Tips for Federal Government Employment Applications on USAJobs.org

For people separating out of the military and trying to transition into federal government employment, USA Jobs is the only way you can apply. USA Jobs is the main website where you would submit information to get jobs in various fields such as the Postal Service, Homeland Security, or even your former military installation! I recently got a job on my former Air Force Base doing work that I was familiar with in my military life. Although I was able to begin employment within one month of separation, it was not an easy process. Here are some tips on how to apply and what to expect with USA Jobs.

Have ALL your documents ready! If you are still in the military and had a significant amount of training in whatever you did, dig back in your files and get every certificate you have. You would be surprised how much training helps! I was in the military for 10 years but had only done anything related to my current job for less than two years. However, in those two years I had acquired tons of training and took extra courses online (all free thanks to the military) to enhance my skills. I did this LONG before I planned on separating. It turns out all of that training came in handy when it was time to apply because many application questions were directly related to my new job! So get all your training and education documents/certificates and has them handy when you apply. And if you are already out, you have probably heard this next statement many times in the last year: have a copy of your DD214.

USA Jobs does NOT hire; they only facilitate the process. USA Jobs is not the hiring authority; it is whoever you are trying to get a job with. The hiring authorities submit their jobs with USA Jobs. USA Jobs will screen your information and, based on the various applications and /or tests, they will rank your application among the other hires and then submit them to the hiring authority. USA Jobs also works with the Office of Personnel Management to facilitate any background checks and reviews of your military or prior Federal Employment records. Again, they do not hire, so calling them to see if you got the job you applied for will do you no good.