Confused About the Federal Application Process?

It seems like everyone is trying to get a job with the federal government these days and who can blame them? I mean a full time, stable position with great benefits, opportunity for advancement, and so on. Plus, if a military base or agency closes you have opportunities to transfer somewhere else within the government. 

Some things have changed now for the applicant requirements. The most recent being the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities). Most positions no longer require the long narrative answers that once had to be included with the resume. Now you can add them IN the resume. The federal government is slowly doing away with them as well, so for some positions you may not even see KSAs. I always wondered why they need these anyway when the resume itself answers (or should) most of the questions anyway. And the questions seem so repetitive. Here are some key points to remember when applying for a federal government job:

1. The federal government uses an applicant scoring system to consider applicants and you MUST meet ALL minimum requirements to even be considered during the screening process.
2. Your resume MUST be tailored for the specific job announcement and you need to put the announcement number on your resume.
3. Unlike traditional resumes for the private sector, the federal government asks for contact information, salary and hours worked for each of your positions.
4. Many people think that you need to add every single duty on your resume, but this is NOT true. Adding extensive non-relevant information will not help. Adding every duty and responsibility will not help. Accomplishments and all skills that show how you qualify for the particular job posting is what will help.
5. Most positions are posted on USAJobs.gov, but a lot of contracting jobs are not. It's best to seek out contracting companies yourself to see if they're hiring. If you're already working for a contractor don't wait until the contract is almost over to update your resume. You never know when someone may contact you about another opportunity. And... if you wait until the last minute to have your resume professionally updated it can be $100 or more extra. I've seen some companies charge half the rate of the actual resume for rush service. Remember these job postings have deadlines!
6. Make sure you have the following: good or fair credit, ability to get security clearance, the exact education and experience they're asking for on the job posting. They'll deduct points if you don't.
7. Be patient. This is a very lengthy process which can take up to 6 months! They want to know everything.

Hopefully these tips help. One more thing, apply to as many jobs as possible and tweak the resume for the positions. It may sound like a pain, but it's worth it!