HOW TO GET A HIGH-PAYING JOB WITH THE

HOW TO GET A HIGH-PAYING JOB WITH THE

GOVERNMENT

"What really qualifies you to hold a government job is not your

job skills or past work experience, but your determination." One

common misconception about government jobs is that they are hard

to obtain. that is just not true. They are, however, hard to find

out about. In fact, the most difficult part about getting a government

job is finding out about it. In some cases a government position may

go unfilled for weeks or even months because word never gets out

that it is available. What really qualifies you to hold a government

job is not your job skills or past work experience, but your

determination. First, find a position that interest you and, keep trying

for it--even if is currently filled by someone else. (You'll want to be

prepared in the event they quit, move, or get promoted.)

So, where do you go to find a government job? And if they are so

hard to locate, how do you find out about them? Once you find out

a job you are interested in, how do you go about applying for it?

The answers are so simple that they may surprise you. Once you

find a position your are interested in, you'll need to fill out

STANDARD FORM 171., better known in the government as SF-

171. This is the standard federal government application form. No

matter what other forms you are required to fill out during your

application process, you'll need SF-171, but more on that

application later.

WHERE TO LOOK

People tend to think that the only jobs advertised in the

newspaper are for car salesmen and welders, but this is just not

the case. in fact, if you look through the want ads in a typical

Sunday newspaper, you will find a good number of "white-collar"

jobs. Sometimes the government uses the newspaper to advertise

position openings, both blue and white collar, but only when they

have a special reason for doing so.*

However, though some jobs are advertised in the newspaper, most

are not. In fact, less than 10 percent of all government jobs are

advertised outside the government offices. When the government

places a newspaper ad, it is usually for a specialized position.

Because of the nature of the position, there may not be enough

qualified personnel within the department to fill the job, yet

too many potential applicants to go on a search nationwide.

In this case, the government will place an ad in the newspaper to

bring in as many applicants from the local area as possible.

When you apply for a civil service position through a newspaper

ad, you can be assured that you will have plenty of competition.

Your chances will be much better if you start your government job

search at a Federal Job Information Center. To locate a Federal

Job Information Center in your area, call information or look in

the white Pages of your telephone book under U.S. Government

Offices.

FEDERAL JOB INFORMATION CENTERS

The government operates Federal Job Information Centers (FJIC's)

in nearly every major city in the country. These centers are

operated by the Office of Personnel Management and were created

to locate people for government employment. In a FJIC you will

find announcements of every federal job in your area. In some

centers you will also find announcements of jobs with the state,

city, and county governments in the area. Often, the centers

cooperate with local university and college job placement offices

to fill vacant positions. however, if you are looking for a job

outside your area, you will need to contact the center in the

city area your are interested in.

STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY OFFICES

Another place to look for government job listings is the

Employment Development Office, more often referred to as the

"unemployment office." While most people think of the

unemployment office as the place to go for money when they are

between jobs, they do not realize that government agencies are

required to place job announcements at the Employment

Development Offices in their areas. They also keep listings of every

federal job available. So, they can be an excellent source for finding

government employment.

FEDERAL AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTS

The easiest way to locate a federal job is to investigate

openings at each particular agency. Most federal agencies have

offices in each of the 10 federal regions of the United States.

Each of these offices has announcements of jobs within their own

agency, and often announcements from others. If you want to know

what government positions are open within a particular agency,

the regional office will furnish you with that information

regarding their region.

No matter how you discover the particular job you will be

applying for with the government, you should acquire a copy of

the Vacancy Announcements Bulletin before you attempt to apply

for the job. This bulletin is a vital source of information that

may make the difference between landing a government job and

being lost in the shuffle.

The vacancy announcements, or "job postings" as they are

sometimes called, are available form you local Office of Personnel

Management, Federal Job Information Center, State Employment

Security Office, or the government agency that is in need of

personnel. Each vacancy announcement will provide you with such

information as:

THE ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: This number, sometimes called

the "identifying number,: is the code that designates the job opening

within the agency. For example, there may be many job openings

for a waste handler within the government, and many within the

confines of the Navy, but the announcement number identifies the

particular job you will be applying for.

THE DATE ISSUES: this is the date that the job opened for

application. It is sometimes referred to as the :issue date: or

"opening date.:

CLOSING DATE: Some agencies require that your application

(SF-171) be in their hands by this date, others only that your

application be postmarked by this date. If you have any doubt

about the needs of the agency you are applying to, call them and

find out. Sometimes the agency will accept a telegram stating

that the application will follow shortly if you cannot get it to

them in time.

POSITION: This gives a detailed description of the job, including

the federal schedule and grade classification. this listing will

also tell you whether you are applying for a career position or a

:dead end" job. The way to determine this is by the federal

schedule number. If more than one job grade is listed (GS-11/12,

for example) it means that you will start at the lower level and,

depending on your performance, move up to the highest. If only

one job grade is listed, it means that there is no chance for

promotion (although this may still be a good "foot-in-the-door:

if you are willing to transfer to another position). Some

opportunity announcements may also include a statement saying

that this position is part of a promotional ladder plan.

There is also an announcement as to how many positions are

available under this particular job category. For highly

specialized jobs there may only be one or two. Standard

entry-level jobs may be quite plentiful or, if they are hiring on

a continual basis, may be listed as :open".

LOCATION: Tells you where you will be working and which

department or agency you will be working for

WHO MAY APPLY: Here you will learn what government

employment status is required for application. Some positions,

especially highly technical positions, require previous government

service.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: Here you will learn what government

employment status is required for application. Some positions,

especially highly technical positions, require previous

government service.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: Read this section very carefully. It

describes the various duties and responsibilities of the job. In

your resume and application you will need to compare these duties

as closely as possible with your education and past jobs.

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE: Described here are the

minimum qualifications used to determine an applicant's basic

eligibility. They are judged on a yes or no basis. Either you are

qualified for the position or you are not.

EDUCATION: The minimum level of education required to hold the

position is stated along with the educational equivalent, if any.

In most cases there will be some type of experience you can

substitute for college education. (Often you can offer college

education as a trade-off for experience.)

BASIS OF RATING: this is where you will find out if you will be

required to take any type of entrance exam, security clearance

rating test, or any other specialized test for your position.

Often the agency will accept the application if you have not

taken the test as long as you complete it by a certain date (most

likely by the date of the interview.) If you fail to complete the

test with an acceptable score by that date, your application will

be disregarded.

In order to make arrangements for these tests you will need to

call the staffing specialist listed on the announcement. He will

tell you where and when the government test will be administered.

Remember that each agency will use its own format when sending

out job opportunity announcements, but all must include the basic

information in the form. If you have this any questions about the

announcement, you should contact the personnel staffing

specialist whose name appears on the form. Calling or writing the

agency directly can harm your chances of getting the job because

it is illegal for anyone in a supervisory position to discuss a

job vacancy with an applicant.

FILLING OUT THE SF-171: Now that you have zeroed in on the

agency and position that you want, it is time to go about getting that

job, and there is only one sure way to do that: make yourself

look better than everyone else who applies.

Of course, if you could take your prospective employer to your

job site with you, you could show them how effectively you

perform your duties, and they would be able to see how the job

you are doing relates to what they want you to do. But you can't.

That's where your STANDARD FORM 171 (SF-171) comes in.

Remember, this form will be speaking for you when you are not

there to speak for yourself. A form which is handwritten, has

fingerprints or chocolate stains on it, and several "white-out"

corrections leaves a negative impression. A form which is neatly

types shows your attention to thoroughness and detail and leaves

a very positive impression. If you cannot type the form yourself,

ask a friend to do it or hire a professional typist. If you are

unable to have it typed, print the information very neatly in

black ink.

When filling out the SF-171, don't leave any space blank. If you

find something that doesn't apply to you, simply write "N/A" for

" not applicable" in the space. This lets the hiring agent know

that you read the instructions and did not just forget to fill in

the blank. Generally, although it may seem like a lot of extra

work, it is best to submit a separate SF-171 for each job you

apply for ( unless those jobs are in the same job series with

very similar job requirements). Otherwise, you should tailor each

SF-171 to each job you apply for. Also, make answers brief and to

the point. You don't want to alienate the reader by giving them

too much to read.

Since many government jobs require that you deal directly with

the public, having " people" skills is a big plus. Therefore, be

sure to list all education and training that you have had dealing

with people. This would include psychology, public speaking,

stress management courses, etc. Also, be sure to list all related

supervisory positions (i.e. being vice president of a club or

other type of organizations) as well as the names of all

organizations that you belong to. This indicates that you enjoy

interacting with people.

Finally, make sure you understand every question before you make

a mark on the paper. A sloppily or incorrectly completed SF-171

may indicate to the government hiring official that you do not

follow instructions carefully. Filling this form out properly can

make the difference between getting interviewed for your targeted

position or not.