How to find a job in any job market
Help to find a job, resumes, applications, interview tips. Step by step job search help
Follow the steps to a new job!
Custom Search
Landing a job with a State or the Federal Government is usually a lot different than trying to land a job in the private sector. Things are typically a lot more cut and dry. The questions are usually the same for every applicant and the process is more set in stone. There are things that they are not aloud to ask and they tend to stick to the process to avoid any possibility of litigation in their hiring process. The questions will be open ended as they try to get as much information as possible. Points are a big thing. The more you say and elaborate, the more points that you can earn towards a second interview or even towards an employment offer being made. Let's look at a typical State job hiring process one step at a time.
The Federal or State Job is posted.
Almost all States and the Federal Government now post their jobs online. They are relatively easy to find. Do not pay a service to tell you about Postal Service Jobs or Government Jobs, that is unnecessary. They are online. Go to our State Jobs Listings Page for a list of the websites for all 50 states and some of the Federal Positions. We have them broken down for you. Next, you need to search for the jobs that you are interested in and qualified for. This can take time but it is well worth the effort. Some sites will allow you to save an application, upload a resume and cover letter while some may just tell you where to mail, email or fax the information to. If you find a job that you want to apply to, make sure that you gear that resume, cover letter and application to that job. You can always make minor changes to it to stress your qualifications for each position that you apply for. Look for the State or Federal Job Requirements and make sure that you meet them. I can tell you from experience, these are pretty much etched in stone. We had positions that the requirements included no felony convictions or no more than one DUI/DWI and it had to be at least 5 years prior to posting date. We would still get applications from people that were convicted felons or had DUI/DWI's in the past year. A few times even weeks. They were discarded.
If you have never applied for a State or Federal position before, be prepared. I am going to tell you up front, most applications for these types of jobs will demand details of every job that you had from working for Big Rons Pizza Shoppe in 1978 (if you are old enough) up until your last employer. They will also typically want the reasons for any employment gap explained. The bad thing sbout this is if your are older and have a lot of jobs over your life, it can be a bit overwhelming. Just do the best that you can and be honest.
The application is asking about my drug or dope use. Do not lie on a State Job Application
Applying for a State or Federal Job
How to deal with employers that no longer exist
If you worked for a company that is no longer in business, still list them. If you don't remember the address, use the city and state. If you remember the supervisor enter that information to the best of your ability. The government employers are basically looking for any and all of the information that they can get about you as well as any possible skeletons in your closet. If it is a high profile job that you are applying for, don't be surprised if the background includes all previous employers and any friends or neighbors that you have ever had in your life. The last thing that the State or Federal Government wants in egg on their face for hiring anyone. It happens a lot and almost all agencies are trying to clamp down on problem employees before they are hired.
Most government agencies will ask about your current and past drug use. Again, there is no need to lie here if you smoked some pot or did a little coke in your younger days. The vast majority of Americans did. The best way to answer this is again, to be honest. For instance, I remember a prospective employee that "never" used any drugs or illegal substances in their whole entire life. Everything looked good on the
application and she was in the running for a good paying state job. That was until the investigators visited some of her hometown friends and got a nice picture of her doing a line of coke at a party. She admitted that she lied on the application and was shocked that the investigators would dig that far into her past and visit her high school and college friends. That cost her the job. All she had to do was be honest, pass the drug test and put on the application what I assumed to be the truth, her last drug use was 15 years before, four years out of college. She was removed from the running and flagged for lying on a state application. No longer having to opportunity at the job she was after, now she couldn't get a part time job washing cars for the state. All because of a stupid lie.
For more help on Government Applications click here to read more. Get help with State and Federal Job Applications
Where to find State and Federal Jobs
Tips and Pointers for landing a State or Federal Job.
Home Page Quit whining! What am I qualified for? Self assessment Search for a job Help with Resumes Help with Cover Letters Help and tips on filing out applications How to get a State or Federal Job Get a job as a security guard I have an interview, now what? I got the job! I wasn't hired! Sitemap Privacy Policy Links