Federal Government

No matter what your academic interest is, you can work in the federal government. But, getting in is a fairly opaque and lengthy process. Most federal jobs require an application through USAJobs. It’s a clunky and overwhelming job site for all government jobs, although there are efforts underway to make it less so. Learning how to navigate it takes some time. Here are some tips to make it slightly more efficient and effective!

A great place to start is this report from the Congressional Research Service, which covers all the resources available to you in finding and applying to federal opportunities as well as a rundown of the many agencies and offices and how they recruit. Once you’ve identified some agencies, you’ll likely end up here…

USAJobs

The key to finding things that are relevant to you requires some careful searching. A search by location or agency will yield hundreds of jobs, many of which you are totally unqualified for or uninterested in. Here are two ways that can narrow your search:

  • Sort by GS level. This stands for “Government Service” and all jobs are categorized in this way. As a soon-to-be graduate, you will be qualified for GS-5-7 positions. Don’t waste your time applying for things that sound interesting but are GS-9 or 11 – you won’t get through the algorithm! This is also the pay scale – if you want to know what federal employees are paid, you can see that on the Office of Personnel Management’s website here. (Note that there are steps within each level and there is also locality pay, so there’s usually money on top of the base pay, depending on where you live.)
  • Sort by job series. Every job in the government is categorized this way. For example, all intelligence analysis positions are coded with a 0132 (which comes after the GS level in an announcement). If you can identify several job series that are of interest, this will narrow your search considerably. You can find a list of all the job series here.
  • Leverage the Pathways program. This is the best way to get into government for recent grads – and you can be sure you’re applying to something for which you’re eligible!

Here are some other resources to help you identify opportunities and navigate the process:

Application Tips

“Don’t get creative with it!”

-WashU alum in the Foreign Service

The key to getting hired in the federal government is getting your application materials past the computer that will screen the hundreds of applicants, then getting your resume past a hiring manager that likely knows very little about the job, and into the hands of a supervisor for whom you’d be working. Here are some tips to make that happen:

  1. Make sure you meet all the minimum qualifications. These are non-negotiable, and if you don’t have them, you won’t get through the screening.
  2. Pay attention to keywords. Print out the job description, highlight key terms (e.g. analyze, coordinate, communicate) and make sure you have those exact words reflected in your resume. No need for subtlety – the algorithm and hiring manager need to see a direct match.
  3. Put everything in your resume. Disregard all the advice we’ve given you about a one-page resume! A federal resume includes LOTS of details you wouldn’t normally provide (like names and phone numbers of former supervisors, hours of work per week and salary). The format and appearance means nothing – put everything in there, with careful attention to including those keywords! Here is the advice USAJobs gives on what to include in your federal resume. NOTE: This is changing! New regulations seek to limit all resume submissions to two pages or less. Be sure you’re paying close attention to the submission directions for each job.

NEW: Patriotic Essays. All applicants now have to submit responses to 4 essay prompts. You can learn more here.