Federal Advisor Certificate Program

With roughly 8% of the full-time federal workforce under the age of 30, it is critical that government recruits and retains diverse talent. The federal hiring process can be daunting—in such a large, complex institution with over 2 million full-time civilian employees, it can be hard for job seekers and those who support and advise them to know where to start.  

The Federal Advisor Certificate Program enables Call to Serve members to become experts in federal hiring, and support and advise aspiring public servants.

Any career advisor, internship coordinator, program director, staff or faculty who support students’ professional development. Obtaining a federal opportunity can be a daunting and complex process. This program is designed to break down that process and “train the trainer” so that participants are equipped to provide students with the advising, guidance and programming necessary to successfully pursue federal opportunities. If you are seeking to deepen your knowledge of the federal hiring process and federal opportunities, this program is for you. 

As there are opportunities within the federal government for students and recent graduates from all levels – associate, undergraduate, graduate/professional, doctorate – this program is suitable for any advisor who supports aspiring public servants.

Beginning in late fall 2026,

through the Partnership’s eLearning platform.

Want to be the first to know when enrollment opens? Be sure to join the Call to Serve network by

.

The content is now fully asynchronous, with all content available upon registration and 90 days to complete the course. This new delivery model allows participants to truly go at their own pace and integrate learning into busy schedules. 

While every learner is different, participants aiming to complete the course in 7 weeks can expect to spend 4 – 10 hours/week on Federal Advisor Certificate Program content.

The Federal Advisor Certificate is a self-paced asynchronous program delivered through an intuitive learning management system. 

The program will cover topics such as USAJOBS, paid opportunities in government, federal hiring rules and processes, and how to identify and access careers in public service. The course guides participants through opportunities to apply their knowledge to connect their students and campus community with federal career opportunities. The certificate content will include guest lectures, podcasts, readings, blogs and optional aspects of applied learning.  

Please note: Our content is relevant for participants who serve a wide variety of student populations in different educational environments—including large public universities, small private schools, community colleges and minority-serving institutions.

Yes, group enrollments can include people working across a college or university. Group enrollments cannot include participants working at different institutions.

Yes. Our course content is 508 compliant. In addition, our video content has closed captioning and most include ASL interpretation.

Requests for additional accommodations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please know that we make every effort to create an inclusive learning environment that accounts for individuals with accommodation needs.

Should participants have concerns or complaints, they should notify the team lead by emailing calltoserve@ourpublicservice.org.