Frequently Asked Questions USAJOBS

  Contact your former agency personnel office, if recently separated. Otherwise, send your request to: Federal Records Center National Archives and Records Administration Civilian Personnel Records 1411 Boulder Boulevard Valmeyer, IL 62295 (314) 801-9250 Fax: (618) 935-3014 Inquiries should include the full name under which formerly employed, social security number, date of birth, and to the extent known, former Federal employing agencies, addresses and dates of such employment. The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC 552a) and the Office of Personnel Management require a signed and dated written request for information from the Federal Records Center. No requests for information from personnel or any other type of records will be accepted by telephone or e-mail.  

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.

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.

A Federal agency cannot discriminate against an employee or applicant with respect to the terms, conditions or privileges of employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other factor that is not related to job performance. Discrimination on these bases is prohibited by one or more of the following statutes: 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1), (b)(10); 29 U.S.C. 206(d); 29 U.S.C. 633a; 29 U.S.C. 791; and 42 U.S.C. 200e-16. If you believe that you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or disability, you must contact an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) counselor within 45 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action, or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 calendar days of the effective date of the action, before you can file a formal complaint of discrimination with your agency. See, e.g. 29 CFR 1614. If you believe that you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, you must either contact an EEO counselor as noted above or give notice of intent to sue to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory action. For further information, check the EEOC's website at www.eeoc.gov. If you are alleging discrimination based on marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other factor that is not related to job performance, you may file a written complaint with the United States Office of Special Counsel (www.osc.gov). In the alternative, you may pursue a discrimination complaint by filing a grievance through your agency's administrative or negotiated grievance procedures, if such procedures apply and are available.

Visit USAJOBS and select “Search Jobs”. Type in “part-time” in the keyword search box and answer the “Applicant Eligibility” question at the bottom of the screen. Then click on “Search for Jobs”. If there are part-time positions on the USAJOBS system, then those positions should appear. Click on the position titles to see the full text job opportunity announcement and follow the instructions under “How to Apply”.

The following are general rules:

• One can qualify for jobs at the GS-2 level with a high school diploma or as little as 3-months of general work experience. At GS-3 and GS-4 grade levels, more months of general experience is required. Starting at the GS-5 grade level, jobs generally require 1 year of specialized experience to qualify which may include specific job-related work experience, education, medical or physical standards, training, security, and/or licensure.
• A degree but no specialized experience in a career field, makes one eligible for appointment at the GS-5 grade level. If you maintained at least a B average; were in the upper third of your college, university or major subdivision; or are a member of a national scholastic honor society recognized by the Association of College Honors Societies, you can start out at the GS-7 grade level.)
• To qualify for jobs at the GS-7 and higher grade levels, background must include experience closely related to the work to be performed in the job for which you are applying.
• One can qualify for GS-9 positions on the basis of a master’s degree, and for GS-11 positions on the basis of a doctorate.

For more information on Qualifications, please visit http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/

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 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.