HOW TO APPLY FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JOBS
In recent months, the Office of Personnel Management has issued new guidance in response to President Trump’s Executive Order 14170. These changes have affected both the federal job application process on USAJOBS and how agencies will assess candidates.
The federal government application process and the resume writing rules are different from the ones used in the private or nonprofit sectors.
In order to land a federal job is critical for you to take time and familiarize yourself with the application process, read the job announcements and follow the instructions for each of the positions you are interested in applying.
You MUST send in/submit all requested information in the specified format for your application to be accepted. Incomplete applications are NOT considered.
USAJOBS – The Federal Government’s official employment website – Learn about the application process and how to:
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- Create a USAJOBS profile
- Search for jobs
- Review job announcements
- Prepare your application in USAJOBS
- Submit your application to the agency
USAJOBS Help Center
Learn how to complete any task on USAJOBS step by step:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/
Federal Job Resume
Resume Length Limits
- To align with requirements outlined by OPM in the Merit Hiring Plan, USAJOBS announced that a new federal hiring policy asks applicants to limit job application resumes to 2 pages.
- The announcement still recommended applicants match work experiences to the job announcement’s qualifications and include dates, hours, levels of experience, and examples of the role held within each work experience.
- The implementation of this requirement may be varied by agency and job posting.
What to include in your resume and resume writing tips
Other federal jobs posted on federal agencies’ own websites or elsewhere (NOT found on USAJOBS)
Most federal jobs are listed on USAJOBS however, some agencies post jobs on their websites or elsewhere. If you’re interested in working for a particular agency, find its website through the A-Z Index of Government Agencies.