Riding the Federal Job Wave: Seven Ways to Impress Federal Employers

This guest post on the federal hiring frenzy and how to land federal jobs is by Lily Whiteman, author of How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job

Federal Job Openings Continue To Be Available

Who’s hiring all the time? The federal government, that’s who. Yes, no matter how bad the economy gets, the nation’s largest employer hires over 200,000 people every year into well-paying, secure jobs.

But wait, it gets even better: About 40 percent of current feds, including about 90 percent of federal executives, are expected to retire in the next few years.

What’s more, the current presidential transition is triggering additional churn within the federal workforce that will surely last well into next year.

Seven Ways to Impress Federal Employers

Impress federal employers online, on paper and in person by:

Targeting your application to each opening. Emphasize your credentials that parallel those demanded by each opening, and omit irrelevant credentials.

Subjecting your applications to stringent quality controls. Repeatedly proofread and spell-check your application. Also, recruit a friend to critique your application and help you improve it. (Large numbers of federal applications wipe out because they contain mistakes or are not targeted to the opening.)

Making application deadlines. (Large percentages of federal applications wipe out solely because they miss the deadline.)

Role-playing with a friend before each interview. Prepare compelling, concise answers to common interview questions. (Federal interviewers rely heavily on common interview questions.)

Bringing your success portfolio to your interviews. Provide interviewers with tangible evidence of your success by showing them your relevant academic papers, school transcripts, positive annual reviews, reports, articles and websites you helped produce, as well as your other work products that showcase your productivity and skills.

Sending each interviewer a thank-you letter immediately after your interview.

Conclusion

With Uncle Sam recruiting record numbers of professionals of all levels into dynamic, top-paying jobs, this is the perfect time to start a federal career. And no matter what you do for a living — whether you’re a blue collar worker or a pin-striped professional — federal employers are searching for professionals with your skills.