Where to look for and how to find a job

In the current economic crisis, when more than ten percent of the working population is unemployed and companies are downsizing or not hiring, it is not easy to find a job. For this reason, it is very important that you are well prepared to look for and find a job.

Where to start when looking for a job;

• Networking: Ask family and friends if there are any openings where they work
• Local Newspapers and Magazines
• Online Advertisements
• Job Fairs
• Governmental agencies/jobs

Your resume should be nearly flawless so take time to work on it.  It should include :

• your personal information,
• your work experiences (paid and unpaid)  
• your education (degrees and majors)

Additional information such as certificates, licenses, awards, training, performance appraisals/ratings/awards, etc… should also be included.

Currently, it may be most helpful to apply for governmental jobs.

If you are looking for a Government job,

1. you should search USAjobs.gov (or CPOl) This is the official jobsite of the U.S. federal government, and allows you to search jobs by :

• · agency
• · location
• · occupation
• · keywords

2. go to –MyUSAJOBS and create an account

3. post your resume on line

4. apply to federal government jobs

You can leave your resume in the Resumix database and you’ll simply have to fill out the self-nomination when you see a job you like. Your resume will be ready to go.

After you located a job announcement you would like to apply for make sure that you read the following sections very carefully:

Overview

Duties

Qualifications and Evaluations

 Benefits and other info

 How to apply section

 According to the USAjobs website:

"Once this announcement closes, candidates will be evaluated using an automated system, (Resumix) which compares your skills and experience as described in your resume with the requirements of the position. If you are found to be a highly qualified candidate, you will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. (In some cases, individuals with priority for special consideration must be considered and selected before other candidates.) Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends upon the location of the position and the judgment of the selecting official. You can view the status of announcements that you applied for through our automated response system, ANSWER, accessed through our Civilian Personnel On-Line web page."

This is very important:

Since it is an automated system (Resumix) that compares your skills and experience with the requirements of the position make sure that you are using appropriate keywords in your resume (assuming that they apply to you).

Also, if you are required to send /provide additional documents such as:

Transcripts

Proof of citizenship

Essays

The questionnaire

Declaration for Federal Employment

Make sure that you mail it at least 1 week before deadline, and preferably before the first cut off date posted in the announcement.