Most of our blogs were all about how to write a resume or land a job within a private companies sector. This time, we will be sharing some tips on how to land a government job. Doing that can be a very frustrating process, often even more confusing than getting a job in a private field. Having been the largest employer in the nation, the government offers a wide range of positions throughout the country. Many times people ask whether there are any specific guidelines to follow when applying to government jobs. Yes, there are certainly some things you need to be aware of when making that move. In this article we will provide great federal job search tips that should help you land that employment.
Recommendations to Follow
First of all, save USAJOBS.gov to your bookmarks. This is the place you will be visiting pretty often because there almost all government job openings are posted (along with all job details, requirements, duties, benefits, and what's more important application instructions). Learn how to navigate through this site to find positions in the area of your interests and location. We strongly recommend checking the job announcements that match your interest and study the qualifications required. The thing is that for government jobs you have to meet all of the qualifications requirements as opposed to private sector employment.
One of the biggest differences with federal job search is that incomplete applications are not going to be reviewed with absolutely no exceptions. Therefore, it is critically important that you fill out the entire job application form completely and provide all necessary documents as requested in the job ad. Also, make sure you send your application on time - no late applications will be accepted.
With federal job search, you have to tailor your resume for each job just like in a private sector job search. It is extremely important to submit a resume with relevant keywords and experience to each and every job opening. Don't look for shortcuts here trying to send the same document for every government position. The same applies to answering online application questions. Your resume itself should probably look a little bit different if you aim for a government position. In most cases, a one-page resume isn't a good move in federal job search. The thing is that federal resumes are more detailed and usually are 2-5 pages long. As you have probably guessed, the document should be in black-and-white tones following tradition resume writing style with no fancy graphics. Federal resume should go into more depth - you are expected to elaborate on your past accomplishments and duties of your former employments as well as relevant skills, qualifications, and experiences you've had outside official employment.
Also, it would be a good idea to prepare salary history as well as the list of references as these two are often required by the government. These recommendations are key to landing a government job. Obviously, there are much more things to say about federal job search but at this point this should be enough to provide a glimpse of how to land a government job. In the nearest future we plan to share more tips on how you can be effective in your federal job search.
