Get Started with USAJOBS
USAJOBS is the official job site of the U.S. Federal Government where you can search and apply for jobs.
With a USAJOBS account you can:
- Create a personal profile
- Create or upload up to five distinct resumes
- Search for jobs by agency, occupation, location and more
- Save job searches and receive automatic notifications
- Save jobs of interest
- Learn about the Federal hiring process and special hiring programs
Where do I start?
It’s important you create an account and a profile. Your account and profile are used to help complete the job application, as well as improve job search results.
Create a USAJOBS account
Your account includes all the information needed to apply to a federal job. You’ll be asked to create a profile, which includes information such as name, address and other important details that are submitted for each job application. Your profile allows you to manage these personal details in one place.
Learn how to create an account and profile.
Create or upload a resume
You can either upload a resume or create one using the Resume Builder. You can store up to five unique resumes within your account—this will help you target your resume to different types of jobs.
Upload a resume
If you upload a resume, it must meet the following requirements: • The document size is less than 3 MB. • In an acceptable format such as: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Create a resume using Resume Builder
The resume builder helps you create a resume for you by asking you to enter information such as previous work experiences and skills.
Important tip: If you save five resumes and want to add a new one, you’ll have to delete one of the existing five.
Learn how to build a resume with Resume Builder.
What to include in a resume
When applying for a federal job, it’s important to clearly describe how your skills and work experiences align to the selection criteria defined by the job announcement. You should tailor your resume to the job announcement to which you are applying.
Get resume writing tips for federal jobs.
Search for jobs
Take advantage of the USAJOBS search tool—the more details you provide, the more effective your results will be.
You can filter job searches
You can search for jobs by keyword, occupation or job category, agency, location, salary range and pay grade.
The USAJOBS help center offers step-by-step tutorials on how to use all of the search functions.
You can save searches and receive notifications
You can set up automated job searches based on your search criteria. USAJOBS will email you (daily, weekly or monthly) when there are new jobs entered into the database that meet your needs.
Learn how to save searches and receive notifications.
Review the job announcement
Once you find a job you’re interested in, read the entire job announcement and pay close attention to the:
- “Qualifications” section to learn if you’re eligible and meet the minimum qualifications.
-
“How to Apply” section to learn about agency specific instructions, required documents and contact information.
- Find out which jobs you may be eligible for
- Know the types of documents you may need to provide
I found a job I am interested in, what’s next?
Prepare your application
USAJOBS will guide you through a five-step process to prepare your application, including attaching a resume and required documents.
Learn how to prepare and submit your application
Submit your application
Once your application is ready, you’ll be transferred to the hiring agency application system and at that point you move into the hiring agency process.
Learn what happens after your submit your application.
Check your USAJOBS account for status updates
You can check the status of your application in your USAJOBS account—your account will show your job application history.