Your government application will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and they will be reviewing your on-line or mailed in resume and your responses to the User Information, Core Questions, and Vacancy Questions. The Job Specific questions will relate to the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to do the work of this position. Many people don’t realize that many applications are “thrown out” because of a lack of KSAs being addressed by the applicant.
IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL federal positions are advertised on www.usajobs.gov. Many people don’t realize this, DON’T be fooled by “other” websites that promise to advertise federal jobs. Many of these “other” websites charge applicants to view federal positions and re-route their job links, but rest assure that these “other” websites are “pulling” information from www.usajobs.gov to get their information about advertised federal positions.
No matter what agency you are applying to, the advertised job will have KSAs or Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. You need to read the entire job announcement because some federal agencies require applicants to submit addition information on a separate piece of paper about how they feel they meet those exact KSAs and some agencies don’t require KSAs to be answered at all. (You can press the PRINT PREVIEW button to see the entire announcement located at the bottom of the announcement.)
Overall, KSAs are important because this is how you WILL be evaluated on the position you have applied for. If your resume or applicant doesn’t contain the listed KSAs your application will not be found “NOT qualified” and your application will be put in the NOT Qualified stack of applications. The Key to writing government KSAs in your resume is to put the EXACT KSAs which are found in the job announcement in your resume or application WORD-FOR-WORD.
So if these KSAs are in a job announcement:
Ability to evaluate and process realty applications and proposals and conduct compliance examinations on authorized actions.
Knowledge of the laws and regulations governing the realty program and the ability to use sound professional judgment to resolve conflicts with other resources.
- Ability to communicate with the public, the applicant, and other agencies regarding realty related matters.
Copy and paste, or type these exact KSAs into you online resume/application or type them into your resume/application. After you do this make sure you give examples of how you meet the KSAs. Ensure your resume and applicant look exactly alike.
Keep in mind this statement is ALWAYS in ALL Federal job announcement:
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS MUST BE SUPPORTED IN YOUR RESUME. If your answer(s) are not supported in your resume, or you fail to follow the instructions for the question(s), you will have your answer(s) adjusted to reflect what is provided, for failure to follow instructions.
This means that if your resume doesn’t match the supplemental questions or application you answered in the online application or written application, the agency can change your application score. You need to remember: SCORES are from 100 points to 70 points. The applicant résumés with the highest scores are reviewed first. Your goal is to receive as many points as possible. You have been empowered, now go and get that federal job.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
How to Apply and GET a Government Job
Job security is in the government; in this time in our history people need stability and benefits. The government has job security, benefits and more. Read on for more information on how to Apply and GET a Government Job.
In this time and age, the place to be is in the government sector. Many government agencies are receiving stimulus money from the new Obama Administration for creating new jobs in all career fields. Government agencies are having problems finding the people to apply for the positions. That’s right, agencies are having problems finding people, because the public isn’t applying for the jobs. The positions that are needed to be filled range from: Grounds Keepers, Administration Assistants, Administrative Secretaries, Engineers, Forest Rangers, Information Technicians, Clerks, Legal Assistants and the list goes on and on and on and on... I am proof that you can qualify and get a government job also. I myself and many people that are taking advantages of opportunities are being found qualified, and have been hired on into the governmental industry, and you can too.
I am a Human Resource Specialist and work directly in the staffing field and wanted to share the wealth of information about how to apply for a government jobs. There are some keys factors to complete to get started and to get hired. First of all, you need to create or update a personal profile on the main free government website: www.usajobs.gov. This is the first website that all government jobs are posted on, no matter what government department it is.
Although, many federal agencies fill jobs using private sector personnel, USAJOBs allows applicants looking for specific positions and the exact work they want and gives them the tools on how to do it, to a certain extent. The key “words” on how to search for a government job are: Eligible and Qualified. You have to figure out how you are eligible for the position and the Human Resources Department or department make the determination based on your applicant qualifications and how you answer the job announcement questions. For example, you can be eligible if you have “status” (See How to Know the Difference between Which Government Job to Apply for article) “qualified based on experience, education or a combination of both. You NEED to go to USAJOBS.GOV and create a profile first. The reason for this is because…every government agency has their own ways to advertise for jobs.
Today is a great day for a new career. A great tool to start with is the Office of Personnel Management website http://www.opm.gov/, you can search for what is called the “Standard Qualifications” for the type of job you are applying for. This will give you a list of Standard Qualifications that OPM mandates their government agencies by: http://www.opm.gov/Qualifications/standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp - Group Coverage Qualification Standards for Administrative and Management Positions. If you look to the left, you will see a list of all the types of groups of jobs categories for you to view the qualifications, education, and experience requirements.
The keys:
Register on www.USAJOBS.GOV
Create a profile
Search for Jobs (Merit – Status Applicants, Delegating Unit – Public can apply)
Read the announcement (go to the bottom and click “print preview”)
In this time and age, the place to be is in the government sector. Many government agencies are receiving stimulus money from the new Obama Administration for creating new jobs in all career fields. Government agencies are having problems finding the people to apply for the positions. That’s right, agencies are having problems finding people, because the public isn’t applying for the jobs. The positions that are needed to be filled range from: Grounds Keepers, Administration Assistants, Administrative Secretaries, Engineers, Forest Rangers, Information Technicians, Clerks, Legal Assistants and the list goes on and on and on and on... I am proof that you can qualify and get a government job also. I myself and many people that are taking advantages of opportunities are being found qualified, and have been hired on into the governmental industry, and you can too.
I am a Human Resource Specialist and work directly in the staffing field and wanted to share the wealth of information about how to apply for a government jobs. There are some keys factors to complete to get started and to get hired. First of all, you need to create or update a personal profile on the main free government website: www.usajobs.gov. This is the first website that all government jobs are posted on, no matter what government department it is.
Although, many federal agencies fill jobs using private sector personnel, USAJOBs allows applicants looking for specific positions and the exact work they want and gives them the tools on how to do it, to a certain extent. The key “words” on how to search for a government job are: Eligible and Qualified. You have to figure out how you are eligible for the position and the Human Resources Department or department make the determination based on your applicant qualifications and how you answer the job announcement questions. For example, you can be eligible if you have “status” (See How to Know the Difference between Which Government Job to Apply for article) “qualified based on experience, education or a combination of both. You NEED to go to USAJOBS.GOV and create a profile first. The reason for this is because…every government agency has their own ways to advertise for jobs.
Today is a great day for a new career. A great tool to start with is the Office of Personnel Management website http://www.opm.gov/, you can search for what is called the “Standard Qualifications” for the type of job you are applying for. This will give you a list of Standard Qualifications that OPM mandates their government agencies by: http://www.opm.gov/Qualifications/standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp - Group Coverage Qualification Standards for Administrative and Management Positions. If you look to the left, you will see a list of all the types of groups of jobs categories for you to view the qualifications, education, and experience requirements.
The keys:
Register on www.USAJOBS.GOV
Create a profile
Search for Jobs (Merit – Status Applicants, Delegating Unit – Public can apply)
Read the announcement (go to the bottom and click “print preview”)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Answering Key Interview Questions: Education
Education comes in all arrays of quality. We all know that education is vital in today’s job market and education is important for many different reasons. The fact is you don’t have to have a degree to be considered educated, but you do have to have proof that you completed the educational program that which you are claiming you acquired the knowledge from.
During interviews selecting officials will want to know: What courses you liked most while attending school? and What courses did you least like? This question is steered toward the selecting official finding out more about you and what types of interests you have. This could be a mode of examining your personality traits or it could mean more. It all depends on what type of job you are interviewing for.
The next question of: Why did you choose your course of study? This question is pretty self explanatory, in the fact that the selecting official wants to know why you choose the course of study that you did. This question is asked with the intentions of understanding the applicant’s passion. Be honest and be short. Don’t give a long answer, the selecting official doesn’t want to know your whole life story. Keep it short and sweet unless they ask additional questions, if more questions are asked in this regard – make is short and sweet.
The selecting official wants to know if you prepared for the interview and what you did to prepare. So they will ask you to discuss your background in terms of how it has prepared you for the job you are applying. This is a question of character and needs to be explained in general detail. For example, if you were applying for a information technician position you would discuss your certifications and repeat your answer of your educational background this would be of great help. Talk about what you desired to be as a young adult and elaborate job history details – even if you have already discussed your job history – repeat yourself. Selecting officials love it when you repeat facts, because it reassures them you are telling the truth.
REMEMBER: BE HONEST. You will be selected over another candidate who wasn’t as truthful. The truth will allow you to shine and become employed faster than not being honest at all.
During interviews selecting officials will want to know: What courses you liked most while attending school? and What courses did you least like? This question is steered toward the selecting official finding out more about you and what types of interests you have. This could be a mode of examining your personality traits or it could mean more. It all depends on what type of job you are interviewing for.
The next question of: Why did you choose your course of study? This question is pretty self explanatory, in the fact that the selecting official wants to know why you choose the course of study that you did. This question is asked with the intentions of understanding the applicant’s passion. Be honest and be short. Don’t give a long answer, the selecting official doesn’t want to know your whole life story. Keep it short and sweet unless they ask additional questions, if more questions are asked in this regard – make is short and sweet.
The selecting official wants to know if you prepared for the interview and what you did to prepare. So they will ask you to discuss your background in terms of how it has prepared you for the job you are applying. This is a question of character and needs to be explained in general detail. For example, if you were applying for a information technician position you would discuss your certifications and repeat your answer of your educational background this would be of great help. Talk about what you desired to be as a young adult and elaborate job history details – even if you have already discussed your job history – repeat yourself. Selecting officials love it when you repeat facts, because it reassures them you are telling the truth.
REMEMBER: BE HONEST. You will be selected over another candidate who wasn’t as truthful. The truth will allow you to shine and become employed faster than not being honest at all.
Answering Key Interview Questions: Training Information
Training and education are core elements of the job force in this age. Without training and education work experience will only get you so far. With training, education and experience you will practically be handed more opportunities than you will know what to do with. But, inflating education and training accomplishments on your resume will hurt you in the long run. Be honest and factual with what you have been trained on and what you need training in.
Some questions you will be asked: What training have you had other than course in grade school or college? Many applicants are finding that they need additional education and training, but experience goes hand and hand together with education and training. With this question you need to elaborate on any certifications you many have as well as any courses online you have taken as well. Online courses are not frowned on as they once were in the past; in fact more companies realize that employees are more loyal the more education they have.
Interviewers will also ask you: What workshops have you attended? This is a open-ended question that is targeted toward what your specialty is. If you are human resources professional, they will want to know if you have been to any staffing or employee relations workshops, if you are information technology professional they will want to know if you have been to any fiber optic, customer service or trouble shooting workshops. If you haven’t been to any workshops, state that and also state your interest in developing your skills for the benefit of the company.
One of the last questions you WILL be asked is: Do you have any skills that are not listed on your resume or in your application? This is a great way for you to “talk yourself up” this means that you have an opportunity to talk as much about you and your skills and how unique you are. This is your time to shine, so do put every single detail on your resume because it won’t give you as much justice as you would do talking about your own self.
Some questions you will be asked: What training have you had other than course in grade school or college? Many applicants are finding that they need additional education and training, but experience goes hand and hand together with education and training. With this question you need to elaborate on any certifications you many have as well as any courses online you have taken as well. Online courses are not frowned on as they once were in the past; in fact more companies realize that employees are more loyal the more education they have.
Interviewers will also ask you: What workshops have you attended? This is a open-ended question that is targeted toward what your specialty is. If you are human resources professional, they will want to know if you have been to any staffing or employee relations workshops, if you are information technology professional they will want to know if you have been to any fiber optic, customer service or trouble shooting workshops. If you haven’t been to any workshops, state that and also state your interest in developing your skills for the benefit of the company.
One of the last questions you WILL be asked is: Do you have any skills that are not listed on your resume or in your application? This is a great way for you to “talk yourself up” this means that you have an opportunity to talk as much about you and your skills and how unique you are. This is your time to shine, so do put every single detail on your resume because it won’t give you as much justice as you would do talking about your own self.
Answering Interview Questions: Work Experience
We all have had an interview at one time or another in our professional careers. Interviews are hard enough as it is with getting through the first cuts of other qualified applicants, now that you have the interview all set up there are some questions that will be asked of you during the interview. The key to an interview is not one single thing, yet many items that you will be evaluated on.
Work Experience
Your work experience will be the first items up for “conversation” after the small talk with a selecting official. They will want to know: Why are you interested in the job? This isn’t a trick question, it’s a question the selecting official really wants to know. Are you looking for a career change? Are you looking for a new position because you were laid off? The key to answering this question is to be honest, don’t give your whole life story – but be honest.
Many government agencies like to know that the applicants have done some research on the organization. So, the next question will likely be: Why are you interested in working for this organization? This is an open ended question that can be short and sweet. You should make some kind of reference to the research you have done on the organization. For example, if you are interviewing for a Fire Fighter position – you could answer with something to the reference of “I am interested in working for this organization because I agree with the mission statement of saving lives and preserving the wild life.” Yes, it is cheesy, but if it’s true you should say it. Again, you need to be as professionally honest as possible. This will also come into handy with the next question: What do you know about the company? You will be able to elaborate on the previous answer you gave about the previous question.
The next question is vitally important: What do you feel you can contribute to this organization? This is a question that you MUST answer with YOU in mind for what YOU can contribute to the company. For many selecting officials this question is a “make or break” factor. If a applicant starts with what they feel they need from a company instead of what they CAN and WILL contribute to a company, the interview will be cut short. The key is to stay focused on what YOU can BRING to the COMPANY, not what you want from the company.
They are a series of questions that are often asked in conjunction with each other: Why did you leave you last job? What would your last employer say about you? Would your last employer re-hire you? And Give me an example of a situation where you had to make a decision? What was the situation? What was the decision? And what was the result. Now, these questions are called “character questions. These are designed to “weed out” the real applicants from those whom have not been so honest during the interview. The best advice I can give is to be honest, have professional examples in mind before the interview and take your time answering the questions. You can ask the selecting official to re-state the questions, you can write the questions down and you have all the time in the world. REMEMBER: YOU are there because they saw something in your resume, phone interview or overall application that they liked.
Work Experience
Your work experience will be the first items up for “conversation” after the small talk with a selecting official. They will want to know: Why are you interested in the job? This isn’t a trick question, it’s a question the selecting official really wants to know. Are you looking for a career change? Are you looking for a new position because you were laid off? The key to answering this question is to be honest, don’t give your whole life story – but be honest.
Many government agencies like to know that the applicants have done some research on the organization. So, the next question will likely be: Why are you interested in working for this organization? This is an open ended question that can be short and sweet. You should make some kind of reference to the research you have done on the organization. For example, if you are interviewing for a Fire Fighter position – you could answer with something to the reference of “I am interested in working for this organization because I agree with the mission statement of saving lives and preserving the wild life.” Yes, it is cheesy, but if it’s true you should say it. Again, you need to be as professionally honest as possible. This will also come into handy with the next question: What do you know about the company? You will be able to elaborate on the previous answer you gave about the previous question.
The next question is vitally important: What do you feel you can contribute to this organization? This is a question that you MUST answer with YOU in mind for what YOU can contribute to the company. For many selecting officials this question is a “make or break” factor. If a applicant starts with what they feel they need from a company instead of what they CAN and WILL contribute to a company, the interview will be cut short. The key is to stay focused on what YOU can BRING to the COMPANY, not what you want from the company.
They are a series of questions that are often asked in conjunction with each other: Why did you leave you last job? What would your last employer say about you? Would your last employer re-hire you? And Give me an example of a situation where you had to make a decision? What was the situation? What was the decision? And what was the result. Now, these questions are called “character questions. These are designed to “weed out” the real applicants from those whom have not been so honest during the interview. The best advice I can give is to be honest, have professional examples in mind before the interview and take your time answering the questions. You can ask the selecting official to re-state the questions, you can write the questions down and you have all the time in the world. REMEMBER: YOU are there because they saw something in your resume, phone interview or overall application that they liked.
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