How To Find Federal Government Job Openings

By: Amy Young

Break Studios Contributing Writer

It’s easy to learn how to find federal government job openings. Securing one of these positions may be tough, though, because they are very competitive. So many people want to work for the federal government that each position likely has thousands of applicants. The best thing you can do is be persistent and keep looking periodically.

In order to find federal government job openings, you will need:

  • A great resume
  • Experience in the field you are applying for
  • A clean criminal record
  • Good credit
  • Excellent interview techniques

In order to find a government job opening, you will need to

  1. First, you will need to visit www.usajobs.opm.gov. This site contains every federal government job opening. Use the advanced search feature to narrow down your search. You can use location, job title and keywords in order to best narrow down your search.
  2. Create an online job profile. This will help speed up future applications because all of your information will be saved, and you can simply apply for multiple jobs using the same application. In this profile you will want to make sure you are honest about any convictions, tickets and credit problems you have had because any dishonest information will disqualify you during the background check. Try to highlight the relevant experience for the position you are applying for and provide excellent references.
  3. Take a look at your credit. Credit issues are almost always looked at negatively by the federal government, and you should take a look at your credit after you find some positions you’re interested in. Try to clean up any negative marks and correct any errors by submitting a complaint to the credit bureau. Most federal government agencies will not hire someone with poor credit, so make sure you don’t skip this step.
  4. Keep checking back and be patient. Most federal government jobs take a long time to get hired for. You could potentially be waiting up to one year before you get a job offer. This is because things in government happen very slowly. A job could be open for up to six months just collecting applications and many more months to complete interviews. The best way to land a federal government job is to apply to as many as possible. You might even apply for lower level positions that become available so you can get your foot in the door.
Posted on: Oct. 26, 2010