Understanding the Federal Hiring Process

While the process may be similar to that in private industry, there are still significant differences due to the many laws, executive orders and regulations that govern federal employment.

Competitive Service versus Excepted Service Positions

There are two types of non-executive positions in the federal government: 1) those that are in the competitive service, and 2) those that are in the excepted service.

• Competitive Service – Competitive service positions are subject to the civil service laws passed by Congress. The laws help to ensure fair and open competition, recruitment from all segments of society, and selection on the basis of the applicants’ competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Excepted Service – Excepted service positions are defined by statute, by the President, or by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as excepted. These positions are not subject to the appointment, pay and classification rules of the competitive service.

NOTE: DOL agencies have both competitive service and excepted service positions.

Competitive Service

In the competitive service, individuals must go through a competitive hiring process (i.e., competitive examining) before being appointed to a vacant position. This process may include a written test, an evaluation of the individual’s education and experience, an interview, and/or an evaluation of other attributes necessary for successful performance in the position to be filled.

Appointment Methods

• Merit Promotion – This system is used to consider current and former federal employees for positions on the basis of personal merit. Positions are usually filled through competition with applicants being evaluated and ranked for positions based on their experience, education, skills, and performance record.

When a vacancy announcement or job opportunity announcement (JOA) indicates that “Status” candidates are eligible to apply, federal government career employees and career-conditional employees who have served at least 90 days after being placed in a competitive appointment may apply. (To determine whether you are a “career employee” or a “career-conditional employee,” see Job Opportunity Announcement Highlights).

• Applicants applying from outside the federal workforce,
• Federal employees who do not have competitive service status, or
• Federal employees with competitive service status.

Locating Job Opportunities

OPM maintains a central database, called USAJOBS, which lists nearly every federal job opening. Available job opportunity announcements (JOAs) provide applicants with information about job qualifications, duties, salary, duty location, benefits and security requirements. The JOA can be used to help you determine if your interests, education, and professional background match the vacant position which could possibly make you a good candidate for the job. A list of common terms is available to assist you in understanding the terms used in job announcements.

You can also find DOL only specific jobs at DOL Jobs. Most jobs in the Department require U.S. citizenship and successful completion of a full background investigation and drug screening.

Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) Highlights

All JOAs have the same basic sections, although the order, style, and wording vary. Becoming familiar with these sections may help you to zero in on key facts

• Basic information – At the top of an announcement, you will find the announcement number, position title, grade, and duty location. The name of a person to contact for more information is generally listed at the end of the announcement.
  
• Who May Apply – Most jobs are open to the general public (e.g., all U.S. citizens) while other jobs are reserved for people who are current or former federal employees (i.e., “Status” candidates) and/or who are veterans or individuals with disabilities who meet specific conditions.

• Current federal employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment;
• Former federal employees with reinstatement eligibility;
• Current excepted service employees who previously held a permanent appointment in the competitive service;
• Persons eligible for noncompetitive appointment under special hiring authorities and,
• Veterans’ preference eligibles or veterans who have been separated from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions after substantially completing at least three consecutive years of active duty (view information on veteran hiring authorities).

• General Experience - This broad-based experience provides knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) that may be useful in demonstrating your ability to perform the duties of the position that is being filled.
• Specialized Experience - Experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. .
• Education - Applicants can qualify for some jobs based solely on education instead of experience. For other jobs, both education and experience are required to qualify; and for other jobs, applicants can qualify based on a combination of both experience and education.

• Selective Placement Factors are job-related KSAs that are essential for satisfactory performance on the job. Only applicants that meet this requirement as of the closing date of the JOA receive further consideration for the job.
• Quality Ranking Factors are job-related KSAs and competencies that could be expected to significantly enhance performance in the position but are not essential for satisfactory performance. Qualified candidates are not rated ineligible solely for failure to possess a quality ranking factor.

General Steps in the Hiring and Selection Process

1. Complete Application or Resume – Employee applications should accurately represent the skills and competencies applicable to the position announced. For each past job, give the standard information found in most resumes. Begin with your current position and list all other positions held in chronological order. Specifically, state the job title, starting and ending dates (including month and year), prior employer’s name and address (or write “self-employed,” if that applies), and major duties and accomplishments. Include any positions temporarily held. In addition, show the average number of hours worked per week or simply state “full-time”; salary or wage earned; supervisor’s name, address, and telephone number; and whether you’re most recent supervisor may be contacted. Include the occupational series numbers and the starting and ending grades of the federal government positions held. Include any relevant volunteer experience.