Your steps to apply
Optometrist
Veterans Health Administration · Fort Smith, Arkansas · Closes in 25 days
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1 Check you can apply You are here
Who can apply: The public.
The job is open to the public, but you must be a U.S. citizen, national, or someone who owes allegiance to the U.S. Non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
Experience: For the full grade, you need two years of optometric practice or its equivalent, or one year of approved residency training in place of two years of practice. Intermediate and senior grades require four or more years of practice plus added recognition or expertise, such as teaching or research.
Education: You need a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree from a school approved by the VA Secretary, such as a school accredited by the Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association. Completing a residency program is preferred.
Licenses and certifications:
- 1 full and unrestricted license from any U.S. state or territory
Experience can be paid or unpaid, volunteer work included: if it matches the duties, it counts. The full rules are in the announcement.
2 Resume and documents
Write a federal resume for this job. For each job you held, give the month and year you started and ended, your hours per week and what you did, using the words of the experience the announcement asks for. Many announcements accept resumes of up to 2 pages: check this one.
3 Apply on USAJOBS
Closes in 25 days (November 30, until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time).
This announcement may close before the listed closing date if the position is filled another way, and it may close after a selection is made.
You sign in to USAJOBS with a Login.gov account, answer the questionnaire and upload your documents, then you submit. Answer the questionnaire honestly: your resume must show what you claim.
How they rate you: Your application, resume and supporting documents will be verified, and you will be rated on how well you meet the qualifications. Errors or missing information may affect your consideration, and veterans' preference applies when candidates are about equal.
4 After you apply
In USAJOBS, under Applications, you can see where your application stands: received, reviewed, referred to the hiring manager or not, then selected or not. It can take a few weeks.
For the interview, prepare three examples with the STAR method: the Situation, the Task, what you did (Action) and the Result.
If they choose you: a tentative offer, then a background check, then the final offer with your start date.
Tips for this job:
- If you want student loan help, submit the separate EDRP application within four months of your start date. Former EDRP participants cannot apply.
- The 2-page resume limit does not apply to this job, so follow the other document instructions carefully.
- If you claim veterans' preference, select it in the questionnaire and attach your DD-214 with your application.
Kandidatu is an independent website: only the official posting counts. Read it before you apply.