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3. Be willing to accept a pay cut. While federal salaries are competitive,
compensation structure is such that salaries typically start low but increase quickly. Every federal job has a starting grade and a “full performance” grade. Typically, professional positions start at grade 7 in federal pay scale (referred to as General Schedule-7, or GS-7), and increase to GS-9, GS-11 and GS-12 at 1-year intervals. For an employee in Washington, D.C., that would mean starting with an annual salary of $35,452 but earning $62,886 after three years of service (not counting annual government-wide salary increases of approximately 3% per year).
4. Consider “trainee” positions. The term has a negative connotation, but starting in a designated trainee position can be a great way to get your foot in Uncle Sam’s door. These positions, which generally require no specific work experience, are typically filled at GS-5 level ($25,000 - $30,000 per year). Because many federal jobs are only available to current or former federal employees, working as a trainee for a year or two often opens a lot of doors.
5. Read vacancy announcement carefully. Procedures for applying for a federal job have been streamlined in recent years, but it’s vitally important that your follow instructions provided to letter. Unlike their private sector counterparts, federal hiring managers have to abide by standardized procedures without exception. For instance, they are legally prohibited from considering applications that arrive after closing date on vacancy announcement—even one day late. Likewise, if you don’t submit requested documentation on time (transcripts, etc), they can’t collect it from you later.
6. Bulk up your resume. This may be good advice for any job hunter, but it’s particularly important when applying for a federal position because of way initial GS grades (i.e., starting salaries) are determined. Many vacancy announcement can be filled at any of a few different GS grades, and level at which a new hire is brought on board is determined by his or her years of pertinent employment history. It is a little-known secret that federal hiring managers want to start new hires at highest grade they can justify, because by doing so they can minimize risk of turnover. Most federal employees who leave government service before retirement do so during first five years of their career, because starting salaries in private sector are higher.
So, how can you help your new agency pay you more? If you’re in a position that makes it difficult to gain work experience in your desired field, remember that self-employment, if legitimate, counts as employment experience for federal hiring purposes. For instance, if you’re a stay-at-home mother with goal of re-entering workforce as a writer, working from your home as a freelance writer for three years would count as work experience when you apply for that federal job. Incidentally, on date of this article there are currently 27 writing and editing vacancies listed on USA Jobs web site!
7. Above all, don’t give up. Although competition for federal jobs can be tough, benefits are well worth effort. Like any job search, most applicants can realistically expect to be turned down many times before they are offered a position. Tenacity and a positive attitude are most vital assets you could have.
