As a senior staff officer in the strategy, plans, and policy division in the Pentagon Office of the Chief of Staff, Lillie Downs, plays an integral role in establishing intelligence community policies that set forth procedures derived from U.S. laws, executive orders, and the U.S. Department of Defense. But Downs, a former illustrator and calligrapher who designed promotional material for entertainment events on a military base in Ramstein, Germany, began her career with the federal government as a visual information specialist with the Pentagon’s multimedia broadcast network in 1995. Since then, she has worked in several positions including human resources as a facilitator and program manager for new employees.
The mention of federal government positions may conjure up thoughts of specific agencies, such as the CIA, FBI, or State Department. Though those agencies offer viable job opportunities, the federal civil service offers more variety than you may realize. From museum curators and broadcast journalists to forest and conservation technicians, accountants, and fire fighters, career disciplines with the federal government match nearly every profession in private industry. “The federal government offers a lot of career flexibility,†says Downs. “It has also allowed me the opportunity to travel and see the world.â€
As the largest employer in the country (excluding the U.S. Postal Service), the federal government is projected to create and fill nearly 200,000 positions over the next few years. With nearly one-third of the federal workforce expected to leave because of
attrition over the next five years, and 40% expected to retire by 2016, many jobs are now–or will soon be–available. And to get one, you won’t necessarily need to move to Washington, D.C. Contrary to what many think, the vast majority of federal jobs, about 85%, are located across the country or around the world.Begin Your Search
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, or OPM, functions as the human resources department for the federal government and oversees USAjobs.gov, the federal government’s official job site. Job announcements are posted on the site as is information about applying for government work; also included are job search resources, such as a glossary of government terms and interviewing tips. Not all federal positions are posted here, however. To do a complete search, examine the sites of individual federal agencies, bureaus, committees, commissions, departments, and offices, all of which are listed at www.usa.gov.
Unlike jobs in the private sector, federal positions are divided into two categories: competitive and excepted service. To fill competitive service positions, candidates compete and the one who is best qualified is selected,
as in private industry. Excepted service or noncompetitive positions are those that are difficult to fill, are designated high need, or require an accelerated process. Because they require special or more urgent attention, the hiring agency tends to fill these positions using a more streamlined process and may not list them on USAjobs.gov. So to know about these positions it’s important to periodically check individual agency Websites.How to Apply
Once you’ve selected a position, it’s important to understand the application process. The federal government has discontinued the practice of administering certain testing (although some positions still require examinations), but the process is still notoriously long, complex, and in need of reform. The good news is the OPM is working on reforms to be put in place over the next year. In the meantime, here’s how to navigate the current process:
To apply for a position, submit either a résumé or an Optional Application for Federal Employment, commonly known as OF 612, which can be downloaded from the OPM Website and requires information a traditional résumé does not. Inquiries about how many academic credits you earned from a given university, your citizenship status, and whether or not you claim veterans’ preference are just a sampling of questions on the OF 612. The job site also offers clear instructions for how to best present your applications.
If you choose to submit a résumé, it should include all the information the OF 612 requires; any omissions will lower your chances and can eliminate you from the pool of candidates. In addition to your résumé, you’ll need to submit a written document known as a KSA (for knowledge, skills, and abilities) in which you can elaborate on your work experiences and highlight your achievements. According to the Information Center on www.USAjobs.gov, a hiring manager should be able to see your main credentials on your KSA within 10 to 15 seconds–critical information should “jump off the page‖and you should effectively sell yourself in the top quarter of the first page. In other words, the KSA is a marketing vehicle, and you are marketing yourself.
The Pay Scale is Comparable, but Not the Wait
The vetting process, as it is now, is extensive. Expect to wait weeks, months, or longer before receiving any news. Although the OPM has established a 45-day hiring deadline for all government positions, the deadline isn’t legally binding and each agency can differ considerably in its hiring practices. Be sure to keep any contact information provided in the job posting to refer to at a later time and date.
Salaries in the public sector are comparable to those in the private sector. There are many pay scales, but two apply to the vast majority of federal employees: the general schedule and the federal wage system. Professional and administrative workers are paid using the general schedule, which provides 15 levels of pay with incremental increases at each level. For example, federal job postings classified as G-14 offer a salary range of $83,445 to $108,483. As with most jobs, new hires usually start at the lower end.
People who work in craft, repair, as operators, or in labor are paid using the federal wage system, which reflects the local wages of comparable positions and varies significantly from region to region.