I see a lot of comments about only 20 applications being noob stats, but take that sentiment with a grain of salt. People who are applying to lots and lots and lots of positions are likely approaching applications with a **blunderbuss** of a resume that has only had minimal tailoring to each announcement.
If, however, you want to fire at these applications with a **sniper rifle**, turn the tailoring up to 11 out of 10. I don't mean like lying on your resume, I'm saying _really_ look over the announcement and try to read between the lines as for what they're looking for. And then write to that. If you already have experience in the field of work this shouldn't be too difficult.
I only applied for 14 jobs but for each one I threw 100% of my efforts into making sure my resume (and cover letter, if one was mentioned in the announcement) fit exactly what I thought the hiring manager was looking for. Referred to ~60%, interviewed for two, two TJOs, one FO.
What I’ve been applying for is mostly GS7 positions doing the exact job I did in the military (military payroll). I figured it’s the best way to get my foot in the door and then hopefully move in to a budget analyst position. I could just spam applications to budget analyst positions and whatever else I see just to “get the numbers up” like people are saying, but since I have no experience outside of the 6 years in military pay in the military, a bachelors degree in finance, and a year in accounts receivable post-college I don’t think I’d have a great shot at immediately getting a GS9 budget analyst position.
Also, I’m not in a location where there’s an abundance of federal jobs, so I’ve basically been waiting for positions to pop up in locations I wouldn’t mind relocating to
Just out of curiosity, do you intern anywhere over the past four years while going to school for your bachelor's after leaving the military? You're competing against a lot of mid-career people who want to come in as GS-7 on a ladder up to 11 or 12. You may need more experience. Also, a job on a military base is really popular for some reason so try looking around. For instance, Ogden, Utah and Omaha, Nebraska have military bases, but multiple other agencies also have similar jobs in the same cities that may have less applicants.
But here are some things you can do:
1. Try applying to all the similar recent grad jobs as well.
2. Apply to jobs off military bases in or near the cities you're willing to relocate to.
3. Apply to the same job or similar jobs in other agencies.
This should let you get up to 100 jobs applied to over the next few months. Apply and forget, meaning apply and then keep applying as though you hadn't applied before!
I didn’t do any internships while in college. After graduating I worked an accounts receivable job, but that gave me no experience that’d help with the jobs I’m applying for.
I put it in another comment, but I’ve been applying for GS7 and GS9 jobs that would’ve fallen under my AFSC while in the military. The GS7 jobs are as a military pay technician. I spent all 6 years I was in the military doing that exact job. The GS9 positions would be for a budget analyst position. I never worked on that side of the office, so with the exception of the occasional PowerPoint training we’d have I have no actual experience doing it. As you can imagine, I don’t remember any of the training from 4+ years ago for a job I didn’t do on a day to day basis. I’ve been “referred” for the military pay positions, but not for any of the budget analyst positions, so I don’t know if I’m just wasting time applying for them or not. I have a bachelors in finance, but I don’t have any grad school credits, so I don’t know if I’m even eligible for them.
Recent grad/ internship / pathways are options to look at. you get special appointments for these jobs.
look at budget , acct, finsncial jobs in 05xx, 11xx, and 0344 and 0392 families
Search for Pathways and recent graduate positions on USAJobs. Apply for anything remotely related to your degree. Get your foot in the door and go from there.
Ah yeah, GS-7 positions are going to have some stiff competition due to the sheer volume of applicants, especially in HCOL metropolitan areas. Plus it would be hard to make a living as a 7 in expensive areas. The ability to relocate to a potentially less crowded location may work in your favor.
6 years of experience is not insignificant, perhaps you're not showcasing your knowledge/skills/abilities in a way that makes sense to both HR and the hiring manager. That's the challenge with writing federal resumes unfortunately.
You better broaden your horizons. Look for jobs that are higher than GS07, as the GS level that you come in at will be where you start your climb up. Look for 9 or 11 as well.
Look for opportunities outside your geographic area.
You are selling yourself short. There are relevant positions for you in most agencies. Use your experience to show you can do those other positions. At GS7 they don't necessarily expect you to be fully competent or be fully experienced.
It would help if you lived near a place that will hire you. Might need to start as a contractor or come in as a reservist full-time employee. Veterans' preference goes a long way!
Yea take it with a grain of salt, but I'm only an intern but my first interview landed me an FJO, I'm currently interning with the DoD rn, conversion to a 7/9/11 ladder and I get full federal benefits as a pathways intern as I'm considered a civil servant. I've been interviewed for roughly 75% of my applications. Referred for 100% of them.
tagging /u/Help-South
Your experience is gonna be different because you're applying to full time jobs but you want roughly a 70% (ballpark number) or so referral rate to indicate you're applying for the right jobs that you actually qualify for.
The thing is I’ve been applying for the exact job I did in the military. Like my resume straight up has the exact job title they’re hiring for but changed to corporate speak. Just makes me feel like I’ve been shooting applications into the abyss that are never actually looked at
As an intern staffing, we are required to look at every application that's submitted and to either refer them or not refer them. It's possible your application isn't showcasing your experience well, some of the resumes I've seen are goddamn terrible. Granted I've not been an intern a long time so someone else running around the subreddit is absolutely more qualified to speak on the issue than I am, but many people have no idea how to write a federal resume including people getting out of the military/contractors etc. Bullets or paragraphs doesn't matter, whatever showcases your experience better, but many people don't do that well that I've seen.
If I had to guess (and I do!) I’d say you need to work a lot more on your resume. Use the USAJOBS form for the resume. Write as if you are explaining to your old boss how you do payroll. Use every word they use to describe how you meet that element. Dance like no one is watching. Wait. Scratch that last one.
And most importantly reach out to a decently ranking civilian (maybe GS13) and ask for their feedback. If no longer know anyone in government, ask on this thread. Someone will help.
It’s the logic in that concept that doesn’t make sense. In theory you should be no more likely to get hired for the 400th one you apply for than the 1st. Each one is it’s own unique butterfly. There are no bonus points for having applied for more than the other applicants or anything.
Yes, perhaps people are conflating a high number of applications put in with higher chances of getting an offer. What I think is happening is that people who put in a lot of applications tend to get better at 1) finding announcements they qualify for, and 2) filling them out, just from sheer volume over time from repetition.
Think of it this way--best case it helps you, worst case it's neutral. I haven't seen a hiring manager refuse to consider an application on the basis of the applicant including a cover letter.
I’ve typically only been applying for jobs similar to what I did in the military and that at the bases in areas I’d want to relocate to. Kind of limits how many positions I’m able to apply for unfortunately
Apply to anything that looks interesting.
Worst case you get interview experience, and can ask them for feedback after the interview which will help you be more competitive.
And 20 is rookie numbers. Think I had 70 applications in by my first interview - probably 120 by the time I got hired. With preference and a Masters.
This. Let HR sort it out. They're going to gatekeep anyway, so make them earn it. The worst thing that will happen is that you won't get a job you never had to begin with. But, you may luck out. Who knows? You have to at least put in to have a chance.
military doesn't pay into their retirement, civil service does, so if you want your military time to count in civil service, yo must pay 3% of your basic pay while in the military for it to count.
I have broken federal service. To get back to federal service, I had to apply to a not so desirable location. Once there, it took 30 months to switch agencies to a better geographic location.
I’ve had some success with non federal jobs as far as getting interviews go. Is it typically a different format when submitting for federal jobs? It also wants metrics, but I can’t really provide any without completely making them up since I haven’t been in the military for over 4 years and have no way to obtain them
I’m also applying for GS7 and GS9 jobs like the post says to get my foot in the door, but haven’t had any luck.
Read the post in my link. You’re writing for two audiences: what HR wants to see is different from the selecting official. Much different from the private sector.
Second vote for the USAJOBS resume webinars… was a huge epiphany for me realizing that a five page resume is actually what they want. Also a second vote for the annoying template, but once it’s done I use it to copy/paste bullet points to tailor a private sector resume for each application
USAJobs hosts free resume workshops online, and some agencies have online webinars with hiring managers where they tell you exactly what they are looking for! Use them!
I used this resume service and had 3 interviews after they revamped my resume. I took the 3rd job which was two grades above my current grade. I'm a 10 pt vet also with an MS. www.topresume.com. Tell them that you need a federal resume. It really was the gamechanger for me. Good luck!
It is pretty difficult.
Depending on what job you're applying to you're easily competing against hundreds or thousands of people who are also veterans.
People are willing to downgrade and move too.
It really is all about having a solid resume and applying until you're the best candidate for one of the jobs on your list.
It really depends. I was also in the air force. I got a job as a contractor then went to a hiring event and landed a WG position my first time. There were guys there who said they go every year and had been trying for 10 years to get on base. I've been applying thru USA jobs for positions that pay more than I'm qualified for and I was only referred on one and it was cancelled. Starting as a contractor on base can get your foot in the door. You can get to know people and sometimes the people you work with will be in charge of interviews etc.
Here are the issues you need to realize
1. entry level for recent grads are GS 5 or 7. For 7 you need a 3+ gpa.
2. veteran preferences has the edge in public/ us citizen announcements
3 are you looking at jobs thst are positive education required? For example the 04xx family are biology, ecology related jobs which require coutse work in a subject. Veterans tend not to compete well with these positive education jobs
4. are you limiting yourself to just your geographic area? In most large metro areas, fed jobs are going to be hard to get. Most metro areas have a VA hospital, an airport, fed courts, postal, SS/ Medicare, and DOD if a base is in the area. Large cites have sone regional agency HQ offices but tey are usually scattered in an area. What I mean is that New England has most in Boston. In the Great Lakes you have many 1M+ large metro areas which have them scatered. Got PNW most are in either Portland or Seattle which aren’t far apart.
5. check resume grammar
6. what are you applying for? Is it realistic?
1. I’ve been applying for mostly GS7 positions, but I’ve also applied for a few GS9s. My GPA was also above 3.0 in college.
2. I have 5 point veteran preference, should hopefully be going up to 10 whenever the VA finishes up with my disability paperwork.
3. I’ve been looking mostly for “Military pay technician” and “budget analyst” positions. I’m not sure if those fall under that category or not. I have a bachelors degree, but I don’t have any credits towards a masters.
4. I’ve been applying to positions that are at Air Force bases in locations I’d be open to relocating to. There’s not really a lot of federal jobs in the location I currently live - this is also why I’ve only applied for 20ish positions. I apply for the job titles from 3. when I see them open at a location I want to move to.
5. I’ve had my resume looked over by both my parents and some friends. My dad also has experience as a hiring manager, but not for federal jobs. I’ve also had it looked over by the people at the college I attended who help students write resumes and prepare for interviews.
6. Ive applied for both military pay technician (GS7) and budget analyst (GS9) positions. Both of these are jobs that people would do in the Air Force with my AFSC (6F0X1). However, I spent all 6 years I was in the military on the military pay side. I’ve been referred to the hiring manager for a few of the military pay positions, but I haven’t referred for any of the budget analyst positions yet, so I don’t know if I’m just wasting my time applying for them.
The difficulty of getting a federal job depends on a couple of factors.
1. The first is what department, division, and job title you are applying to. A lot of federal departments are getting there funding cut and can’t hire many people (probably won’t get better after the election). There are departments which are hiring more than others currently, an example being the IRS.
2. The second factor is your qualifications. First off I would try to figure out what GS levels you qualify for and apply for jobs in those GS levels. Off the top of my head I know a bachelors degrees gets you a GS7, Masters a GS 9, and PHD GS 11. I know you have military experience, but I don’t believe that will help with additional GS levels (I am not a veteran). As what I understand it will help you get a job over someone with the same or similar qualifications who does not have military experience.
3. The amount of applications you put in. Depending on your qualifications, you may have to put an addition applications. I only had to put in two get a job with the federal government however, I applied to the IRS which are hiring a bunch of people, I have a masters degree, and I have two years of working experience. I have seen people in this thread who will put hundreds of applications in. Unfortunately, it’s a very slow process, it’s hard to hear back from any applications to apply to, and there’s a bunch of people applying for federal jobs.
And about your resume question. There should be an example résumé on USA jobs, you should have your résumé follow that formats and such what they are looking for.
Aside for the advice I gave, I would also not put all your eggs in one basket. Keep applying to jobs even if you get interviewed or you get reviewed for other jobs. The only reason I would stop applying is if you get a firm job offer. If you have any questions or if this helped you, let me know.
The IRS is hiring and hosting hiring events. Some positions require a background in accounting but not all. Here’s a link to all of the upcoming federal hiring events. I think you’ll get in faster if you attend an event ( preferably in person but online may work too).
https://www.usajobs.gov/notification/events
Depends heavily on where you're located and what grades and positions you're going after. If you're unable to relocate and aren't in a major metro, getting a position can be extremely difficult.
Even in demand, DHA jobs can be difficult to come by, qualify for, and receive offers for.
Are you wording your resume exactly like how you did it in the military? If you aren't able to articulate it in a functional manner, you will likely not get an interview.
Some AF guys I worked with would ALWAYS tell me, how they did the same job I'm doing. Well no, you did it in a military aspect and just because this job is on a base doesn't mean it's exactly like how you did it in the military,
My resume is basically the EPR bullets I had while I was in the military translated into resume format. A civilian (gs position) I worked with on base actually helped me make my resume before I separated and went to college. I’ve updated it since then with advice from people at the university I attended whose job was to help students with resumes and that kind of thing, but it’s mostly the same information.
As far as the job goes it’s literally the same exact job I did in the military. I even did it at a supervisory level, so I’m kind of surprised I haven’t managed to get any interviews. It’s basically military payroll, so unless someone was also in the Air Force with the same AFSC they wouldn’t really have experience doing the exact job they’re hiring for. Some openings show as only having around 10 applicants after closing, and I still don’t hear back after being referred to the hiring manager. It just makes me wonder how I can’t even get interviewed if there’s only 9 other people that applied since it’s kind of a niche area.
Nope. Applying for the positions I see in an area I’d be open to relocating to. I am searching for certain job titles though which lessens the amount I’m able to apply
for niche positions…they often have people theyve already chosen but legally have to advertise for.
You have a couple choices, keep applying for the area you want or apply to every where that position is at to get that inside experience.
OP locking down your 10 point is going to be super helpful here. Additionally you should have multiple resumes loaded into USAjobs tailored to different positions mostly PDF but the resume builder as well. I know you are primarily targeting your AFSC but I'd broaden to any 0311 that has anything related to what you did while on AD and I would look at the other branches/non DoD organizations, because just about everyone has a finance section to some degree. Another thing you may qualify for is the pathways program which has slightly different names for different organizations but it targets recent grads (which in most cases you qualify for) and can put you on a streamlined path to GS12/13.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/
My disability claim has been waiting on the VA for the past 4 months, so I’m just stuck with the 5 points for previously serving until they finally get around to it. I got a letter in the mail from them about a month ago that basically said “sorry for the delay” and that they’re still working on it, so I can’t really do anything besides keep waiting.
Yeah I was in the same boat, you're at the mercy of the VA. Until then you can use your recent graduate status to your advantage, and as I mentioned, it may be worth looking at other branches in the meantime. There's also nothing wrong with looking at starting as a contractor and or applying directly for higher GS/WG etc... positions. I was 9 years active, 5 years AFRC, and contracted for both the US Army and USAF while on reserve status. Then I landed a GS-13 as the FIRST federal job I ever applied for (insanely lucky, combination of VA rating, super niche position, and knowing a ton of people at the command). When I was ready to switch positions I probably applied for 70-80 positions, including lower grades, and got a total of 2 interviews, and 1 TJO which turned into FJO EOD next week. So it can be a mixed bag.
No but I did apply to that position, a few of them! I was picked up for something in the DoD. I was not selected for a few VSR/Rater, and VA Training Program manager positions lol.
I’ve been applying for GS7 positions doing what I did in the military because I feel like it’s a niche position and what I’d have the best shot getting hired on at. It’s actually kind of funny because there’s GS9 positions that people in my AFSC actually do, but I never got a chance to work on that side of the office. Before I separated the commander actually told me he’d move me to that side of the office if I reenlisted/extended my contract, but at that point I knew from experience they could tell me they’re going to do something and then change their mind and I can’t do anything about it while on a contract. Now I’m here and I’ve never worked on that side of the office, so I can’t get through to the “referral” part of the process because I have no experience doing it
I applied to over 60 before I had an interview and that was with a graduate degree in business and 8+ years of experience working in other (non federal) but government jobs. Referred basically means next to nothing unless they decide you are highly qualified.
I applied to two and got interviews to both. I wrote resume for both jobs specifically and took me an entire day. I was VRE and got recommended for the jobs by them and they helped me write my resume to federal standards (it is no joke).
Get TROUTMAN’s book on federal resumes. Fix your resume and keep applying. If you can’t get through the first review (HR screens before sending it to the unit that would hire you), you resume is wrong. One hint; my fed resume is double+ the size of my academic professional CV.
I just got a call today for a call interview after applying for a year and a half(102 applications). This is with veteran preference, Schedule A, Bachelor degree in field and 10 years of experience crazy.
All I can say is don’t lose hope and be patient. I only applied to about 5 and got an interview. Currently waiting for the results of my SF86, to obtain secret-sensitive information clearance. I would say make sure you tweak your resume to match the wording that is in the job posting. Because you’re simply a digital profile until you sit down for that interview. Hiring managers don’t get the whole person. I would say personally having experience working within positions at local government level helped me to get this far.
I used to hire so I can tell you this. You need to be qualified for the job and the competition is good. Not as good as the civilian world but still good.
I saw way too many resumes that I could immediately tell they were just applying for every job open.
Also, you need to make sure that your format is correct. Usajobs.gov has examples of the exact format to use. You are supposed to list your previous places of employment, job title, and the amount of pay you received, and if it was a federal job, you have to list the series and grade or whatever was used at that federal job.
I applied through LinkedIn for my role. I work in finance for the Space force at Los Angeles Air Force base. Currently I’m on the 7/9/11/12 ladder and just finished my first year. Have you looked into the Palace Aquire (PAQ) program? I know some friends who got jobs with the PAQ program and they love it.
What do you do in the finance office if you don’t mind me asking? I worked in the finance office while in the military, and I’ve been trying to get back in it on the civilian side. I’m probably trying to be on the same path as you by the sound of it. I’ve been trying to get a military pay tech role (GS7) and then get into a budget analyst position
I’m a budget analyst for acquisitions. They recently had a role on LinkedIn for a developmental role in finance (FMA) but I’m not sure if it’s still open.
I’m a federal employee that still has issues getting referrals and when I do get referred I rarely hear back as OP is also experiencing. Some agencies post the jobs as a formality even when they already have individuals at the agency who have been picked for the vacancy!
Try recent grad and veteran hiring paths- those are a way to get your foot in!
Are there just tons of vets looking? I thought being a veteran was a sure thing to get a job in the feds.
I was told internally not to apply to certain jobs as a non-vet because in practice they're the only ones who are ever hired for them. They're usually the trade jobs that require and apprenticeship.
I’ve heard from multiple folks that it takes at LEAST a yr before getting recognized. 20+ resumes since May? That’s not a lot. I’ve been applying since Han 2024 and I’m up to 122 apps, had 3 interviews with 1 upcoming interview. I’m going to tell you like others has been telling me. KEEP APPLYING.
Which agency are you applying to?
Yes, please have your resume formatted the way it shows you on USA jobs or have it professionally revamped by someone that does federal resumes.
I applied less than a dozen times, but it took five years, but that's for a small career field with an impoverished grade structure. Just the same, the process is slow and painful for everyone.
I would say so. I’m currently a fed, but “stuck” in my current role. I’ve put in over 90 apps and the most I’ve gotten was you’ve been referred to the hiring manager and then nothing else.
>I’ve been trying to get a federal job since graduating college last May.
Since 2007 I've applied to countless jobs. I had interviews for about 5 or 6 positions. Finally got my first offer in 2023.
Yes I've been trying for 10 years even with experience as a federal contractor. It's pretty much who you know. Edit just read you were prior military. Thank you for your service!
If that's the case you should have no issues landing a job. 20 is low just keep applying you'll get something.
It's going to be different for everyone. I had a job offer the day after I separated on a navy base and started 2 months after separation. It was doing something I did when I was on active duty.
I wasn't picky about jobs I was applying for and I cast my net out as far as I could.
I just started my most recent postion last week. I applied to 8 jobs in January and 11 jobs in March.
I've been lucky in that I've never had to apply to hundreds of jobs before landing one. As others have said, you may need to revamp your resume.
For perspective, I’ve been applying since 2013 and got one interview that resulted in a closed position, and a few referrals that fell through. I was only successful when I attended a job fair, and got through (which could have been sooner if my unofficial transcript that was on usajobs had the actual date that I received my MS degree, which was bright to my attn at the job fair 🙃). With that said, keep applying, but keep an eye out for job fairs, it helped me! Good luck
It took me over 14 years and maybe over 700 applications. When I hit 36 I paid to have my resume done then started looking again. Within a month I was finally hired!
But 20 apps is nothing. Get your resume done and keep going it will happen
i applied to 100+ i was interviewed for like 5. The job i was excited about, i didn’t get and the one i was like nonchalantly interviewed and i even thought about not interviewing for i got it!
so far its much better than i expected, and has a great upward mobility!
I know TSA is a good starting job. It personally isn't something I can do but it eventually pays really well and opens you up to other positions. There is also the park service but that pays less.
It's not easy that's for sure.
I have a masters degree, 7 years of cybersecurity experience, and veterans preference and I haven't gotten in even with 100+ applications over the years.
The furthest I have gotten is interview stages in various FLEO agencies for 1811 jobs. I have had 0 luck in getting interviewed for any federal cybersecurity position.
Keep trying and make adjustments as neccessary.
I don't think it's too difficult, but it is a lengthy process. If your resume is good and you follow vacancy protocols outlined, you should be getting more traction.
Apply and forget if you haven't done so already, please research federal resume to include your start dates month and year salary and weather pastime 20+ hours or full time. Ensure your resume encapsulates anything asked in the questionnaire. The process may take 6 months+ due to background checks. Be patient and Good luck!
Good luck! Keep going! Here’s a bit of advice I was given. Read the announcement and really tailor your resume to that announcement. The announcement tells you word for word what they want. If you need to dumb down your resume to make it fit the announcement do that. I had to do it. I applied for one federal job as a GS12 and got it. I see a lot of being saying 20 is nothing, but if you’re putting in the work, 20 can feel like a lot. You got this! Congrats on graduating!
u/OP Why not look at big defense firms as a pricing analyst? Many of them are remote at start at 60K+ depending on locality, experience, clearance levels etc. My sister organization is always going through junior-ish pricing analysts as they are typically junior in years and move on up after some tenure.
I highly recommend attending the ‘Treasury’s - Writing your Federal Resume’ event. Next one is Jun 27 1-2:30 EST. There is also a Treasury’s - Interviewing Techniques tomorrow from 2-3p EST. Attend both then tell me what you think. I believe they are SO WORTH IT! (Look under USAJOBS ‘events’)
Fellow af veteran here who also applied to about 10 jobs. What finally got me a direct hire and interview was figuring out who the leadership was and reaching out to them on LinkedIn. That being said, I’m still waiting for my FJO after interviewing in feb, and receiving a TJO in April. The process is tedious
Only 20 jobs? You need to bang out 20 applications in a weekend. Your goal right now is not to find the perfect job just a job you can get. Once you are in the federal ecosystem then you look for the perfect job.
It’s pretty difficult. I’m a vet too, and I have had several interviews and even some TJOs, but no FJO yet.
It’s one of those things where if you NEED a new job now, don’t even bother applying. These jobs are for when you have years to burn applying and waiting to get your foot in the door.
If you want a fed job and you aren’t getting interviews you might need to look at yourself. Are you applying to jobs which are realistically over your skill level? Not to be insulting, but tons of people think they should start out as GS12/13 and most won’t.
If getting your foot in the door is most important, apply for lower grades. Kick ass for a year at the lower grade and move up if it’s a ladder position. Apply for higher grades if it’s not a ladder.
It’s definitely pretty difficult, but once you get that referral status, you’re getting closer and it feels really good. Also 20+ is not enough, I’d say keep applying, I applied to about 150+ apps before I got my first referral.
In terms of your resume, it’s a plus to have all your experience on there, even if that makes your resume stretch to 3-4 pages, put all your experience on there!
Goodluck!
I applied for well over 400 jobs before I got my first permanent. Gotta know someone it seems. Since getting permanent, I’ve applied for two. Declined to interview for one and the other I got. Once you’re in pending the series you’re set.
Yes it is! Took me more than a decade and I have an impeccable resume. I have a pal who was referred to a Director hire position and got it. She had never applied for a Govt job before.
Look into the Presidential Management Fellowship. It's a fast track to higher level positions. You'll also get a chance to network with some other high speed people who are already established.
It will probably require you to relocate. I was a semi-finalist, but I had to withdrawer from the process because of the moving requirement. I just had my first, and probably only, child this year, otherwise I would be pushing for it. It's a very lucrative program.
At the end of the day, landing a fed job is a numbers game. The wider your net, the more fish you will catch. I applied to over 250 jobs before I got a TJO!
If you set up a saved search on USAJobs with the parameters that fit your skill set/pre reqs, you can get email notifications when new jobs are posted that match your saved search.
Keep on keeping on and good luck!!!
I applied to hard to fill positions they suck but some are direct hire. Join the agency hiring events too they tend to help you reword your resume to filter through
Most people who end up in a fedgov position applied to numerous positions before landing one (unless they onboarded pre-USAJobs). So, you're in good company. It's usually not an easy task to land one (even when you're working IN fedgov).
Tough to agree with the AMOUNT of applications you have to send in. This is not always the case. Depends on the job and location.
You need to realize that there are a lot of people just like you out there. Not busting your balls at all.
Please use the usajobs resume format. Sometimes when people do their own they leave out some silly ass piece of information that is "Required' by HR.
Make sure you tailor your resume to the job that you're applying for. Many times I'll get resumes that are so clearly generic that it's tough to even tell what job they're applying for.
1. Research the Special Hiring Authority- Pathways Program for Recent Grads.
2. Use the Resume builder template on usajobs. *Have supervisors name and telephone number along with responsibilities for each job using the Star method.
4. Pay close attention to the job description. If your resume do not show the experience required- the app may not get referred.
5. Do 20 per day. Have transcripts, copy of your degree etc.
Good luck.
First: look at the job open dates. If you’re applying to anything open for more than 30 days, you’re just giving them a resume to keep on file because there’s no job actually open right now. It’s stupid, and I don’t think they should be allowed to do it, but that’s what they do.
Second: what pay grade are the jobs you’re applying to? You may be trying to jump too high. Yeah, you’ve got 6 years military experience and a degree. If you’re applying for anything higher than a GS9, you’re not getting an interview because the GS9 that already works in that office is getting the GS11 position.
Another strategy is to broaden your search in terms of jobs. You can apply for management analyst and mission support admin/logistics positions (0300 series); also look at other financial heavy agencies IRS, OMB, GSA, etc. comes to mind. If otherwise qualified and interested you could apply for law enforcement positions both field, investigator, and regulatory (0083, 1800, a bunch of others…).
If feasible, open up your geographic search as much as possible.
For military bases, sometimes they have job fairs with direct hire authority. Get on the recruiting list for each service (it may be an AF base but there’s an Army or Navy Detachment that needs people to (as well as GSA, IC, etc).
Most, but not all Agencies have a veteran recruiter. Some just push a website but others will review resumes and serve as a POC to get info on positions throughout the process.
Well…. The answer to this question is both yes, and no.
My spouse and I started applying when we got our associate degrees. I got my first federal position shortly before I graduated with my BACHELORS (March that year). My spouse got hired in 9 months later (February the following year). Since then, we found it easier to apply.
Another thing to think about is the fiscal budget. That plays a major role in hiring times as well, because if there is no budget, hiring freezes will often happen. I hope this helps.
I finally received a TJO after I interviewed back in April. Just like you, I have submitted multiple applications for federal jobs each month . I have submitted over 1500 applications from the day I separated from the military 3 years ago. I gave up applying to federal jobs towards the end of 2023. I remember my professor in college, a retired COL advised me to stay away from the federal sector because the hiring process is very inefficient.
I started focusing on hiring events this year and led me to interviews. If you’re willing to relocate, register to hiring events even if you can’t attend just to get your resume in the pool. I had recruiters reach out because they received my resume from registering to hiring events. Some recruiters reached out weeks prior to the event to setup virtual interviews. It’s not 100% guaranteed, but another approach you can take hunting for federal positions. Don’t give up and good luck on the hunt 
Simple answer, yes. It is difficult to get a federal job (especially these days).
Apply to lower grade positions as well. Even those are hard to get. There are people with masters applying for GS-5 positions just to get their foot in the door.
USA jobs.gov has a resume builder. You also need a longer resume. Pull keywords and phrases from the announcement. If you had the same job at 3 different places, then copy all the information on those three different jobs. A government resume can easily be 5 pages long. Anything to get through the computer system.
These are just my observations. It depends on your career field and if you are willing to relocate, especially to so-called undesirable locales. I notice this especially is the case in HCOL areas where the local wages beat the federal wages or isolated locations. MCOL or LCOL where local wages are lower versus the federal wages and are near military bases tend to be harder. As many military retirees and/or veterans with same credentials/military training and military spouses may be competing for this job.
I have applied for about 6 federal jobs and in a niche field of healthcare. I have worked 3 federal jobs including my current job. The other 2 I received an interview and declined an interview. The other one job announcement was cancelled. My 2nd federal job was in a HCOL area where local wages were higher. They were kept losing employees to state agencies and local hospitals/companies.
I think you need to be qualified for what you’re applying for, your resume needs to reflect that..
I’m 2/2 for federal hiring.. second job is a ladder gs 5-12.. no degree.
Your chances are better if you're qualified and can demonstrate that through a resume and cover letter. Just know that you are competing against other vets. It also sounds like some jobs were affected by budget constraints if they were lowered to a lower grade.
Federal resumes should be detailed to demonstrate your experience in the KSAs.
I went to a federal job fair at a college. I was probably the oldest person there as I am 37 years old and 99% of the people in attendance were college students. I ended up speaking to someone who was a higher up GS 15 and had input with Hr. He was so impressed with me he gave me his direct contact. I applied online at usajobs.gov and was able to use him as a referral and 3 months later I started. I have no military experience and coming from corporate and real estate in which I worked with veterans in some capacity. If you ever see any postings for job fairs go to them wear your best and be ready to impress.
Look into the Air Force PAQ program. I was in the same boat as you. 6 years Air Force, just graduated with my bachelors. Applied to the program, got interviewed, and currently filling out my onboarding paperwork with a TJO. Blessed to have found this program.
So, I’m going to give you the key of actually getting a federal job…go to actual job fairs. Since you were in the military that’s a huge plus. I was offered a job right on the spot. Just got out of the military and got my masters. Within the last 3 years. You got this
Apply and then go live your best life. Assume you will never get the job so work a civilian career and everything. If a job where to ever come through then you can compare that career track versus what you have built already and make the choice.
20 applications, you gotta pump those numbers up...
In all seriousness, it is probably your resume, there are lots of good resources on here, on youtube, and other sites to help you write a proper resume that will land on someone's desk. The standard private sector 1 to 2 page resume is something that probably won't even make it past a computer screener.
Also, tailor your resume and use keywords taken out of the job posting.
I graduated in December 2023 and have been trying to land a federal job since and have had a hard time. I landed an internship with the government that transitions into a full time job the program is called the Resource Assistant Program.
Look… all the veteran preference points and spouse preference points for federal jobs are BS. It’s all about who you know! These federal offices have a good idea of who they want to hire… internal hires, friends, former work associates, known buddies, etc. if you’re applying without k nowing a single Person in that office you’re severely disadvantaged. It’s not as simple as have a resume… apply using veteran status…. And land the job.
All the comments that say “get your numbers up” are likely people who have elementary resumes or irrelevant experience. I’ve applied for five federal jobs; two interviews, one TO, now waiting on FO.
I targeted GS7 jobs and used superior academic achievement in college as my qualification. If you went to college, got your degree and took it seriously with good grades, you should be able get referred.
I tailored ALL of my resumes per position because they each required something different.
In the end, numbers do not matter. This isn’t a game of Russian Roulette. Work on making your resume better and stand out in the crowd. Best of luck!
Well it helps to read the vacancy announcement. Not all of them are for public even though they’re on a public site. Also helps to have your resume connect to key words in the announcement. And that you have a completed SF15 attached to every package you present.
If you've been gett8ng referred then you're on the right track. Those saying 20 is rookie numbers are likely in very popular job fields. My field is fairly niche and I've gotten interviews off 50% of my apps.
>I’ve applied for around 20+ federal jobs the past few months, but haven’t even been able to get an interview.
I applied to around 100 openings before I got my first job. I was coming in with relevant experience. Out of those 100 applications, I maybe heard back from 20 or 30, and of those, I got one interview.
Apply, apply, apply, and then apply again.
You might be able to stack "pathways" positions on your vet points, but you should check me on that. There is a great book on Fed resumes out there... make sure lift skill verbiage exactly from the posting.
It’s definitely not easy. Do you have a federal resume that list the hours and the required format that they are looking for? I’ve been applying for years and finally starting receiving referrals this years.
I’ve been using the normal resume template I send out to non government jobs. I’ve gotten two or referrals out of the 20ish so far. The first referral I ended up getting a rejection email and the job showed as canceled on USA jobs. The job was then reposted as a GS6 position when it was previously a GS9. The other one I was referred to the hiring manager less than a week after applying and then never heard anything since, and it’s now almost a month later.
As far as the resume goes I’ll probably have to look into changing it to the format for federal jobs. I’ve typically been using a resume a civilian that had a GS position helped me with back before I separated. I’ve updated it since then, but it has a lot of the same stuff on it.
Use the resume builder on USAJobs. Hiring managers prefer that format. Federal job resumes are completely different from non government standards. Then make sure you are pulling keywords and phrases from the job announcement and the assessment (you can look at a sample copy of it before submitting your resume) and work them into your resume.
There are plenty of guides online and this subreddit about proper formatting. Just follow those instructions.
I see a lot of comments about only 20 applications being noob stats, but take that sentiment with a grain of salt. People who are applying to lots and lots and lots of positions are likely approaching applications with a **blunderbuss** of a resume that has only had minimal tailoring to each announcement. If, however, you want to fire at these applications with a **sniper rifle**, turn the tailoring up to 11 out of 10. I don't mean like lying on your resume, I'm saying _really_ look over the announcement and try to read between the lines as for what they're looking for. And then write to that. If you already have experience in the field of work this shouldn't be too difficult. I only applied for 14 jobs but for each one I threw 100% of my efforts into making sure my resume (and cover letter, if one was mentioned in the announcement) fit exactly what I thought the hiring manager was looking for. Referred to ~60%, interviewed for two, two TJOs, one FO.
What I’ve been applying for is mostly GS7 positions doing the exact job I did in the military (military payroll). I figured it’s the best way to get my foot in the door and then hopefully move in to a budget analyst position. I could just spam applications to budget analyst positions and whatever else I see just to “get the numbers up” like people are saying, but since I have no experience outside of the 6 years in military pay in the military, a bachelors degree in finance, and a year in accounts receivable post-college I don’t think I’d have a great shot at immediately getting a GS9 budget analyst position. Also, I’m not in a location where there’s an abundance of federal jobs, so I’ve basically been waiting for positions to pop up in locations I wouldn’t mind relocating to
Just out of curiosity, do you intern anywhere over the past four years while going to school for your bachelor's after leaving the military? You're competing against a lot of mid-career people who want to come in as GS-7 on a ladder up to 11 or 12. You may need more experience. Also, a job on a military base is really popular for some reason so try looking around. For instance, Ogden, Utah and Omaha, Nebraska have military bases, but multiple other agencies also have similar jobs in the same cities that may have less applicants. But here are some things you can do: 1. Try applying to all the similar recent grad jobs as well. 2. Apply to jobs off military bases in or near the cities you're willing to relocate to. 3. Apply to the same job or similar jobs in other agencies. This should let you get up to 100 jobs applied to over the next few months. Apply and forget, meaning apply and then keep applying as though you hadn't applied before!
I didn’t do any internships while in college. After graduating I worked an accounts receivable job, but that gave me no experience that’d help with the jobs I’m applying for. I put it in another comment, but I’ve been applying for GS7 and GS9 jobs that would’ve fallen under my AFSC while in the military. The GS7 jobs are as a military pay technician. I spent all 6 years I was in the military doing that exact job. The GS9 positions would be for a budget analyst position. I never worked on that side of the office, so with the exception of the occasional PowerPoint training we’d have I have no actual experience doing it. As you can imagine, I don’t remember any of the training from 4+ years ago for a job I didn’t do on a day to day basis. I’ve been “referred” for the military pay positions, but not for any of the budget analyst positions, so I don’t know if I’m just wasting time applying for them or not. I have a bachelors in finance, but I don’t have any grad school credits, so I don’t know if I’m even eligible for them.
Recent grad/ internship / pathways are options to look at. you get special appointments for these jobs. look at budget , acct, finsncial jobs in 05xx, 11xx, and 0344 and 0392 families
Search for Pathways and recent graduate positions on USAJobs. Apply for anything remotely related to your degree. Get your foot in the door and go from there.
Ah yeah, GS-7 positions are going to have some stiff competition due to the sheer volume of applicants, especially in HCOL metropolitan areas. Plus it would be hard to make a living as a 7 in expensive areas. The ability to relocate to a potentially less crowded location may work in your favor. 6 years of experience is not insignificant, perhaps you're not showcasing your knowledge/skills/abilities in a way that makes sense to both HR and the hiring manager. That's the challenge with writing federal resumes unfortunately.
You better broaden your horizons. Look for jobs that are higher than GS07, as the GS level that you come in at will be where you start your climb up. Look for 9 or 11 as well. Look for opportunities outside your geographic area.
You are selling yourself short. There are relevant positions for you in most agencies. Use your experience to show you can do those other positions. At GS7 they don't necessarily expect you to be fully competent or be fully experienced.
It would help if you lived near a place that will hire you. Might need to start as a contractor or come in as a reservist full-time employee. Veterans' preference goes a long way!
Apply for supply tech positions, those could be buyer roles; and if you’re lucky, it could also be hybrid You’d qualify with your background.
USPS is always hiring. Still could contribute to your TSP and be in FERS.
Yea take it with a grain of salt, but I'm only an intern but my first interview landed me an FJO, I'm currently interning with the DoD rn, conversion to a 7/9/11 ladder and I get full federal benefits as a pathways intern as I'm considered a civil servant. I've been interviewed for roughly 75% of my applications. Referred for 100% of them.
tagging /u/Help-South Your experience is gonna be different because you're applying to full time jobs but you want roughly a 70% (ballpark number) or so referral rate to indicate you're applying for the right jobs that you actually qualify for.
The thing is I’ve been applying for the exact job I did in the military. Like my resume straight up has the exact job title they’re hiring for but changed to corporate speak. Just makes me feel like I’ve been shooting applications into the abyss that are never actually looked at
As an intern staffing, we are required to look at every application that's submitted and to either refer them or not refer them. It's possible your application isn't showcasing your experience well, some of the resumes I've seen are goddamn terrible. Granted I've not been an intern a long time so someone else running around the subreddit is absolutely more qualified to speak on the issue than I am, but many people have no idea how to write a federal resume including people getting out of the military/contractors etc. Bullets or paragraphs doesn't matter, whatever showcases your experience better, but many people don't do that well that I've seen.
If I had to guess (and I do!) I’d say you need to work a lot more on your resume. Use the USAJOBS form for the resume. Write as if you are explaining to your old boss how you do payroll. Use every word they use to describe how you meet that element. Dance like no one is watching. Wait. Scratch that last one. And most importantly reach out to a decently ranking civilian (maybe GS13) and ask for their feedback. If no longer know anyone in government, ask on this thread. Someone will help.
It’s the logic in that concept that doesn’t make sense. In theory you should be no more likely to get hired for the 400th one you apply for than the 1st. Each one is it’s own unique butterfly. There are no bonus points for having applied for more than the other applicants or anything.
Yes, perhaps people are conflating a high number of applications put in with higher chances of getting an offer. What I think is happening is that people who put in a lot of applications tend to get better at 1) finding announcements they qualify for, and 2) filling them out, just from sheer volume over time from repetition.
Did you change your cover letter every time?
I did, yes.
You should
Are even rele needed?
Think of it this way--best case it helps you, worst case it's neutral. I haven't seen a hiring manager refuse to consider an application on the basis of the applicant including a cover letter.
Interesting
Only +20? Keep applying
I was thinking the same thing. Until you break triple digits, you're still kind of rookie.
I’ve typically only been applying for jobs similar to what I did in the military and that at the bases in areas I’d want to relocate to. Kind of limits how many positions I’m able to apply for unfortunately
Apply to anything that looks interesting. Worst case you get interview experience, and can ask them for feedback after the interview which will help you be more competitive. And 20 is rookie numbers. Think I had 70 applications in by my first interview - probably 120 by the time I got hired. With preference and a Masters.
Agreed...I was at 105 before I got my first interview.
This. Let HR sort it out. They're going to gatekeep anyway, so make them earn it. The worst thing that will happen is that you won't get a job you never had to begin with. But, you may luck out. Who knows? You have to at least put in to have a chance.
This. Even if you don’t think you’re qualified, apply anyways.
a side note: if hired, don't forget to buy back your military time!
What does that mean, please and thank you?
military doesn't pay into their retirement, civil service does, so if you want your military time to count in civil service, yo must pay 3% of your basic pay while in the military for it to count.
And if I did not pay that 3% while I was active duty?
you misunderstand. you don't pay it while you're in.
So I'd cough up 3% of my base salary as it looked the last year I was active?
no, your entire period of active duty. [https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf\_fill/RI20-97.pdf](https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/RI20-97.pdf)
Thank you.
If you plan to retire with FERS you'd be stupid not to buy back your military time.
I have broken federal service. To get back to federal service, I had to apply to a not so desirable location. Once there, it took 30 months to switch agencies to a better geographic location.
I chortled lol +20 is indeed noob stats
I applied to one federal job ever, and got it. That sounds horrifying.
Agree.
Your resume likely needs work. This will help. https://www.reddit.com/r/usajobs/s/VXlFtzVYyA
I’ve had some success with non federal jobs as far as getting interviews go. Is it typically a different format when submitting for federal jobs? It also wants metrics, but I can’t really provide any without completely making them up since I haven’t been in the military for over 4 years and have no way to obtain them I’m also applying for GS7 and GS9 jobs like the post says to get my foot in the door, but haven’t had any luck.
Very different! Explore usajobs. It tells you how to do a federal resume. Sounds like you’re a vet, so that looks good on applications too!
👆 This because I had a TJO within 6 months of reformatting my resume and tweaking it. It’s tedious and asinine but it worked.
Read the post in my link. You’re writing for two audiences: what HR wants to see is different from the selecting official. Much different from the private sector.
Second vote for the USAJOBS resume webinars… was a huge epiphany for me realizing that a five page resume is actually what they want. Also a second vote for the annoying template, but once it’s done I use it to copy/paste bullet points to tailor a private sector resume for each application
USAJobs hosts free resume workshops online, and some agencies have online webinars with hiring managers where they tell you exactly what they are looking for! Use them!
I used this resume service and had 3 interviews after they revamped my resume. I took the 3rd job which was two grades above my current grade. I'm a 10 pt vet also with an MS. www.topresume.com. Tell them that you need a federal resume. It really was the gamechanger for me. Good luck!
It is pretty difficult. Depending on what job you're applying to you're easily competing against hundreds or thousands of people who are also veterans. People are willing to downgrade and move too. It really is all about having a solid resume and applying until you're the best candidate for one of the jobs on your list.
Exactly! 100% agree!
It really depends. I was also in the air force. I got a job as a contractor then went to a hiring event and landed a WG position my first time. There were guys there who said they go every year and had been trying for 10 years to get on base. I've been applying thru USA jobs for positions that pay more than I'm qualified for and I was only referred on one and it was cancelled. Starting as a contractor on base can get your foot in the door. You can get to know people and sometimes the people you work with will be in charge of interviews etc.
Here are the issues you need to realize 1. entry level for recent grads are GS 5 or 7. For 7 you need a 3+ gpa. 2. veteran preferences has the edge in public/ us citizen announcements 3 are you looking at jobs thst are positive education required? For example the 04xx family are biology, ecology related jobs which require coutse work in a subject. Veterans tend not to compete well with these positive education jobs 4. are you limiting yourself to just your geographic area? In most large metro areas, fed jobs are going to be hard to get. Most metro areas have a VA hospital, an airport, fed courts, postal, SS/ Medicare, and DOD if a base is in the area. Large cites have sone regional agency HQ offices but tey are usually scattered in an area. What I mean is that New England has most in Boston. In the Great Lakes you have many 1M+ large metro areas which have them scatered. Got PNW most are in either Portland or Seattle which aren’t far apart. 5. check resume grammar 6. what are you applying for? Is it realistic?
1. I’ve been applying for mostly GS7 positions, but I’ve also applied for a few GS9s. My GPA was also above 3.0 in college. 2. I have 5 point veteran preference, should hopefully be going up to 10 whenever the VA finishes up with my disability paperwork. 3. I’ve been looking mostly for “Military pay technician” and “budget analyst” positions. I’m not sure if those fall under that category or not. I have a bachelors degree, but I don’t have any credits towards a masters. 4. I’ve been applying to positions that are at Air Force bases in locations I’d be open to relocating to. There’s not really a lot of federal jobs in the location I currently live - this is also why I’ve only applied for 20ish positions. I apply for the job titles from 3. when I see them open at a location I want to move to. 5. I’ve had my resume looked over by both my parents and some friends. My dad also has experience as a hiring manager, but not for federal jobs. I’ve also had it looked over by the people at the college I attended who help students write resumes and prepare for interviews. 6. Ive applied for both military pay technician (GS7) and budget analyst (GS9) positions. Both of these are jobs that people would do in the Air Force with my AFSC (6F0X1). However, I spent all 6 years I was in the military on the military pay side. I’ve been referred to the hiring manager for a few of the military pay positions, but I haven’t referred for any of the budget analyst positions yet, so I don’t know if I’m just wasting my time applying for them.
You need to find a USA jobs webinar or resume formatting. Also, check out hiringourheros.com
The difficulty of getting a federal job depends on a couple of factors. 1. The first is what department, division, and job title you are applying to. A lot of federal departments are getting there funding cut and can’t hire many people (probably won’t get better after the election). There are departments which are hiring more than others currently, an example being the IRS. 2. The second factor is your qualifications. First off I would try to figure out what GS levels you qualify for and apply for jobs in those GS levels. Off the top of my head I know a bachelors degrees gets you a GS7, Masters a GS 9, and PHD GS 11. I know you have military experience, but I don’t believe that will help with additional GS levels (I am not a veteran). As what I understand it will help you get a job over someone with the same or similar qualifications who does not have military experience. 3. The amount of applications you put in. Depending on your qualifications, you may have to put an addition applications. I only had to put in two get a job with the federal government however, I applied to the IRS which are hiring a bunch of people, I have a masters degree, and I have two years of working experience. I have seen people in this thread who will put hundreds of applications in. Unfortunately, it’s a very slow process, it’s hard to hear back from any applications to apply to, and there’s a bunch of people applying for federal jobs. And about your resume question. There should be an example résumé on USA jobs, you should have your résumé follow that formats and such what they are looking for. Aside for the advice I gave, I would also not put all your eggs in one basket. Keep applying to jobs even if you get interviewed or you get reviewed for other jobs. The only reason I would stop applying is if you get a firm job offer. If you have any questions or if this helped you, let me know.
The IRS is hiring and hosting hiring events. Some positions require a background in accounting but not all. Here’s a link to all of the upcoming federal hiring events. I think you’ll get in faster if you attend an event ( preferably in person but online may work too). https://www.usajobs.gov/notification/events
Depends heavily on where you're located and what grades and positions you're going after. If you're unable to relocate and aren't in a major metro, getting a position can be extremely difficult. Even in demand, DHA jobs can be difficult to come by, qualify for, and receive offers for.
Are you wording your resume exactly like how you did it in the military? If you aren't able to articulate it in a functional manner, you will likely not get an interview. Some AF guys I worked with would ALWAYS tell me, how they did the same job I'm doing. Well no, you did it in a military aspect and just because this job is on a base doesn't mean it's exactly like how you did it in the military,
My resume is basically the EPR bullets I had while I was in the military translated into resume format. A civilian (gs position) I worked with on base actually helped me make my resume before I separated and went to college. I’ve updated it since then with advice from people at the university I attended whose job was to help students with resumes and that kind of thing, but it’s mostly the same information. As far as the job goes it’s literally the same exact job I did in the military. I even did it at a supervisory level, so I’m kind of surprised I haven’t managed to get any interviews. It’s basically military payroll, so unless someone was also in the Air Force with the same AFSC they wouldn’t really have experience doing the exact job they’re hiring for. Some openings show as only having around 10 applicants after closing, and I still don’t hear back after being referred to the hiring manager. It just makes me wonder how I can’t even get interviewed if there’s only 9 other people that applied since it’s kind of a niche area.
are you only applying to a specific location/region?
Nope. Applying for the positions I see in an area I’d be open to relocating to. I am searching for certain job titles though which lessens the amount I’m able to apply
for niche positions…they often have people theyve already chosen but legally have to advertise for. You have a couple choices, keep applying for the area you want or apply to every where that position is at to get that inside experience.
OP locking down your 10 point is going to be super helpful here. Additionally you should have multiple resumes loaded into USAjobs tailored to different positions mostly PDF but the resume builder as well. I know you are primarily targeting your AFSC but I'd broaden to any 0311 that has anything related to what you did while on AD and I would look at the other branches/non DoD organizations, because just about everyone has a finance section to some degree. Another thing you may qualify for is the pathways program which has slightly different names for different organizations but it targets recent grads (which in most cases you qualify for) and can put you on a streamlined path to GS12/13. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/
My disability claim has been waiting on the VA for the past 4 months, so I’m just stuck with the 5 points for previously serving until they finally get around to it. I got a letter in the mail from them about a month ago that basically said “sorry for the delay” and that they’re still working on it, so I can’t really do anything besides keep waiting.
Yeah I was in the same boat, you're at the mercy of the VA. Until then you can use your recent graduate status to your advantage, and as I mentioned, it may be worth looking at other branches in the meantime. There's also nothing wrong with looking at starting as a contractor and or applying directly for higher GS/WG etc... positions. I was 9 years active, 5 years AFRC, and contracted for both the US Army and USAF while on reserve status. Then I landed a GS-13 as the FIRST federal job I ever applied for (insanely lucky, combination of VA rating, super niche position, and knowing a ton of people at the command). When I was ready to switch positions I probably applied for 70-80 positions, including lower grades, and got a total of 2 interviews, and 1 TJO which turned into FJO EOD next week. So it can be a mixed bag.
That's awesome if you are a VA rater
No but I did apply to that position, a few of them! I was picked up for something in the DoD. I was not selected for a few VSR/Rater, and VA Training Program manager positions lol.
I’ve been applying for GS7 positions doing what I did in the military because I feel like it’s a niche position and what I’d have the best shot getting hired on at. It’s actually kind of funny because there’s GS9 positions that people in my AFSC actually do, but I never got a chance to work on that side of the office. Before I separated the commander actually told me he’d move me to that side of the office if I reenlisted/extended my contract, but at that point I knew from experience they could tell me they’re going to do something and then change their mind and I can’t do anything about it while on a contract. Now I’m here and I’ve never worked on that side of the office, so I can’t get through to the “referral” part of the process because I have no experience doing it
I applied to over 60 before I had an interview and that was with a graduate degree in business and 8+ years of experience working in other (non federal) but government jobs. Referred basically means next to nothing unless they decide you are highly qualified.
I applied to two and got interviews to both. I wrote resume for both jobs specifically and took me an entire day. I was VRE and got recommended for the jobs by them and they helped me write my resume to federal standards (it is no joke).
I got the first Fed job I applied to... guess im just lucky?
It took my 4 years and 300+ applications
Use the USAJobs resumé builder and use bullets.
Get TROUTMAN’s book on federal resumes. Fix your resume and keep applying. If you can’t get through the first review (HR screens before sending it to the unit that would hire you), you resume is wrong. One hint; my fed resume is double+ the size of my academic professional CV.
Look at pathways jobs.
I just got a call today for a call interview after applying for a year and a half(102 applications). This is with veteran preference, Schedule A, Bachelor degree in field and 10 years of experience crazy.
All I can say is don’t lose hope and be patient. I only applied to about 5 and got an interview. Currently waiting for the results of my SF86, to obtain secret-sensitive information clearance. I would say make sure you tweak your resume to match the wording that is in the job posting. Because you’re simply a digital profile until you sit down for that interview. Hiring managers don’t get the whole person. I would say personally having experience working within positions at local government level helped me to get this far.
Take anything to get your foot in the door. Once your in apply for your field.
I used to hire so I can tell you this. You need to be qualified for the job and the competition is good. Not as good as the civilian world but still good. I saw way too many resumes that I could immediately tell they were just applying for every job open.
By the way, in the 2 years + that we were applying, we put in over 1500 applications EACH. Just apply and forget.
Also, you need to make sure that your format is correct. Usajobs.gov has examples of the exact format to use. You are supposed to list your previous places of employment, job title, and the amount of pay you received, and if it was a federal job, you have to list the series and grade or whatever was used at that federal job.
I applied through LinkedIn for my role. I work in finance for the Space force at Los Angeles Air Force base. Currently I’m on the 7/9/11/12 ladder and just finished my first year. Have you looked into the Palace Aquire (PAQ) program? I know some friends who got jobs with the PAQ program and they love it.
What do you do in the finance office if you don’t mind me asking? I worked in the finance office while in the military, and I’ve been trying to get back in it on the civilian side. I’m probably trying to be on the same path as you by the sound of it. I’ve been trying to get a military pay tech role (GS7) and then get into a budget analyst position
I’m a budget analyst for acquisitions. They recently had a role on LinkedIn for a developmental role in finance (FMA) but I’m not sure if it’s still open.
Literally thousands since 2013.
Probably your resume.
Indeed it was my resume back then.
I’m a federal employee that still has issues getting referrals and when I do get referred I rarely hear back as OP is also experiencing. Some agencies post the jobs as a formality even when they already have individuals at the agency who have been picked for the vacancy! Try recent grad and veteran hiring paths- those are a way to get your foot in!
400 applications, 20-25 interviews, and 5 offers. You have to pump those numbers up.
Took me 3 years and 115 applications with veterans preference and a masters degree but I was only looking for remote
Are there just tons of vets looking? I thought being a veteran was a sure thing to get a job in the feds. I was told internally not to apply to certain jobs as a non-vet because in practice they're the only ones who are ever hired for them. They're usually the trade jobs that require and apprenticeship.
Most fellow vets I speak to want a GS job when they leave so the market is pretty saturated
How does veterans preference work? Is it just completely unfair for non vets? In my office of engineers none of us are vets so we don't know.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/usajobs/comments/x2wit4/head\_staffs\_guide\_to\_federal\_jobs\_part\_4a/](https://www.reddit.com/r/usajobs/comments/x2wit4/head_staffs_guide_to_federal_jobs_part_4a/)
It took me two years to get a TJO and I just completed my SF-85 on Friday. I’m still skeptical I will actually ever be employed as a GS employee.
Congrats (almost)! It’s still a pretty big accomplishment 🙏🤞
I’ve heard from multiple folks that it takes at LEAST a yr before getting recognized. 20+ resumes since May? That’s not a lot. I’ve been applying since Han 2024 and I’m up to 122 apps, had 3 interviews with 1 upcoming interview. I’m going to tell you like others has been telling me. KEEP APPLYING. Which agency are you applying to? Yes, please have your resume formatted the way it shows you on USA jobs or have it professionally revamped by someone that does federal resumes.
I applied less than a dozen times, but it took five years, but that's for a small career field with an impoverished grade structure. Just the same, the process is slow and painful for everyone.
I would say so. I’m currently a fed, but “stuck” in my current role. I’ve put in over 90 apps and the most I’ve gotten was you’ve been referred to the hiring manager and then nothing else.
It’s all about how you word the resume
Just keep applying.
Look around for hiring events too. That’s how I was hired.
>I’ve been trying to get a federal job since graduating college last May. Since 2007 I've applied to countless jobs. I had interviews for about 5 or 6 positions. Finally got my first offer in 2023.
When did you graduate? You may also look at some Recent Grad positions. Usually, they are less competitive and still apply vet pref.
Yes I've been trying for 10 years even with experience as a federal contractor. It's pretty much who you know. Edit just read you were prior military. Thank you for your service! If that's the case you should have no issues landing a job. 20 is low just keep applying you'll get something.
It's going to be different for everyone. I had a job offer the day after I separated on a navy base and started 2 months after separation. It was doing something I did when I was on active duty. I wasn't picky about jobs I was applying for and I cast my net out as far as I could. I just started my most recent postion last week. I applied to 8 jobs in January and 11 jobs in March. I've been lucky in that I've never had to apply to hundreds of jobs before landing one. As others have said, you may need to revamp your resume.
For perspective, I’ve been applying since 2013 and got one interview that resulted in a closed position, and a few referrals that fell through. I was only successful when I attended a job fair, and got through (which could have been sooner if my unofficial transcript that was on usajobs had the actual date that I received my MS degree, which was bright to my attn at the job fair 🙃). With that said, keep applying, but keep an eye out for job fairs, it helped me! Good luck
It took me over 14 years and maybe over 700 applications. When I hit 36 I paid to have my resume done then started looking again. Within a month I was finally hired! But 20 apps is nothing. Get your resume done and keep going it will happen
i applied to 100+ i was interviewed for like 5. The job i was excited about, i didn’t get and the one i was like nonchalantly interviewed and i even thought about not interviewing for i got it! so far its much better than i expected, and has a great upward mobility!
I know TSA is a good starting job. It personally isn't something I can do but it eventually pays really well and opens you up to other positions. There is also the park service but that pays less.
It's not easy that's for sure. I have a masters degree, 7 years of cybersecurity experience, and veterans preference and I haven't gotten in even with 100+ applications over the years. The furthest I have gotten is interview stages in various FLEO agencies for 1811 jobs. I have had 0 luck in getting interviewed for any federal cybersecurity position. Keep trying and make adjustments as neccessary.
I don't think it's too difficult, but it is a lengthy process. If your resume is good and you follow vacancy protocols outlined, you should be getting more traction.
Apply and forget if you haven't done so already, please research federal resume to include your start dates month and year salary and weather pastime 20+ hours or full time. Ensure your resume encapsulates anything asked in the questionnaire. The process may take 6 months+ due to background checks. Be patient and Good luck!
Good luck! Keep going! Here’s a bit of advice I was given. Read the announcement and really tailor your resume to that announcement. The announcement tells you word for word what they want. If you need to dumb down your resume to make it fit the announcement do that. I had to do it. I applied for one federal job as a GS12 and got it. I see a lot of being saying 20 is nothing, but if you’re putting in the work, 20 can feel like a lot. You got this! Congrats on graduating!
u/OP Why not look at big defense firms as a pricing analyst? Many of them are remote at start at 60K+ depending on locality, experience, clearance levels etc. My sister organization is always going through junior-ish pricing analysts as they are typically junior in years and move on up after some tenure.
I highly recommend attending the ‘Treasury’s - Writing your Federal Resume’ event. Next one is Jun 27 1-2:30 EST. There is also a Treasury’s - Interviewing Techniques tomorrow from 2-3p EST. Attend both then tell me what you think. I believe they are SO WORTH IT! (Look under USAJOBS ‘events’)
I 2nd this!
Fellow af veteran here who also applied to about 10 jobs. What finally got me a direct hire and interview was figuring out who the leadership was and reaching out to them on LinkedIn. That being said, I’m still waiting for my FJO after interviewing in feb, and receiving a TJO in April. The process is tedious
Only 20 jobs? You need to bang out 20 applications in a weekend. Your goal right now is not to find the perfect job just a job you can get. Once you are in the federal ecosystem then you look for the perfect job.
Yes.
It’s pretty difficult. I’m a vet too, and I have had several interviews and even some TJOs, but no FJO yet. It’s one of those things where if you NEED a new job now, don’t even bother applying. These jobs are for when you have years to burn applying and waiting to get your foot in the door.
What resume are you using is it the federal one?
If you want a fed job and you aren’t getting interviews you might need to look at yourself. Are you applying to jobs which are realistically over your skill level? Not to be insulting, but tons of people think they should start out as GS12/13 and most won’t. If getting your foot in the door is most important, apply for lower grades. Kick ass for a year at the lower grade and move up if it’s a ladder position. Apply for higher grades if it’s not a ladder.
There’s a guy on YouTube, @armandcuret1, whose whole channel is dedicated to helping people get federal jobs.
It’s definitely pretty difficult, but once you get that referral status, you’re getting closer and it feels really good. Also 20+ is not enough, I’d say keep applying, I applied to about 150+ apps before I got my first referral. In terms of your resume, it’s a plus to have all your experience on there, even if that makes your resume stretch to 3-4 pages, put all your experience on there! Goodluck!
Laughs in 3 digits
Yes
TSA will hire you.
I applied for well over 400 jobs before I got my first permanent. Gotta know someone it seems. Since getting permanent, I’ve applied for two. Declined to interview for one and the other I got. Once you’re in pending the series you’re set.
Yes it is! Took me more than a decade and I have an impeccable resume. I have a pal who was referred to a Director hire position and got it. She had never applied for a Govt job before.
So it’s easy for some and harder for others
You know you're doing it right when you apply to the public notices.
I watched her content. And bam got a job. *Characters matter** https://youtube.com/@easyfederalresumes?si=qydTLgZbutwzdPm1
Look into the Presidential Management Fellowship. It's a fast track to higher level positions. You'll also get a chance to network with some other high speed people who are already established. It will probably require you to relocate. I was a semi-finalist, but I had to withdrawer from the process because of the moving requirement. I just had my first, and probably only, child this year, otherwise I would be pushing for it. It's a very lucrative program.
At the end of the day, landing a fed job is a numbers game. The wider your net, the more fish you will catch. I applied to over 250 jobs before I got a TJO! If you set up a saved search on USAJobs with the parameters that fit your skill set/pre reqs, you can get email notifications when new jobs are posted that match your saved search. Keep on keeping on and good luck!!!
I applied to hard to fill positions they suck but some are direct hire. Join the agency hiring events too they tend to help you reword your resume to filter through
You need a federal resume which has certain requirements and DOES NOT adhere to the two page rule of thumb. Take the federal resume building workshop.
“Is is difficult to get a federal job?” YES! Its like USAjobs.gov is there as a way to judge the health of the civilian job market.
Its tough, there is a lot of competition
Most people who end up in a fedgov position applied to numerous positions before landing one (unless they onboarded pre-USAJobs). So, you're in good company. It's usually not an easy task to land one (even when you're working IN fedgov).
If you're fresh out of college, have you considered applying to one of the fellowship or pathways positions?
Just keep tweaking your resume and interview skills. 25 is nothing.
20+? Just putting your toes in the pool my friend. It’s a numbers game and a long process.
Tough to agree with the AMOUNT of applications you have to send in. This is not always the case. Depends on the job and location. You need to realize that there are a lot of people just like you out there. Not busting your balls at all. Please use the usajobs resume format. Sometimes when people do their own they leave out some silly ass piece of information that is "Required' by HR. Make sure you tailor your resume to the job that you're applying for. Many times I'll get resumes that are so clearly generic that it's tough to even tell what job they're applying for.
Have you applied to Recent Graduate positions? I did and it was the second fed job I’d ever applied to and I got it pretty easily
1. Research the Special Hiring Authority- Pathways Program for Recent Grads. 2. Use the Resume builder template on usajobs. *Have supervisors name and telephone number along with responsibilities for each job using the Star method. 4. Pay close attention to the job description. If your resume do not show the experience required- the app may not get referred. 5. Do 20 per day. Have transcripts, copy of your degree etc. Good luck.
First: look at the job open dates. If you’re applying to anything open for more than 30 days, you’re just giving them a resume to keep on file because there’s no job actually open right now. It’s stupid, and I don’t think they should be allowed to do it, but that’s what they do. Second: what pay grade are the jobs you’re applying to? You may be trying to jump too high. Yeah, you’ve got 6 years military experience and a degree. If you’re applying for anything higher than a GS9, you’re not getting an interview because the GS9 that already works in that office is getting the GS11 position.
Another strategy is to broaden your search in terms of jobs. You can apply for management analyst and mission support admin/logistics positions (0300 series); also look at other financial heavy agencies IRS, OMB, GSA, etc. comes to mind. If otherwise qualified and interested you could apply for law enforcement positions both field, investigator, and regulatory (0083, 1800, a bunch of others…). If feasible, open up your geographic search as much as possible. For military bases, sometimes they have job fairs with direct hire authority. Get on the recruiting list for each service (it may be an AF base but there’s an Army or Navy Detachment that needs people to (as well as GSA, IC, etc). Most, but not all Agencies have a veteran recruiter. Some just push a website but others will review resumes and serve as a POC to get info on positions throughout the process.
In my personal experience, I applied to only 3 federal jobs. I got hired for one of them after only a few months
Yes
Well…. The answer to this question is both yes, and no. My spouse and I started applying when we got our associate degrees. I got my first federal position shortly before I graduated with my BACHELORS (March that year). My spouse got hired in 9 months later (February the following year). Since then, we found it easier to apply. Another thing to think about is the fiscal budget. That plays a major role in hiring times as well, because if there is no budget, hiring freezes will often happen. I hope this helps.
I finally received a TJO after I interviewed back in April. Just like you, I have submitted multiple applications for federal jobs each month . I have submitted over 1500 applications from the day I separated from the military 3 years ago. I gave up applying to federal jobs towards the end of 2023. I remember my professor in college, a retired COL advised me to stay away from the federal sector because the hiring process is very inefficient. I started focusing on hiring events this year and led me to interviews. If you’re willing to relocate, register to hiring events even if you can’t attend just to get your resume in the pool. I had recruiters reach out because they received my resume from registering to hiring events. Some recruiters reached out weeks prior to the event to setup virtual interviews. It’s not 100% guaranteed, but another approach you can take hunting for federal positions. Don’t give up and good luck on the hunt 
Simple answer, yes. It is difficult to get a federal job (especially these days). Apply to lower grade positions as well. Even those are hard to get. There are people with masters applying for GS-5 positions just to get their foot in the door.
Apply for a BOP job. It gets your foot in the door
USA jobs.gov has a resume builder. You also need a longer resume. Pull keywords and phrases from the announcement. If you had the same job at 3 different places, then copy all the information on those three different jobs. A government resume can easily be 5 pages long. Anything to get through the computer system.
These are just my observations. It depends on your career field and if you are willing to relocate, especially to so-called undesirable locales. I notice this especially is the case in HCOL areas where the local wages beat the federal wages or isolated locations. MCOL or LCOL where local wages are lower versus the federal wages and are near military bases tend to be harder. As many military retirees and/or veterans with same credentials/military training and military spouses may be competing for this job. I have applied for about 6 federal jobs and in a niche field of healthcare. I have worked 3 federal jobs including my current job. The other 2 I received an interview and declined an interview. The other one job announcement was cancelled. My 2nd federal job was in a HCOL area where local wages were higher. They were kept losing employees to state agencies and local hospitals/companies.
Best thing for you to do is try to go to gov con networking events and meet government people. Then try to get in that way
I think you need to be qualified for what you’re applying for, your resume needs to reflect that.. I’m 2/2 for federal hiring.. second job is a ladder gs 5-12.. no degree.
Your chances are better if you're qualified and can demonstrate that through a resume and cover letter. Just know that you are competing against other vets. It also sounds like some jobs were affected by budget constraints if they were lowered to a lower grade. Federal resumes should be detailed to demonstrate your experience in the KSAs.
Those are amateur numbers. Gotta get them up
I went to a federal job fair at a college. I was probably the oldest person there as I am 37 years old and 99% of the people in attendance were college students. I ended up speaking to someone who was a higher up GS 15 and had input with Hr. He was so impressed with me he gave me his direct contact. I applied online at usajobs.gov and was able to use him as a referral and 3 months later I started. I have no military experience and coming from corporate and real estate in which I worked with veterans in some capacity. If you ever see any postings for job fairs go to them wear your best and be ready to impress.
Look into the Air Force PAQ program. I was in the same boat as you. 6 years Air Force, just graduated with my bachelors. Applied to the program, got interviewed, and currently filling out my onboarding paperwork with a TJO. Blessed to have found this program.
So, I’m going to give you the key of actually getting a federal job…go to actual job fairs. Since you were in the military that’s a huge plus. I was offered a job right on the spot. Just got out of the military and got my masters. Within the last 3 years. You got this
Apply and then go live your best life. Assume you will never get the job so work a civilian career and everything. If a job where to ever come through then you can compare that career track versus what you have built already and make the choice.
20 applications, you gotta pump those numbers up... In all seriousness, it is probably your resume, there are lots of good resources on here, on youtube, and other sites to help you write a proper resume that will land on someone's desk. The standard private sector 1 to 2 page resume is something that probably won't even make it past a computer screener. Also, tailor your resume and use keywords taken out of the job posting.
I graduated in December 2023 and have been trying to land a federal job since and have had a hard time. I landed an internship with the government that transitions into a full time job the program is called the Resource Assistant Program.
Look… all the veteran preference points and spouse preference points for federal jobs are BS. It’s all about who you know! These federal offices have a good idea of who they want to hire… internal hires, friends, former work associates, known buddies, etc. if you’re applying without k nowing a single Person in that office you’re severely disadvantaged. It’s not as simple as have a resume… apply using veteran status…. And land the job.
All the comments that say “get your numbers up” are likely people who have elementary resumes or irrelevant experience. I’ve applied for five federal jobs; two interviews, one TO, now waiting on FO. I targeted GS7 jobs and used superior academic achievement in college as my qualification. If you went to college, got your degree and took it seriously with good grades, you should be able get referred. I tailored ALL of my resumes per position because they each required something different. In the end, numbers do not matter. This isn’t a game of Russian Roulette. Work on making your resume better and stand out in the crowd. Best of luck!
Well it helps to read the vacancy announcement. Not all of them are for public even though they’re on a public site. Also helps to have your resume connect to key words in the announcement. And that you have a completed SF15 attached to every package you present.
Do big announcements like CBP
Networking if possible, that's how I got in. I knew a guy that knew a guy.
Go to one of the job fairs and hope they email you about interviewing the day before. That’s how I got my job.
this is very normal bro. its a numbers game bro.
If you've been gett8ng referred then you're on the right track. Those saying 20 is rookie numbers are likely in very popular job fields. My field is fairly niche and I've gotten interviews off 50% of my apps.
Hell, I’m not even a fed employee lol.
Took me 3 years
It took me years and many applications, but the experience in my previous role helped me a lot for my first fed role.
It’s extremely difficult to land a federal job in this tough economy but don’t give you.
Shoot for at least one-fiddy.
>I’ve applied for around 20+ federal jobs the past few months, but haven’t even been able to get an interview. I applied to around 100 openings before I got my first job. I was coming in with relevant experience. Out of those 100 applications, I maybe heard back from 20 or 30, and of those, I got one interview. Apply, apply, apply, and then apply again.
You also need to be applying to VEOA positions too.
If you are in tech, please apply for US Digital Corps! https://digitalcorps.gsa.gov/
It can be pretty difficult especially if you’re applying through public and not competitive. Just keep applying sooner or later something will bite.
You might be able to stack "pathways" positions on your vet points, but you should check me on that. There is a great book on Fed resumes out there... make sure lift skill verbiage exactly from the posting.
It’s definitely not easy. Do you have a federal resume that list the hours and the required format that they are looking for? I’ve been applying for years and finally starting receiving referrals this years.
I’ve been using the normal resume template I send out to non government jobs. I’ve gotten two or referrals out of the 20ish so far. The first referral I ended up getting a rejection email and the job showed as canceled on USA jobs. The job was then reposted as a GS6 position when it was previously a GS9. The other one I was referred to the hiring manager less than a week after applying and then never heard anything since, and it’s now almost a month later. As far as the resume goes I’ll probably have to look into changing it to the format for federal jobs. I’ve typically been using a resume a civilian that had a GS position helped me with back before I separated. I’ve updated it since then, but it has a lot of the same stuff on it.
Keep applying. Unfortunately it takes a whole lot longer than a month to hear a response back for a federal job. Most can take up to 6-9 months.
Use the resume builder on USAJobs. Hiring managers prefer that format. Federal job resumes are completely different from non government standards. Then make sure you are pulling keywords and phrases from the job announcement and the assessment (you can look at a sample copy of it before submitting your resume) and work them into your resume. There are plenty of guides online and this subreddit about proper formatting. Just follow those instructions.