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Am I Qualified for this Federal Job?

Are you trying to navigate an El Paso Government job posting? We have some tips to help you determine if you’re qualified!


Am I Qualified for this Federal Job?


It’s no secret that job hunting is a tiresome process with a lot of room for error. Especially if you are applying for an El Paso government job, the resume and hiring process is a lot more in depth compared to the average private sector position. Below I will cover some helpful information on El Paso government job postings, qualifications, and helpful tips and tools.


How to Understand Responsibilities Section of El Paso Government Job Postings


It is vital to take your time reading and understanding the job posting thoroughly before you even consider the position an option. Even more so, taking a close look at the responsibilities section is important. Each El Paso government job posting varies and there are specific skillsets and qualifications you will be required to meet. Take a look at this helpful list when considering if you qualify for this role.


· In a federal job, you have to have done the role in some capacity during your career history.


· The time frame they are asking for may vary, but more often they are looking for 1-3 years of experience.


· If you read too hastily you may not see what qualifications are being specifically asked for. These specific skills will also show up on the questionnaire. If you cannot score a 90 or above as being qualified, you more than likely won’t get referred due to the competitiveness of these positions.


This is an example of a responsibilities section. When looking at one of these lists, you want to be sure you meet EVERY qualification. Remember that you will be asked about these in the questionnaire.


A helpful tip is to have a checklist of required skills handy to make sure you are the right fit for the job. This will also help you to recall what skills to include in your cover letter and resume. With that, the amount of detail you use needs to be specific to the posting. This is where reading the post becomes valuable since you will be able to highlight your eligibility using statistics, numbers, and specific information.


This would be a good checklist for the job posting responsibilities seen here in the first bullet.

· Drafts regulatory notices and information

· Researches, analyzes and writes enforcement guidance and provides technical support

· Reviews citations from compliance inspections and provides guidance for enforcement personnel

· Reviews outreach materials and provides feedback for the Office Director.

Notice that the responsibility also specifics “construction industry.” These kind of specific details matter.


How Do I Know If I am a Good Candidate for This El Paso Government Job?


The requirements listed on an El Paso government job posting is where you will be able to deduce if you are an eligible candidate who meets the qualifications. As stated before, read the vacancy announcement as well as the occupational questionnaire (if applicable) in full. It is important to understand that you have to meet all of these requirements. There may be an or clause and you can meet one or the other. However, the number 1 and sometimes 2 and 3 questions on the questionnaire will be qualifying questions related to this section. If you do not answer yes, your resume automatically gets taken out of the running and you are nearly immediately sent an email.



Notice that there is an or clause here. You can qualify according to your education or work experience. Keep in mind, whenever this is the case, remember that the questionnaire will ask questions related to your job experience. This is the downside of relying on education to qualify for a federal job. You won’t have a strong score on the questionnaire if you solely rely on education.


There will usually be a Who May Apply section and a This job is open to section, which will help you determine your eligibility for the position. If the position is specific to veterans, then you should steer clear and apply for positions that are specific to U.S citizens. If you are claiming veteran status then you must submit a Job Announcement Number on an SF-15 form.



This section is always in the top right corner of the job posting. Pay careful attention to this to make sure you are a viable candidate.


Again, the qualifications section will lay out in detail what the government employer is looking for. If you’ve made it this far and your experience meets the requisite, you should apply. Keep in mind you may have the correct level of educational experience required but you may not have specific work experience which may hinder your chances. Having both the requisite experience and education is a plus, and you should emphasize the specific experience you have. If you are applying for a job specific to a number of college credit hours or a degree, that will be listed in the job posting when education is the main factor for eligible applicants. Be sure to check the location section of the job itself so you can determine if the position is virtual or in a specific city.



These conditions are normally basic things you need to meet.



How Will I be Rated?

So, you’ve applied and now you are wondering how they will be reviewing your application. There are certain sub categories hiring agencies will use to determine your eligibility. These sub categories are: Qualified, Highly Qualified, and Best qualified. Once you have been placed into a qualification category, the status of your application may or may not be labeled as, “reviewed” since not every agency does this. The next step for the hiring agency is to send the most eligible applicants to the hiring official. Again, depending on the level of detail you may see your application has gone from “reviewed” to “referred” or “not referred.”

Get Professional Help to Land an El Paso Government Job

Having a professional resume writer can be highly helpful and beneficial to ensure you are ticking off all the boxes that hiring officials are looking for, and will also ensure you are not applying for a job you are not qualified or eligible for. On the other hand, you might be eligible and not realize it. There are a lot of factors to consider when applying for an El Paso Government job, but the process doesn’t have to be a painstaking one when you know what to look out for! You are welcome to give us a call with your questions. We understand how hard it can be to read and understand these job postings. We are happy to share information that will help you move forward!


Expert information on this topic provided and cowritten by Alexine Garcia.







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