Job seekers can create a profile (contact information, demographics, citizenship, hiring paths, experience, education and languages. and can make their information visible on ATP for federal recruiters and hiring managers. Job seekers can search for jobs without a profile but must have one to apply.

Job seekers can also upload a resume to their profile or build one in the resume builder. Resume builder helps guide job seekers to create a resume based on federal best practices and requirements. They can also make the resume searchable and visible in ATP for federal recruiters and hiring managers.

When a job seeker creates and signs into their USAJOBS account, they have a personalized "My jobs" section that shows saved jobs, applications they’ve started or submitted, application status, job alerts and saved resumes and documents.

Job seekers can search for jobs based on keywords, agencies, series, occupation and location. They can filter their search by who can apply, pay and grade, departments or agencies, job series, work schedule, job type, remote/telework eligible, security clearance and travel. Job seekers can also save specific job searches by setting default filters, and job seekers can receive notifications about jobs that match those searches when they set up job alerts.

The information in the job announcement flows to USAJOBS from the agency’s Talent Acquisition System (TAS). The job announcement advertises the agency’s job openings and tells job seekers the job duties, requirements, required documents, benefits and how to apply. Job seekers start the application process on USAJOBS by selecting the Apply button and then choosing the resume and other documents for their application.

Job seekers start their job application on the USAJOBS application guide by updating their information, selecting or uploading their resume or other documents, sharing optional demographic data and completing a survey on how they heard about the job. From there, they move to the agency’s Talent Acquisition System to complete and submit their application.

Job seekers can set up job alerts that will email them when new jobs that fit their search requirements are posted.

The help center provides help content on navigating USAJOBS, the federal application process, creating resumes, understanding the job announcement, working in the Federal Government, and contacting the USAJOBS help desk.

The USAJOBS Support Team is available Monday through Friday 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. (Eastern Time) and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET (excluding federal holidays).

Users may contact us through navigating the Help Center or going directly to USAJOBS - Contact us for customer or technical support. All issues requiring assistance after hours will be handled on the next business day.

Support is limited to the technical use of the USAJOBS system. USAJOBS does not provide user support for second or third party (agency) systems. USAJOBS also does not provide user support for agency specific policy or procedural questions (e.g., required forms or other required application material) and application status questions. The Agency point of contact listed in the job opportunity announcement (JOA) is responsible for responding to job seeker or applicant inquiries related to the JOA. Inquiries directed to the USAJOBS Customer Support Center in error are referred to the point of contact listed on the job announcement.

The USAJOBS Career Explorer helps job seekers explore jobs and careers in the federal government they may be interested in​. Job seekers answer a series of questions about their career interests and the Career Explorer matches them with relevant job series.​ It covers over 300 occupations in the General Schedule and Wage Grade pay scale.

The USAJOBS early career page is a central hub of information and resources for students, recent graduates and non-college degree seeking individuals who are early in their career. The page also links to the Federal Internship Portal and the Recent Graduate Portal.

Using the Agency Talent Portal (ATP), federal recruiters or HR specialists can post agency career-related events on the USAJOBS homepage. Job seekers can view the event post for details on registering and attending.

The veterans’ eligibility tool (VET) helps job seekers understand their veterans’ preference or veterans’ family member preference (e.g., spouse, widow or parent). Job seekers fill out their information in the Military Service section of their USAJOBS profile. The job seeker answers questions regarding their military service or affiliation, and we’ll tell them what they may qualify for. The VET does not adjudicate or verify preference eligibilities; it is an educational tool.

ATP users can search for job seekers who have made their resumes searchable on USAJOBS. Find critical talent by searching skills, occupations, certifications or education. Narrow down results with search filters for hiring paths, education, grade levels and work preferences.

ATP users can save job seekers’ contact information and message them about job openings and career events, and ATP users can find talent eligible for non-competitive hiring. ATP users can also collaborate on recruitment efforts and export job seeker contact information.

Using a career event template, users can create an event to advertise recruitment events, job informational sessions or career workshops. Once approved, we post events on the USAJOBS homepage for job seekers to see and register for the event.

A branded search page allows agencies to advertise open jobs with a unique branded URL and custom banner. You can use branded search pages to target specific hiring paths (e.g., veterans, military spouses, individuals with disabilities, students, and recent graduates) and job series.

Talent pools show available shared certificates of eligible candidates who have opted-in to having their application materials shared with multiple agencies across government under the Competitive Service Act (CSA) and OPM-run cross-government (cross-gov) hiring actions. Talent pools allow HR specialists and hiring managers to quickly view resumes from candidates on certificates from CSA or cross-gov hiring actions. To use talent pools, an agency must choose an HR specialist to support one or both roles:

• Talent pool manager—This role creates talent pools to share their agency’s certificates with other agencies, and they grant access to the official certificate in the TAS.
• Shared certificate coordinator. This role should understand their agency’s hiring needs and will decide if their agency hiring managers and HR specialists can access specific talent pools in ATP.

A talent program connects hiring agencies with candidates who are eligible for non-competitive hiring, a streamlined process for hiring in the federal government. For an additional fee, an agency can request USAJOBS develop a talent program for their agency. If an agency is interested in talent programs, email USAJOBSengagement@opm.gov to schedule a meeting to learn more.

Talent networks help recruiters create a pipeline of interested job seekers to drive passive job seekers to apply to open jobs. Job seekers may choose to join an agency’s talent network during a hiring event, through visiting a career site or by invitation. Agencies can invite job seekers to join a talent network even if they do not currently have any open positions. Job seekers who join are asked to share their basic contact information and do not need a USAJOBS profile to join. Job seekers can also share a USAJOBS profile and resume. Once job seekers join a talent network, recruiters can message them about open jobs, upcoming career events or other notable agency information that would spark engagement with job seekers.