I have about 18 months left in the Navy and I was trying to look for government jobs. Does anybody know a good place to start looking?

2014-05-19T19:02:47-04:00

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2014 7:33 PM

2014-05-19T19:33:50-04:00

PO3 Dutton, if you haven't already done so, give this site a look: https://www.usajobs.gov/ I'll stop in later to share a few additional sites and resources...

USAJOBS - The Federal Government’s Official Jobs Site

This is a United States Office of Personnel Management website. USAJOBS is the Federal Government’s official one-stop source for federal jobs and employment information.

Response by PO3 Jonathan Cooper made May 19 at 2014 10:00 PM

2014-05-19T22:00:20-04:00

PO3 while you're job hunting, you can also look directly into certain departments for what they're looking for. Homeland Security, DOJ and State normally have a career section on their websites with contact information. It's an easy way to see what they're looking for before you start applying.

Here's a few examples:
http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html

http://www.state.gov/careers/

Careers | Department of Justice

The Department of Justice (DOJ) leads the nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. As a Justice employee you'll be a member of a team where you can achieve your career goals and apply your skills and talents to our important mission.

Response by SN Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2014 9:09 AM

2014-05-20T09:09:43-04:00

Navycool.com

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2014 11:21 AM

2014-05-20T11:21:09-04:00

Try looking in the Command you are currently in, or others like it. Many have Navy Civilian jobs equal to the rates that those whom serve there hold. Ultimately you will have to apply for a position and more commonly than not it will be on some type of website. Usajobs.com is an excellent place to start and a good source for building résumés.

Response by CPT Brandon Christensen made May 20 at 2014 11:32 AM

2014-05-20T11:32:56-04:00

Navy Recruiter. Best government job there is.

Response by SFC Gary (Bigsarge) Portier USARMY RET. made May 20 at 2014 11:52 AM

2014-05-20T11:52:57-04:00

I am sure you have heard USAJOBS.com is the main or only place to go these days.

Sad to say but it also helps to know somebody close to or the Supervisor himself/herself.

I'm trying to get back into a new Agency to start a new Career with no luck.

Go Luck to you.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2014 11:10 AM

2014-08-31T11:10:05-04:00

You triple your chance of landing a Government job by becoming a reservist instead of retiring. Its and option. Worked out great for me. By the time I'm 60 I'll have two retirements.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2014 11:45 AM

2014-08-31T11:45:41-04:00

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member If you're dead set on getting out....here's my $.02

First of all, save your money...you need to save your money in the next 18 months. Oh yeah, did I mention...SAVE YOUR MONEY!

Next, decide if the "where" is important to you. If you're married, the "where" can be a huge thing once you're out. If you're single - not so much.

The websites listed herein are good - just don't sell yourself short when it comes to civilian work/jobs outside government. There are lots of agencies that still need contractors. Beware when dealing with a contractor - you have a job today, but when you go in tomorrow - not so much.

Believe it or not, get yourself set up with the VA before you leave the service. While you're at it, use a Service Officer from one of many Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) (VFW, DAV, etc) to help you with the process. Never deal with the VA alone! Ask one of the VSO's to be your advocate - they can check on the status of your claim and advise you as to what you need to do to speed up your claim. While there are horror stories aplenty in the news, there are pleanty of good things going on in the VA. While you may or may not have any physical issues you still may be eligible for VA healthcare. Apply! The VA healthcare system meets ACA (Obamacare) minimums and for the most part it's free. You might have to pay a co-pay but in most healthcare / insurance programs you pay a co-pay anyway..... Get an annual physical, keep your shot records up to date.... all free.... saves you a worry about getting health insurance.

Another thing - before you leave join a Veteran Service Organization - there are numerous out there. Some have requirements to join, others just a DD-214. While it seems crazy, you'd be surprised at the help available through the VSO's.

When you apply for a federal job there's always a point of contact listed on the job enumeration page. Call them, ask them for clarification of things you don't understand. Also, make sure your resume answers the job description - if the job is asking for a pilot your resume better have experience related to being a pilot. You're wasting your time applying for a pilot's job when all you know how to do is turn a lathe.

Get all the certifications that are related to a civilian job completed before you leave the service. If you need to extend in the service to do so - seriously consider it.

Finally...over the next 18 months start extending your network of people in the job areas you want to move into when you get out. Talk to them, ask them about the jobs your interested in. Apply for the jobs, even if you're still in the service. Federal jobs often take several months of processing until hiring date - this is where talking to the listed point of contact on the job listing pays off.

Qapla!

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2014 11:56 AM

2014-08-31T11:56:39-04:00

Bravo Zulu for thinking about it now! To addition to all websites and resources provided, don't forget to think ahead. Set yourself up for as if you had only 6 months to a year left. That way when your 6 month mark approaches, you'll be good to go! Have a backup plan or 2 if you anticipate rough transition without solid backbone. Have at least a couple temporary dwelling options upon your separation from service along with saving for at least 2 months worth. If you haven't taken TAPS class yet, start brainstorming NOW for all possible questions. Again, save, save, save!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2014 1:50 PM

2014-08-31T13:50:59-04:00

Hero 2 hired is also a good resource. It's not government jobs but they are veteran friendly and can help you turn your resume from military speak to civilian speak.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Aug 31 at 2014 6:05 PM

2014-08-31T18:05:47-04:00

The ONLY place you need to look is on USAjobs. All Federal jobs will be listed there PO3 Private RallyPoint Member

Response by Sgt Daryl Workman made Aug 31 at 2014 9:05 PM

2014-08-31T21:05:24-04:00

the Post Office is always hiring Veterans

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2014 10:24 AM

2014-09-03T10:24:26-04:00

First, choose a career series that you are interested in. There are hundreds of them and they are like MOSs for Federal civil service.

Next, choose the target grade you are looking for. Look at sample announcements at different grades to determine where you skill levels are. After that, choose the geographical area you want to work in. If you don’t care where you work, your options will be much better. Finally, work on your resume using the resume builder in USAJOBS. Tailor you experience to the career series that you are targeting.

USAJOBS has an automated search service that will email you matching jobs on a daily basis. Set the criteria to you interests and wait for the emails.

Applying for a federal job can take time. I've had jobs that I didn't get an offer until 8 months after applying. Sometimes it can be fast. One time, I got a job offer from DISA 3 days after applying.

Run with the assumption that you will get a one to four percent selection (hiring) rate, so shotgun those applications out. It's a numbers game.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2014 10:06 PM

2014-09-03T22:06:09-04:00

A lot of positions in the government sector (either local, state or fed) are based on future needs addressed in the budget (1+ years out) or potential retirement of the current holder which could last longer. The best thing to do is get on the list and continue to job search. I got called into an interview with the County of San Diego 13 months after I applied for it. Make sure you also tailor your resume to hit all the requirements, if you meet them. Not hitting the basic requirements for a gov job is a good way not to get on the list.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 18 at 2014 10:54 PM

2014-09-18T22:54:10-04:00

USA Jobs for positions in Washington DC

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2014 8:17 AM

2014-11-06T08:17:45-05:00

Try a Local One Stop Job Market, there are veteran reps in there that have good leads on State and Local Government jobs in whatever area you are separating to. Those places are run by the respective state's Dept of Labor and all services are free. They can also provide resume and interview skills help.

USAJOBS - The Federal Government’s Official Jobs Site

This is a United States Office of Personnel Management website. USAJOBS is the Federal Government’s official one-stop source for federal jobs and employment information.

Response by PO1 Jeffrey Hogan made Nov 7 at 2014 1:36 PM

2014-11-07T13:36:13-05:00

USAJOBS....US Border Patrol is hiring!

Response by SrA Daniel Hunter made Nov 7 at 2014 1:43 PM

2014-11-07T13:43:04-05:00

A lot of this will depend on what you want to do and where you want to live. NavAir could be a good place to go if you want to continue to work on Naval Aviation side. http://www.navair.navy.mil/
Also there are likely numerous opportunities around Everett in shipping. If you like the Navy but not the deployments you might consider the USCG.
For government jobs other than Feds you can look here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/
Best of luck to you!

Response by PO2 Maxwell Jones made Nov 7 at 2014 11:00 PM

2014-11-07T23:00:35-05:00

Although federal jobs are nice, state jobs often will count military service as "time in service" with the state. Each state has it's own website that will have a link to job postings for the state.

Response by CW4 Thomas Shefflette made Nov 9 at 2014 6:12 PM

2014-11-09T18:12:07-05:00

The website for the Office of Personnel Management job listings is: http://www.USAJOBS.gov .... I don't know why everyone puts it as a .com when it is .gov
That has most of he job listings, depending on the agency, a few are still listed on separate websites.

USAJOBS - The Federal Government’s Official Jobs Site

This is a United States Office of Personnel Management website. USAJOBS is the Federal Government’s official one-stop source for federal jobs and employment information.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 10 at 2014 12:22 AM

2014-11-10T00:22:08-05:00

Try the usajobs website. That's the only way to apply (as far as I know).

Response by PFC Daniel Starrett made Apr 15 at 2016 2:07 AM

2016-04-15T02:07:58-04:00

I am an Army Vet, versus Navy, so the only thing I understood when I saw your MOS was the radar, lol. With that said however, I presume the rest of it was either aviation or nautical related, and more on the technical side rather than flight?

I would recommend doing as others have suggested in regards to looking into where you want to "settle down" at. Once you have an idea of that, start looking into places that would be related to your field and contact their personnel office to ask for an informal walk thru of their facility. Explain to them that you are looking at leaving the Navy soon and that you are interested in learning more about them specifically. When you go to the walk thru, prepare for it as if you were going into an interview; more likely than not it will be treated as an informal one. Have your resume on hand in case they should ask for it; have specific questions ready that pertain to your field, such as what type of equipment you would be using (and if you would have to train on it due to it being different than you are familiar with). Be prepared to tell them what you are already familiar with and trained on, as well as some of your accomplishments. A couple of days after the walk through is completed, send a letter to them, thanking them for their time. In this letter, add a couple more questions if you have them. Maybe get a bit more specific. If you liked what you saw and heard, TELL them so. Tell them specifically what you liked and heard. And finally, if you are still interested in working for them, send another letter; this one FORMALLY asking for an interview. Give them a couple different dates in the future that you would be able to attend it, so they have time to plan for it, and you can take leave if you need to.

USAJOBS, MONSTER, and all the other websites that have been suggested are good places to look, but sometimes it is better to be proactive and reach out to someone personally, instead of applying to an online offer. When the position has been posted online, the personnel office can be counted on dealing with hundreds if not thousands of different applications, and even though yours may be the best one out there, if they come to it at the end of the day, the may overlook it due to being tired, or they may see one they are willing to "accept" before they even see yours, even though you would be the better person for the job. By mailing in the request for an informal walk through, you are telling them that you respect them enough to come to them and you understand how busy they are.

No matter what happens, good luck!

Response by CDR Michael Goldschmidt made Nov 12 at 2016 6:50 PM

2016-11-12T18:50:32-05:00

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Response by CDR Michael Goldschmidt made Nov 12 at 2016 6:51 PM

2016-11-12T18:51:09-05:00

Maybe apply to the FAA as an Air Traffic Controller, although those may be outsourced now.

Response by SPC Josh Parry made Nov 14 at 2016 12:20 AM

2016-11-14T00:20:42-05:00

Family, friends, local government workers. Sometimes, it's not what you know, but who you know. Good luck.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Jan 27 at 2019 4:04 PM

2019-01-27T16:04:32-05:00

I've never understood the whole thing about veteran preference, I've read various things about civil service exam spots, non exam civil service, I've encountered rather a hodgepodge of rules for local municipal spots, town, village, small city. Incorporated municipal entities, then also at county/parish level, as opposed to state level, and get again as to Federal level, I've read that some governmental organizations, at a variety of levels, can often have direct hiring authority, incl having seen such things for Federal spots, though, quite honesrly, I'd seriously ask for vet group help as to exactly how such vet preference might actually function by you, or wherevee you'd ultimately want to go, what part of the country...my understanding also has been that, for spots with direct hiring authority, often a certain minimum educ level is needed, so, that being the case, otd depend on what background and/or degree level you have now, and/or what level you might also want to go for after you'd be out, as well as what specific field and/or fields you're looking at, those are just some errant thoughts I'd had I thought might be of use, if you'd care to elaborate on any such topics, if I can think of anything else, I'll try to suggest it, if you'd also want Guard, Reserve, AGR, Guard Tech, or Reserve Tech, that'd also help to know, I've often seen most states and/or territories have specific job sites for Guard Tech and/,or AGR, as well as related civil svc spots, under state military/naval affairs governmental entities, you might also care to look them up, in NY where my wife and I are, e.g., DMNA is the NYS entity, I've glanced at their site purely out of curiosity many times, I'm total perm disabled, I can't do any of them, however, I'd stumbled across such sites over a protracted period, which is why I was merely aware they exist, most municipal/governmental entities also have their own civil svc job websites, as I've generally seen to he the case as well....

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Jan 28 at 2019 9:10 AM

2019-01-28T09:10:41-05:00

If it is for Federal jobs, you need to set up a resume on USAJOBS.com