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Professional Job Opportunities — Steps and Tips

Here are a few Steps and Tips to help you complete your on-line job application when applying for Professional job opportunities at the Volpe Center.

STEPS:

• First. Confirm your eligibility to apply for a job. The listings on our website will indicate for which jobs you are eligible to apply based on whether you are a member of the "Public" or a "Status Candidate" (described below). In some cases, one single job may be opened to both Public and Status candidates ("Dual"). We recommend that you also confirm this in the actual job announcement on USAJOBS before you begin your application.
  
  Find the "Who may be considered" section in the main body of the announcement on USAJOBS ("Overview" tab) to determine your eligibility:
  
  
  1. If you are new to Federal employment (e.g. not a current/former Federal Employee and/or eligible under "special hiring authorities" (Veterans, etc.), this section should read: "General Public", "All Qualified Applicants", or "Applications will be received from any U.S. Citizen."
  2. If you are a current/former Federal Employee and/or you are eligible to apply under "special hiring authorities" (Veterans, etc.), this section should read "Status Candidates."
  3. In some cases, one particular job may be opened to both U.S. Citizens ("Public") and Status Candidates (current/former Federal Employee and/or you are eligible to apply under "special hiring authorities" (Veterans, etc.)).
• Second. Create your USAJOBS account and build a resume on www.usajobs.opm.gov (click on the tab "My USAJOBS" at the top of the USAJOBS web page to start this process). This is a required step for you to complete the on-line application process for all our jobs (you are not required to create a resume every time you apply for a job, as you will have the option to use the resume you have on file. You may edit your resume at any time).
• Third. Once you create your USAJOBS account and on-line resume, you are now ready to complete your on-line application. You will find links to the official job announcements and the corresponding application in our Professional Job Opportunities listing.
• Fourth. Find and follow the application instructions exactly as described under the "How to Apply" tab in the announcement on USAJOBS. Many of our positions require a minimum level of education which must be substantiated by submitting a photocopy of your official college transcript(s). All required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. of the closing date of the application.

TIPS:

• Searching for our jobs on usajobs.opm.gov. You may search for our Jobs on our website or directly on www.usajobs.opm.gov. While there are several ways to search for our jobs, we suggest you do an "Agency Search" (click on the "Agency Search" heading under the "Search Jobs" tab on usajobs.opm.gov, enter "Volpe Center", and click "Search for Jobs" at the bottom of the page). You may narrow your job search to find only those jobs for which you are eligible to apply based on whether or not you are a current or former Federal employee, and/or eligible to apply under special hiring authorities. Go to the "Search Jobs" page in USAJOBS, enter the desired titles, locations, and select "Yes" or "No" in the "Applicant Eligibility" section (scroll to the bottom of the page to find this section, and change the response to "Yes" or "No" depending on your eligibility status).
• Familiarize yourself with the job. Once you find the job of your interest, study the information included under each of the tabs ("Overview", "Duties", and "Qualifications and Evaluations").
• Print a copy of the job announcement. You may print a copy of the entire announcement and application instructions by clicking the "Print a preview" button at the bottom of any page within the announcement. We suggest you study the entire announcement before you access the actual on-line application.
• Provide all the information requested. Whether or not this is your first time applying to a Federal job, take your time, read the announcement and the application carefully, and provide all the information requested. Completing and submitting a full, accurate, and thorough resume and application will enable you to be accurately and fairly evaluated and rated.
• Ensure your USAJOBS resume reflects your knowledge and experience as related to the job duties and required qualifications listed in the job announcement.
• Revise your on-line application. You may access and/or edit your on-line application up to 11:59 p.m. of the closing date of the application. The system will issue an automated response confirming that your application has been successfully submitted.
• If you have questions and/or difficulties with USAJOBS, contact the Representative listed for the announcement whose information you will find at the bottom of all pages within the announcement.
• What to expect next. You will be contacted by one of our Human Resources Specialists within two-to-four weeks of the closing date of the application if your background, knowledge, and skills match the job requirements.