Federal service student ambassador promotes facelift of USAJOBS.gov

Life just got easier for those pursuing career opportunities in the Federal Government. Last month, the Office of Personnel Management released its long-awaited and improved job application Web site. OPM boasts that the new site is easier to navigate, more streamlined, and more personalized. For those not familiar with the government application process, USAjobs.gov is the one-stop source for all Federal jobs and employment information.

In the past, applicants have complained of difficulty navigating the Web site, overwhelming amounts of information and uncertain follow-up processes. Christine Griffin, OPM deputy director, admitted that the change was necessary and likened the application process to a black hole.

With refined search features, users can now filter search results according to salary, agency and other criteria without going to another page or performing a new search. As for personalization, the site enables users to save jobs or select to view "more like this" as they browse through the positions. And by tapping into Web 2.0 technology, the designers of USAjobs.gov have bestowed users the ability to share information on popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Moreover, the easy-to-use RSS feed makes receiving updates on job-postings an effortless process.

One of the most helpful improvements is the ability for applicants to track the status of their applications. Rather than waiting weeks or months for updates that may never come, users can now log in to their personal accounts to check application and position updates.

In my opinion, the most useful improvement is the revamped interface. The simple design and intuitive organization makes browsing through jobs fast and headache-less. After entering a keyword or location in the homepage search box, a list of neatly-tabled job summaries appear in a filterable list. If you want more information, simply click on the title link or use the expand option.

If you are interested in working for the Federal Government or are just curious about the diverse opportunities in public service, you will want to become familiar with USAJOBS.gov and its innovative features. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the website or Federal opportunities in general.

Contact guest columnist Jeff Latov at jeff.latov@richmond.edu