Understanding EIA's Job Vacancy Announcements

Federal job vacancy announcements, including EIA's, can be a little confusing to applicants because they use specialized terms. These announcements provide important information about qualifications, duties, salary, duty location, and benefits. Each announcement consists of a job title, the career path, the series number, and the pay band number. For example, an announcement for an Economist, GS-0110-04 breaks down into four parts:

• Economist is the position title.
• GS is the pay plan.
• 0110 is the occupational series.
• 04 is the grade level (grade levels in the traditional federal GS system range from 1 to 15).

There are two types of job announcements:

• Public notice—These jobs are open to all U.S. citizens; current or prior federal work experience is not required.
• Merit promotion—These jobs are restricted to current or former EIA or other federal employees.

All job announcements also have an opening date, when candidates can start to submit applications, and a closing date, when the agency stops accepting applications.

Recently, USAJOBS, the federal job application portal, has changed language about job locations. In the right panel, announcements will describe location in one of two ways:

• Remote
• “Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)” will be listed under Location.
• The expected hours of work are covered by multiple time zones: EST, CST, MST, and PST.
• The actual salary will be based on where you live.
• Pay scale and grade are GS 11–14.
• Multiple Locations
• A list of locations will be provided, and you must select four preferred duty locations. If selected, Location Negotiable does count as one of your four duty location preferences.
• Salary is determined by geographic location and grade level.
• Pay scale and grade are GS 11–15.

Please review the whole announcement to ensure your interests, education, and professional experience align with the job requirements.

USAJOBS provides additional guidance about understanding job announcements.

Submitting Applications Online

EIA requires applicants to register and create an account with USAJOBS (www.usajobs.gov). USAJOBS's online resume builder (My USAJOBS) allows applicants to create an electronic resume that contains all of the information necessary for federal employment. We encourage you to create an account with USAJOBS and start building your resume today, so when you find the EIA job that interests you, your electronic resume will be ready to go. If you are unable to apply online, contact the personnel official identified on the announcement about alternatives to the electronic submission process.

Once you find a job you want to apply to, make sure to check out the section "How to Apply" for more tips.

To ensure your application is processed correctly, include the following on any supplemental materials you submit:

• Your name
• Vacancy announcement number listed on the front of the announcement
• Title and general schedule (GS) pay grade level of the position
• Your contact information

If your online application is incomplete or does not support the responses in your online questionnaire, you may be rated ineligible or not qualified.

What is Veterans’ Preference?

Veterans’ preference gives special consideration to eligible veterans looking for federal employment. Veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the United States Armed Forces during specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference in the federal employment process. To find out whether you qualify for veterans’ preference, visit Feds Hire Vets.

How Are Applicants Evaluated?

Government officials will rate you based on your experience and education. Your evaluation will be based on information you provide in your resume and application, so be sure your resume accurately reflects your experience with regard to the position you are seeking to qualify for. The names of the best-qualified applicants will be forwarded to the hiring official who will contact you to schedule an interview. Veterans' preference eligible candidates will be listed at the top of selection certificates.

You may check your application status any time after an announcement closes. USAJOBS has added an alert setting to the system to send status updates to applicants. We recommend that you update your USAJOBS profile to receive these status updates via email after the announcement closes.

Contact Information

For more information about job applications or to learn about career growth opportunities with EIA in general, please email careers@eia.gov. Persons with disabilities requiring assistance with the application process should visit OPM's Federal Employment of People With Disabilities web page.