It is in fact possible to get a job as an outside candidate without an inside connection. My DH and I both did it. He is in the sciences field, so had a more specific resume and experience, but I did it as a non-Fed. I will say I got in through the FCIP (Federal Career Intern Program) which was a special hiring authority years ago. I believed it's been reinvented as something else now, so that's something to look into. I applied for a LOT of jobs and my resume was literally tailored to every single one of them. I have quite a few friends in the federal government who also did not known anyone on the inside, so it can be done.

I'm not sure the issue is internal candidates but rather the sheer number of very qualified applicants.

It's spaghetti against the wall. Throw enough and one will stick. You can't really game it. GL.

Someone that was in the government once told me that the jobs with a very short date that it is open is a sign that they already have someone in mind for that position. Not sure if it's true or accurate.

also look for jobs that have multiple vacancies...not sure of your field but at the Department of Commerce job postings usually are for 2+ vacancies (analyst-type positions).

I feel you, OP. It's time-consuming applying for those positions. And it just feels like it goes nowhere.

It's not just that postings are tailored to favor internal candidates. A friend of mine applied as an outside candidate, but he knew someone on the inside who was able to look for his resume and make sure it got forwarded along. He got an interview but ended up not taking the job (for many other reasons).

I know another person who was an outside candidate for a different agency but had the same situation (a friend on the inside). She got an interview and got the job, even though she had been out of the workforce for a very long time and, I'm certain, was not the most qualified and wouldn't have gotten an interview if she didn't know someone.

I think it boils down to knowing someone who works at that agency.

Anonymous wrote:How do you know the usajobs openings are real vs. some internal people need to convert? it's really frustrating to go through such a long application process when there's no real intention to hire.

Some HRs know how to exactly tailor it to specifically include the smallest subset of people. Generally will require knowledge of their very internal
Policies and applications.
I've applied for many. My husband was just selected for a position that had 13,000 applicants. So don't take not getting a call hard. There are a lot of people applying.
Make sure the KSAs - which you can find at OZpM - are in your resume. Also make sure the questions you answer are reflected in your resume.

How do you know the usajobs openings are real vs. some internal people need to convert? it's really frustrating to go through such a long application process when there's no real intention to hire.