Career Opportunities
Frequently Asked Questions

CREATING YOUR RESUME

• How can I create an online resume?
• What happens if I don't submit a resume with my personal information when applying for a job?
• What happens if my USAJOBS resume is incomplete (e.g., work experience, duties, accomplishments, related skills)?
• If your application is designated as “Searchable” does that grant unlimited access by everyone?
• What are the levels of confidentiality that I can have for my Resume?
• How do I change the Confidential status on my Resume?
• Is making the resume non-searchable and confidential the same thing?

Q: How can I create an online resume?

A: You must create at least one resume using the USAJOBS resume builder to apply for vacancy announcements through USAJOBS. During your registration with USAJOBS, you will be prompted to create a Federal resume. In fact, you have the capability of creating and storing up to five resumes. Once created, you can update or change your resumes. When you apply for a particular vacancy, the system allows you to select which resume you would like to use and automatically attaches it to that particular vacancy announcement as part of your application. If you apply for more than one vacancy, you may wish to update your resume at that time to correspond more closely with the new vacancy announcement.

See USAJOBS First Timers for more information and tutorials to help learn how to build a resume in USAJOBS.

Q: What happens if I don't submit a resume with my personal information when applying for a job?

A: You must complete a USAJOBS resume to apply online for a vacancy. In order to complete the vacancy specific questionnaire, you will be prompted to select the USAJOBS resume you wish to use for your application package.

Q: What happens if my USAJOBS resume is incomplete (e.g., work experience, duties, accomplishments, related skills)?

A: If your USAJOBS resume is not complete by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time, on the closing date of the vacancy announcement, you will not be considered for the vacancy for which you applied.

Q: If your application is designated as "Searchable" does that grant unlimited access by everyone?

A: No. Your resume in USAJOBS is only searchable by HR Specialists. Registering with USAJOBS allows applicants to expand their marketability. When a resume is designated as searchable, Federal department HR specialists can identify candidates with requisite skills needed for their respective position and notify them of potential vacancy matches.

Q: What are the levels of confidentiality that I can have for my Resume?

A: You have three options when storing your Resume. You can make it completely public with all contact information available to employers; you can make it confidential and not show your contact information, but still searchable in the database, or you can remove your Resume from the searchable database by deactivating the Resume.

• Active (Searchable) - When you are finished creating your Resume, click Activate and your Resume will be entered into the Resume Database for employers to search. This will make all of your contact information, work experience, and references (if you opt to enter them) viewable by employers. You will only be able to have one of your Resumes saved as "Active" at a time.


• Confidential and Active (Searchable) - Storing your Resume as confidential will keep your contact information, present employer, and references private, yet your Resume is searchable by employers. Employers will be able to contact you by routing an email through USAJOBS to your email address. It's your choice to contact the employer. Checking the box marked Save my Resume as confidential on the Contact Information screen of the Resume Builder will store your Resume as confidential. If you want your present employer's name hidden, be sure to choose Present as the end date for your current job on the Work Experience screen of the builder.


• Not Active (Non-Searchable) - When you are finished creating your Resume, click on "Save for Later." Your Resume will be taken offline so that employers are unable to search for it. However, your Resume still remains in the USAJOBS database. You can still send it to the employers you choose by clicking the Apply Online option which appears at the bottom of a job description. Deactivating your Resume is a good option if you want to apply to a specific position without being contacted by other employers who have found your Resume online. If in the future you do want your Resume to be searched by all employers, simply click on Activate to make your Resume appear online.

Q: How do I change the Confidential status on my Resume?

A: First, login to your account and click Resumes on the navigation bar near the top of the page. Then click Edit below your Resume Headline. Click Candidate Info on the list of Resume sections. On this page, make your desired selection in the check box next to Make this information confidential. Then click Save.

Q: Is making the resume non-searchable and confidential the same thing?

A: No. Searchable resumes allow recruiters to find your resume, non-searchable resumes are kept private. Searchable and non-searchable resumes can be confidential. If you select your resume to be confidential, your name, current job and references will be hidden from recruiters. Recruiters who find your resume will contact USAJOBS, who in turn will forward the recruiter's message to the email address you've provided in USAJOBS. If you apply online with a confidential resume, ALL contact information will be invisible to the recruiter.

For other FAQs related to Creating Your Resume, please click on this link: USAJOBS Resume Builder FAQs.

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