Let me show you I applied for 4 federal jobs in 90 minutes yesterday with 3 browsers and 4 resume versions ready to go.
What you will need:
1. Several resume versions in your USAJOBS Resume builder Account. Each resume should be named for the occupational series the resume represents, i.e., Contract Specialist, Teacher, Background Investigator, Program Analyst, Park Ranger.
2. Several vacancy announcements matching your qualifications.
3. Three browser windows opened simultaneously with the following webpages:
– USAJOBS announcement page
– USAJOBS resume builder page
– Questionnaire page for that particular announcement (open in Firefox)
4. Any necessary documents (such as transcripts) in PDF format to upload. Or have ready to fax if needed with official fax cover sheet.
Directions
Step 1: Review Vacancy Announcements (Browser 1 / USAJOBS)
After you have found some possible job announcements, analyze each announcement. Read the grade level; location; job title; determine if this is right for you. Go to the Qualifications tab and read Specialized Experience. If this sounds right for you. then to go next step. Look at the duties and specialized experience and make a list of at least 5-10 keywords to add into one of your resume versions.
For this particular job search, I analyzed a number of announcements and narrowed them down to these four:
- Teacher, USDA, Forest Service, Job Corps, GS 9, Permanent, Full-time, Avuecentral.com, selected 3 states
- Training Coordinator, USDA, Forest Service, Job Corps, GS 7, 6 month seasonal, Avuecentral.com, selected 3 states
- Background Investigator, OPM, GS 7, full-time permanent, USAJOBS and applicationmanager.gov, selected 2 states
- Contract Specialist, HHS, Program Service Center, Rockville, MD, USAJOBS and Quickhire questionnaire
Step 2: Get Your Resumes Ready (Browser 2 /Your USAJOBS Resume Builder page)
Keep this page up on a separate browser ALL the time.
Select a resume for each announcement. Edit the resumes by adding keywords from the announcements, review them to make sure that all information is up to date, and RENAME the resumes so that each reflects the position.
If you don’t have a resume for a particular announcement, DUPLICATE one of the others, and follow the steps above.
Step 3: Hit Apply Now (Browser 1 / USAJOBS Announcement)
Now that your resume is ready, you can go back to the vacancy announcement and hit the APPLY NOW button. You will see a BRIDGE page that will TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE. On this bridge page, you will probably be asked to select a resume from your USAJOBS Resume Builder page. Select the newly named resume and the application will take you to a new page.
Step 4: Answer the Questionnaire (Browser 3 / Questionnaire)
NOTE about the third browser: When you go to the questionnaire page, you will move away from your original USAJOBS announcement. Open a new browser with the announcement in USAJOBS again, so you don’t forget what you are applying for. When you read the questions, you might wonder about the context of the question. You can go back to the annoucnement and read the Duties or Qualifications or Mission again to try to understand the questions.
The questionnaire page could be applicationmanager.gov, avuecentral.com, quickhire.com, or monster.com. The government agencies uses a variety of questionnaires for their assessment questions. Start the questionnaire usually with the tabs on the left. Answer the questions. Most of the questions do NOT require essays now, so they are easier than before. Read them carefully. They could have trick questions. I answered 87 questions yesterday for Background Investigator and right in the middle there were two questions about being a fireman and ambulance driver working in emergency planning work. Good thing I was awake and reading carefully. The questions were easy.
Avuecentral.com: I wanted to use my USAJOBS resume instead of completing the entire avuecentral builder. But the builder insisted that I complete the Avuecentral builder. I had to put at least two relevant Work History experiences in the builder and at least one education section, so I did that. Then I uploaded the USAJOBS resume for the entire application. I also uploaded the transcript which was over at USAJOBS. I took it out of my USAJOBS account and put it into the avuecentral account.
Summary
I applied to four applications in 90 minutes. All of them had questionnaires with no essays or KSAs. I was prepared, however. I had 4 resumes in the USAJOBS builder, each named carefully, and transcript was already in USAJOBS. I found four good announcements that were GS 7/9. I really found five, but one of the announcements turned out to require a qualification that my client didn’t have – a Master’s degree or other post graduate degree. I didn’t see it until I was in screen 2 in a questionnaire. But I had only wasted 10 minutes restructuring the resume with 5 keywords and renaming it.
The reason this was fast was because I was organized with my browsers. I had the USAJOBS Resume Builder page up and ready for analysis, adding keywords and renaming. I knew I was going to some kind of questionnaire system, so I was prepared with the right resume version. When I was turned over to the questionnaire page, I went back to a NEW browser and opened up the USAJOBS announcement again (you can’t go BACK from the questionnaire, and you might need to refer to the announcement again). So, those are my three browsers that helped me stay efficient and focused with my applications.
We’ll see what happens with the applications this week. The next step will be to go back to USAJOBS, applicationmanager.gov, and avuecentral.com in one week (next Monday) and see if they have scored any of the applications and if there are any notices in the application tracking page. That will be interesting.
Good luck with your speedy federal job applications with three browsers.
HOT TIPS
Be sure to check off Temp, Term, Permanent, Seasonal – whatever types of positions you can accept. Temp and Term positions could be changed into a permanent one after hire.
Cover letter: You can add a cover letter by browsing and uploading; or adding into ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Review your resumes frequently to update them.