2. Mastering the Federal Application Process
KSA Writing and Federal Resumes
Location
Date
Script:
So you’ve found the perfect job for you on USAjobs.gov or an agency’s Web site. Now you want to know how do I land it. Today’s workshop is targeted towards those ready to apply to federal jobs.
Workshop Overview: The federal application process can be frustrating for students and advisors. This workshop will help get you and your students through the process by teaching your students the best ways to master federal essays or KSAs and the federal resume. You’ll discover ways to teach KSAs and federal resume writing to help your students and alumni successfully apply for federal opportunities. There are more notes and information about KSA writing in the call notes posted online to learn more before you present: as well as at makingthedifference.org.
This is the second student presentation the Partnership has created for you to give to your campus. The first presentation, “Making the Difference: Find and Apply for Federal Opportunities” is available for download at This presentation is intended for students who have already attended the first session or those who are in the midst of the application process for jobs (not internships).
We encourage you to provide feedback to us about your success and suggestions about this presentation by ing us at
Set up for this workshop: Encourage students to attend a previous session on “Making the Difference: Finding opportunities in federal service” to learn about the variety of federal jobs and internships that exist. Also, have them bring job announcements that they are applying for to make the session most useful. This workshop is targeted for students applying for entry-level positions, not internships. Usually, federal internships do not require federal resumes or KSA writing. It is never too early to teach students how to go through this process. NOTE: If a graduating senior wants to start working the summer after graduation, they should be applying in January/February for a regular position and in November, December for a position related to national security or intelligence because they will also need to have time to complete their security clearance once they land a position.
Timing: This session should take 50 minutes to complete with ten minutes for questions and completing evaluations at the end. If you think it will take longer, feel free to omit the KSA writing activity at the end.
Interactive component: There are two options (and probably more that you may think of) to get students working on KSA writing. If you have a large group and can’t split into groups, have them use the KSA Writing worksheet to practice writing in the CCAR method. If you have a smaller group, the proper venue and time, have them split into groups and do the activity on screen 34 around KSA writing.
Materials in advance: poster paper for KSA writing project, 1 copy of a resume for each group, marker for each group, handouts with 3 images to a page for each participant, copies of the KSA Writing worksheet (download at calltoserve.org/toolkit)

3. Agenda Part 1: Application Overview
Application requirements
Forms
Vocabulary you should know
Federal Resumes
Part 2: Application questionnaires and essays
Assessment Questionnaires
Essays and KSAs
Submitting a complete application
Summary
Script:
In the next hour, we will go over the application process in general for federal jobs including the requirements that make it different than applying for a non-governmental position. In the second part of today’s session we’ll become more familiar with the questionnaires and essays that federal applications require. There will be time at the end for questions.
You’ll notice that this session is focused on the actual application process, but part of that process is making sure you are applying for positions that are a good match for your qualifications. This process will also help you decide if a position is right for you to pursue. If you need other information about working in federal service, go to makingthedifference.org (or come into to see __________________ in our office).
MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

4. Application requirements
Create your federal resume
Complete the steps posed online
Submit the complete application package by the stated deadline
Follow up with the appropriate agency contact to inquire about progress in hiring for the position
Script:
First, let’s start off with an overview of the federal application process for most positions posted online, either on USAjobs.gov or an agency’s Web site. We’ll be covering these four steps in the application process.
Creating a federal resume
Following the steps to complete your application, which might include KSA writing essays or assessment questionnaires
One of the biggest complaints we get from agency HR professionals is that applicants do not submit a complete application
And lastly, make sure that you follow up with the agency contact to find out how the process is progressing.
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5. What do they want me to do to apply?
Read the job announcement carefully
Note all the steps needed to send in a complete application
Tailor your resume and application using key words
Script:
Vacancy Announcements, or job openings, at federal agencies can be pretty complicated to decipher. You may be asking yourself “what do they want me to do to apply.” Agencies often use a lot of jargon and have many forms and steps to complete.
Here are some tips to simplify the process:
Make sure you carefully read the job announcement. Print it out even and highlight or underline key terms or steps. Once you finish looking through the announcement and decide that you want to apply and are qualified for the position, make sure you tailor your resume and application with those key terms they used in the announcement. For example, if they said you should have experience answering phones, you will want to try and remember if you have experience answering phones from a summer job or internship.
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6. USAjobs.gov Search Script:
Let’s get started finding a job that you would like to apply.
How many of you have been to USAjobs.gov before? (Hopefully they have since this is a follow-up workshop, but if many have not, you might have to give some background about the site. You can search for jobs, create and store your federal resume and even have jobs ed to you). On USAjobs.gov you can search for jobs and also create a federal resume, which we’ll cover later.
Let’s say you were doing a search on USAjobs.gov. Let’s review how you would find a good match. You would click on “Search Jobs”.
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7. Search by various fields
Keyword
Location
Job Category
Salary Range
Pay Grade
Script: After clicking on “Search Jobs” it will take you to a search window. Enter in the information that is important to you. Remember if you have too many search criteria, you might not come up with any matches!
I would recommend that you use the keyword search and keep it broad. You might also want to search by salary range or GS level to find entry-level positions to narrow your search.
[CLICK]
If you are graduating with a bachelor’s degree, apply for a GS-5 or a GS-7 for higher academic standing. If you have a master’s degree or law degree, apply for GS-9 positions and if you have a doctorate, apply for GS-11 and above positions. If you have work experience related to the field you are applying, you can apply for higher grade levels.
(Find out more on opm.gov.)
GS-5/7 = 4 years of college
GS-9 = grad school
GS-11 = PhD
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8. Anatomy of a vacancy announcement
Script:
So, let’s say you searched for an economist position. After conducting a search, you’ll see a list of positions. Click on ones that seem interesting and look more closely to see if it’s a good match. You don’t want to waste your time applying for positions that are not a good match, so this part is really important. You will want to look at a few things to see if it’s something to look further into:
Salary: look for a range that fits your GS level, about 40,000 for a recent undergrad
Opening date and the date on the right hand side is the closing date: make sure you apply for positions that you have enough time to prepare your application!
Also, job status being full-time might be important to you and the location on the right.
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9. Anatomy of a vacancy announcement
Script:
There is a 5 tab format on all vacancy announcements. Although all of the tabs are important to read carefully, today we’ll go over the three that will tell you if the position is a good match and what you need to do to apply. As I said before, not every position will be a good fit for you, so read the description carefully so you know whether or not to apply.
There are a couple descriptions here on the Overview tab that will help you know whether the position is a good match. First, look at the “Grade” and remember that a GS-5/7 is for entry level positions, while a GS-9 is for a candidate with a master’s degree. There is also information about the “open period” this will tell you a few things:
-short opening period (less than two weeks)- don’t apply because they probably have someone internally
-long opening period (rolling hiring)- these are good, it usually means they are hiring a lot of people, but it might mean they are collecting resumes for when they have the budget to hire people later in the year.
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10. Duties
DUTIES
Lists major duties and responsibilities of the position, adding more detail to the brief overview
Script:
Use the duties tab to learn what type of experience and responsibilities they are looking for in the application. Make sure to tailor your resume and application questionnaire or essays to the job duties. You might even print this out and closely look through the duties to see if there is overlap with your experience. If the duties do not sound interesting to you, it’s probably not a good fit for your interests.
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11. Qualifications Qualifications: Academic Major GPA general and in major
School accreditation
Credit hours of coursework
Experience
Professional Certifications (ex CPA)
Script:
The third important tab to use to determine if you are qualified is called “Qualifications and Evaluations.” One of the biggest reasons applicants do not land positions is that they apply for positions they are not qualified for. Read the “Qualifications” carefully to make sure you are qualified for the position. Don’t waste your time applying for positions that you are not qualified for, instead focus on the vacancy announcements that match your qualifications.
Qualifications can look at a variety of requirements, such as your major or the amount of credit hours you have taken in statistics or biology. They can also require a certain type of degree or level of experience. Read through the qualifications closely to make sure you meet each requirement. Only apply to positions where you meet all the minimum qualifications. If the qualifications are not clear, be sure to get some help in deciphering it- someone you know, or we’ll show you how to figure out who to call about this job in a moment.
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12. Evaluations EVALUATION
Identifies skills and experience needed for the role and explains how applications will be assessed
QUESTIONS?
Write down or print out the contact
Script:
In the second part of the Qualifications tab, below Qualifications, you will find the Evaluations section. Think of the evaluations section like your professor giving you a copy of the test before your exam. It’s a way for you to know how they are going to evaluate you in the application and interview process. Evaluations identify what skills and experience are needed for the position. It also explains how the applications will be assessed. Pay close attention to this. The vacancy announcement is designed to telegraph clearly what the hiring managers are looking for and this information on qualifications and how the application will be evaluated is key to determining who will be considered “highly qualified” and land an interview.
[CLICK ]
Also, note the contact information on the bottom of the page. If the application steps are not clear or you need to follow up after you’ve completed your application, this is the contact. Make sure to print or write down this information because you will not be able to find the posting after the closing date. You will want to know the Vacancy # to reference if you need to call with any questions or follow-up found on the Overview tab.
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13. How to apply
Script:
The last tab is the “how to apply” section. It will give you step by step instructions on how to submit your application. Sometimes these steps are laid out clearly and sometimes they are harder to decipher. Remember, the biggest complaint we get from agencies about job applications is that they are not complete. This section will tell you all the pieces you need to turn in for a complete application. If you are having trouble figuring out what you need to do to submit a complete application, make sure to use the “questions” contact at the bottom of the page to find out what they are looking for.
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14. Paper versus online applications
Script:
We always get the question…is it better to send in a paper or a online application? The answer we get from most HR professionals is, send in an online application when at all possible. Some agencies have to manually enter your paper application into their online system, so it’s easier to send it electronically!
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15. Completing and Finding Forms
Most applications will want you to fill out a form or two; you can find them on usajobs.gov/forms or opm.gov/forms.
Once you fill it out, save it and reuse it for other positions
Script:
In the “How to Apply” section you will sometimes find forms that you need to include with your application. Often they are linked to the page, but if you can’t find a form, you can usually find them in one of two places: on USAjobs.gov under the “Forms” tab, or on opm.gov/forms. Similar forms are used across federal government, so save the forms you fill out for one job to use on other applications.
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16. Standard Form- 85
SF-85 is the general form you can start filling out now. You can download it off the “forms” section of USAjobs.gov or perform an Internet search for it.
Script:
A common form you will need to fill out is the Standard Form-85 or the SF-85. The SF-85 is for non-sensitive positions, while the SF-86 position is for positions that will require higher security, such as intelligence or foreign policy. You can download this form online and start to complete it now to save you time later.
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17. Useful terms
Superior Qualifications Appointment- Placement of a person in a hard-to-recruit-for position at a pay rate above the minimum based on the applicant's unique or unusually high qualifications
Specialized Experience- Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.
Vacancy Announcement- Job opening(s), this could represent one or multiple hires
Script:
There are also some terms used in government that are unique. Here are a couple you might run across: (read definitions).
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18. Info Center
For more federal terms visit the Information Center at usajobs.gov.
Script:
If you find a word or phrase you don’t know, go to the “Info Center” on USAjobs.gov to find out more. There are also frequently asked questions and other helpful sections on this page.
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19. The Federal Resume
Your federal resume can be different from your private sector resume in a few ways:
Typically 2-3 pages
Qualifications used to confirm eligibility by HR rather then just get an interview
Requires additional information
Script:
Before we move onto the second part of this session, the last part of Application Overview section is federal resumes. The federal government has its on resume system that is more detailed than a regular resume.
[Review slide.]
OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG

20. Building a federal resume online
Script:
You can create and store up to 5 federal resumes on USAjobs.gov. Just create a username and password.
When you make an account on USAjobs.gov, you can have them new positions and track positions you have flagged.
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21. Building a federal resume online
Sections:
Candidate information
Work experience
Education
References
Affiliations
Desired locations
Script:
To complete a federal resume you fill in boxes like this. It will ask for basic information and then go into more specific information about your work experience and education. Federal resumes ask for more information than a regular resume, so prepare in advance by gathering the start and end dates of jobs and internships you’ve held and obtain a copy of your college transcript.
Because you can save up to 5 federal resumes on USAjobs.gov, plan to make a general resume that has everything in detail and then specifically tailor your resume to accentuate the parts needed for a particular position by using the duties and qualifications section of a vacancy announcement. You will want your resume to match up well with the jobs you are applying for.
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22. Sample federal resume Script:
Program Coordinator
Oversee three mentoring programs in limited resource communities
Recruit, train and manage 25 adult mentors and 30 youth
Script:
So after you complete all those boxes, you will get a printable resume.
Here is an example of a federal resume that USAjobs.gov creates after you fill in all the boxes. As you can see it is longer than a regular resume with more detail about the experiences you’ve had, but uses similar wording with action verbs (look at teal box).
[Note: Feel free to explain more about using action verbs or other methods you use at your career center]
You can start making your federal resume right away and save is on USAjobs.gov because you can update it as you get more experience.
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23. Applicant eligibility
When submitting an application, agencies request eligibility information including:
Past or current federal employment
Veteran qualifications (
Disability status
Non-competitive appointment
Peace Corps and AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteers have 1 year of non-competitive eligibility
Script:
Other parts of an application are important because they may establish your eligibility for a position or your eligibility to use a special hiring authority. Hence, most applications include questions about whether you have been employed by the Federal Government in the past; about your status as a veteran; and about Peace Corps or AmeriCorps*Vista program participation. To be a non-competitive employee means that they can hire you without going though the whole process. Your application is placed in a special initial pile, instead of being reviewed with all the applicants.
Your answers to these questions will help establish certain criteria that affect your eligibility over other applicants.
On this slide there is information about Web sites where you can get additional information about whether and how these apply to you.

24. Agenda Part 1: Application Overview
Application requirements
Forms
Vocabulary you should know
Federal Resumes
Part 2: Application questionnaires and essays
Assessment Questionnaires
Essays and KSAs
Submitting a complete application
Summary
Script:
In the last part of this session, we went over the application process in general for federal jobs including the requirements that make it different from applying for a non-government position. In the second part, we’ll become more familiar with the questionnaires and essays that federal applications require.
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25. Application questionnaires and essays
Applicants will be assessed for federal opportunities using one of the following methods:
Essays
(sometimes called KSAs)
Application Questionnaire
Script:
In addition to creating a federal resume and completing any forms, federal applications will ask you to prove how qualified you are through either a questionnaire or essays, sometimes called KSAs. A KSA is another term for a personal essay. It stands for Knowledge, Skills and Abilities because you are showing what knowledge, skills and abilities you have!
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26. Sample assessment questionnaire
Serve as a primary point of contact for a specific subject matter.
I have not had education, training or experience in performing this task.
I have had education or training in performing the task, but have not yet performed it on the job.
I have performed this task on the job. My work on this task was monitored closely by a supervisor or senior employee to ensure compliance with proper procedures.
I have performed this task as a regular part of my job. I have performed it independently and normally without review by a supervisor or senior employee.
I am considered an expert in performing this task. I have supervised performance of this task or am normally the person who is consulted by other workers to assist them in this task because of my expertise.
Script:
Many entry level positions ask you to complete a questionnaire that is composed of multiple choice questions in either the “Evaluations” or “How to Apply” tabs of the vacancy announcement, like this example. When you click on the link it will being you to the questionnaire that will look something like this with a long list of questions with multiple choice answers. These questions are good indicators of what the hiring manager is looking for.
[CLICK] The purpose of such questions is to get you to describe or define your experiences or knowledge level in performing a task or accomplishing a project. Your answers will be “rolled up” to determine whether you are a good fit for the job. Let’s bring out an example question to talk about how to answer them.
[CLICK TO ZOOM IN ON EXAMPLE QUESTION]
So this question is about whether you have served as a primary contact for a specific subject, usually related to a job or academic subject matter. Some questions are vague like this one and others are very specific about having technical knowledge in statistics, etc. You will want to read through each answer very carefully and select that one that best fits your level of experience. Be honest, and don’t worry if you select the lowest answer for some of the questions, but you’ll want to score highly to be considered as a “highly qualified candidate.” If you are selecting the lowest for most of the questions, make sure you are applying for a job you are truly qualified for!
These are not short questionnaires, some are over 100 questions. Good news is you can usually save your questionnaire so you can go back to it later if you don’t finish it. The questionnaires prepare you for an interview to be able to describe your level of experience and knowledge. Please note, sometimes questionnaires include boxes to explain your answer, kind of like a mini-essay. They will be answered similar to how you would answer a KSA that we will cover next.

27. Application essays or KSAs
Agencies commonly require essays as part of the application to address characteristics they seek.
Used to determine the best qualified candidates
Vary depending on the job, but examples include: skill in written and oral communications; demonstrated technical ability; knowledge of specific subject matter areas
Write in complete sentences in first person (using ‘I’) using concrete examples
Vary in length. Usually 2-3 example paragraphs. Use online application box word limits if possible.
Script:
Most applications include one or sometimes several essays. Treat the questions very seriously and take time to prepare responses that are meaningful. These questions are in some ways similar to interview questions: agencies may receive hundreds of applications and they may narrow down the applicants they will consider further based on their responses to the essays (and non-essay questions) in the application. It is especially important that these essays be typo-free and grammatically correct, as reviews often consider the written responses as writing samples.
(Explain the rest of bullets.)
Sometimes they narrow down the applicants by searching for key words within essays (and even federal resumes) that were listed in the essay questions and job duties, so make sure you use the language that they use in the announcement.
TIP- Save your KSAs on your computer, so you can use them for future applications!

28. What is KSA? KSA is an acronym for “Knowledge, Skills and Abilities”
Specifically address each KSA in your application, providing examples of how your past experience prepares you for this role
Script:
Most essay questions ask respondents to describe the specific skills they have. The questions about skills are called “KSA’s” – which stands for “knowledge, skills, and abilities.” Your objective is to convey what makes you stand out as a candidate in this particular area or to tell them how you can or would perform the specific duties of your job. Think of them like interview questions: how you would use your current skills and past experience in this job?
This is where it is extremely important to root yourself in the description of duties and responsibilities that appear earlier in the job announcement. These duties are a clear indication of what the job entails and what skills or experience the agency is seeking.
In this example there are four KSAs to answer, so you’d have to write a KSA response for each one. We’ll show you want that would like like in just a second.
Optional explanation:
Knowledge: The foundation upon which skills and abilities are built
Examples: Federal regulations and directives, operating systems and procedures, budget and accounting principles, engineering practices
Skills: The observable demonstration of proficiency to do a task
Examples: computer software proficiency, second language proficiency
Ability: The capacity to perform a job function
Examples: organize and plan work, analyze situations, communicate orally and in writing, coach and mentor others
Audience Participation: Have the students take 30 seconds to a minute to think of how they would answer one of these KSA statements- ability to communicate in writing. Then walk through the CCAR approach (next 2 slides) and see if they framed their answers differently.

29. KSA essay response approach: CCAR
Context Describe the specific problem you had to address. What did you have to solve, resolve, respond to, handle, etc.?
Challenges Describe the factors that contributed to a particular challenge such as budget cuts, new legislation, institutional reform, new goals from upper management, etc.
Action Describe the steps you took to solve the problem. Stay away from the ordinary — be extraordinary in your response!
Result Describe the outcomes of your actions — use %, #s, grades. What was the difference you made — highlight THE BEST.
Script:
So how did you do at brainstorming your answer to “ability to communicate in writing”? [usually they are not very confident in their answers.] There is an easier way to think about answering KSA essays. We recommend this “CCAR approach” as an easy framework. It has 4 steps to follow in putting together your KSA essay. It doesn’t matter if you have not had a job before: you can draw from other examples in your work and academic history, such as work with a professor, work with a team, work on a project and volunteer work. Through your KSAs you want to demonstrate how you produced results around a significant problem using your leadership, organizational and planning skills. You’ll want to prove this by writing about the success you had at the end, or your result.
Let’s think about an example. Sample KSA: Ability to conduct complex research
Say you have been working with a professor to put together a presentation that has to be delivered in 3 days (context). The “challenge” is that you have limited amount of time and a limited ability to research the topic. Perhaps you interviewed professors and others in your town to collect the needed information. You made a project out of the assignment – you were creative, took initiative (action).
Perhaps the professor took your material and product, put a copy on his Web site, used it as the basis for other presentations (results). This is an example of how something you did in a course can relate to the abilities that the agency is asking about. In describing this, you can showcase your abilities and the impact of your work.

30. Sample KSA or essay response
Ability to communicate in writing.
Script:
Let me give you an example of how you would answer a KSA using CCAR with a very specific KSA. (Read KSA on slide)

31. KSA response example
Context- As the Newsletter Editor in my living-learning community, I was responsible for writing articles and editing all submissions published in our monthly newsletter.
Challenges- Our community wanted to use the newsletter as a means for reaching out to alumni of the program with the goal of increasing their involvement in the community. Before I started as Editor, we had never had a submission from an alum.
Action- I decided to focus the first newsletter of the year entirely on accomplishments of our alumni, with a message throughout encouraging alumni to submit articles and pictures.
Result - Over the course of the academic year when I was Newsletter Editor, we received an average of 5 alumni submissions per newsletter. Additionally, alumni and program participants rated the quality of the newsletter higher than any other year.
Script: Here is example of the first example in a KSA response. You would take each of the parts of CCAR to write one paragraph. You would give 2-3 examples, that are related to this Newspaper Editor experience or another example. Remember, you are trying to demonstrate that from their list of duties, qualifications and evaluations that you are the right match, so pick examples that relate to what they are looking for.

32. Tips for KSA essays
Address key words/phrases mentioned in the position description
Tie your experiences to each KSA with an illustrative example
Focus on outcomes to which you directly contributed
Use plain language, without acronyms
Review your answers (with outside help) to ensure they are succinct, easy to read, and grammatically correct
Save your essays to reuse on other applications
Script:
Here is a summary of our tips for writing an effective KSA essay:
First you need to study and know the vacancy announcement well. Pick jobs to apply to where you have the skills and experience the agency is looking for.
Look at the key phrases and key words in the announcement. Words such as “creative,” “ works in teams,” etc. You want to capture and use these words in the essays you prepare.
It is important that the reader be able to tell that you understand what the job entails and that you are well qualified. Some agencies may even conduct a key word search through the essays to narrow down their candidate pool.
Write in the first person.
Use clear, relevant, good examples.
Focus on the outcomes – what was it that happened as a result of your actions. If you worked on a team, say “As a member of team, I…” and add what you contributed to the team.
Use plain language and stay away from acronyms. If you were in some other club name, say FFA in college, spell out what it is. You might even have to use descriptive language to describe the organization if it would not be clear to an outsider.
I cannot stress enough to have someone read through your answers to sure you have correct punctuation and grammar. It may seem obvious, but spell check your work and have someone else read through it before turning it in: MANY agencies consider your application as a writing sample and may disqualify or mark down an application that contains typos or grammatical errors.

33. Downloadable guide to KSA writing
Script:
KSAs get easier the more you practice. There is A Guide to KSA Writing you can download to help with the process on makingthedifference.org.
Page 1- Practice studying job announcements to pull out the “key terms” to try and show in your KSAs
Page 2- [Click] Take credit for everything you’ve done by brainstorming in 3 categories- school, work and extracurricular activities. Take the time to think about different times you’ve shown leadership and practiced that knowledge, skill or ability question. Like the example KSA from before, ability to communicate in writing, you write every day. Think about it as an interview question, “When was a time you used your ability to communicate in writing?” You’ve used writing as a means of communication in all three areas, brainstorm your accomplishments and then pick the best 1-3 to write about.
Page 3- [Click] Use the CCAR method to set the context, challenge, action and result for your example. Be descriptive and describe the outcome using numbers where possible.
Page 4- [Click]The last page gives you a checklist to be sure you’ve completed a good KSA. Be sure to check grammar and spelling by having someone else edit your work.
You can download this worksheet and find other tips on the federal application process on makingthedifference.org under the “federal jobs” section.
(You may want to hand out copies of this worksheet at your session.)
Download at makingthedifference.org/federaljobs/ksawriting.shtml
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34. Ability to communicate orally.
KSA activity
Ability to communicate orally.
Script:
Now let’s try using CCAR to respond to a KSA. Let’s try one of the common ones, “Ability to communicate orally.” Use the resume provided (find a sample resume to use) to give an example of how they communicate orally. You can use class presentations, jobs, internships, etc. Remember to write in 1st person in complete sentences and create a paragraph long example.
[NOTE: Before the training have chart paper with markers ready for groups of 4-5. During the training, encourage groups to be creative and see the resume as just an overview of this student. Give groups 10 minutes to complete this activity and then share a couple or all if time permits. You could use the KSA Writing worksheet if working on poster paper won’t work.]

35. Summary: tips for applying
Plan ahead Allow plenty of time to thoroughly complete your application
Select carefully Always consider using a tailored application for each vacancy you apply
Prepare for a wait Don’t assume you have been rejected if you do not hear back within weeks of submitting your application
Follow-up with an agency Contact the identified representative to learn the status of an application or find out more about a job
Script:
Now that we’ve practiced writing KSAs, looked at questionnaires and federal resumes and gone over the general application process, let me briefly talk about a few other points relative to your application.
First, make sure you allow yourself sufficient time to put together a good application. Writing the essays may take some time. If you hurry, you may make mistakes that lower your chances for consideration or even that disqualify you. The due dates stated in the vacancy announcement for submitting applications are rock solid…exceptions are not allowed and late applications – or incomplete applications – will not be considered.
We recommend strongly that you selectively apply for positions. Read the vacancy announcements carefully to make sure you understand the qualifications and experience that they are seeking. And then apply for the jobs that you really are qualified for, taking the time to tailor your resume.
You also should be prepared for a wait until you hear back from an agency. Federal agencies are working hard to streamline the application and hiring processes currently takes about 45 business days to hire, but sometimes there are hundreds of applicants for a position and it takes time for the agency to review and process an application. Remember that most government positions are quite competitive, and agencies may have multiple review steps to go through as they narrow the applications down. Another thing that can cause delays is the security clearance process. Most agencies will make a job offer and await your answer before they perform a security clearance, but thereafter it may take 6 months or longer until that clearance is granted and you can actually start the job.
I also strongly recommend that you “put yourself out there” after you submit your application, and contact – and keep in touch with – the agency. Agency personnel may be able to expedite your interview process or provide additional information about the status of your application.

36. What happens next
After the closing date for applications, the agency evaluates candidate qualifications
From this assessment, the agency produces a list of qualified candidates
From the list of qualified applicants, agencies select candidates for interviews
At this point, agencies are like other organizations
They conduct interviews and select the best candidate(s) for the job
Some jobs require security clearance
Script:
What happens after your application is submitted? This slide gives a good overview of the process at most agencies.
The agency will review the applications and exclude those that are incomplete or not qualified for the position, according to the criteria they put in the job announcement.
From the list of qualified candidates, agency officials choose candidates for interviews.
As you can imagine, this process becomes very selective. Interviews are like they would be for any other corporation or business, so taking the time to prepare, to search the Web site, to understand what the agency does and the issues it faces – all of these are valuable in impressing interviewers with your preparation for the interviews.
Of course, you want to prepare a list of questions about the agency to ask, too. An interview is a two way street: it is as important that you decide if the agency would be a good fit for your talents and interests as it is for the agency to decide whether your would be good for them. The agency wants to know that you are the most qualified candidate as well as that you have a passion for their agency mission.

37. Summary
Federal agencies hire the best and brightest, and getting a federal job is competitive
Increase your chances of being hired by following a few clear steps:
Research potential opportunities
Consider various employment avenues
Search on job Web sites and specific agencies
Follow the application directions carefully
Sell yourself!
In summary, federal agencies hire the best and brightest and getting a federal job can be quite competitive.
Agencies really need good people – there are lots of opportunities for great positions, but these jobs are also very desirable.
So, to increase your chance at getting a good federal job, you need to:
Research the opportunities that are out there
Consider different employment avenues – e.g., public affairs office are located in many different agencies.
Look on Web sites, including those of the agencies themselves.
Follow the instructions completely and carefully when you are completing your application.
Finally, sell yourself. Make sure to put your best foot forward. It will be worth your time and your effort. Take credit for all of your accomplishments!

38. makingthedifference.org
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