career expert Jason Kay

There are literally, millions and millions of Government jobs out there and there is actually a specific process you need to complete in order to apply for such a job. The benefits, health, dental, paid vacation and holidays are outstanding and they are all provided through taxpayer’s money.

There are resources available online that makes looking for a government job easier than hoofing around town looking door to door. Here are the steps you need to know:

1) Current Openings: You will need to look at the current openings in your area first and any job search site can help you with that. USAJobs.gov is the best place to search for a government job. From this you can decide which jobs are of interest to you.

2) Application: You can fill out an Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF612). This is a downloadable file in Microsoft Word (.doc) format. Once you fill it out you can print it. Optionally, you can write a federal resume. These resumes must contain additional information than private sector resumes and are formatted a bit differently. Get more information at KSADoctor.com.

3) Information: You will need to provide certain information as well:

a. Full name

b. Mailing address

c. Phone numbers, day, night, mobile

d. Social Security Number

e. Country Of Citizenship

f. Highest Federal Civilian Grade, if any

g. Education – school name, address, degrees, majors

h. Work Experience – fully detailed information

i. Other qualifications – job related training, skills, certificates, leadership, honors, awards, etc. etc.

4) Civil Service Exam: There is a number of civil service exams possible and each department has their own tests and how they administer them. There are written tests, essay tests, in-basket tests, assessment centers, performance tests, physical abilities tests, psychological tests and of course an interview. Not all of these tests are needed for each posting; this was just a list of what types of tests there are for various government positions. There are online resources for information on the individual tests.

a. These tests are scheduled to happen at certain times and you will be assigned a date and time to appear for your testing.

b. In order to be considered and possibly hired for a position, you must pass any and all tests given to you. If you are not hired during the valid date for the test results, you will need to re-take the tests at another time.

5) Interview(s): That’s right, there will probably be more than one interview and just like the Civil Service Tests, you must do well on all subsequent interviews to receive a job offer.

Just because you do well on everything, does not mean you will get the job for which you apply. As with any other employment offer, there are other people vying for the same job as you. Being that this is a government posting, the number or people applying is probably even greater than in the private sector. Be sure to really study up on the specifics of what will be expected of you throughout the screening process.

Lastly, depending on the position, some agencies may want you to undergo a physical examination, drug screening or a probation period before hiring and these periods can last anywhere from 6 months to a year. That’s it, now you know how to apply for government jobs.