Has Anyone Had Success Applying for and Landing a Job from USAJobs?

2016-04-26T12:42:34-04:00

As an internal candidate (aka, current federal employee), I have applied to a number of positions in USAJobs. Yet, I still find the process frustrating because I may get through the first stage of the process and on to the Hiring Official. However, I have not been able to get past this point. Has anyone been successful and if so, can you share some insight?

Response by SPC Paul Jennings, J.D. made Apr 26 at 2016 12:53 PM

2016-04-26T12:53:26-04:00

My wife secured a federal job (GS-13 equivilant) 60 days after she medically retired from the military. They hired her under a special hiring authority, which we outlined her eligibility for in a cover letter. Her resume was detailed, but we generalized it for the job categories she was applying for and not every individual job. This allowed for more applications to be sent out in a shorter time period increasing her chances for selection. She was also refereed for several GS-14 and GS-15 jobs, but they would have required us to move to a higher cost of living area so we declined final interviews for those once she was selected for her current position.

Response by SPC Donald Moore made Apr 26 at 2016 12:54 PM

2016-04-26T12:54:41-04:00

Yes. I have been working for the Navy for several years now. It is not easy. The biggest problem is the number of applicants. Because there are so many applicants, they use key word matching to assign a weight to each applicant and then pick the top ten to be reviewed by a human. So, if you want in, your resume needs to present the correct key words. Remember, you will still be reviewed by a live person and you will need to be able to do what you claim. We had someone get hired here that didn't have the knowledge and skills they claimed to have and it was less than a year before management got the individual removed from service.

Response by PO2 Vernon Smith made Apr 26 at 2016 12:58 PM

2016-04-26T12:58:46-04:00

Also, keep in mind that most jobs on that site have to offer the jobs first to applicants with preference (I.e. VEOA, VRA, etc). Once you get hits for a specific job field, you'll know that your resume is up to par and will likely continue to receive hits from other organizations.

Response by SSG Steven Mangus made Apr 26 at 2016 3:34 PM

2016-04-26T15:34:05-04:00

The key to getting hired is a VRA position.

Response by Cpl Joshua Caldwell made Apr 26 at 2016 5:38 PM

2016-04-26T17:38:47-04:00

Yes, I retired from Homeland Security, but I had to go through USAJOBS, it is a big pain in the ass, you may have to apply multiple times for the same job, but persistence can carry you into the interview.
You would think that they could have a simple easy to use process for application but you would be wrong. Keep fighting.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 26 at 2016 7:59 PM

2016-04-26T19:59:43-04:00

Heck no I keep applying and they keep sending me updated about how your app has been updated to the following job opportunities!!!

Response by Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin made Apr 27 at 2016 7:50 AM

2016-04-27T07:50:01-04:00

Marilyn,
Yes I have had success on several occasions getting through the very frustrating USAJobs process. I am currently filling a position which I earned through the website. Here's the issue, the folks running the specific announcements don't always keep it up to date when they move from one step to the other. What they're supposed to do is let you know if you were referred, if you were given an temporary offer, and/or if you were not considered. Referred status is encouraging but all it really means is they agreed that your qualifications and experience was enough to advance to the next step (among all the others who also qualify). For example, if the job requires a Masters in Engineering and you have that (or they believe you have enough experience to qualify for one), the personnel staff will move your resume forward for further review to the gaining organization. From there the organization will have some process to pick the individual(s). Some may hold a meeting to review the resumes and pick one, other might actually hold an interview.

Even after you're interviewed, the process is still frustrating as you will not get any feedback until they either send a temporary offer or they decided not to select you (which you don't always hear from them). They're supposed to update your profile in USAJobs that you were not selected, but they don't always do this. Even if you are selected, it may take a while before you hear about that too. One suggestion if you get this far... You have one opportunity to negotiate your step level, make sure you use it. In other words, if the job is for a GS-12, you can't negotiate it to a 13 but you can request a higher step (1-10). Each step of course means more salary. When I first came on board with the Civil Service as a GG-12, they offered me a step 1. I came back with the fact I was former military with 20 years experience, a Masters, etc. In the end they came back with a step 8 offer. Note, you only get one stab it this. Once they send the 2nd offer, that's it.

The only other thing else I can think of is make sure you indicate Veteran's Preference and if you have a VA claim, this can be indicated as well. These help! Finally, make sure you meet the major requirements they desire for the position. Getting referred seems like a check book process to me. You either have the qualification they request or not and I don't know if they really look at experience to makeup for degree/certification requirements.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Apr 27 at 2016 12:12 PM

2016-04-27T12:12:31-04:00

I sort of had success. I actually had to turn down a position because someone else offered me a position first. Despite applying to hundreds of jobs, I rarely heard back. I did use my contacts to get wind of a position before it went on USAJobs and I was able to get my name to the top of the pile. Unfortunately time was a factor for me since my 2nd daughter was about to be born, so I went with another position. I think the biggest thing to help is if you know someone in the Human Resources who can inform you when jobs are about to be posted or what keywords their looking for on resumes. Some may call that cheating, I call it a competitive edge.

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2016 4:17 PM

2016-04-27T16:17:24-04:00

Capt Christopher Mueller SPC Paul Jennings, J.D. SPC Donald Moore PO2 Vernon Smith Cpl Joshua Caldwell Cpl Justin Goolsby Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin SSG Private RallyPoint Member SSG Steven Mangus I appreciate everyone's input and comments so far. I have received some much needed feedback that helps me to propel forward instead of feeling frustrated and wanting to forget the process. Thanks, everyone.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Apr 27 at 2016 4:39 PM

2016-04-27T16:39:56-04:00

Yes. I applied for about 20 jobs on USA Jobs. Hired as GS14 at Army SDDC after about 6 month of trying.

First off let me say that having your name on a list the hiring manager gets does not mean he or she actually looks at your resume. There are many reasons for this, but some of the most frequent are disabled veterans, internal applicants, and Placement Program applicants. Any of these folks can eliminate you and many others on the list from consideration. Without reading the announcements you've been applying for I can't tell if that's a problem. In short, a disabled vet trumps most any candidate except a current government employee. In some cases, managers are told to hire from within first, so if you're from outside of their organization, you're not considered. If there's been a recent closure or RIF near the area where you're applying, current employees on the Priority Placement list will get the job before you if they are at least somewhat qualified. Your HR folks can explain more about these situations and advise you on organizational policies and possible Priority Placement situations.

Reviewed your profile on RP, but couldn't put together a coherent picture of your mil and civ experience. Some well written parts though. MBA is a plus. One of the problems I found as an Army Civilian hiring manager and resume reviewer was my fellow civil servants were terrible at writing resumes. Most frequent error was copy/paste of responsibilities from most current Position Description with no accompanying account for how well they did the job. This results in 4 and 5 page resumes covering 10 or 15 years of government service with no clue as to how well the applicant did their job. Your resume has to show both responsibilities and accomplishments to score high. BTW, 2 pages is almost always enough.

Custom build a resume for each job for which you apply. Make sure the intersection of your experience, skills, and abilities with the job requirements is very clear. Pick out the key words from the position description and requirements and use them in your resume to describe your experience, education, and certifications. If the announcement requires "10 years general experience and 5 years specialized experience in aircraft scheduling" make sure your resume clearly shows you have at least those numbers of years of experience. If the job requires a degree or a certain type of certification, then make sure yours is clearly indicated in you resume.

Consider the labor pool you're in. If you are in a community with many retired service members, you may be up against some stiff competition for even GS-11 positions in your local area. Consider applying for positions outside you local area where the number of well qualified applicants might not be as high. Couldn't tell what your current civilian grade is, but sometimes it's advisable to take a voluntary reduction in grade to change career fields. People do this to change their "spots" so to speak. A GS-11 transportation specialist might be willing to take a GS-09 Programming Analyst job to get out of transportation and into the automation career field.

If you believe you are doing everything right and just not getting to the interview, consider asking your supervisor, mentor (if you have one), or a commercial resume advisor look over your stuff.

Response by SGT Tom Pacheco made Apr 28 at 2016 10:56 AM

2016-04-28T10:56:11-04:00

Yes. I have been in the Federal System since 2002 and was able to land the job through USA Jobs as well as lateral transfers. However, I have not been able to land a promotion to GS 13. Seems I make the list, interview, and then get a notice that the announcement has been cancelled. This generally means to me that the hiring authority already knew who they wanted in the position and therefore cancelled the announcement. The "good old boy" network still exists. The transfer to NSPS was supposed to help the competitive process. I suppose that is why the NSPS system was killed in 2010.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2016 10:24 PM

2016-05-19T22:24:25-04:00

I have very little to add as most of the posters put out sound tactics.
It also helps if you're willing to live anywhere, and thus can apply for more jobs. From September 2014 to June 2015, I applied for 120 jobs through USAJOBS. I was hired by three federal agencies in a span of 6 months, and I'm on my fourth agency, all through USAJOBS. My point is that it is also about statistics; the more you apply, the more people get to look at you.

Edit: Ugh, necro-post, my bad.

Response by SGT Monica Brooks made Aug 8 at 2016 9:26 PM

2016-08-08T21:26:01-04:00

Yes. I've held two postings that were listed on usajobs.gov.
Most job seekers overinflated their credentials or may have difficulty explaining their experience on paper.
For me, I tailored my resume to fit the criteria outlined in the announcement and married my experience with the requirements outlined.
I've experienced a lot of rejection over the course of my career.
What field are you trying to go into?

Response by SFC(P) Tobias M. made Aug 17 at 2016 7:59 AM

2016-08-17T07:59:54-04:00

I am also a current federal employee. I have been applying for sometime now to get a better paying career. I have noticed that they are looking for the job description to be in your resume. If it is not then, yes you will get sent to the Hiring Official but that is all your going to get. I am not sure who is looking at these but someone needs to teach them what the things on our resume means.

I was told that I did not qualify for a position due to,
As the vacancy announcement stated, the Specialized Experience for this
Staff Administrative Specialist position is: work that involves maintenance
of personnel records; processing of personnel actions; personnel management;
correspondence, and maintenance of files, mail distribution, and other
related functions; provide advice and assistance to management and personnel
regarding various administrative support functions. This definition of
specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower
grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

In order to be qualified for this position, your resume must have documented
the Specialized Experience listed above and unfortunately your resume did
not reflect the following: maintenance of personnel records, processing of
personnel actions, personnel management and assistance to management and
personnel regarding various administrative support functions.

I am an E7 and Platoon Sergeant so why do I not have personnel management skills? I was a GS-08 in finance for 7 years. So how do I not have personnel actions, correspondence and maintenance of files skills?

If they were to read the resume they would see that I in fact have all the skills that they are looking for.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 14 at 2019 1:30 PM

2019-07-14T13:30:40-04:00

I heard a key point is knowing RESUMEX which standardizes resumes and key words.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2019 1:57 PM

2019-07-14T13:57:42-04:00

I have found USAJobs and the federal hiring process to be totally broken. As a result, they are losing out on many highly qualified candidates. That sadly is par for the course for federal hiring process. The private sector pays a lot more as well in many cases.