Your steps to apply

Wildland Firefighter (Fire Engine Operation)
Forest Service · North Bend, Washington and 9 more · Closes in 8 days

1 Check you can apply
2 Resume and documents
3 Apply on USAJOBS
4 After you apply

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1 Check you can apply You are here

Who can apply: The public.

Any U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or person who owes allegiance to the United States can apply. Direct Hire authority is used, so veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking do not apply.

Experience: You need one year of specialized experience at the GS-4 level, such as operating an engine pump under close supervision or working as a skilled firefighter on an organized crew. This matches the GW-5 grade.

Education: A 4-year course of study at an accredited college or university with a major in fire science, fire training, fire technology, or a related field qualifies. A combination of education and experience also qualifies.

Licenses and certifications:

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) course completion, shown in an IQCS Master Record or equivalent training documents
NWCG Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (S-290) course completion, shown in an IQCS Master Record or equivalent training documents

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.

Resume ready: dates, hours per week, duties Resume, no more than 2 pages, showing dates, hours per week, and duties for each job IQCS Master Record or equivalent training proof for FFT1 and S-290; red cards are not accepted College transcripts if you use education to qualify (unofficial copy is fine at first) Proof of accreditation for any foreign education If eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority: proof of eligibility, SF-50, and current performance appraisal

3 Apply on USAJOBS

Closes in 8 days (November 12, until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time).

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: Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are sent to the selecting official without a rating or ranking. Inflated or inaccurate information on your resume or application can lower your score, make you ineligible, or lead to disciplinary action.

Apply on USAJOBS ↗

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, a security clearance (Other), then the final offer with your start date.

Tips for this job:

Attach your IQCS Master Record showing FFT1 and S-290; red cards will not be accepted.
Keep your resume to two pages or less, or you will be removed from consideration.
Start the arduous Work Capacity Test training early, since passing it is a condition of employment.

Kandidatu is an independent website: only the official posting counts. Read it before you apply.