Q&A with the Experts: Talking Government Jobs with Federal Job Search Expert Adelle J. Dantzler

Many mid-career professionals are interested in transitioning into the federal government in an effort to find more meaningful work as well as employment stability and great benefits. Adelle Dantzler, a certified federal job search trainer, and career coach agreed to share some tips and insights into landing a federal job. 

How open, in general, would you say the federal government is to hiring experienced private-sector professionals?

Extremely open! A search of USAJOBS reveals that more vacancy announcements are open to U.S. citizens rather than to just federal employees. In addition, the majority of vacancies listed are for positions in the medical/dental/public health and management/administrative/clerical field that require no previous experience in the federal government. And over half the jobs open to all U.S. citizens are from the GS11-GS15 equivalent grades for experienced professionals.    

What are some first steps that private-sector experienced professionals should take if they are interested in transitioning into a federal government career? 

Become familiar with the qualifications of the jobs in which you are interested. As with private industry resumes, be aware of the keywords for each related job. Keywords are in the job summary, duties, qualifications, and occupational questionnaire of most federal vacancy announcements. Use those keywords in your job entries so your resume clearly outlines your fit for a specific job. Also, ensure your responses to the occupational questionnaire match your experience in the resume.

What are some common myths or misconceptions about applying for work in the federal government?

A common misconception is that vacancy announcements open for a short period of time have a pre-selected candidate. Vacancy announcements often have an open period of shorter duration because of the larger number of applications that the agency receives. 

What are some major differences between federal and private-sector resumes and the recruitment process in general that professionals should know about or be prepared for?

Federal resumes require salary information, hours per week, and supervisor’s name and phone number to qualify for a federal job. This information, in combination with your work experience and education, is usually used to determine your grade/band level. Be patient as the federal recruitment process is generally longer—the agency has to take certain steps to verify your qualifications and background.

Anything else you like to add about moving from private to the federal sector? 

Be patient. Be persistent. Network. Read each vacancy announcement thoroughly, follow the instructions, and pay special attention to the occupational questionnaire. You may have to customize your resume for each position, so it’s important to have multiple resumes to copy-and-paste keywords sections to existing resumes to address the qualifications of related jobs. Sometimes your resume is not only your application, but also your job exam, and sometimes even your job interview!

Thanks, Adelle!

Adelle J. Dantzler, M.S.Ed. is a Certified Federal Job Search Trainer (CFJST) and Certified Federal Career Coach (CFCC), who has consulted and taught hundreds of job seekers to demystify the job search to help them create successful customized federal resumes, private industry resumes, cover letters, and essay answers to assessments (occupational questionnaires).  You can learn more about Adelle and the federal employment process at www.fedjobseeker.com.

If you're interested in getting some personalized feedback on pursuing a government position, please feel free to contact Phaedra at info@resumesandcareerstrategies.com to learn about her complimentary, no-obligation consultation.