Posted on Dec 1, 2013

How to get a job as a GS?

PO3 (Join to see)

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My husband served 10 years in the navy. We're trying to find a way to get him back in as a government employee so he can do 10+ more years. We've searched on USAJOBS.gov and honestly, feel completely overwhelmed and like it's fighting a losing battle. He was a DK (Disbursing Clerk - now known as Personnel Specialist), and recently applied for a civilian position at Ft Benning as a Military Pay Technician. Sure, we may be biased, but he had every.single.qualification the application requested. He ultimately was selected for further review, so I guess he made it through the first round of cuts,but didn't make it any further. Upon talking to a retired army friend from church who now works as a civilian contractor at Benning, he told us that many GS jobs are filled by people who are first working as a contractor. I described the scenario above to him, and he said that "likely" what happened, is that they eventually decided to hire from internally, which could have been someone who was already a GS, or a contractor.<div> </div><div>So.... some of my information may be faulty, if so, I apologize. Point is, how the heck do you get your foot in the door for these positions? usajobs.gove is SO difficult. I tried getting a government job when I first separated from the service, and honestly, I gave up after about 2 years of no luck. What's the best way to apply for these positions, how do you find out who the contracting companies are to get in the door first as a contractor (if necessary) or how do you navigate usajobs.gov successfully without feeling like it's a complete waste of time? Has anybody on here been successful, and if so, how did you do it?</div><div> </div>

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Posted >1 y ago

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1SG (Join to see)

Posted 10 y ago

Like Maj Miller  said, you need to tailor resume to the job posting.  A friend of mine paid the $400 for a class.  Basically he said resumes are read by a computer.  Your resume needs to read EXACTLY what is listed in the KSA;s (Knowledge, Skills, Attributes)  and I dont mean just showing it. I/e if the KSA reads "must have 12 months expeirence.." you cannot just list dates (Jan 2010-Jan2014) you have to actually write in your reume "I have 12 months experience..." If you copy all the KSAs and tailor it to your expierience..your resume will make the "Best qualified" and these ratings are the only ones that make it to an interview.    Once I did this, I had 2 interviews and was offered a job with in 2 mos ...I now work for the Federal Bureau of Prisons

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1SG (Join to see)

4 y

I am GS employee with VHA. Like the 1SG said make sure your resume has the words used in the posting. Also, you have to check usajobs often. Some of their postings are not up long, so if you miss it, it’s gone.

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LTC (Join to see)

Posted >1 y ago

One trick is that you need to ensure your resume is
tailored to the job posting and you list every skill that they are asking for
and how you meet it.  For Government jobs a longer resume is better, but I'm no expert.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

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I have a large slide packet I will try to send you on
information I got from a VA counselor to pass around.  He also is willing to help vets prepare
better to get federal employment and his contact information is below.<o:p></o:p>

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Carl Wells<o:p></o:p>

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PO3 (Join to see)

>1 y

Thank you. We had heard about tailoring the resume, and we did exactly that - almost to the point that it practically felt like we were "plagiarizing" the job description by using exact verbiage from it into his resume and cover letter...but we did so because one of the tips we previously had specifically said that they use an electronic reader to pull out certain key phrases.

Thanks for his info! And yes, if you could send me that packet, I'd appreciate it. I'll send you my email address in a message.

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MAJ Ken Landgren

Posted >1 y ago

I really don't know crap, but it will not stop me! lol

Many contractors will get a leg up on a new position. I have seen a person in military whose position is contracted out or goes civil service, then who gets the job? The point is it happens, and you can do nothing about it. Don't worry about it.

The other point is if you two are diligent enough, some entry level will pop up. That is what you need to focus on. Get your foot in and you can do the Electric Slide later. I have painted the battlefield for both of you. This will probably not be a short battle thus you must think about your attrition. You can't get yourselves run down to the point there is no fight left in you. Pop up every morning.

Think about how to master the process for you and what nuances you can learn like perhaps the VA is easier to hire at the entry level. I think I am correct. I am making my assumption on what little I have learned about the hiring process. The fact of the matter is a job like personal finance will often have some skilled workers looking at the position thus there is competition. Course of Action Bravo is look at non personal finance positions. The battlefield has shifted.

Put some passion in the process. Passion will push you, make you better, and force you to finish and win. Readjust the battlefield and attack it with passion. Keep readjusting until you have such clarity that you become the master of the battlefield.

Keep asking questions and making posts. Sometimes you will be amazed at the depth of knowledge of the posters.

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How to get a job as a GS?

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