Six Tips for Zeroing in on a Government Job

If you're looking for opportunities with the federal government, start with their official job site: www.usajobs.gov. It can be an overpowering experience; there are links in every direction and once you get to a job description you've got to be able to understand their language. But experience helps; if you spend several hours - or days - clicking through job options on the site you will come to be familiar with the layout and terminology used to describe open job slots.

1. One of the tips that professionals in the job hunting field have, is that you read the qualifications section carefully. The first step in any government application effort is simple, yet often overlooked, according to an author on the subject. Janet Ruck suggests that job seekers read the lengthy posts for these positions carefully, and that if you don't meet at least 80% of the qualifications criteria putting in an application is a waste of time.
2. You don't have to squeeze yourself into a set of qualifications that don't match. There are about 35,000 new job listings posted on any given day according to Ruck, co-author of "The Guide to America's Federal Jobs." One of the things that becomes evident after a random scan of federal job opportunities is that experience is valued as highly as formal education requirements. Find a job that fits before you try to fill it.
3. You may find that the feds are looking for professionals in fields where businesses are still holding back. Project management jobs for example, may be abundant with some federal agencies while most businesses are still holding back on capital expenditures.
4. A formal application can take you ten to twelve hours to complete. Be prepared to grind through a lot of material to get yourself properly placed in the queue. If the application calls for an essay, research the job enough to arm yourself with keywords that you can toss into your writing. This requirement is an opportunity to detail experience which isn't available in a resume format.
5. It is also general knowledge that federal hiring is relatively free of patronage situations, providing fair access to qualified candidates. It's not about who you know, although that never hurts. If you can identify someone in the hiring structure that is reachable by email, a note expressing your interest might be worthwhile.
6. Sometimes however, experience can qualify you for more than one position. Listings are often job categories for multiple openings. A case in point: the current listing posted for Information Technology Specialist positions in U.S. Navy field offices. The description says, in part, that tasks may include "policy and planning, security, systems analysis, applications software, operating systems, network services, data management, internet, systems administration or customer support."

It's the country's largest employer and not one that goes through many hiring freezes. There are also substantial benefits available to federal employees for education purposes. If you can get hired on with your current experience and education, you can retool your resume with an online degree program while you're working with tuition support from your employer