How Do I Know What GS Level to Target?

Unless you’ve been a federal government employee before, you probably don’t know exactly what GS-level (salary) you will qualify for.  The federal hiring team will use your federal resume to determine if you are qualified.  The more information you have in your resume in terms of details about what you did, how you did it and for whom, the better you will fare in the process.  This is why a federal resume is generally an average of five pages long. The federal hiring team will also look at salary.  They want to make sure you are in the ballpark.  They fully understand that some jobs, some professions, some sectors pay more, pay less, etc. but they are looking to see if you are within an acceptable range.  If you are transitioning from a military position, they will take your rank into account as well, but the main consideration will be your federal resume. 

If you truly don't have an idea about salary level, look at a federal pay chart and find where your last salary appears on the federal pay chart.  On a broad level, if you are at a managerial level, you could look at GS-13, 14 and 15.  If you are a subject matter expert in your field, generally GS-12 and below will be best for you.

For more information on developing your federal job search strategy to attract the attention of the HR hiring team, visit us on the web at www.FederalJobResults.com.