Considering a move but need a job first?

[RecessionCasualty]

I agree with Badger. Unless you served in the military you won't get anywhere in USAJobs. You will have better luck with the contractors.

[LynchburgLover]

Originally Posted by Badger21

The hardest part about getting a government job is getting somebody to look at your resume. Maybe the process has changed, but I was well over a year and a half into my new job before hearing back from the feds (back in 2008/2009). You need to know somebody in the industry to move along your request. I would be all over simplyhired/indeed.com using the search terms a user provided above to find a contractor. Make sure to highlight the buzzwords employers look for in desired skills and while they may have gone out of style since I graudated, a cover letter really helped me secure a job in a place where nepotism and "this person goes to my church" were a major source of labor. People don't know who you are so you have to impress them without exaggerating just how great your skills are.

“Nepotism and ‘this person goes to my church’”. — Isn’t that true in any town/city? I’m not disagreeing that it is very true in DC but I think it’s everywhere. In fact, regarding church, it’s probably less true in DC — not a real religious crowd.

[ChristineVA]

Where I work (Navy), we have an "associate's" program where we hire in people from the private sector who have a few years of accounting/finance experience. They come in as a GS-9, rotate through the NAVY for 2 years in various accounting/finance positions and that are placed in their home organization as a GS-13. That's how we get most of our new accounting hires. Not sure how to find these programs but they must be on USAJOBs. I believe it is handled out of a NAVY Command in Florida, even though you work in the DC area.