The Federal Coach: Jumping from private sector to public sector

In today’s column I tackle reader’s questions including how to jump from the private sector to public service.

Q: Why does it feel like the federal government discourages private sector folks from applying to jobs in the public sector? I have 15 years of private sector experience that could come in handy, but I don’t know how to engage.

A: The first two challenges that you will face are translating your experience for the federal sector and figuring out what GS level of government job you should seek. There are many great resources that can help you do both of these things. Spend some time on USAJOBS.gov reading job descriptions to figure out what you might be qualified to do.

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GovLoop

The biggest hurdle I’ve seen is translating where you fit. I’ve seen similar people with similar experiences in private sector come in at radically different grades GS-11 to GS-14. I’d say don’t sell yourself short and get in the door and upsell where you fit in.