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Understanding EIA's Job Announcements |
Federal job announcements, including EIA's, can
be a little confusing to applicants who aren't used to reading
them, but it's worth the effort! These announcements provide important
information about qualifications, duties, salary, duty location,
and benefits. Each job vacancy consists of a job title, the career
path, the series number and the pay band number. For example,
in the "Economist, GS-0110-04" citation: |
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"Economist" is the position title |
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"GS" is the pay plan |
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"0110" is the occupational series |
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"04" is the grade level (the traditional
Federal GS system can be 1 through 15) |
Sometimes you will see two types of job announcements: |
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Public notice. These jobs are open to all
U.S. citizens; current or prior federal work experience is not
required. |
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Merit promotion. These jobs are restricted
to current or former EIA and/or federal employees. |
All job announcements also have: 1) an opening date, which is
the date when the vacancy was initially opened for the submission
of applications, and 2) a closing date, which is the final date
that applications may be submitted for consideration for an available
position. |
Finally, when you review the announcement, you will be able to determine
if your interests, education, and professional experience make you a
good candidate for the job.
Submitting Applications Online
EIA requires applicants to register and create an account with USAJOBS,
the Federal jobs portal, which is available 24/7 at www.usajobs.gov.
USAJOBS' online resume builder (My USAJOBS) allows applicants to create
an electronic resume that contains all of the information necessary
for Federal employment. We encourage you to create
an account with USAJOBS and start building your resume today so
when you find the EIA job that interests you, your electronic resume
will be ready to go. Applicants who believe that applying online will
present them a hardship must contact the personnel official identified
on the announcement about alternatives to the electronic submission
process. And remember, when you find the job and are viewing the announcement,
make sure to check out the section "How to Apply," for more
tips.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities or "KSAs"
Knowledge, skills and abilities, also known as KSAs, are a set of
questions that describe the special qualifications and personal attributes
that you need to have for a particular job. Your responses will help
EIA determine qualities that set you apart from other candidates.
In Federal personnel guidance, KSAs are defined as the factors that
identify the better candidates from a group of persons basically qualified
for a position. How well an applicant can show that he or she matches
a position's defined KSAs determines whether that person will be seriously
considered for the job. For tips on KSAs, please visit USAJOBS.
Essay Questions: Why You Can't Ignore Them
While some application questions may require a yes / no answer, others
might be multiple choice. Job announcements also will contain both
KSAs and essay questions which are a necessary part of the employment
application. You must respond to these essay questions-failure to
do so could impact your ranking. It is therefore very important to
read each question carefully and prepare your answer accordingly.
Some job applicants, especially those looking for their first Federal
position, are not sure whether the essay questions apply to them or
where a response is optional. There's an easy way to decide when to
pay attention to these KSAs and essays. In a word, ALWAYS. Don't leave
something out of your written responses just because you assume job
officials will see it on your resume - redundancy is not a bad thing
here. On the flip side, references to any significant experiences
in your written responses should reflect points made on your resume.
What is Veterans Preference?
Veterans preference gives special consideration to eligible veterans
looking for federal employment. Veterans who are disabled or who served
on active duty in the United States Armed Forces during -specified
time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference in
the Federal employment process. To find out whether you qualify for
veterans preference, visit OPM's
Veterans Preference Information.
Application Tips |
To ensure your application is processed correctly,
please be sure to include the following on any supplemental materials
you submit: |
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Your name |
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Title and general schedule (GS) pay grade level
of the position you are applying for |
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Vacancy announcement number listed on the front
of the announcement |
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Your Social Security number |
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Your contact information |
How Are Applicants Evaluated?
Government officials will rate you based on your experience and education.
Your evaluation will be based on information you provide in your resume
and application. The names of the best-qualified applicants will be
forwarded to the hiring official who will contact you to schedule
an interview.
Contact Information
For more information on job applications, or to learn about career
growth opportunities with EIA in general, please email careers@eia.doe.gov.
Persons with disabilities requiring assistance with the application
process should visit OPM's
Federal Employment of People With Disabilities.
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