SMSC Diary (Week 9): Crash Course to USAjobs (as told by NCTC) in 5 Steps

Are you an undergraduate concerned about your future? Are you a graduate even more concerned about your present? Take a deep breath (wait three seconds), now exhale. Before you fret any further, take a minute to hear a few of USAjob pointers WEC learned from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff on our trip to the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, WV.

Step 1:

Save your favorite jobs and searches. Once your resume is posted on USAjobs, hiring managers can see which jobs or internships you favorite. What does this mean for you? A competitive resume combined with an interest in a position (or similar position) may get you a job offer. This doesn’t always happen, but it is a possibility. SO MAKE YOUR RESUME SEARCHABLE.

Step 2:

READ EVERYTHING. Yes, everything. If there are links in a job posting, CLICK THEM. Some sources say that hiring managers can see if you clicked on every link, and if you have not your application may be discarded (these jobs are competitive, managers are always looking for ways to narrow an application pool).

Step 3:

Understand whom you are writing for. The first readers of your application are members of the human resources (HR) department! Not the hiring manager (they come later). For you, this means make your qualifications explicit. Utilize the terms provided in the job description and requirements – do not fluff up your terminology.

Tip: print job description and highlight all action verbs.

If an employer is looking for an “environmental education specialist”, then give them an “environmental education specialist” not a “professional interpreter of natural bodies and systems”.

After securing the key terms, then you can focus on including your personality (this is what could set you apart to a hiring manger). Remember, if you make it past HR then you are probably pretty well qualified for the job, so now set yourself apart from the other well-qualified applicants.

Step 4:

THERE IS NO PAGE LIMIT ON YOUR FEDERAL RESUME – Be detailed. Your resume will change for each job you apply to, so make sure to target the position you are currently interested in. Address every qualification listed in the job description, keep to a reverse chronological organization, use language from the job announcement, and always include your knowledge, abilities, skills, and other characteristics (KASOCS).

Step 5:

Write, check and recheck. A good rule of thumb is printing EVERYTHING (i.e. job description, questionnaire, etc.) and answering questions initially on paper, in pen. Once you submit an application on USAjobs your responses to the questionnaire disappear from your view, so having a copy of your responses will aid in preparation for your interview. Additionally, have peers and other people outside of your field review your application. If someone outside of your field understands what you are saying in your responses, a person in HR will understand what you are saying.

Now, with these steps in mind any prospective applicant should be on their way to a more competitive USAjobs application. And if this wasn’t enough, the staff at NCTC were so encouraging and welcoming on our visit that I definitely intend on following these USAjob steps, so that I can strengthen my application and secure a job with the USFWS.