Your steps to apply

Wildland Firefighter (Fire Engine Operation)
Forest Service · Lakeside, Arizona and 17 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.

This job is open to the public. You must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or owe allegiance to the U.S., and any U.S. citizen may apply. Veterans' preference does not apply to this job.

Experience: You need 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4 for the GW-5 level. Examples include operating a fire engine pump under close supervision, doing basic engine maintenance, or working as a skilled firefighter on an organized crew.

Education: A 4-year course of study at an accredited college or university in fire science, fire training, fire technology, or a related field qualifies you for GW-5. A combination of education and experience can also qualify.

Licenses and certifications:

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) certification
NWCG S-290 Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior course completion

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, 2 pages maximum, showing dates, hours per week, and duties for each job IQCS Master Record or equivalent training records proving FFT1 completion; red cards are not accepted College transcripts if you use education to qualify; an unofficial copy is fine at first Evidence of accreditation for any foreign school, with English translations Proof of eligibility and recent SF-50 if you claim CTAP, ICTAP, or RIF priority

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 referred to the selecting official. No rating or ranking is used, and veterans' preference does not apply. Inflated or inaccurate information can lead to being found ineligible, or to removal from federal service.

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:

Your resume must show dates, hours per week, and duties for each job, and it cannot exceed 2 pages.
Attach your IQCS Master Record or equivalent proof of FFT1; red cards are not accepted.
Start Work Capacity Test training early, since passing the arduous level is a condition of employment.

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