Navigating USAJobs
You can also find many federal internships here (check out our internship finder to see a comprehensive list). USAJOBS has thousands of announcements for jobs and internships across all fields. Below, we offer the following tips and step-by-step instructions to make your federal job or internship search less daunting.
Creating an Account
Create an account to get full access to all of the features of USAJOBS. Then you can:
Searching for Positions
Refine your searches with filters. You can narrow by:
- Appointment type: Select one or more appointment type, such as permanent, internship or seasonal.
- Agency: Select one or more agency, department or office preference.
- Hiring path: Select one or more eligibility category, such as students, recent graduates, veterans, or Peace Corps and AmeriCorps Vista. Using the filter options will narrow your search to include internships and the Pathways Programs, which offer positions for recent graduates and students.
- Work site: Indicate your telework or relocation assistance preferences.
- Pay: Select your minimum salary or the appropriate GS grade level, which defines job responsibility and compensation based on your level of experience.
- Occupation and Job Series: Select a specific occupational series or occupations related to college majors using the government codes assigned to specific fields. For example, search by occupational series 1040 if you are a language specialist. Or , type in “language specialist” and you will see it comes with the number 1040. You can also search the entire occupational series, such as searching for series1000 for the “Information, Arts and Publications job group.” These jobs series codes are used to organize positions into categories. You can learn more about which codes align with your interests by exploring our Federal Career Guides.
- Work schedule and travel percentage: Search for full-time and permanent positions or for short-term positions that last from a few months to a few years.
- Where do you want to work: At the top of the search bar, you can choose a city, state or country. Or type in the zip codes of the locations you prefer, selecting a radius of five to 200 miles, depending on how far from the location you are willing to go.
How to Read Federal Job Announcements
Pay close attention to all the details in a job announcement to make sure you are eligible and qualified for the position—and that you have completed the entire application properly. Read each position description carefully no matter its length. You want to have the best chance to correctly apply and make a good impression.
- Conditions of employment: These conditions are in the requirements section and tell you if you’re eligible to apply.
- Qualifications: Hiring managers only consider applicants with the minimum qualifications, such as a certain education level or years of work experience. If you are missing a qualification, it might not be worth your time to apply.
- Required documents: You will have to submit a federal resume and, possibly, transcripts and other forms. If you do not submit all required documents, your application might not move forward.
- How to apply: Follow these directions closely to ensure you complete the application correctly. Not all jobs posted on USAJOBS accept applications through USAJOBS, so pay close attention.
These are important pieces of the application, but job announcements have eight important sections that you should not skip.
- Summary: Brief overview of the position or employer.
- Overview: Details of the position’s application period, salary, location, work schedule and pay scale and grade.
- Eligibility: All populations who are eligible for the job. This section also details any specifications from the agency such as the number of vacancies.
- Duties: The position’s major responsibilities.
- Requirements: Identifies the skills and experience you need and the level of background investigation for the job. Also explains how the employer will assess applications.
When filling out the application, make sure your responses align with the experiences you include in your resume. For some applications, you may be able to review questions before you decide to apply.
Other Places to Find Positions
Most, but not all, federal jobs and internships are posted on USAJOBS. There are other places to look for federal opportunities – we’ve shared a few examples below:
