant
Accounting technician*
Assessor
Auditor
Budget analyst
Financial administrator
Financial analyst
Financial institution examiner
Financial manager
Government Accountability Office (GAO) evaluator
Intelligence specialist
Internal revenue agent or officer
Securities compliance examiner
Tax specialist
Trade specialist
Facilities management and realty
Distribution facility and storage manager
Equipment specialist
Facility manager
Housing manager
Industrial property manager
Realtor
Human resources and employee relations
Apprenticeship and training representative
Contractor industrial relations specialist
Employee development specialist
Employee relations specialist
Equal employment opportunity specialist
Hearing and appeals specialist
Labor management relations specialist or examiner
Mediator
Wage and hour compliance specialist
Industrial management
Industrial hygienist
Production control specialist
Quality assurance specialist
Management
Administrative officer
Commissary store manager
Logistics management specialist
Management analyst
Printing manager
Program manager
Project manager
Supply specialist
Support services administrator
Management information systems
Financial manager
Information technology specialist or manager