Guidelines

The header is at the top of the page and includes the job title, as well as the department and agency posting the job.

Job title

The name of the job.

The job title is the first thing a job seeker will see in the search results. Make sure the job title is easy to understand and descriptive of what the job is.

Do	Don't
Only include the job title.	Include pay plan, series, grade or any other information that is available elsewhere in the job announcement.
Use plain language.	Include additional information in parenthesis.
Spell check your titles and your job announcement. Your TAS may provide this capability.

Myth: Job announcement titles are dictated by policy and must follow a specific format.
Office of Personnel Management Policy (OPM)	Impact
Organizational and functional titles do not replace official position titles, they complement them. Agencies may establish organizational and functional titles for internal administration, program management or similar purposes. Examples of organizational titles are branch chief or division chief. Examples of functional titles are chief of network management and director of policy development.	If job seekers don't understand the job title, they are less likely to read the job announcement. For example, job titles that use grade levels or series numbers are confusing and can be misleading. Job announcements should include a job title that best describes the position, attracts candidates and makes the job easier to find. For example, titling a job java developer instead of APPSW makes it easier for job seekers to understand.

Department name

The name of the department posting the job announcement.

The department name is purely informational. Many of those new to government do not know the hierarchy of departments and agencies.

Agency name

The name of the agency that is posting the job announcement.

Clicking Learn more about this agency shows the job seeker additional information including the agency details text and the agency careers page URL, as well as the agency contact information for this announcement.

Agency sub-element name

The name of the unit within the agency posting the job announcement.

The agency sub-element name is purely informational. Many of those new to government do not know the hierarchy of departments, agencies and agency elements.

The overview section is in the right-hand rail and gives an at-a-glance view of the job. This information appears on the search results card and entices a job seeker to open the job announcement.

This section may contain the following:

Actions	Job Status	Announcement Closing type
Opening and closing date	Application cut-off	Open continuous
Salary	Pay scale and grade	Location
Vacancies	Location within area	Telework eligible
Travel required	Relocation expenses reimbursed	Appointment type
Work schedule	Service	Promotion potential
Job family	Supervisory status	Security Clearance
Drug Test	Position sensitivity and risk	Trust determination process
Job announcement number	Control number

Actions

Located above the Overview, this section includes an Apply button that will start the application process.

The actions section also includes controls for:

• Print
• Save
• Share

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Job status

Indicates where the job announcement is in the hiring process for job seekers. Includes one of the options:

• Accepting applications
• Reviewing applications
• Hiring complete
• Job canceled

Two of the statuses are triggered automatically. The accepting applications status appears when the announcement is open, and reviewing applications status appears when the announcement closes.

The staffing specialist is responsible for triggering the hiring complete or job canceled status through their Talent Acquisition System. Once a hiring manager selects a candidate to hire, the staffing specialist should move the announcement status to hiring complete. If the hiring manager makes no selection and the announcement is canceled, the staffing specialist should move the announcement status to job canceled. Timely status updates are important, so the job seeker is aware of where the job is in the hiring process.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

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Announcement closing type

Indicates the closing type and includes the options:

• Open and closing dates
• Application cut-off
• Open continuous

Open and closing dates

The open date is the first day an applicant can submit an application. The closing date is the last day an applicant can submit an application.

The job announcement will automatically close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Application cut-off

If you are using an application limit, you must clearly state this in the job announcement. You will enter this manually.

Open continuous

If you are posting an open continuous job announcement, you must clearly say this in the job announcement. You will enter this manually.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	No

 

Do	Don't
Use the following date format: MM/DD/YY	Include play plan, series, grade or any other information that is available elsewhere in the job announcement.
	Include additional information in parenthesis.

 

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Salary

The salary range of the job. USAJOBS displays the starting salary in the search results and the full salary range in the job announcement.

You can enter a per year or hourly salary.

If the salary is hourly, the value can't exceed $220 per hour.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

 

Do	Don't
You must include a salary with a numeric value other than "0".	Leave the salary blank.
Include a minimum and maximum salary.	Set the maximum salary to "$0".
Include an hourly wage, if relevant—the system will map hourly wages to a per-year salary using the pay filter in the USAJOBS search.	Include the pay scale or grade—this information is captured in the pay scale and grade field.

 

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Pay scale and grade

Describes the grade level and pay scale that the job falls under.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

 

Do	Don't
Only include the pay scale and grade.	Include the salary—this information is captured in the salary field.

 

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Location

Indicates the street address (if provided), city and state of the work location.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Conditional—the city and state are required, but the street address is optional.	Yes

Remote jobs

Indicates if the applicant is not expected to report to an official agency worksite regularly. Instead, the applicant will work from their home or other alternative worksite in or outside of the commuting area of an agency's official worksite.

Remote jobs will have a location of Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job).

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes, if applicable.	Yes, if applicable.

Vacancies

Indicates the number of vacancies at that location or the total number of vacancies across all locations.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes. The total number of vacancies is required, but not the number of vacancies at each location.	Yes

Location within area

Indicates if the applicant must live within the associated location(s). When true, you must specify the commute distance of that area.

The commute distance defines the area in miles from the center of the location that the agency has identified in their merit promotion plan.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No. If you include this, you must include the commute distance too.	Yes, if applicable.

Do	Don't
Use this field only when absolutely necessary. Applicants are often confused about whether they must move to the area before applying or after they accept the job.	Use the commuting area to deter applicants.

 

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Telework eligible

Indicates if the applicant may telework.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	No. However, it is strongly encouraged to include this in the job announcement.

Do	Don't
Use this field to provide telework information.	Include this information in other sections of the job announcement.

 

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Travel required

This tells the job seeker if the job requires travel.

Options include:

• Not required
• Occasional travel
• 25% or less
• 50% or less
• 75% or less
• 76% or greater

Read more about travel percentages.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do
You must enter a value. If the job requires no travel, enter Not required.
Only enter one value.
May include supplemental text to explain the type of travel, such as two weeks of training.

 

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Relocation expenses reimbursed

Indicates if the applicant will be reimbursed for moving expenses related to relocation for this job.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	No, but strongly recommended.

Do	Don't
Use this field to provide relocation expenses information.	Include this information in other sections of the job announcement.

 

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Appointment type

Tells the applicant the type of appointment. Appointment types can be:

• Multiple
• Permanent
• Temporary
  • Detail
  • Intermittent
  • Seasonal
  • Temporary
  • Term
• Student
  • Internships
  • Recent graduate
  • Presidential Management Fellows

Learn more about appointment types in the Help Center.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do	Don't
Only include the appointment type.	Include the service type—this is captured in the Service field.
	Repeat the appointment types in supplemental text. The value of the appointment type field will appear next to the supplemental text you provide.
	Avoid the Multiple option whenever possible. Job seekers have difficulty understanding what this term means. When using the Multiple option, use the supplemental text to explain which appointment types are possible for this job.

 

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Work schedule

Tells the applicant the work schedule they can expect for this job. The work schedule can be:

• Full-time
• Part-time
• Shift work
• Intermittent
• Job sharing
• Multiple

See the definitions for work schedules in the Help Center.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do	Don't
Only include the work schedule.	Include the appointment type—this is captured in the Appointment type field.
When choosing the Multiple appointment option, use the supplemental text to explain which work schedules are possible for this job.	Repeat the work schedule in supplemental text. The value of the work schedule field will appear next to the supplemental text you provide.
	Define the work schedule hours in supplemental text. Applicants can read more about the definitions in the Help Center.
	Do not use Multiple whenever possible. Job seekers have difficulty understanding what this term means.

 

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Service

Tells the applicant what service the job is in:

• Competitive
• Excepted
• Senior Executive Service

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	No

Do	Don't
Only include the service type.	Include the appointment type—this is captured in the Appointment type field.
When choosing the Multiple appointment option, use the supplemental text to explain which work schedules are possible for this job.	Include the work schedule—this is captured in the Work schedule field.
	Define the work schedule hours in supplemental text. Applicants can read more about the definitions in the Help Center.
	Do not use Multiple whenever possible. Job seekers have difficulty understanding what this term means.

 

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Promotional potential

This tells the job seeker if there's an opportunity to move up in the grade level.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do	Don't
Always enter a value—enter "No" if there is no promotion potential.	Repeat this information elsewhere.
Enter the highest GS level of the potential job promotion.

 

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Job family

Tells the applicant the job family or category to which the job belongs. The codes and titles for the job family are the Office of Personnel Management occupational series.

The job family link directs the applicant to the search results page, where the results are filtered by that series.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

 

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Supervisory status

This tells the job seeker if job requires supervising others.

Options include:

• Yes
• No

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do
Enter a value—don't leave it blank.

 

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Security clearance

Indicates the level of security clearance necessary for the job.

The value in this field will always link to the security clearances page in the Help Center.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do	Don't
Indicate the level of security clearance.	Repeat this information elsewhere.
Enter the highest GS level of the potential job promotion.

 

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Drug test

Tells the applicant if a drug test is required. It will display as Yes or No.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do	Don't
Tell the applicant if a drug test is required.	Repeat this information elsewhere.

 

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Position sensitivity and risk

Indicates the sensitivity level of the job—whether the job responsibilities and duties have the potential to adversely impact national security.

The options are:

• 1—Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
• 2—Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
• 3—Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
• 4—Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
• 5—Moderate Risk (MR)
• 6—High Risk (HR)
• 7—NCS/High Risk

You can only select one option.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	No

Do	Don't
Indicate the position sensitivity and risk level of the job.	Repeat this information elsewhere.
Only select one option if applicable.

 

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Trust determination process

Indicates the type of investigation the applicant will undergo (in addition to a background check).

The options are:

• Credentialing
• Suitability/fitness
• National security

You can include one or all options.

If you include a level for the position sensitivity and risk, then you need to include the trust determination process.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No, but this field is conditionally required if a value is provided for Position sensitivity and risk.	No

Do	Don't
Indicate the investigation type.	Repeat this information elsewhere.
Only include if you've included Position sensitivity and risk.

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Job announcement number

The announcement number is in the overview section which lives in the right-hand sidebar. Hiring agencies determine the announcement number.

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Control number

The control number is in the overview section which lives in the right-hand sidebar. This number is a unique one assigned by USAJOBS.

Summarizes what is unique about this job and what it does for the agency. The job summary is important to help job seekers understand what is unique about this job and why the job exists.

This section may contain the following:

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	No

 

Do	Don't
Write a concise one- or two-sentence summary.	Use the job summary to discuss the mission statement of the agency. Agencies may now use the Learn more about this agency link to convey details about the agency and link to your careers page.
Use the position description and job analysis to help write the duties.	Use dehumanizing terms like "incumbent" or "candidate".
Use language the job seeker knows and be concise—simpler is better!	Repeat other sections of the job announcement in the summary section (who may apply, et. al.). Duplicating information does not emphasize that information but clutters the announcement. Duplicated information confuses and overwhelms job seekers.
Avoid internal jargon and acronyms—if an acronym is necessary, spell it out the first time it's used.	Center paragraphs or provide HTML formatting. This negatively impacts the readability of the job announcement.

Learn more about this agency link

This section was removed from all job announcements for an indefinite amount of time on January 31, 2025, to give agencies time to update their website content to remove references to diversity, equity, inclusion or environmental justice in compliance with the president's executive order "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing".

This section gives an at-a-glance view of who can apply for the job using hiring paths. To help job seekers quickly identify jobs that match their eligibility status, we have included hiring paths iconography and descriptions into the job announcement. Hiring paths are designed to help both job seekers and federal agencies in the hiring process.

The purpose of the hiring paths is to help agencies describe more specifically who is eligible to apply to a job announcement and what hiring authorities they can use to hire an applicant.

Hiring paths help staffing specialists:

• Better show who is eligible to apply to a job.
• Explain specific hiring authorities used to choose an applicant for the position in a visual way to help applicants understand their eligibility for federal jobs.

Hiring paths help job seekers:

• Identify jobs that match their eligibility status.
• Apply to jobs that match their background and experience.

When used correctly, hiring paths can:

• Reduce applicants applying for jobs for which they are ineligible, saving time for both applicants and staffing professionals.

This job is open to:

Use the multi-select hiring path list in your Talent Acquisition System (TAS) to add a hiring path to your job announcement. The hiring path icons and their text descriptions will appear in the This job is open to section based on the options you select.

Mapping Who May Apply to the hiring paths

The table below shows the content you need to use in the Who May Apply section to display the matching hiring path. For example, if you want your job announcement to display "Open to the public", you must enter "U.S. Citizens" in the Who May Apply field. Or, we'll also display Open to the public, if you don't enter anything in the Who May Apply field.

Clarification from agency

Use this section for additional eligibility information. See examples in the Hiring paths quick reference chart below.

How to use hiring paths effectively

Do	Don't
When used correctly in a job announcement, hiring paths communicate who is eligible to apply to the job. The hiring path should reflect the hiring authorities used to announce the vacancy.	Choose a hiring path so that job seekers from specific groups see the job announcement when hiring authorities for those specific groups are not being used.
Use the fewest hiring paths possible.	Include information that is not relevant to eligibility. See the prerequisites section for guidance.

Examples

Unless you are going to hire based on a veteran's hiring authority, such as VEOA or VRA, do not use the Veteran hiring path.

If a job is Open to the public, DO NOT select any other hiring paths. The rest are already included in the Open to the public hiring path.

Hiring paths quick reference

This chart describes which Hiring paths to use in specific hiring scenarios. It's a quick reference to help agency staffing professionals and hiring managers determine the appropriate hiring paths for a job announcement.

Second announcement

The Second announcement section will appear directly below the This job is open to. The Second announcement says "This job is also open in another announcement to" and will list the other hiring paths.

Clicking on the link will open a new tab or window, depending on the preference the user set in their browser, with the the full second job announcement.

You can embed videos for job seekers to review.

Multiple sources for videos are accepted. YouTube is the most frequent site used. These tips will help ensure your videos are visible to job seekers.

How to embed videos

Here are two tips on how to embed videos for display:

1. You cannot copy the YouTube URL and put it into the job announcement. Based on the instructions YouTube provides in their help center , you must select the embed option to get the correct URL.
2. YouTube does not use http in their URLs, and instead use HTTPS. If you use the incorrect link, your embedded video will not display.

Example

• For a job announcement, select a video from Youtube to add. To get the correct URL, click the share icon, and then click the embed option. This shows us the full embed information for that video, but we only need to copy the embed code and paste that into the video section of our job announcement.
• When the job gets posted, potential applicants can watch the video without leaving the job announcement. As you'll notice, the specific code for our video does not change, so if desired, you can simply use the beginning URL portion of https://www.youtube.com/embed/ and then add the specific code for your video.

The Duties section lists out the day-to-day responsibilities and activities for the job. The duties help the job seeker understand the type of work they'll do and help them decide if the job is a good fit for them.

Lists the duties the applicant is expected to perform.

Do	Don't
Use the position description and job analysis to help write the duties.	Make the duties section overwhelming—a list of 20 duties is too much. Instead, prioritize the most important duties.
List each duty as a separate bullet.	Use dehumanizing terms like "incumbent" or "candidate".
Describe the day-to-day responsibilities of the job—be specific and include typical projects, resources or technologies that the job seeker will use.	Repeat duties.
Prioritize the duties—put the most important duties first.
Use action verbs to start each bullet, such as "lead" or "manage". Refer to the Plainlanguage.gov list of simple words and phrases.
Use language the job seeker knows and be concise—simpler is better!
Avoid internal jargon and acronyms—if an acronym is necessary, spell it out the first time it's used.
Capitalize the first word of each bullet and include punctuation at the end of each bulleted item.

The requirements section includes details about what a job seeker needs to be qualified for the job, such as specific work or years of experience, education, certain pre-conditions necessary to perform the job duties and tasks, and how you will evaluate applicants.

The Requirements section is broken down into the following subsections:

Conditions of employment

This section may contain the following:

Key Requirements	Bargaining unit position	Direct deposit
Driver's license	E-Verify	Financial disclosure report
Financial interest regulation	Firearm	Government charge card
Licensure	Mobility agreement	Physical fitness requirements
Personal identify verification (PIV) process	Proof of citizenship	Recruitment incentive
Background check

This section will:

• Automatically use a bulleted list format for each condition.
• Include a lead-in sentence: "If you apply to this job and we hire you, you must meet and agree to the following conditions:"

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Key Requirements

This field may still be named Key requirements in your Talent Acquisition System (TAS), in which case it will:

• Not automatically use bullets though you may use bullets.
• Not include a lead-in sentence.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do	Don't
Capitalize the first word of each bulleted item.	Add your own bullet style or additional HTML - the job announcement will automatically apply the correct bullet style unless it is still listed as Key requirements.
Include punctuation at the end of each bulleted item.	Use the previous fields listed below.
Use the Current fields as needed. Some fields are not required or always necessary.	Add a separate Key Requirements section - the Conditions of employment replaces it.

 

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Bargaining unit position

Tells the job seeker if the job falls under union representation.

If the job position falls under union representation, we strongly encourage agencies to review and implement the mandated Executive Order 14025.

We've created a page in our Help Center to that gives more information: What are bargaining units?

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	No, but strongly encouraged.

Suggested text

This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by the (insert union name), (insert local or chapter number).

OR

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Do	Don't
Include whether the position is a bargaining or non-bargaining unit.	Include this text if the position does not fall under union representation.
Include the name and local or chapter number of the union which represents the bargaining unit position (if the position being announced is part of a bargaining unit).	Describe what a bargaining unit is—use the suggested text that links to a page with more information.
Only include in Conditions of employment.

 

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Direct deposit

Tells the job seeker if they need to have direct deposit to get paid.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	No

Suggested text

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Do	Don't
Include this if you think applicants will find this requirement as a surprise.	Include this if not relevant. The law (31 USC3332) requires direct deposit for salaries, but policy does not require that applicants are aware of the requirement before they start their job.
	Include this text in any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Driver's license

Tells the job seeker if they need to have a driver's license to do the job duties and tasks.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

Have a valid driver's license.

Do	Don't
Include this text when a job requires a driver's license to complete the job duties.	Include this text in any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.
Only include this text in the Conditions of Employment section.

 

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E-Verify

Tells the job seeker that the hiring agency will use the E-Verify system to check their background information and confirm their eligibility.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	No

Suggested text

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

Do	Don't
Include this text when a job requires a background investigation, specific security clearance or meeting certain physical or other pre-employment requirements.	Explain what E-Verify is—instead link to the information page about E-Verify.
	Include this text in Qualifications or any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Financial disclosure report

Tells the job seeker if they will have to file a financial disclosure report before starting the job.

Typically, an applicant may have to disclose financial interests if it is a Senior Executive Service (SES) position, some other position above the GS-15 level or if the job duties increase the likelihood of a conflict of interest.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Only if it's required by the hiring agency.	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

You may need to file a financial disclosure report before starting the job. Contact the hiring agency for more information.

Do	Don't
Only include this text if the hiring agency requires it.	Include this text in Qualifications or any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Financial interest regulation

Tells the job seeker if the job is subject to an agency's prohibited financial interest regulation and, if so, it may require the applicant to divest specific financial interests.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

You may need to divest of certain financial interests because of [insert department/agency name] prohibited financial interest regulation. Contact the hiring agency for more information.

Do	Don't
Include this text if the hiring agency requires it.	Include this text in Qualifications or any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Firearm

Tells the job seeker if they need to carry a firearm for the job and meet certain qualifications to carry a firearm.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

You must meet the qualifications and be certified to carry a firearm. You will need to maintain firearm proficiency.

Do	Don't
Include this text if the hiring agency and or job requires it.	Include this text in Qualifications or any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Government charge card

Tells the job seeker if they need to use a government charge card and they must be financially responsible to use a charge card.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.

Do	Don't
Only include this text if the hiring agency or job requires it.	Include this text in Qualifications or Duties or any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Licensure

Tells the job seeker if they need to have a certain type of license for the job.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

Change the language to reflect the license needed for the job.

You must have a full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a state, territory, commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico) or the District of Columbia. You must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full, current and unrestricted licensure. If you have had any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited or issued/placed in a probationary status, you may be only be hired in accordance with the provisions in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16.

Do	Don't
Include this text if the hiring agency or job requires it.	Include this text in Qualifications or any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.
Be specific about the type of licensure—use language that the applicant will understand.

 

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Mobility agreement

An agreement that says the agency may relocate the employee to work in a different geographical location.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

If selected, this position may require you to be reassigned to different geographic locations. You will be required to sign a mobility agreement, which will remain in effect through the duration of the assignment.

Do	Don't
Include this text if the hiring agency or job requires it.	Include this text in Qualifications or any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Physical fitness requirements

Tells the job seeker if they will need to pass a physical exam before starting the job.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

You must pass a physical examination.

OR

You may need to complete a statement regarding your physical ability.

There may be different texts depending on the type of physical ability required—whether it's an exam or a statement.

Do	Don't
Only include this text if the hiring agency and or job requires it.	Include this text in Qualifications or any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.
Be specific about the type of physical—state clearly if it's just a statement or an actual exam.

 

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Personal identify verification (PIV) process

Tells the job seeker that they need to go through the PIV process.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

You will go through a personal identity verification process that requires two forms of identification from the form I-9. Federal law requires we verify the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.

Do	Don't
Only include this text if the hiring agency and or job requires it. We do not need to inform the applicant that they'll need to get a PIV card.	Include this text in Qualifications or any other section—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Proof of citizenship

Tells the applicant that they need to provide proof of their United States citizenship.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Suggested text

You must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

Do	Don't
Always include this text as the first condition in Conditions of employment.	Include this text in Qualifications—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Recruitment incentive

Tells the applicant if there is a recruitment incentive available.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes, if applicable.

Suggested text

You may qualify for a recruitment incentive.

Do	Don't
Only include this text if the hiring agency allows a recruitment incentive for the job.	Include this text in Qualifications—it should only appear once and only in Conditions of employment.

 

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Background check

Indicates the level of background check necessary for the job. The value in this field will always link to the USAJOBS Help Center page on security clearances.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	No, however it is strongly encouraged to include this in the job announcement.

Don't
Repeat this information in other sections.

Qualifications

This section may contain the following:

Specialized experience	Selective factor	Time in grade
Education	Additional information

This section helps the job seeker determine whether to apply for the job, so being clear and concise is essential. Read the qualifications from the job seeker perspective and ask these questions:

• Are the qualifications specific?
• Are they described appropriately at each grade level?
• Are you using plain and simple language?

This section will automatically use a bulleted list format for each qualification.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do	Don't
Only include content that the job seeker needs. Only include qualifications—don't include background checks, job locations, etc. Use the language from the Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Standards Handbook, supplemented by the specific education and experience requirements identified for the position.	Use dehumanizing terms like “incumbent”, "selectee", or “candidate”.
Organize the content logically Use clear subheadings to separate qualifications that everyone needs vs. qualifications that are specific to each grade level. Keep sentences short—break qualifications into separate sentences to make it easier to read.
Write like you're speaking to the job seeker. Use language the job seeker knows—simpler is better! Refer to the Plainlanguage.gov list of simple words and phrases. Use the active voice—the active voice is concise, direct and makes the content easy to understand. An active voice sentence follows this order: subject + verb + object. Use pronouns (i.e. address the audience as "you", "your")—this helps personalize the experience. Avoid internal jargon and acronyms—if an acronym is necessary, spell it out the first time you use it. Use "must" instead of "shall" when qualifications are required. For example, "You must have at least one year of experience.".

Examples:

Use pronouns

"The incumbent oversees..." 

"You will oversee..."

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Use active voice rather than passive voice

"The following information must be included in the application for it to be considered complete."

"You must include the following information in your application."

 

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Specialized Experience

List specific experience required of applicants.

Do	Don't
Use language the job seeker knows—simpler is better! Refer to the Plainlanguage.gov list of simple words and phrases.	Repeat in Duties or Conditions of Employment.
Indicate if there are different levels of experience based on grade level.

 

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Selective factor

This describes knowledge, skills, abilities or special qualifications essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of a job.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes, if applicable.

 

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Time in grade

Tells the job seeker if they need to have experience equal to a specific grade level, or the amount of time they need to have spent at a specific grade if they are a former or current federal employee. Time in grade may not be applicable for all positions.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes, if applicable.

Don't
Talk about qualifications or specialized experience in the Time in grade section.

 

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Education

Tells the job seeker if there are education requirements or if education can replace experience.

Education will always appear. If you do not enter any text in this field, the header will still display. If the job does not have education requirements, enter "None" or "There are no education requirements."

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
Yes	Yes

Do
Describe minimum education requirements, as well as additional education requirements.
Describe how a job seeker might use education instead of experience, if appropriate.
Include "None" or "There are no education requirements" if there are no education requirements.

 

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Additional information

This is an optional field of 2,500 characters where you can place any additional information you wish to include specific to the position.

Required by USAJOBS	Required by policy
No	No

Don't
Include information that belongs in other sections.

This section describes the employee benefits. Because most benefits are the same across federal agencies, we recommend using the same benefits language.

This section may contain the following:

This section will automatically include the initial paragraph and Learn more about federal benefits link, followed by information that you provide along with a disclaimer explaining that benefits sometimes differ across agencies.

Agency Benefits

This text allows the agency to describe benefits that they offer above and beyond the standard federal government benefits. If your agency has it's own benefits page, you can add a link to that page.

Do	Don't
Add a link to your agency's benefits or career page, but make sure the label of the link accurately describes the page. For example, if you only have a benefits page, the link label should say "Learn more about our benefits". If you have a benefits and career page together, use "Learn more about our benefits and careers."	Repeat benefits information in any other section—it should only appear in the Benefits section.
	Repeat benefits information that is already made available via the links above.
	Keep using broken links or links that send applicants to outdated content.

This section tells the applicant how staffing specialists and managers will use their application to determine eligibility, qualifications and quality ranking for this position.

This section may contain the following:

You will set the expectation of how you'll evaluate an applicant against their responses to the job questionnaire and the information in their resume.

This section will:

• Include a lead-in sentence: "You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above."

You must include the following:

• Basis for rating
• Type of rating
• Interview type

Basis for rating

The basis for rating is where you will describe how you will evaluate an applicant.

The method of rating may include one or more of the following:

• Resume
• Answers to the online job questionnaire
• Work samples (writing samples, project-related samples, design work etc.)
• An assessment (a written test, project related assessment, etc.)—sometimes this is called a work simulation.
• Interview

Details on rating procedures can be found in the DEO Handbook.

Do	Don't
Always include the suggested text as the lead-in sentence.	Include additional qualifications. List all in the Qualifications section.
Include each type of evaluation criteria you're using—be specific.	Duplicate this information in How to apply.
Explain any additional documents the applicant needs to provide.	Describe any information that belongs elsewhere in the job announcement or linked outside of the announcement.
Explain any assessment the applicant will need to complete.
Include whether they'll need to complete an in-person interview.

Type of assessment

This describes additional assessments the applicant will need to participate in or complete. Describe what the assessment is, at what point in the process the applicant will need to submit this information and how to request reasonable accommodations.

This may include:

• Work-related assessment—give the applicant a sample job task or scenario and ask them how they would complete it.
• Written assessment—the applicant provides a writing sample.
• Other assessment methods.

Criminal history inquiries

This section tells the job seeker if this job must follow the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019. You must tell an applicant if these provisions cover this job announcement.

For jobs covered by this act, agencies cannot make criminal history inquiries before a job seeker receives the conditional offer of employment. Agencies must also publish a complaint process for applicants.

What are criminal history inquiries?

Do	Don't
Include whether the agency can or can't ask an applicant about their criminal history before a tentative job offer.	Describe what a criminal history inquiry is—use the suggested text above and link to the Help Center page with more information.
Include contact information for questions, complaints or any other information if inquiries are not allowed.	Duplicate this information in any other section.

Type of rating

Each agency defines what the categories of rating are for their applicants. You are required to tell the applicant what the categories are and how you define them. For merit promotion and other types of hiring, explain the type of rating used.

Do	Don't
Include the type of rating and a description for each rating.	Repeat or include additional qualifications—this section is only to describe rating categories.

Interview type

This explains if or when you will interview an applicant and describes the type of interview. This section should also indicate whether the interview is pass/fail or scored.

Types of interview:

• Structured interview (panel or one-on-one)
  • Indicate if the interview is by phone or in person.
• Job fit interview
  • Indicate if the interview is by phone or in person.

This section lists the documents required to apply.

This section may contain the following:

This section will end in the following set of information when Education requirements are defined:

The link in this section goes to a list of schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Documents to file

Tells the job seeker which documents to submit to support their eligibility.

Your text may vary depending on the document requirements.

Fax overwrite warning

Tells the job seeker that they should not apply by fax after applying online.

Transcript required

Tells the job seeker if transcripts are required.

What are criminal history inquiries?

Do	Don't
Include this suggested text when transcripts are required.	Include this text if your agency does not require transcripts.
	Include this text in other sections.
	Repeat this information.

This section tells the job seeker how they can apply to a job.

This section may contain the following:

Begin this section with the following:

Apply by fax

Tells the job seeker how they can submit their application by fax.

Positions filled statement

Tells the job seeker that the agency has the flexibility to hire additional people beyond the number of vacancies listed in the Locations section from the pool of applicants to this announcement.

Competitive Service Act (CSA)

The CSA allows an agency to share a competitive certificate issued under delegated examining procedures with other agencies to hire for a permanent or term position that is in the same occupational series, grade level (or equivalent), full performance level and duty location during the 240-day period beginning on the date that the originating agency issued the certificate of eligibles; not the date when the originating agency issued the certificate to the receiving agency.

Job announcements used for this purpose must include the following language to take advantage of the CSA guidelines.

Preview questionnaire URL

A URL pointing to the questionnaire for this announcement.

Agency contact information

Tells the job seeker how they can contact the agency.

We display the information you provide as follows:

The following fields are required:

• Agency contact name
• Phone number - check your voicemail often and respond to applicants as soon as possible.
• Street address
• Email address - Please use an active email address and check it often, because job seekers may contact you there.

Next Steps

Tells the job seeker what may happen next after their application is received.

This section includes many legal and regulatory guidelines, policies and statements that applicants should know of as they apply.

This section may contain the following:

This section will automatically appear in the following format:

Legal and regulatory guidance

Provides links to our Help Center where the job seeker can read about the following:

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal employment opportunity policy
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Financial suitability
• Privacy Act
• Selective Service
• Social Security number request
• Signature and false statements
• New employee probationary period

Do	Don't
Clarify if your agency differs from any of these policies or guidance.	Repeat this information in any other section.
	Include text found in these pages in your job announcement—it should only appear once and only in the Fair and Transparent section.