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Articles and News
Check here for updates and information affecting federal and other employment issues.
How Federal Jobs are Filled
The Cost of Being Unemployed
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Positions – Great Opportunity
The Federal Hiring Frenzy
How Federal Jobs are Filled
By Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, CMRC, CFRW
The federal government is the nation’s single largest employer, with more than 35,000 vacancies listed on its official Web site, www.USAJobs.com, per day. However, many people who attempt to gain employment with the federal government often find the process to not only be intimidating, but also frustrating.
While many agencies within the government fill their vacancies much in the same way as private companies, there are some very notable differences. One of the biggest sources of confusion to the job-seeker exploring federal employment for the first time is understanding the types of vacancies and the eligibility criteria for each.
Unlike the private sector, where a candidate submits a resume and cover letter for a vacancy for which a candidate believes they possess the qualifications, the federal government operates a little differently.
To begin with, there are three categories of federal jobs within the executive branch. Each category has its own unique set of criteria for eligibility, including but not limited to specific education levels, security clearances, professional certifications and licenses, and, in some limited cases (such as FBI special agent positions), age and physical condition mandates.
The Three Categories of Federal Jobs
Competitive Service - This covers jobs that fall solely under the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) jurisdiction and which are subject to the civil service laws passed by Congress to ensure that applicants and employees receive fair and equal treatment in the hiring process. Candidates are chosen from an applicant pool based on their qualifications and how closely they meet the desired competencies stated in the vacancy announcement. Competitive service jobs cover the majority of federal employment opportunities. The objective is to identify the best qualified candidates for the vacancy. Applicants typically consist of persons from the private sector, the federal employment ranks, and former military service personnel who are attempting to transition to post-military employment.
Excepted Service - Excepted service positions are excepted by law because the agencies offering these types of positions have direct ties to national security and/or intelligence functions. Examples of positions that fall under excepted service include attorneys, chaplains, and medical doctors, because for these types of jobs, it is difficult to use standard qualification requirements such as what’s used in competitive jobs to rate applicants. Examples of agencies that fill the bulk of their vacancies via excepted service include the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of State, the National Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). While civilian, transitioning military, and existing government professionals are invited to apply for these positions, they need to be aware that these jobs are usually filled under a special circumstance, such as part-time or temporary positions in remote locations or when there is a critical hiring need. Also, since these jobs are directly tied to national security, candidates will typically need to pass a government security screening, a physical fitness test, and other special criteria depending on the position. Excepted service positions are not required by law to be posted on USAJobs.com. Candidates who are interested in these types of position should consult the official Web sites of the agencies that offer this type of employment opportunity.
Senior Executive Service (SES) - The SES was established by Title IV of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and focuses on top management positions within the federal government (those at a GS-15 or higher). These professionals are the equivalent of Directors, Vice Presidents, and CEOs of medium- to large-scale companies in the private sector. They are the people who are given the challenges associated with leading the continuing transformation of the federal government. Unlike the competitive and excepted service jobs, SES positions are not graded; instead, salary is linked to individual performance. Members of the SES are not eligible for locality pay. There are two ways in which a candidate may apply for SES positions. The first is to apply directly to a federal agency offering an SES vacancy. The second is to apply to the federal agency’s SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), to gain the eligibility necessary for a career appointment to an SES position without further competition.
Competitive Service Jobs: Who’s Eligible for Employment
The basic criterion for Competitive Service jobs is United States citizenship. A candidate will submit an application packet consisting of a federal resume (which varies from a civilian resume), and other documentation such as a Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) statement; formal education transcripts, DD-214s, and others. Eligible candidates are then grouped into three categories:
- Candidates who have applied and met the qualification requirements for a specific vacancy announcement. This is the most common method of entry for candidates who are new to the federal hiring process.
- Candidates who have civil service status. These are candidates already employed by the federal government who are eligible for noncompetitive movement within the competitive service. When these candidates are chosen for positions, it’s usually the result of a merit promotion, reassignment, transfer, or reinstatement.
- Candidates that qualify for a special noncompetitive appointing authority established by law or executive order. This category includes military veterans who are eligible for Veteran’s Preference points, or members of the Peace Corps.
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The Cost of Being Unemployed
If you are unemployed, it is critical for you to understand how much salary you are actually losing by being unemployed.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics), the unemployment rate is currently above 10%. This represents over 15 million people; the highest national rate since April, 1983. Of those who are unemployed, over 35% have been jobless for 27 weeks or more.
The BLS states the average duration for a job search is 28.1+ weeks.
This means if you were earning $70,000 and it took you 28 weeks (140 business days) to find a new job -- you lost $37,660 by being unemployed!
Professional career assistance can help to reduce the averages above. Trimming just a week or two off your job search can save you a significant amount of money, whether in savings, or in lost income. In most cases, the cost of professional services can be less than one week's lost salary.
Please refer to the chart to see how you are affected.
Salary/Loss of Gross Pay Calculations
| Salary |
Weekly Pay Loss |
| $40,000 |
$770 |
| $50,000 |
$960 |
| $60,000 |
$1,155 |
| $70,000 |
$1,345 |
| $80,000 |
$1,540 |
| $90,000 |
$1,730 |
| $100,000 |
$1,925 |
| $120,000 |
$2,310 |
| $140,000 |
$2,690 |
| $160,000 |
$3,075 |
| $180,000 |
$3,360 |
| $200,000 |
$3,845 |
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Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Positions – Great Opportunity
By Barbara A. Adams, CPRW, CEIP, CFRW, MMRW
The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) position is one of the most highly sought after jobs by attorneys in the private sector and federal service alike. The reason is that ALJs are paid on a scale comparable to Senior Executive Service (SES), but are allowed to arrive at decisions with total independence. An ALJ has no supervisor and is not required to supervise any employees. The only judges seated by a merit-based selection process, ALJ appointments are selected from scores achieved in a comprehensive testing procedure that includes submission of a lengthy "Accomplishment Record", a four-hour "Written Demonstration" and an oral "Structured Interview" given before a three-person panel.
New Demand for ALJ Applicants
The federal government is growing its cadre of ALJs because of the increasing needs of agencies like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). A strong candidate is one that has experience as a trial attorney or litigator in private practice, military service, or the federal sector, and has significant knowledge of Administrative Law. Applicants are not required to have prior judiciary experience or any political connections. Veterans are awarded applicable preference points.
Apply for ALJ positions
A federal ALJ application includes the Accomplishment Record (six narratives based on ALJ competencies), a federal resume (usually about 5–7 pages long), and two additional narratives detailing the candidate’s administrative law and litigation experience. The Administrative Law Judge application process is managed by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for all of the 30 agencies that employ them. Candidates can only apply during the brief and infrequent open period, which typically occurs about once every 12–14 months. The application is completed online and must be submitted by midnight of the date when a designated number of applications (this has varied from 600 to 1,200) is received. During the 2009 exam, the open period lasted less than 40 hours, and more than 1,200 attorneys applied. Advance planning for the Accomplishment Record is critical.
Understand the Audience
To be competitive, your application materials must be completed before the exam opens. Your Accomplishment Record must rate high in order to be invited to the Written Demonstration and Structured Interview, making it a vital component of the examination—of more import than the resume itself. One potential pitfall with the application writing is that many candidates do not know which key words to use, or how to best showcase their relevant accomplishments. The Accomplishment Record is rated by Human Resources professionals, not fellow attorneys or sitting ALJs. The use of legal jargon and complicated language can hurt your application. Plain language that can be understood by a lay person or professional alike is proven to yield good results. The six competencies assessed in the Accomplishment Record have not changed over the past three examination periods, and remain a good point of preparation for potential candidates. If the proper key words for the ALJ position are used in the writing, even if the rated competencies vary in the future, the narratives will be relevant and can easily fit into new categories.
Help is Available
Our team has some of the most experienced ALJ application writers in the country who understand the complex selection process as well as the stringent writing requirements. We have the expertise to develop your comprehensive federal ALJ application package so that you can be ready for the next ALJ examination.
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Federal Hiring Frenzy
The federal government continues to hire at a torrid pace according to a recent study by Aon Consulting and Monster Government Solutions. Why? To replace the baby boomers that are beginning to retire en masse, to fill the ever-increasing need for qualified national security workers and professionals, and employment consideration for our veterans. Of the 600,000 new hires anticipated between now and the end of 2012, nearly half will be considered mission-critical. The total figure to be hired represents about one-third of the overall federal workforce—in other words, there is a huge turnover of talent in progress right now and you could be part of it. It sounds like a lot of hiring and possibly smacks of wasteful government spending, but in historical terms, even with all the new hiring the federal workforce at the end of 2012 will actually be smaller than what it was in 1967, according to Max Stier, Executive Director of the Partnership for Public Service, from the article in govcentral.monster.com. Among the biggest growth agencies is the Department of Homeland Security, where over 65,000 openings are forecasted. Another large opportunity will be found with the Department of Veterans Affairs, where over 48,000 jobs will be filled to support a huge increase in the administration of benefits. Anyone having recently dealt with the VA for benefit services can attest to this need. The study shows other large growth areas, including over 54,000 positions in medical and public health agencies, 52,000 jobs in security and protective services, 31,000 openings in compliance and enforcement, 23,000 opportunities in legal areas, and 17,000 positions in administration and program management.
Hot Jobs
The hottest professions are for attorneys, paralegals, human resource professionals (many mission-critical roles), biological and science experts, border patrol agents, customs officers, food inspectors, compliance staff, tax examiners, accountants, auditors, and engineers. In fact, there are about 2,000 total job types open at any given time. A quick search on www.usajobs.gov will reveal some 30,000 current openings, and it’s a simple process to locate job types or locations with the robust search tools provided. Lucrative opportunities are found in the Senior Executive Service, the highest career level of government where savvy leaders bring talent and vision to positions reporting to cabinet-level organizations. In addition, retiring or separating military members often search out second careers in the federal government to take advantage of their excellent training and, in almost all cases, their veteran’s preference in the hiring process.
Hot Locations
More than 85% of federal jobs are located outside of Washington, D.C. The states with the highest number of federal employees are: California, Virginia, Texas, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, and Ohio. Many jobs also feature overseas locations for those seeking a change of scenery or perhaps a bit more excitement in their career.
Huge Interest
With the repressed economy, competition for federal jobs is at an all-time high, meaning that the federal government has a unique chance to hire some of the best talent available at a time when the country needs supremely qualified workers and professionals to steer agencies through tough times. That should not discourage anyone from applying, however. It does take time and patience to properly apply for federal jobs, and most agencies are very methodical about their hiring process—translation: it could take months to hear back on an application and the overall hiring process may seem maddeningly slow, but to their credit most agencies are exceedingly thorough and overtly fair in their evaluations and hiring. If you are a worthy candidate and you properly apply for a vacancy, you stand an excellent chance of being considered for the position.
Hidden Value
Some federal government jobs offer recruitment bonuses to attract the best of the best, with figures of $10,000 to $60,000 not unheard of, as well as repayment of student loans. In most cases, a commitment of several years’ service will be required to secure the bonus or repayment.
Not Rocket Science
Although NASA may actually need rocket scientists, you don’t have to be one in order to get the attention of hiring managers. Above all—and not surprisingly—the ability to speak and write clearly and effectively is consistently in demand. The “new” federal government is looking for visionary leadership, strength of character, and initiative. When applying for a position, these traits must be baked into your application.
Yes, but…
There’s always a but, isn’t there? The “but” in this case is that applying for a federal job, even for entry-level positions, can seem overly complicated. There are several different application formats and methods depending on the hiring agency, and they all have different requirements for content, text character size, and composition. Many require extensive narrative responses to experience and skill questions. All are screened by computer software that searches for key words and skills, and your application must be geared to both pass the computer screening and be supremely readable and compelling for the hiring or human resources manager. Failing to meet the basic requirements for size, structure, and extras (DD-214, college transcripts, etc.) automatically gets your application the boot. No bending of the rules; no give and take. It’s strict, but like we said before, the process is eminently and ultimately fair.
Where to turn
Many potential applicants choose to employ the professional services of seasoned resume writers with significant experience creating successful federal government resumes and applications. For a modest investment—in many cases, less than the amount of one paycheck over a long and fruitful government career—a truly qualified resume service pays for itself many times over. Many try on their own, and have ultimately sought the resources and insight offered by companies such as CareerPro Global and its team of certified writers. With an ISO 9000 design process, in business since 1986, CareerPro stands alone among the nation’s best resume writing companies, and is ready to help with your federal government resume or military transition resume project.
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