Application procedures and requirements vary from one DOT job to another, so please read each job announcement carefully.
You may apply for most DOT jobs with:

• A resume, or
• An Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF-612), or
• Any other written format you choose, as long as it contains the information required by the vacancy announcement

For jobs that are filled through our automated application process, you must generally submit a resume and other specialized forms. Jobs with unique qualifications may require copies of transcripts, licenses or certifications.

If the job applicationidentifies specific job knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), please pay particular attention to them and respond to each, if required to do so.

Once you have completed your application, please remember to submit it by the due date. Late applications will not be accepted.

The minimum age for most permanent DOT/FHWA jobs is 18 (age 16 with a high school diploma). Also, students over the age of 16 may be considered for student opportunities.

Yes, you must be a U.S. citizen to apply for Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD) jobs.

There are certain situations where special consideration is given to veterans seeking Federal employment. Preference applies in hiring from civil service examinations, for most excepted service jobs and when agencies make temporary appointments or use direct-hire and delegated examining authorities from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

By law, veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over non-veterans, both in hiring from competitive lists of eligible and in retention during reductions in force.

To learn more about Veterans Preference, please visit http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/E13.asp

“KSA” is an acronym that stands for “knowledge, skills and abilities.” KSAs are qualities needed by job applicants to successfully perform their job, and are used in the hiring process to distinguish the highly qualified candidates from among all qualified candidates.

Job applications often ask questions to capture KSAs in a variety of areas including:

• Paid and unpaid experience
• Education: degrees, course and research projects
• Awards and recognition
• Quotes from letters written by people who can positively comment on your professional skills

Your response to these questions are a major factor in determining if you can perform assigned job duties. Job announcements will indicate if you are required to respond to KSAs.

If you are just starting out, you can qualify for jobs at the GS-2 level with just a high school diploma or as little as 3 months of general work experience. At GS-3 and GS-4 levels, you can qualify with more months of general experience. Starting at GS-5, jobs generally require 1 year of specialized experience to qualify. When you have a degree but no specialized experience in a career field, you are eligible for appointment at the GS-5 pay scale. (If you maintained a B average, or met other academic credentials in college, you can start out at the GS-7 pay scale.) To qualify for jobs at the GS-7 and higher grades, your background must have included experience closely related to the work to be performed in the job for which you are applying. You can qualify for GS-9 positions on the basis of a master’s degree, and for GS-11 positions on the basis of a doctorate. To find the salaries for these grades visit the following web site: http://www.USAJOBS.opm.gov/B5A.asp

Special noncompetitive appointing authorities are established by law or executive order. Veterans, persons with disabilities, many current and former Federal employees, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals eligible for non-competitive appointment.

You use your Veterans Preference when applying for Federal job vacancies. In some cases other employers, such as state or local governments, may offer preference as well. For more information about types of “Preference” please consult the Vet Guide.

Please visit ourSalary Tables web page.

The SF-50 is a form that a Federal employee receives each time a personnel action occurs during his or her career, such as a promotion, transfer, resignation, retirement, etc. If you are not, and have never been, a Federal employee you will not possess a SF-50 form and you do not have to submit this form as part of the application process. If you are a current Federal employee and you do not believe you have received your most recent SF-50, you should check with your supervisor or you personnel office. If you are a former Federal employee and it has been more than 30 days since you left your Federal job, you may request your records from the FEDERAL RECORDS CENTER, National Archives and Records Administration, 111 Winnebago Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63118, telephone number (314) 801-9250. You should make your request in writing and include your full name under which formerly employed, social security number, date of birth, and to the extent known, former Federal employing agencies, addresses and dates of such employment. The Privacy Act of 1974 (5USC 552a) and the Office of Personnel Management require a signed and dated written request for information from Federal records. No requests for information from personnel or any other type of records will be accepted by telephone or e-mail.

You can get a copy of your DD form 214, Report of Separation by visiting the following web site: http://www.archives.gov/research_room/vetrecs/index.html

Forget what you have heard about the complexities in finding a Federal job. We have made the process simple! Your job search for Federal career opportunities is now a ‘3-Step Process’.

STEP 1: CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
Set up you’re my USAJOBS account to:

• Create & post resumes
• Attract employers
• Have jobs emailed to you

STEP 2: SEARCH FOR JOBS
Just enter your desired job information and search the database of thousands of jobs. Use your resume to apply online instantly.

STEP 3: MANAGE YOUR CAREER
Get all the information and advice you need on obtaining a job in the Government.

When you see a job that you would like to apply to, you can click the Apply Online link at the bottom of the posting. When you click Apply Online (all jobs do not have this option), you will have to log into your account if you were not previously logged in. Once you are logged in, if you have one or more Resumes, you will have a choice of which Resume to send. Likewise, if you have any cover letters stored, you will also have the option of submitting a cover letter along with your Resume.

If you have an account and are logged in but do not have any Resumes stored, when you click the Apply Online link, you will get a message that says, ‘You are logged in but do not have any Resumes stored.’ You will then have the option to Create a New Resume. If you do not have an account opened and you click Apply Online, it will take you to the Create Account/Log In page.

USAJOBS was created to assist you in your job search. It allows you to search for jobs that best match your skills and talents and to apply for them directly. Civilian federal job opportunities are announced through USAJOBS. The number will vary, but there are frequently around 18,000 listed on any given day, with new jobs added (and old ones closed) everyday. Many excepted agencies (such as the FBI, CIA, and some courts) also use USAJOBS to announce their job opportunities. You can search for these opportunities by using the search jobs function (http://jobsearch.USAJOBS.opm.gov/) and then selecting your job requirement. You can also use “My USAJOBS” and create a “search agent” that will notify you when jobs meeting your requirements are added to the system. After finding a job of interest, carefully read the announcement and follow the “How To Apply” instructions included as a part of it. You may be able to apply online for a job (through various different online questionnaires and through the USAJOBS resume builder) or you may need to mail or fax your resume. This information will be included in the announcement.

If you wish to contact an agency directly concerning a specific vacancy announcement, please use the Public Contact Information listed in each vacancy announcement. The address, phone number, and possibly an email address, will be provided. If you are looking for a way to contact the agency headquarters, you may go to http://www.USAJOBS.opm.gov and select Government Links, (towards the bottom of the screen), and explore other agency web sites. Each site will have a “Contact Us” link that you may use for your questions/inquiries.

Almost all Federal job openings are required to be posted on USAJOBS (some job opportunities announced for the Federal judicial branch are not listed in USAJOBS). If the advertisement you have found has been placed by a legitimate Federal Agency, please contact the agency directly for details and instructions. If the ad has been placed by a company that is promising to provide you with Federal job lists or civil service test help, we suggest you beware. Federal vacancy information is available without cost from the United States Government via USAJOBS. If the Federal Government needs you to take any kind of test as part of the employment process, we will provide you with sample questions ahead of time.

The agency name drop down list is continuously updated to only show agencies that currently have jobs posted in the database. If the agency you are interested in working for isn’t shown, it is likely because they don’t have any positions currently open.

When you see a job that you would like to apply to, you can click the Apply Online link at the bottom of the posting. When you click Apply Online (all jobs do not have this option), you will have to log into your account if you were not previously logged in. once you are logged in, if you have one or more Resumes, you will have a choice of which Resume to send.

KSA’s are knowledge, skills, and abilities that are used to determine the extent to which your qualifications (experience and education) match the requirements of the job you may be interested in applying. When agencies evaluate candidates based on KSA’s, you will usually be asked to supply a narrative description (one-half page to no more than one page in length) of the experience and/or training you have had that demonstrates your possession of a particular element. For more help in crafting your job application, please see the USAJOBS Ten Tips for Letting Federal Employers Know Your Worth.

FEDERAL CAREER INTERN PROGRAM (FCIP) – The FCIP is designed to help agencies recruit and attract exceptional individuals into a variety of occupations at the grade levels GS-5, 7, and 9 or other trainee positions. Individuals are appointed to a 2-year internship. Upon successful completion of the internships, the interns may be eligible for permanent placement within an agency. Individuals interested in Career Intern opportunities must contact specific agencies directly.

STUDENT CAREER EXPERIENCE PROGRAM (SCEP) (formerly the Cooperative Education Program) – Students are hired to work in occupations related to their academic/career goals. They are eligible for a noncompetitive conversion to a permanent Federal position upon completion of their academic course work. Students appointed under the Student Career Experience Program may be eligible for noncompetitive conversion to permanent status within 120 days of completion of their academic program.