Federal Employment

One of the most effective ways to create and build a portable career as a Military Spouse is to enter the government civil service by gaining a Federal position (often referred to as a “GS” or “civilian” position). Every military installation employs Federal civilians in different capacities, so as a Military Spouse, you know that there is a high likelihood of Federal Positions being available in any US or OCONUS location you could ever be stationed at. Once you obtain a Federal position (or “get into the system”), you can transfer to other positions fairly easily. Government service is not a panacea though—there are challenges in obtaining positions, transferring to other positions, and working within an often large and entrenched bureaucracy. However, many Military Spouses find it to be the best option for maintaining forward progress in their career while transferring locations with their spouse.

One of the best ways to think about Federal Employment opportunities is to think of a major organization such as Walmart. Walmart hires much more than salespeople. It hires accountants, HR staff, marketing specialists, public relations people, security personnel, managers, trainers and legal advisors. Federal Service is exactly the same. There are opportunities within almost every field, regardless of which Government Agency you are targeting. With more than 1.7 million jobs and over 400 occupational specialties (excluding postal service and military workers), the Federal Government offers more choices than any other single employer in the United States. There are over 100 agencies and bureaus, each with its own hiring and recruiting process, but the largest agency is the Department of Defense which is great news for Military Spouses. To research the other substantial agencies and the geographical breakdown of available positions, visit the Congressional Research Service paper on The Federal Workforce: Characteristics and Trends.

Because of the many long term career advantages of gaining a Federal position, competition for vacancies is fierce and “breaking in” to government service isn’t easy. The hiring system is often confusing, and although the preference system aims to help Military Spouses, the preferences available to existing Federal employees and Veterans seeking Federal employment can at times outweigh or negate any real advantage that the Military Spouse Preference Programs carry. In order to gain a Federal position, it is vital that you understand the system, the application process, and the preferences available. Military Spouses who have succeeded in gaining Federal positions anecdotally recommend that persistence is imperative, as is establishing a verbal relationship with an HR representative in your local area to ensure that you understand any unique local area procedures.

Types of Federal Positions

When you begin your search for a Federal position, you may notice vacancies for both “GS” and “NAF” positions. GS position may be advertised locally, on the base, and also through the USAJOBS website, but NAF positions are usually only advertised locally (often through an ACS, MCCS, Fleet and Family, or Airman and Family Readiness Center website.) Both GS and NAF positions provide Life Insurance, retirement options, annual leave and sick leave. The main difference between them is the type of job and funding source.

GS Positions

GS jobs are also referred to as appropriated funds (APF). They are funded through a budget that Congress allocates and are generally white collar positions in professional, technical, administrative, or clerical areas. The GS pay system is established by law and does not apply to Department of Defense Non-appropriated Fund jobs. It consists of 15 grades, each grade having 10 steps/rates. Employees start at the step 1 salary and progress through 10 salary rates within the grade based on time in grade (not performance). The 2011 GS pay scale gives you an idea how this works. Employees in these positions must be United States citizens.

NAF Positions

NAF jobs are funded by the installation rather than through the budget that Congress allocates. The funds are generated by sales from Department of Defense facilities such as the Base Exchange and these funds are used to augment funds appropriated by the Congress to provide a comprehensive, morale-building welfare, religious, educational, and recreational program, designed to improve the well-being of military and civilian personnel and their dependents. NAF jobs are often found in areas such as child development, food and beverage management, lodging, recreation, office management, the commissary, and the bowling center. These positions are usually easier to get than GS positions as the pay is lower, turnover of staff is greater, and so competition is less.

NAF employees are Federal employees, however, they are not covered by most laws administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and instead they fall under the Department of Defense (DoD). The NAF pay schedule is developed by the Department of Defense and consists of 6 pay bands. NAF positions range from NF-1 through NF-6. The position level and pay is not based on time in grade but performance, and employee skill level. The 2011 NAF pay scale indicates the type of renumeration available for different positions and employees do NOT have to be United States citizens.

Things to Keep in Mind

Career-minded, professional spouses will probably find that the GS positions fit their educational and work backgrounds better that NAF positions do. There is certainly nothing wrong with NAF positions, and they can be beneficial to add experience to your resume. They do not, however, necessarily make it any easier for you to obtain a GS position. They are viewed as any other job on your resume. If you decide to take an NAF position, then you will use your spouse preference (Program S) and not have it available if you a GS position in your field opens up before you PCS again. You will still have eligibility to apply for GS positions under EO 12721 and EO 13473, though, which allows you to compete with other federal employees and veterans. Your local HR representative can answer any of your questions regarding these types of federal employment options and please visit the Military Spouse Preference Program page for more information on each of these programs.