USAJOBS review: the official site for US federal jobs
Public employment service
USAJOBS is the official employment site of the United States federal government. Federal agencies list their vacancies there. You prepare your application on USAJOBS and then submit it in the hiring agency's own system.
Who USAJOBS is for
USAJOBS is for anyone who wants to work for a US federal agency, in the United States or abroad. Most federal jobs are open only to US citizens and nationals. The Who May Apply section of each listing says whether others can apply. Hiring paths, such as for veterans, students and recent graduates or current federal employees, show which jobs are open to you.
What USAJOBS offers
- Job search with filters for place, salary, work schedule, agency and who can apply.
- Profile with your resumes and documents. Upload a resume or write one with the Resume Builder.
- Saved searches with notifications about new jobs, and saved jobs.
- Searchable resume: agencies can find you.
- Career Explorer: a quiz that matches your interests with federal jobs.
- The status of each application in your profile.
Who pays for what
- Job seekers
- Nothing. Applying for a federal job is always free
- Employers
- Only federal agencies post their vacancies here. It is not open to private employers
What speaks for USAJOBS
- Free, with no fee at any step.
- Every listing says who may apply and how.
- Searching works without an account.
What speaks against USAJOBS
- Most jobs are open only to US citizens.
- Applications take more work than on commercial sites, with questionnaires and documents.
- Some agencies with their own hiring rules post jobs only on their own sites.
How to apply
You need a Login.gov account to sign in and a complete profile to apply. Read the How to Apply section of the listing first. USAJOBS then takes you through a few steps in which you attach a resume and the required documents. When the application is ready, you are sent to the hiring agency's system to submit it. There you may have to answer more questions, such as a questionnaire. Follow the status with the Track This Application link in your profile.
Where the listings come from
Federal agencies post their vacancies on USAJOBS themselves. Agencies filling positions in the competitive service must post them by law. Positions in the excepted service, at agencies with their own hiring rules, are not always there. For those, check the agency's own career pages as well. If you find a federal job on another site, look it up on USAJOBS, where the agency posted it.
Alternatives to USAJOBS
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