Career : How to Looking For a Federal Job

*Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job

 

By Paul Bright, eHow Contributor

Tough economic times can have some people trying to scramble for better employment opportunities, especially military members who plan on separating from service. One of the top hiring entities is the federal government. Despite the benefits and job security associated with federal employment, getting a foot in the door or even being considered for a position can be tough. This article will show you which steps to take in order to start looking for a federal job.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A computer
• A scanner

1. 1
   Create an account with USA Jobs. No matter who you know, what you know or where you think you can work, no federal employment opportunity happens without going through USA Jobs. USA Jobs is the official facilitator for federal employment, so creating an account on their website is an absolute must. By creating an account you have access to thousands of jobs in many places, from military bases to the U.S. Geological Survey (see Resources below).
   
2. 2
   Create a resume with supporting documents. If you are separating from military service, the first thing you need to scan is a DD 214. If you have that scanned and you are a veteran, you are already awarded at least 5 points versus the guy off the street. It can be 10 to 30 more points if you are a disabled veteran. After that, no matter who you are, start finding any training certificates, diplomas, course credits or anything you can think of. Scan them onto USA Jobs. That way, when you begin applying for jobs, all your certificates are there to pick and choose from.
   
3. 3
   Find your federal connections. Maybe you know someone who works on a military installation. Maybe your dad does. Maybe it's you if you are separating from the military. Regardless, ask around on what positions may be available or come available soon. Look for positions that are occupied by spouses of active duty military members. Those tend to move every few years. If you know who is hiring, you can target your USA Jobs resumes to fit those positions. If you must, take a temporary position. Those can lead to permanent positions if you perform well enough and there is a need.
   
4. 4
   Look for any big federal construction events in the newspaper. The Department of Defense completed a survey on many federal bases and deemed that many of them will go to privatized housing and have many unoccupied homes removed. It wasn't long after that decision that USA Jobs had several openings for anything real estate related--from construction to property management to clean-up crews. Anyone with experience could have applied for those jobs! News like this often means employment opportunities. Just look at the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11. Hundreds of people were hired when airport security needed beefing up. It literally pays to read the news.
   
5. 5
   Apply for "standing register" jobs on USA Jobs. If your federal connections don't work and there are no big federal news events happening, apply for jobs that are "standing register". Those jobs will look at resumes as positions come open. Some federal jobs like child development centers and nursing positions can go through high turnover because of the job nature. Having a resume "in pocket" helps the hiring authority get replacements that are truly interested in that type of employment. A GS-5 child development center program assistant in Northern California made $16 an hour as of 2008. That could be you!

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