Leaving the Air Force? Consider civilian government employment

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Martha L. Petersante-Gioia
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFPN) --  For those facing force shaping boards and contemplating the possibility of separating from the Air Force, employment options can seem overwhelming.

However, the members of civilian personnel offices are ready to help military members transition to government civilian employment.

People may apply for a civilian position 120 days before separation, said Paula MacKenzie, a human resource officer with the 66th Air Base Wing civilian personnel office here. Normally, it takes between 60 to 90 days to receive notification after applying for a civilian position and, if selected from 30 to 45 days until an applicant can start working.

Military time does count, she said.

"It is put towards work experience and may be used for leave accrual or retirement," she said.

Those who recently separated or retired may be eligible for veteran's preference when applying. Point values range from five to 10 points. Disabled veterans are eligible for up to 10 points. Veterans discharged with an honorable or general discharge who served during a war may claim five points. For a detailed listing of veteran's preferences contact the Veteran's Preference Advisor online at: www.dol.gov/elaws/vetspref.htm for more information. Disabled veteran's counseling is also available from AMVETS.

Applying for a civilian position can be broken into three steps: submit a résumé, search job postings and self-nominate.

Résumés can be submitted to the Air Force Personnel Center in one of three ways: through the online résumé writer, e-mail or mail.

Submitting through Résumé Writer is the preferred method, states the Air Force Personnel Center's Civilian Employment Application Guide job kit. It is posted online at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil. This method allows users to post a résumé and have it processed into the personnel system within 24 hours. It also allows users to edit and review résumés at any time. Résumés remain active in the system for one year.

Résumés that are e-mailed or mailed can take up to five days to process. Résumés can be e-mailed to Ext.Resume@randolph.af.mil for all external applicants (those not working in a civilian position)

"Applicant Information" must be in the subject line of the e-mail and résumés should not be sent as an attachment. Applicants cannot review, print or update their résumé when using this method.

The next step is to search for a job. Federal jobs are posted on a variety of Web sites. AFPC links to various Air Force postings and also to www.usajob.opm.gov. This site hosts various federal jobs all over the world. The personnel center also offers the Civilian Announcement Notification System, or CANS.

CANS is an e-mail service where users receive notification of Air Force civilian job openings meeting their criteria. Information will be stored in the system for up to 180 days and users may use up to 20 criteria combinations.

After finding a job and making sure that all supplemental data and a résumé are active in the system, self-nomination is the next step. There are two ways applicants may self-nominate: online at the AFPC Civilian Employment home page or over the AF Job Line at (800) 616-3775. Applicants must have their Social Security number, a personal identification number and the 11-digit job announcement code when self-nominating via the job line.

AFPC offers this tip: Be sure to see the self-nomination confirmation before exiting the Web site. If people do not see a confirmation, the self-nomination was not completed. Applicants should print a copy of the confirmation.

After completing the process, applicants can log on to the AFPC Web site or call the job line to check on a self-nomination.

Here are some additional tips:

-- Those who want to self-nominate and update a résumé on file should self-nominate first before updating the résumé because applicants cannot self-nominate while a résumé is being updated.

-- External candidates whose résumés have expired and were submitted through Résumé Writer can access the AFPC Web site and select the Résumé Writer menu option. Click on "Update Résumé" and make any necessary changes; then click "Submit." The system requires 24 hours to refresh before the résumé flows into the AFPC Resumix data system. Once the résumé has entered the system, applicants can self-nominate for vacancies.

Other supporting documents may need to be provided before an official job offer can be made.

"Transcripts, Defense Department Form 214 (Statement of Service) and applicable licenses or certifications should be submitted in a timely fashion as required by the position," Ms. MacKenzie said.

Applicants should keep track of the job close-out date and keep that in mind when applying. Also, applicants need to fill out the knowledge skills and abilities section of a job, where required.

(Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)