Things You'll Need:
- Computer with Internet Access
- Work History
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Step 1
Assess your skills. Know what you do well and what skills you offer. Begin work on a federal resume.
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Step 2
Start utilizing the Civilian Personnel Online website. Through the use of this website you will be able to learn about necessary qualifications for a job, search job openings using a filter, enter your resume, apply for a position and check on the status of your application.
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Step 3
Enter your resume into the appropriate section of the CPOL website. A video tutorial is available to learn about the easiest way to use the resume system or "Resumix" as it is called.
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Step 4
Use the search function on the CPOL website. You can search by position number (if you already know of a job opening), location, current status (if you are already a federal employee), or position name/code. This is particularly helpful if you are looking for a position in a specific location. You are able to filter out irrelevant results.
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Step 5
On the Civilian Personnel Online website, you can link to another useful website FASCLASS. FASCLASS (Fully Automated System For Classification) lists position descriptions and rating information. This site has a simple search tool that anyone can use. Find out exactly what type of qualifications will get you hired. Use what you have learned to tailor your resume for a specific job.
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Step 6
Once you have tailored your resume, self-nominate for the position by clicking on the link at the bottom of a position announcement.
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Step 7
Make an extra effort by contacting the department or person with whom you are applying to learn more about the position. Sometimes this type of networking will land you the job.
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Step 8
After the job closes, it will take a few weeks for the results of the hiring process to be known. Wait patiently; contacting the employer repeatedly is more annoying to them than helpful to you. Instead, check your hiring status on CPOL by using ANSWER. ANSWER is a handy function that tracks all positions for which you have applied, whether you were considered for the position, and whether or not you were hired.
