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Office of Personnel Management Veterans Information Guide CONTENTS A Word About Veterans'
Preference The Federal Government has a long and outstanding record of employing veterans. Veterans hold a far higher percentage of jobs in the Government than they do in private industry. In large part, this is due to laws providing veterans' preference and special appointing authorities for veterans, as well as the fact that agencies rec ognize that hiring veterans is just good business. The purpose of VetsInfo Guide is to explain briefly how the Federal employment system works and how veterans' preference and the special appointing authorities operate within that system. The handbook was designed to help veterans understand the entitlements they have earned. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administers entitlement to veterans' preference in employment under title 5, United States Code, and oversees other statutory employment requirements in titles 5 and 38. (Title 38 , United States Code, also governs veterans' entitlement to benefits administered by the Depart ment of Veterans Affairs (VA).) Both title 5 and title 38 use many of the same terms, but in different ways. For example, service during a "war" is used to determine entitlement to veterans' pref erence and service credit under title 5. OPM has always interpreted this to mean a war declared by Congress. But title 38 defines "period of war" to include many non-declared wars, including Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. Such conflicts entitle a veteran to VA benefits under title 38, but not necessarily to preference or service credit under title 5. |
A Word About Veterans' Preference ...
Since the time of the Civil War, veterans of the Armed Forces have been given some degree of preference in appointments to Federal jobs. Recognizing their sac rifice, Congress enacted laws to prevent veterans seeking Federal employment from being penalized for their time in military service. Veterans' preference recog nizes the economic loss suffered by citizens who have served their country in uni form, restores veterans to a favorable competitive position for Government employment, and acknowledges the larger obligation owed to disabled veterans.
Veterans' preference is not so much a reward for being in uniform as it is a way to help make up for the economic loss suffered by those who answered the nation's call to arms. Historically, preference has been reserved by Congress for those who were either disabled or who served in combat areas. Eligible veterans receive many advantages in Federal employment, including preference for initial employ ment and a higher retention standing in the event of layoffs. However, the veterans' preference laws do not guarantee the veteran a job, nor do they give veterans pref erence in internal agency actions such as promotion, transfer, reassignment, and reinstatement.
Veterans' preference in its present form comes from the Veterans' Preference Act of 1944, as amended, and is now codified in various provisions of title 5, United States Code. 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 others in hiring from competitive lists of eligibles and also in retention during reductions in force.
Preference applies in hiring for virtually
all jobs, whether in the competitive or excepted service.
In addition to receiving preference in competitive appointments, veterans may be considered for special noncompetitive appointments for which only they are eligible.
The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998
This new law gives veterans access to Federal job opportunities that might other wise be closed to them. The law requires that:
* Agencies allow eligible
veterans to compete for vacancies advertised under the agency's merit promotion
procedures when the agency is seeking appli cations from individuals outside
its own workforce.
* All merit promotion announcements
open to applicants outside an agency's workforce include a statement that
these eligible veterans may apply.
* OPM create an appointing authority to
permit the appointment of these individuals if they are selected.
The law also establishes a new redress system for preference eligibles and makes it a prohibited personnel practice for an agency to knowingly take or fail to take a personnel action if that action or failure to act would violate a statutory or regula tory veterans' preference requirement (more about this later).
There are essentially two classes of jobs with the Federal Government: 1) those that are in the competitive civil service, and 2) those that are in the excepted ser vice.
Competitive civil service jobs are under OPM's jurisdiction and subject to the civil service laws enacted by Congress in title 5, United States Code. These laws were enacted to ensure that jobs were filled based on a merit system for selecting the best qualified candidates according to job-related criteria. These laws, however, provide individual managers sufficient flexibility to appoint the person they believe is the best qualified for the job. Agencies may fill jobs from outside the civil service, or from among candidates with civil service status. In filling jobs, some selections must be made competitively; others may be made without open competition.
When filling a competitive service job from outside the civil service, agencies may: appoint a well-qualified candidate from a competitive list of eligibles developed by OPM or by an agency with delegated examining authority; or appoint someone who is eligible under one of a number of special appoint ing authorities (e.g., the VRA or Schedule B authorities discussed later on, and others authorized by either law or executive order).
Alternatively, in filling jobs from among
"status" candidates, agencies may: appoint someone from an agency-developed
merit promotion list (When these jobs are open to candidates outside the agency,
the agency must allow eligibles under the Veterans Employment Opportunities
Act of 1998 to apply); or reassign a current agency employee, transfer an
employee from another agency, or reinstate a former Federal employee.
(NOTE: "Status" candidates are those who are eligible for noncompetitive
movement within the competitive service because they either are now or were
serving under career-type appointments in the competitive service.)
An agency request for a list of eligible candidates or a job posting represents only a search for qualified candidates; there is no obligation on the part of the agency to make a selection. When a selection is made, agencies generally have broad authority under law to select from any of a number of sources of eligibles -- from outside the Federal service as well as from within.
Since 1996, agencies have been required by Presidential directive to give first consid eration to surplus and displaced Federal employees to soften the effects of widespread restructuring and downsizing aimed at making the Government more efficient.
Excepted service jobs, as the name suggests, are excepted from most or all of the civil service laws for various reasons and are not generally subject to OPM's jurisdiction. Positions are excepted by law, by executive order, or by action of OPM placing a posi tion or group of positions in excepted service Schedules A, B, or C. For example, cer tain entire agencies such as the Postal Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Central Intelligence Agency are excepted by law. In other cases, certain jobs or classes of jobs in an agency are excepted by OPM. This includes attorneys, chaplains, student trainees, veterans appointed under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998, and others.
There are three ways veterans can be appointed to jobs in the competitive civil service: by competitive appointment through an OPM list of eligibles (or agency equivalent), by noncompetitive appointment under special authorities that provide for conversion to the competitive service, or by excepted appointment under an authority that does not provide for conversion to the competitive service.
1. A competitive appointment is one in which
the veteran competes with others on an OPM list of eligibles (or agency equivalent
under delegated examining authority). This is the normal entry route into
the civil service for most employees. Veterans' pref erence applies in this
situation, and those veterans who qualify as preference eligibles -- i.e.,
who are entitled to veterans' preference -- have 5 or 10 extra points added
to their passing score on a civil service examination. Before a job is filled
by competitive appointment, the examining office must report it to OPM for
announcing to the public; OPM also notifies State employment service offices.
The examining office then deter mines the candidates' qualifications and rates
and ranks them according to job-related criteria. This list of eligibles,
or certificate, is then given to the selecting official.
2. A noncompetitive appointment under special authority is one such as the Veter ans' Readjustment Appointment (VRA) authority and the special authority for 30 percent or more disabled veterans. Eligibility under these special authorities (which are explained below) gives veterans a very significant advantage over oth ers seeking to enter the Federal service in that they do not compete with them. An agency that wants to hire under one of these authorities can simply appoint the eli gible veteran to any position for which the veteran is qualified. There is no red tape or special appointment procedures. However, use of these special authorities is discretionary with the agency. Veterans' preference applies when making appoint ments under these special authorities if there are two or more candidates and one or more is a preference eligible. These authorities provide for noncompetitive con version to the competitive service after a suitable period of satisfactory service.
3. An excepted appointment under Schedule
B to a position that would otherwise be in the competitive service. This special
authority, authorized by the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998,
permits an agency to appoint an eligible veteran who has applied under an
agency merit promotion announcement open to candidates outside the agency.
Like the above authorities, this one, too, gives vet erans a very significant
advantage over others seeking to enter the Federal service in that they do
not compete with them. However, use of this special authority, as with other
authorities, is discretionary with the agency. Also, an appointment made under
this authority does not lead to conversion to the competitive service.
In order to maximize their opportunities, veterans who are eligible for both prefer ence and noncompetitive appointment should, where possible, make sure they are being considered both competitively through an OPM exam or equivalent and non competitively under special authority such as the VRA.
Who Is Entitled
To Veterans' Preference In Employment?
Five-point preference is given to those honorably
separated veterans (this means an honorable or general discharge) who served
on active duty (not active duty for training) in the Armed Forces: during
any war (this means a war declared by Congress, the last of which was World
War II); during the period April 28, 1952, through July 1, 1955; for more
than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred after Janu ary 31, 1955,
and before October 15, 1976; during the Gulf War period beginning August 2,
1990, and ending January 2, 1992; or in a campaign or expedition for which
a campaign medal has been autho rized, such as El Salvador, Lebanon, Granada,
Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti.
Medal holders and Gulf War veterans who originally enlisted after September
7, 1980, or entered on active duty on or after October 14, 1982, without having
previ ously completed 24 months of continuous active duty, must have served
continu ously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active
duty.
Effective on October 1, 1980, military retirees
at or above the rank of major or equivalent, are not entitled to preference
unless they qualify as disabled veterans.
Ten-point preference is given to: those honorably
separated veterans who 1) qualify as disabled veterans because they have served
on active duty in the Armed Forces at any time and have a present service-connected
disability or are receiving compensa tion, disability retirement benefits,
or pension from the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs; or 2)
are Purple Heart recipients; the spouse of a veteran unable to work because
of a service-connected dis ability;
the unmarried widow of certain deceased veterans; and the mother of a veteran
who died in service or who is permanently and totally disabled.
When applying for Federal jobs, eligible veterans
should claim preference on their application or resume. Applicants claiming
10-point preference must complete form SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran
Preference. Veterans who are still in the service may be granted 5 points
tentative preference on the basis of informa tion contained in their applications,
but they must produce a DD Form 214 prior to appointment to document entitlement
to preference.
Note: Reservists who are retired from the
Reserves but are not receiving retired pay are not considered "retired
military" for purposes of veterans' preference. The Department of Labor's
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy and Veter ans' Employment and
Training Service developed an "expert system" to help vet erans
receive the preferences to which they are entitled. Two versions of this system
are currently available, both of which help the veterans determine the type
of preference to which they are entitled, the benefits associated with the
preference and the steps necessary to file a complaint due to the failure
of a Federal Agency to provide those benefits. To find out whether you qualify
for veterans' preference, visit America's Job Bank, operated by the Department
of Labor (DOL). The Inter net address for the veterans' preference program
is: http://www.dol.gov/dol/vets/public/programs/programs/preference/main.htm.
(State employment service offices have veteran representatives available to assist veterans in gaining access to this information.)
How Preference Applies In Competitive Examination
Veterans who are eligible for preference and
who meet the minimum qualification requirements of the position, have 5 or
10 points added to their passing score on a civil service examination. For
scientific and professional positions in grade GS-9 or higher, names of all
eligibles are listed in order of ratings, augmented by veter ans' preference
points, if any. For all other positions, the names of 10-point prefer ence
eligibles who have a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are
placed ahead of the names of all other eligibles. Other eligibles are then
listed in order of their earned ratings, augmented by veterans' preference
points. A prefer ence eligible is listed ahead of a nonpreference eligible
with the same score.
The agency must select from the top 3 candidates (known as the Rule of 3) and may not pass over a preference eligible in favor of a lower ranking non-preference eligible without sound reasons that relate directly to the veteran's fitness for employment. The agency may, however, select a lower-ranking preference eligible over a compensably disabled veteran within the Rule of 3.
A preference eligible who is passed over on
a list of eligibles is entitled, upon request, to a copy of the agency's reasons
for the passover and the examining office's response.
If the preference eligible is a 30 percent
or more disabled veteran, the agency must notify the veteran and OPM of the
proposed passover. The veteran has 15 days from the date of notification to
respond to OPM. OPM then decides whether to approve the passover based on
all the facts available and notifies the agency and the veteran.
Entitlement to veterans' preference does not guarantee a job. There are many ways an agency can fill a vacancy other than by appointment from a list of eligibles.
Filing Applications After Examinations Close
A 10-point preference eligible may file an application at any time for any position for which a nontemporary appointment has been made in the preceding 3 years; for which a list of eligibles currently exists that is closed to new applications; or for which a list is about to be established. Veterans wishing to file after the closing date should contact the agency that announced the position for further information.
Special Appointing Authorities For Veterans
The following special authorities permit the noncompetitive appointment of eligible veterans. Use of these special authorities is entirely discretionary with the agency; no one is entitled to one of these special appointments:
The Veterans' Readjustment Appointment (VRA)
- The VRA is a special authority by which agencies can appoint an eligible
veteran without competition. The VRA is an excepted appointment to a position
that is otherwise in the compet itive service. After 2 years of satisfactory
service, the veteran is converted to a career-conditional appointment in the
competitive service. (Note, however, that a veteran may be given a noncompetitive
temporary or term appointment based on VRA eligibility. These appointments
do not lead to career jobs.)
When two or more VRA applicants are preference
eligibles, the agency must apply veterans' preference as required by law.
(While all VRA eligibles have served in the Armed Forces, they do not necessarily
meet the eligibility requirements for veterans' preference under section 2108
of title 5, United States Code.)
Eligibility: To be eligible for a VRA appointment, a veteran must: have served
on active duty in the Armed Forces for more than 180 days and received other
than a dishonorable discharge. The 180-day requirement does not apply to veterans
released from active duty because of a serviceconnected disability, or to
members of a Reserve component ordered to active duty during a period of war
or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign or expeditionary medal
is authorized.
Active duty is full-time duty in the Armed
Forces, other than active duty for train ing. For VRA eligibility, the term
"period of war" includes the Vietnam era and the Persian Gulf War
beginning August 2, 1990 and ending November 30, 1995, but does not include
other operations such as Panama and Somalia. There are 2 groups of eligibles
under the VRA:
1) Vietnam-era veterans, i.e., those who served
between August 5, 1964 (or February 28, 1961 for those who actually served
in the Republic of Vietnam), and May 7, 1975, are eligible for a VRA appointment
until the later of Decem ber 31, 1995, or 10 years following their last release
from active duty. (This time period does not apply to 30 percent or more disabled
veterans.); and
2) Post-Vietnam-era veterans, i.e., those
who first served after May 7, 1975, are eligible until December 31, 1999,
or 10 years following their last release from active duty, whichever is later.
Terms and conditions of employment: VRA eligibles may be appointed to any
position for which qualified up to GS-11 or equivalent (the promotion potential
of the position is not a factor). The veteran must meet the qualification
requirements for the position. (Any military service is considered qualifying
for GS-3 or equiva lent.) After 2 years of substantial continuous service
in a permanent position under a VRA, the appointment will be converted to
a career or career conditional appointment in the competitive service, providing
performance has been satisfac tory. Once on-board, VRAs are treated like any
other competitive service employee and may be promoted, reassigned, or transferred.
VRA appointees with less than 15 years of education must complete a training
program established by the agency.
How To Apply: Veterans should contact the
Federal agency personnel office where they are interested in working to find
out about VRA opportunities.
30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans - These
veterans may be given a tem porary or term appointment (not limited to 60
days or less) to any position for which qualified (there is no grade limitation).
After demonstrating satisfactory per formance, the veteran may be converted
at any time to a career-conditional appointment.
Terms and conditions of employment: Initially,
the disabled veteran is given a temporary appointment with an expiration date
in excess of 60 days. This appoint ment may be converted to at any time to
a career conditional appointment. Unlike the VRA, there is no grade limitation.
How To Apply: Veterans should contact the
Federal agency Personnel office where they are interested in working to find
out about opportunities. Veterans must submit a copy of a letter dated within
the last 12 months from the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department
of Defense certifying receipt of compensation for a service-connected disability
of 30% or more.
Disabled Veterans Enrolled In VA Training
Programs - Disabled veterans eligible for training under the Department of
Veterans Affairs' (VA) vocational rehabilitation program may enroll for training
or work experience at an agency under the terms of an agreement between the
agency and VA. The veteran is not a Federal employee for most purposes while
enrolled in the program, but is a benefi ciary of the VA.
The training is tailored to individual needs
and goals so there is no set length. If the training is intended to prepare
the individual for eventual appointment in the agency (rather than just work
experience), OPM must approve the training plan. Upon successful completion,
the veteran will be given a Certificate of Training showing the occupational
series and grade level of the position for which trained. This allows any
agency to appoint the veteran noncompetitively for a period of 1 year. Upon
appointment, the veteran is given a Special Tenure Appointment which is then
converted to career-conditional with OPM approval.
Excepted Appointment Under Schedule B - Authorized
by the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998, this authority permits
an agency to appoint an eligible veteran who has applied under an agency merit
promotion announcement that is open to candidates outside the agency.
Eligibility: To be eligible for a Schedule
B appointment, a candidate must:
be a preference eligible or veteran separated after 3 year or more years of
continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.
Terms and conditions of employment: Veterans
given a Schedule B appointment are in the excepted service. The appointment
does not lead to competitive status. However, these appointees may be promoted,
demoted, or reassigned at their agency's discretion, and may apply for jobs
(whether in their own or other agen cies) under the same terms and conditions
that applied to their original appoint ment -- i.e., they may apply only when
the agency has issued a merit promotion announcement open to candidates outside
the agency.
How to apply: Veterans interested in applying under this authority should seek out agency merit promotion announcements open to candidates outside the agency. Applications should be submitted directly to the agency.
Positions Restricted To Preference Eligibles
Examinations for custodian, guard, elevator operator and messenger are open only to preference eligibles as long as such applicants are available.
Affirmative Action For Certain Veterans Under Title 38
Section 4214 of title 38, United States Code, calls upon agencies to establish a sep arate affirmative action program for disabled veterans as part of agency efforts to hire, place, and advance persons with disabilities under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Agencies are also urged to "promote the maximum of employment and job advancement opportunities" for those veterans eligible for noncompetitive appointment under the above special authorities.
This section requires agencies to:
provide placement consideration under special
noncompetitive hiring authorities for VRA and 30 percent or more disabled
veterans;
ensure that all veterans are considered for
employment and advancement under merit system rules; and
establish an affirmative action plan for the hiring, placement, and advance
ment of disabled veterans.
Veterans who believe that they have not been properly accorded
their rights have several different avenues of complaint, depending upon the
nature of the complaint and the individual's veteran status:
The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act
of 1998 allows preference eligibles to complain to the Department of Labor's
Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) when the person believes
an agency has vio lated his or her rights under any statute or regulation
relating to veterans' preference.
Under a separate Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) between OPM and the Department of Labor, eligible veterans seeking employment
who believe that an agency has not properly accorded them their veterans'
pref erence, failed to list jobs with State employment service offices as
required by law, or failed to provide special placement consideration noted
above, may file a complaint with the local Department of Labor VETS representa
tive (located at State employment service offices). To be eligible to file
a complaint under the MOU a veteran must: have served on active duty for more
than 180 days and have other than a dishonorable discharge; have a service-connected
disability; or if a member of a Reserve component, have been ordered to active
duty under sections 12301 (a), (d), or (g) of title 10, United States Code,
or served on active duty during a period of war, or received a campaign badge
or expeditionary medal (e.g., the Southwest Asia Service Medal).
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment
Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) prohibits discrimination in employment, retention,
pro motion, or any benefit of employment on the basis of a person's service
in the uniformed services. Compalints under this law should also be filed
with the local Department of Labor VETS representative (located at State employment
service offices).
Since a willful violation of a provision of
law or regulation pertaining to veterans' preference is a Prohibited Personnel
Practice, a preference eligi ble who believes his or her veterans' preference
rights have been violated may file a complaint with the local department of
Labor VETS representa tive, as noted above.
A disabled veteran who believes he or she
has been discriminated against in employment because of his or her disability
may file a handicapped dis crimination complaint with the offending agency
under regulations admin istered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Finally, since OPM is committed to ensuring
that agencies carry out their responsibilities to veterans, any veteran with
a legitimate complaint may also contact any OPM Service Center.
Because there is considerable overlap in where and on what basis a complaint may be filed, a veteran should carefully consider his or her options before filing. Gener ally speaking, complaints on the same issue may not be filed with more than one party.
Veterans must conduct their own job search.
The best way to do this is to contact the Federal agency personnel office
where you are interested in working and inquire about opportunities. If you
qualify for one of the special appointing author ities (such as the VRA) be
sure to let the agency personnel office know.
America's Job Bank also contains a listing of jobs from both Federal and state
employers nationwide.
Remember that veterans are not guaranteed employment by Federal agencies.
Whether to hire a veteran, or anyone else, is up to the agency to decide.
OPM has several resources to aid veterans
in their job search. Our "Federal Employment Information System"
gives you access to not only Federal job listings but some state and local
government as well as private sector listings. The system provides current
information updated daily and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Follow these simple steps:
STEP 1: USE ANY OF THE AUTOMATED COMPONENTS OF THE FED ERAL EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM
Federal agencies list job opportunities on the Federal Employment Information
System. The System is accessible from a number of user friendly media.
OPM's Career America Connection at 912-757-3000,
TDD Service at 912-744-2299, a telephone-based system that provides current
worldwide Federal job opportunities, salary and employee benefits information,
special recruitment mes sages and more. You can also record your request to
have application packages, forms, and other employment-related literature
mailed or faxed to you. (See page 19 for a complete listing of local telephone
numbers to this nationwide network.)
OPM's Federal Job Opportunities "Bulletin"
Board (FJOB) at 912-757-3100, a computer- based bulletin board system that
provides current worldwide Federal job opportunities, salaries and pay rates,
general and specific employment infor mation, and more. You must have a personal
computer with a modem to access this system. Many of the jobs announced on
the FJOB have complete text announcements attached which can be downloaded
or viewed on-line, or you may leave your name and address to have application
packages and forms mailed to you. You may also contact us on the Internet
at fjob.opm.gov for Telnet; or ftp.fjob.opm.gov for File Transfer Protocol.
Information about obtaining Federal job announcement files via Internet mail
should be directed to: info@fjob.opm.gov.
OPM's worldwide web site at www.usajobs.opm.gov,
like all of the components of the employment information delivery system,
provides access to the Federal Jobs Data Base of worldwide opportunities;
full text job announcements; answers to frequently asked Federal employment
questions via delivery of Employment Info Line fact sheets; and access to
electronic and hard copy application forms.
Federal Job Information "Touch Screen"
Computer is a computer-based system utilizing touch screen technology. These
kiosks, located throughout the nation in OPM offices, Federal office buildings
and other locations, allow you to access cur rent worldwide Federal job opportunities,
on-line information, and more with the touch of a finger. You can also leave
a request to have application packages, forms and other employment- related
literature mailed to you. Request Federal Employ ment Info Line fact sheet
EI-42, "Federal Employment Information Sources," for a complete
listing of the locations of our touch screen computers.
FEDFAX: By using a touch-tone telephone or
fax machine, you may select from a variety of employment-related topics and
forms you wish to have faxed to you. FedFax does not contain vacancy announcements
or job listings. FedFax allows for the retrieval of hardcopy information at
any fax machine in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. FedFax is available
at the following numbers: Atlanta 404-331-5267; Denver 303-969-7764; Detroit
313-226-2593; San Francisco 415-744-7002; and Washington, DC 202-606-2600.
Since the system is updated on a daily basis,
you are encouraged to check fre quently for current listings and to allow
time for processing when requesting appli cation materials or information
from the system. Full text vacancy announcements are available on the FJOB,
the USAJOBS web site, and touch screen kiosks. In many cases it is possible
to complete an application on-line and submit it electron ically to the advertising
personnel office.
STEP 2: OBTAIN THE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Once you have found an opportunity that interests you, using STEP 1, you will
need more information on the specific opportunity and appropriate application
forms. You may obtain a copy of the vacancy announcement and a complete appli
cation package by leaving your name and address on the system or, when avail
able, by downloading the actual announcement and any supplementary materials
from the FJOB, USAJOBS or touch screen computer. The vacancy announcement
is an important source of information. Most of the questions you may have
will be answered as you read through the announcement. For example: closing/deadline
dates for applications, specific duties of the position, whether or not a
written test is required, educational requirements, duty location, salary,
etc.
STEP 3: FOLLOW THE APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
You may apply for most jobs with a resume, or the Optional Application for
Fed eral Employment (OF-612), or any written format you choose. For jobs that
are unique or filled through automated procedures, you may be given special
forms and/or instructions in the job announcement.
Although the Federal Government does not require a standard application form
for most jobs, certain information is needed to evaluate your qualifications.
If you decide to submit any other format, other than the OF-612, (i.e., a
resume), the fol lowing information must be included:
Job Information - Announcement number, title
and grade.
Personal Information - Full name, mailing address (with zip code), day and
evening phone numbers (with area code), Social Security number, country of
citi zenship, veterans' preference, reinstatement eligibility, highest Federal
civilian grade held.
Education - High school name, city and state,
colleges or universities, name, city and state, majors and type and year of
any degrees received (if no degree, show total credits earned and indicate
whether semester or quarter hours).
Work Experience - job title, duties and accomplishments, employer's name and
address, supervisor's name and phone number, starting and ending dates (month
and year), hours per week, salary, and indicate whether or not your current
super visor may be contacted. Prepare a separate entry for each job.
Other Qualifications - job related training courses (title and year), job related skills, job related certificates and licenses, job related honors, awards, and special accomplishments.
Federal Job Information Touch Screen Computers
OPM's Federal Job Information Touch Screen
Computers are located throughout the nation. They provide current worldwide
Federal job opportunities, on-line information, and the ability to request
application packages. They are generally available Monday through Friday during
normal business hours. Visit the Touch Screen Computer nearest you....
ALABAMA: Huntsville
520 Wynn Dr., NW.
ALASKA: Anchorage
Federal Bldg., 222 W. 7th Ave., Rm. 156
ARIZONA: Phoenix
VA Medical Center, 650 E. Indian School Rd., Bldg. 21, Rm. 141
ARKANSAS: Little Rock
Federal Bldg., 700 W. Capitol, 1st Floor Lobby
CALIFORNIA: Sacramento
801 I ("i") St.
COLORADO: Denver
12345 W. Alameda Pkwy., Room 101, Lakewood
CONNECTICUT: Hartford
Federal Bldg., 450 Main St., Lobby
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Washington, DC,
Theodore Roosevelt Federal Bldg., 1900 E St., NW., Rm. 1416
FLORIDA:
Miami
Downtown Jobs and Benefits Center, Florida Job Service Center, 401 NW. 2nd
Ave., Suite N-214
Orlando
Florida Job Service Center, 1001Executive Center Dr., First Floor
GEORGIA: Atlanta
Richard B. Russell Federal Bldg., Main Lobby, Plaza Level, 75 Spring St.,
SW.
HAWAII:
Honolulu Federal Bldg., Rm. 5316, 300 Ala Moana Blvd.
Fort Shafter Department of Army, Army Civilian Personnel Office, Army Garrison,
Bldg. T-1500
ILLINOIS: Chicago
77 West Jackson Blvd., 1st Floor Lobby
INDIANA: Indianapolis
Minton-Capehart Federal Bldg., 575 N. Pennsylvania St., Rm. 339
LOUISIANA: New Orleans
Federal Bldg., 423 Canal St., 1st Floor Lobby
MAINE: Augusta
Federal Office Bldg.,40 Western Ave.
MARYLAND: Baltimore
George H. Fallon Bldg., Lombard St. & Hopkins Plaza, Lobby
MASSACHUSETTS: Boston
Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., Federal Bldg.,10 Causeway St., 1st Floor
MICHIGAN: Detroit
477 Michigan Ave., Rm. 565
MINNESOTA: Twin Cities
Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Bldg., 1 Federal Dr., Rm. 501, Ft. Snelling
MISSOURI: Kansas City
Federal Bldg., 601 E. 12th St.,Rm. 134
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Portsmouth
Thomas McIntyre Federal Bldg., 80 Daniel St., 1st Floor Lobby
NEW JERSEY: Newark
Peter J. Rodino Federal Bldg., 970 Broad St., 2nd Floor near Cafeteria
NEW MEXICO: Albuquerque
New Mexico State Job Service, 501 Mountain Rd. NE., Lobby
NEW YORK:
Albany Leo W. O'Brian Federal Bldg., Clinton Ave. & North Pearl, Basement
Level
Buffalo Thaddeus T. Dulski Federal Bldg., 111 West Huron St., 9th Floor
New York City Jacob K. Javits Federal Bldg., 26 Federal Plaza, Lobby
New York City World Trade Center, Cafeteria
Syracuse James M. Hanley Federal Bldg., 100 S. Clinton
St.
OHIO: Dayton
Federal Bldg., 200 W. 2nd St., Rm. 509
OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma City
Career Connection Center, 7401 NE. 23rd St.
OREGON:
Portland Federal Bldg., Rm. 376, 1220 SW. Third Ave.
Bonneville Power Admin., 905 NE 11th Ave Dept. of Army & Corps of Engineers,
Duncan Plaza
PENNSYLVANIA:
Harrisburg Federal Bldg., 228 Walnut St., Rm. 168
Philadelphia William J. Green, Jr., Federal Bldg., 600 Arch St., 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh Federal Bldg., 1000 Liberty Ave., 1st Floor Lobby
Reading Reading Postal Service, 2100 N. 13th St.
PUERTO RICO: San Juan
U.S. Federal Bldg., 150 Carlos Chardon Ave., Rm. 328
RHODE ISLAND: Providence
380 Westminster, Mall Lobby
TENNESSEE: Memphis
Naval Air Station Memphis, Transition Assistance Center, 7800 3rd Ave., Bldg.
South 239, Millington
TEXAS:
Dallas Federal Bldg., 1st Floor Lobby, 1100 Commerce St.
El Paso Federal Bldg., 700 East San Antonio St., Lobby
Houston Mickey Leland Federal Bldg., 1919 Smith St., 1st Floor Lobby
San Antonio Federal Bldg., 1st Floor Lobby, 727 East Durango
UTAH: Salt Lake City
Utah State Job Service, 720 South 2nd East, Reception Area
VERMONT: Burlington
Federal Bldg., 11 Elmwood Ave., 1st Floor Lobby
VIRGINIA: Norfolk
Federal Bldg., 200 Granby St.
WASHINGTON: Seattle
Federal Bldg., 915 Second Ave., Rm. 110
WASHINGTON, DC:
Theodore Roosevelt Federal Bldg., 1900 E St., NW., Rm. 1416
USA JOBS BY PHONE
LOCAL TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
This automated phone system provides 24 hour a day, 7 day a week information
about current employment opportunities (nationwide and worldwide), special
pro grams for students, veterans, and people with disabilities, the Presidential
Manage ment Intern Program, salaries and benefits, and application request
services. Call the system nearest you....
ALABAMA, Huntsville
205-837-0894
CALIFORNIA, San Francisco
415-744-5627
COLORADO, Denver
303-969-7050
DISTRICT of COLUMBIA
202-606-2700
GEORGIA, Atlanta
404-331-4315
HAWAII, Honolulu
808-541-2791
ILLINOIS, Chicago
312-353-6192
MICHIGAN, Detroit
313-226-6950
MINNESOTA, Twin Cities
612-725-3430
MISSOURI, Kansas City
816-426-5702
NORTH CAROLINA, Raleigh
919-790-2822
OHIO, Dayton
513-225-2720
PENNSYLVANIA, Philadelphia
215-597-7440
TEXAS, San Antonio
210-805-2402
VIRGINIA, Norfolk
757-441-3355
WASHINGTON, Seattle
206-553-0888
or, FROM ANYWHERE IN THE NATION OR THE WORLD
912-757-3000
NATIONWIDE TDD SERVICE
912-744-2299
Federal Job Opportunities Board: Using your
personal computer, call 912-757-3100; or use Internet fjob.opm.gov for Telnet;
or ftp.fjob.opm.gov for File Transfer Protocol. FJOB provides current worldwide
Federal job opportunities, salaries and pay rates, general and specific employment
information. Many of the jobs announced have full text job announcements that
can be downloaded or viewed on-line.
Internet:
The worldwide web site at www.usajobs.opm.gov provides access to the Federal
Jobs Data Base; full text job announcements; answers to frequently asked Federal
employment questions via delivery of Employment Info Line fact sheets; and
access to electronic and hard copy application forms. FedFax Document Information
System: Use a touch-tone telephone or fax machine to select from a variety
of employment related documents or forms to be faxed to you. Job listings
and vacancy announce ments are not offered on FedFax. The fax service is available
at the following numbers: Atlanta 404-331-5267; Denver 303-969-7764; Detroit
313-226-2593; San Francisco 415-744-7002; Washington, DC 202-606-2600.
Other:
Visit Your Local State Employment Service Office. There you will find informa
tion on current Federal job opportunity listings. The list may be on a printed
report, on microfiche, or on computer. The method varies from State to State.
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Updated 3 September 1999