GovCentral

it will usually say GS05. Potential to GS07. If it says that starting out your going to be a GS05 then that means the highest you can go is GS07 in that job or at least that is how they have told me it works.

Yes that is the highest that you can go!

50k+ from what I saw...very well indeed.

www.USAJOBS.gov is the easy way to apply for federal jobs as far as I'm concerned.  I too was a bit unsure when I first approached the task of searching through the endless openings within the federal government, but USAJOBS is great!  It helps you build your resume and documentation.  It has these "agents" which search through all the posted jobs based on custom criteria, reporting via email on new opportunities that might fit you.  It connects with build in application managers for different positions, and tracks your various applications as they are evaluated.  I only wish ALL job applications were this well built, rather than "email us your resume and maybe, if you're lucky, we will respond to you."

Granted, I've only been using it for about 2 weeks, but its great!  I'm still discovering new little functions every time I log in.

I admit, at first, it it a bit of work, but once you have everything set up, USAJOBS does almost all the work.  Just put aside 2-3 hours to figure the whole thing out and get everything set up, and everything should click.  You wont regret it (probably...I didn't, anwyay).

The time from when the job closes to when you hear something varies for each posting.  Sometimes I heard back from a job a week after it closed, other times I heard back 3 months, and a lot of times there is never a response. 

A lot of things can happen after a job closes, like the job actually gets filled by some other means, it is re-posted, it is revoked, or many other terms that may apply. 

The biggest thing to remmember is to focus on your resume and making sure you meet all of the qualifications.  If you have to volunteer, start your own business, or work part time somewhere in order to get the Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSA's) that are listed in each job posting, then put your effort towards doing so.  The outcome will be worth it, since you most definetely will get a call if you have the KSA's covered.

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amf85 says ...

NEW QUESTION!

 

Ok.  Is there any accepted amount of time (specific or estimated) after a job posting closes by which point you would expect to see some sort of response/result either emailed or posted to the USAJOBS site?  How long should I wait before calling/emailing these guys to see whats happening?