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Federal Government

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Federal Government

Job Search in the Federal Government: Tips from the Pros

Big Picture about Federal Employment

Information Related to Your Major and Field of Study

Disability and Accommodation

About KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

About Federal Pay Grades

Comments from Recruiters and Students about Applying for Federal Employment

Federal Opportunities for Students

Quick Links to Agencies and Employers

More about Working for the Federal Government

Job Search in the Federal Government: Tips from the Pros

Tip #1.  In terms of your job search, the “federal government” is not one huge employer, but rather dozens of employers, many with different application processes.  You may need to research and understand several agencies’ and/or divisions’ application processes.

Tip #2. Federal positions may be posted for very brief time periods, often only 2 weeks. Check postings often, and register to receive automatic notification of positions, when that service is available, that meet your criteria.

Tip #3.  Network!  Get to know employers and federal professionals.  Build relationships as you would in the private sector.  To find professionals who have the info that will help you take your next step:

Tip #4.  Whereas a typical resume is 1-2 pages, the same information, in much more detail, may take 4-6 pages on an online federal application.  Provide concise yet detailed descriptions of your experience (e.g., list the names of courses to provide evidence you’ve met the educational requirement).

Tip # 5.  When describing your KSAs (knowledge, skills and abilities) link to that section, use narrative first person, “I supervise 7 individuals to collect and analyze data for the purpose of…We have successfully determined the number of …” 

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The Big Picture about Federal Employment

Start here!    A Call to Serve is program of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to help students get connected to federal employment.  The site has tons of useful, accessible information at for students and jobseekers.

USAJOBS. All federal jobs are NOT necessarily posted here, though it is the official job site of the U.S. federal government.  Be sure to check the websites of the agencies in which you have interest, too.  Register with “my USAJOBS” to receive automatic notices of postings that meet your criteria.

 USAJOBS Information Center , including:

Answers to commonly asked questions about using USAJOBS.

Commonly Requested Forms for Federal Employment Applications :

  • OF 612, Optional Application for Federal Employment

  • OF 510, Applying for a Federal Job

  • OF 306, Declaration for Federal Employment

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Information Related to Your Major and Field of Study

Federal Jobs by College Major

Explore your career opportunities: What federal career matches your interests and qualifications?

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From Recruiters and Students about Applying for Federal Employment

Application advice from recruiters:

-- List ALL of your federal experience (internships, seasonal positions, etc) in your application.

-- Disclose all criminal / legal issues, if asked.  The offense itself might not keep you from a job in the federal government, but NOT disclosing the offense might (and they’re looking for patterns, not necessarily one-time infractions, of disregard for the law).

-- Get to know federal workers and employers.  Do informational interviews, go to Info Sessions and introduce yourself.

-- Advice about KSAs:

  • Use KSAs to expand upon, not duplicate information from your resume.

  • Use narrative first person to describe KSAs (“I supervise 7 individuals to collect and analyze data used for the purpose of…We have successfully determined…”

  • Each KSA should be 1-1.5 page.

  • KSA responses are like behavioral interview questions: provide specific examples.

  • -- Describe what you did, how well you did it, what you accomplished.

-- List the total # of hours credit for your major and LIST the courses completed (include course name, not just number), when required.

Student comments about their federal employment experiences (share yours with us by emailing spccc@umn.edu):

-- “It took 2 years to go from Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) position to permanent, fulltime position, but it was worth it.”

-- “Got my job from an unplanned and unscheduled phone interview.”  Be prepared by practicing your interviewing skills at a mock interview.  Call the St. Paul Campus Career Center to schedule an appointment, 612-624-2710.

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Federal Opportunities for Students

There can benefits in access, hiring and promotion within the federal government for students, so check out opportunities specifically for graduate and undergraduate students.  In addition to using the following links, search “student opportunities” or “student jobs” (or any of the program names below) at agencies of interest.

Student Programs:
Presidential Management Fellows Program, for graduate students.

Environmental Management Studies Fellowship Program for graduate and undergraduate students.  Each year, the National Network for Environmental Management Studies (NNEMS) program offers research projects developed and sponsored by EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and in EPA's ten regional offices and laboratories throughout the United States. The projects are specifically narrow in scope, allowing students to complete the research project while working full-time at EPA during the summer or part-time during the school year. Recipients of NNEMS fellowships receive a stipend based on the student's level of education and the duration and location of the project.  Approximately 40 research projects were offered in 2006.

Student Educational Employment Program, STEP and SCEP.  Inquire at agencies of interest and/or enter “SCEP” or “STEP” in keyword search in job search system (such as USAJOBS).

Student Temporary Employment Component (STEP).  Job opportunities under this component offer you temporary employment. Employment can range from summer jobs to positions that can last for as long as you are a student. These employment opportunities need not necessarily be related to your academic field of study.

Student Career Experience Component (SCEP).  This component offers you valuable work experience directly related to your academic field of study. It provides formal periods of work and study while you are attending school. It requires a commitment by you, your school, and the employing Federal agency. You may be eligible for permanent employment under this component after successfully completing your education and meeting work requirements.  SCEP, not STEP, offers a vehicle (conversion) to expedite consideration of high-performing students for permanent employment.  U.S. citizenship is required for conversion to permanent employment under the Student Career Experience Component…You may want to consider adjusting your school schedule to qualify (must work for two employment periods with school in between).

The Federal Career Intern Program is designed to help agencies recruit and attract exceptional individuals into a variety of occupations (you do not have to be a student to participate).  It is intended for positions at grade levels GS-5, 7, and 9.  In general, individuals are appointed to a 2-year internship.  Upon successful completion of the internships, the interns may be eligible for permanent placement within an agency.   Individuals interested in Career Intern opportunities must contact specific agencies directly.  Questions and Answers about the Career Intern Program.

Outstanding Scholars Program.  Under this program, some agencies can directly hire entry level applicants who have maintained an undergraduate grade point average of 3.5 or better, or who graduated in the upper 10% of their graduating class or major university subdivision. Inquire at agencies of interest and/or enter “Outstanding Scholar” in the keyword search in the job search system (such as USAJOBS).

Student Resources:
E-Scholars, check out a variety of graduate and undergraduate educational opportunities offered by Federal Government. 

Studentjobs.gov provides information on Federal Government job opportunities including temporary and seasonal positions and internships.

Student Conservation Association. Preserve the environment and gain new skills and experience with federal resource agencies including the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as many state and local agencies and private organizations.
SCA Internships
SCA Jobs

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Disability and Accommodation

JAN, Job Accommodation Network, U.S. Dept. of Labor.  For information and resources about requesting accommodations, job seeking and legal assistance.

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About KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

Federal job applications often require a description of your KSAs (knowledge, skills and abilities) to help determine if you are a good fit for a job.  Follow the guidelines described in the links below to ensure your KSAs are written are recommended.

  • Knowledge: A body of information applied directly to the performance of a function.

  • Skill: An observable competence to perform a learned psychomotor act.

  • Ability: Competence to perform an observable behavior or a behavior that results in an observable product.

Effective KSA Writing for Job Applications

KSAs from the Dept. of Labor.

The importance of KSAs, including great samples and advice.

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About Federal Pay Grades

What is my series and/or grade? Series and grade refers to the Federal government’s system for categorizing and defining jobs. For more information on the job classifications and pay, visit http://www.opm.gov/fedclass/index.htm. If you have never worked in the Federal government, you do not have to enter a series or grade on your resume for previous, non-government jobs. Upon application, however, you may be prompted to pick the highest grade you desire or are eligible for (from http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/infocenter/topquestions.asp).

For which pay grade are you qualified?  If you are just starting out, you can qualify for jobs at the GS-2 level with just a high school diploma or as little as 3 months of general work experience. At GS-3 and GS-4 levels, you can qualify with more months of general experience. Starting at GS-5, jobs generally require 1 year of specialized experience to qualify. When you have a degree but no specialized experience in a career field, you are eligible for appointment at the GS-5 pay scale. (If you maintained a B average, or met other academic credentials in college, you can start out at the GS-7 pay scale.) To qualify for jobs at the GS-7 and higher grades, your background must have included experience closely related to the work to be performed in the job for which you are applying. You can qualify for GS-9 positions on the basis of a master's degree, and for GS-11 positions on the basis of a doctorate  ( from the FAQs link at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov).

For pay scales based on grade and location, 2007 General Schedule (GS) and Locality Pay Tables.

Example of decoding job classification number:

For GS -1380 – 07/011:

  • GS = General Schedule

  • 1300 = physical sciences GROUP

  • 1380 = forest products technology SERIES

  • 07/011 = pay grade from 7 to 11

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Quick Links to Agencies and Employers

A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies Search for "agencies" from with in each deaprtment's site too.

Independent agencies and government corporations.  Independent establishments are created by Congress to address concerns that go beyond the scope of ordinary legislation.

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More About Working for the Federal Government

Have questions?  Don’t miss the “FAQ” link at the bottom of each page of USAJOBS.

Check out the best places to work, Find out what federal employees think are the best federal workplaces overall, and the best organizations for effective leadership, teamwork, training and development, work–life balance, and more. Check out www.bestplacestowork.org, where you can see a comprehensive ranking of federal executive branch organizations. The site is a joint effort of the Partnership and American University’s Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation and is based upon a survey of over 100,000 federal employees.  

Know what federal recruiters need from and can do for you.  Successfully applying for Federal employment can be time-consuming and confusing.  Not only are there many online resources for student applicants, there are also resources available for to help Human Resources professionals hire you.  Becoming familiar with these may help you understand the process more clearly.  For some staightforward explanations of   how easy it can be to hire students, go to http://www.opm.gov/Strategic_Management_of_Human_Capital/fhfrc/default.asp and click on “student employment”. 

Non-government resources about government employment:

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State and Local Governments

MINNESOTA, State of

Minnesota Dept. of Employee Relations, employment listing, for jobs with the state of Minnesota.

State of Minnesota Recruitment calendar.  See which agencies are recruiting where and when.

Minnesota State Agencies.  State Agencies are in the executive branch of government. Also included in this listing are state boards, councils, commissions, committees, ombudsmen offices and task forces.

MinnesotaQuickFacts from the U.S. Census Bureau.  Need to know the amount of retail sales in MN in 1997, the mean travel time to work in MN or the number of persons of Asian decent living here?

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Employee Profiles.

MinnesotaCountiesand Cities

Home pages of Minnesota counties.

League of Minnesota Cities

 WISCONSIN, State of

State of Wisconsin Employment Relations

Wisconsin state agencies

WisconsinCountiesand Cities

Wisconsin counties

Wisconsin Cities, Towns and Villages

Madison WI employment

IOWA, State of

Iowa State government agencies

IowaCountiesand Cities

Iowa counties

Iowa League of Cities

Des Moines IA employment

ILLINOIS, State of

State of Illinois jobs

Illinois state agencies

IllinoisCountiesand Cities

Chicago Department of Human Resources

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The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employerLast modified on Sept 6, 2007