Frequently Asked Questions USAJOBS

Veterans’ Preference gives special consideration to eligible veterans looking for federal employment. Veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over nonveterans both in hiring into the federal civil service and in retention during reductions in force.

The hiring agency determines whether a job seeker meets the minimum qualifications. As a result, you will need to contact the agency that posted the job opportunity announcement to inquire about the status of your application. To locate the agency contact information, go to "My Account" and view the job summary in your application history. The contact information for each job opportunity announcement is listed on the right hand side and in the lower portion of the announcement. You may also contact the human resources office of the hiring agency for additional assistance.

You can search for a job opportunity announcement (JOA) by entering the announcement number or the control number in the "Keyword Search" field. Please keep in mind that you must enter the JOA number exactly as it appears (spaces, hyphens, etc.). If you are unable to locate a specific JOA, it may be closed or not yet posted on the website. If further assistance is needed, click Contact Us.

If you have forgotten your username, you can use the email address associated with your account to log in. Simply enter your email address in the field provided for your username. If you have forgotten your username and/or password, click the My Account tab at the top of the page. On the right hand side of the page below "Log In", click the "Did You Forget Your Username or Password" link and follow the prompts. If further assistance is needed after following the prompts, click Contact Us.

  Application Status from the My Accounts tab from the USAJOBS home page.  

The system under which agencies consider an employee for vacant positions on the basis of personal merit. Vacant positions are usually filled through competition with applicants (current competitive service employees) being evaluated and ranked for the position on the basis of their experience, education, competencies and performance.

  You must have your correct username or email address and password to access your account. Click the "My Account" tab at the top of the page. On the right hand side of the page below "Log In", click the "Did You Forget Your Username or Password" link and follow the prompts. If further assistance is needed after following the prompts, click Contact Us. If you've only forgotten your username, you can use the email address associated with your account to log in. Simply enter your email address in the field provided for your username. If you have forgotten your username and/or password, click the My USAJOBS tab at the top of the page. On the right hand side of the page below "Log In", click the "Did You Forget Your Username or Password" link and follow the prompts. If further assistance is needed after following the prompts, click Contact Us.

If you have questions regarding a position to which you are applying, please speak to the point-of-contact listed on each job opportunity announcement (JOA). The contact information can be found at the lower portion of the JOA and also on the floating menu located on the right hand side. If the JOA has closed and no longer appears on the USAJOBS® website, you can contact the human resources office of the hiring agency for additional information and assistance. If you are looking for a way to contact the agency headquarters, please visit: http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml.