Call to Serve
OVERVIEW
WHY CONSIDER A FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY?
INTERNSHIPS
APPLICATION PROCESS
FEDERAL RESUME
QUESTIONNAIRE OR KSA
IMPORTANT WEBSITES
We
are very happy to announce that Yeshiva University is a Call to Serve
Member School. The addition of this program is a direct result of your feedback
regarding wanting more information about internship and career opportunities
that truly make a difference.
Call to Serve is
a joint effort of the Partnership for Public Service and the U.S. Office of
Personnel Management with the goal of educating college students about the
importance of a strong civil service and providing you with key information
about federal jobs.
Being
a Call to Serve Member School means that YU is linked to a community of
670 other schools nationwide who have also made a commitment to bringing their
students targeted programming about public service and Federal careers. Future
programs you can expect to see include Federal agents speaking and holding information
sessions on campus, panels of speakers working in the public service sector,
and targeted seminars on the application process, among others.
WHY CONSIDER A FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY?
The
Federal government is expanding its hiring with several hundred jobs becoming
available in the next year alone. Working in the public service sector is
rewarding, has great benefits and can bring a wonderful sense of job security
in an unsure time.
Entry-level starting salaries are
around $40,000, which is on par with many positions in the business sector and
higher than many fields. This salary usually doubles within 3-5 years
(depending on performance). In addition, student loan repayment is available up
to $10,000 per year for up to 6 years.
Federal jobs offer VERY flexible
work schedules. Many government agencies run fairly independently and don’t
have the red tape which people anticipate. This is especially true when it
comes to flexible work arrangements, such as time off and working from home.
The vast majority of jobs are NOT in
the DC metro area, but spread across the US with 50,000 jobs abroad.
The government is looking for
majors/experience of all types. Just as an example, recent job postings asked
for an economist, anthropologist and accountant!
There are 1.9 million Federal
employees. As of 2010 half of them are eligible to retire. Translation: many,
many job opportunities are now (and will continue to become) available!
INTERNSHIPS
PATHWAYS PROGRAM
The best way to enter the process for a federal opportunity is through the Pathways internship program, which provides talented individuals who are in school or who
have recently received a degree with greater access to federal jobs and
internships, as well as meaningful training, mentoring and career development
opportunities.
- Internship Program
The internship program offers current students with paid opportunities to work in federal agencies and explore
different career paths. Upon successful completion of an internship, including 640 hours of work,
participants will be eligible
for conversion to full-time federal employment. Agencies may waive up to 320
hours of the work experience requirement for outstanding performers.
- Recent Graduates Program
This is a dynamic, one-year developmental program designed for individuals
who have received undergraduate or graduate degrees from qualifying educational
institutions or programs. Candidates must apply to the Recent Graduates Program
within two years of degree or certificate completion, with the exception of
veterans, who have up to six years to apply due to military service
obligations. Participants in the Recent Graduates Program will receive a minimum of 40
hours of training and professional development, complete an individual
development plan and be assigned a mentor. Additionally, upon successful
completion of the program, they will be eligible
for conversion to full-time federal employment.
For more information on these programs, visit the Office of Personnel Management.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Students
graduating with a Bachelor’s degree will apply for “GS-5” or “GS-7 jobs.” Most
government jobs are assigned grade levels according to the experience of the
applicant. GS-5 means you have a bachelor’s degree and no prior experience.
GS-7 has the same requirements, but asks that you also have high academic
achievement or demonstrated leadership.
You
can search for jobs by region, agency, “series” (which is really job function
and is closely related to academic major) or keyword.
The
same networking, informational interview, and follow-up rules apply as to the
private sector job search. See the job
search section of our website
for more information.
**Tip: if the opening and
closing dates for a job posting are 7-11 days apart it generally means that the
posting was created with a candidate already in mind. DO NOT bother
applying.
FEDERAL RESUME
Applicants do not submit a typical resume, but rather build one
through the system on usajobs.gov.
Tips
for building the resume:
The same basic components of a
resume are required: personal info, education, experience, activities
You can list unpaid work or
activities in the experience section
Applicants have control over the
order in which experience is input, so it might make sense to place an older
yet more relevant experience toward the top.
Be as specific as possible using the
same key words that are used in the job posting as this will help get your
resume through the computer-based selection process.
Click
here for a sample
resume.
QUESTIONNAIRE OR KSA
All
jobs will ask for either a questionnaire or a KSA (which stands for Knowledge,
Skills and Abilities) in lieu of a cover letter, and the job posting will
specify which is needed. The questionnaire is very straightforward, and
applicants MUST use keywords from the posting to describe their experiences.
Don’t be modest on the questionnaire! As a candidate, you should really sell
yourself and your experience. Use concrete examples and be sure to quantify.
Usually, the questionnaire is filled out through a different website and the
link will be provided for you. Specific instructions for filling it out can be
found in the job posting on usajobs.gov.
KSA=
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (these are supposed to be phased out in
the coming year)
KSAS
are short essay questions required for many of the applications with the
federal government. Applicants will be given a list of KSAs and Core
Competencies for the position. For example: excellent written and oral
communication skills, leadership, and proficiency in another language. For
each of these, the applicant will write a paragraph describing their competency
in these skill areas. For each skill candidates should try to come up with more
than one example of a time they have used/demonstrated that skill. They should
devote 1-2 paragraphs per skill.
The
recommended technique for writing KSAs is CCAR:
Context: describe a specific problem you had to address
Challenges: describe the factors that contributed to a
particular challenge such as budget cuts, new legislation, institutional
reform, new goals from upper management, etc.
Action: describe the steps you took to solve the problem.
Result: outcomes of your actions; where possible, use numbers
to highlight your accomplishment. Think time and money!
Each
KSA should be no longer than one page in total. Be concise and always use
keywords from the job announcement. If you are having a hard time writing the
KSA, the CDC has sample packets to help you get started.
The
process of applying for positions can take some time, so be sure to plan well
in advance. Many federal positions can take months from the initial application
to the time an offer is presented. Visit the CDC for more information and to
get started on your application.
You
can also review samples and learn more information about KSAs.
IMPORTANT WEBSITES
www.usajobs.gov
The main job search and application website for Federal jobs. All open postings should be here, although some will also be on specific agency sites as well.
www.makingthedifference.org
The Partnership for Public Service's student website with info about agencies and major specific guides.
www.usa.gov
The government's official web page with an A-Z agency index.
www.bestplacestowork.org
The most comprehensive rating of employee satisfaction in the Fed government. Can search by demographics here to see where women, minorities, etc. rate their workplace the highest.
www.wherethejobsare.org
Identifies nearly 273,000 mission-critical employment opportunities that will be available in the federal government from October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2012.
SCW Political Science Department Listing of Internship Websites