Working for the government can be a rewarding experience as it offers a unique cultural and organizational exposure. Whether it’s postal services, office clerk jobs, or legal secretaries, interacting with government officials and working for the bureaucracy can enrich your professional resume.

Surprisingly, in the USA, most of the federal jobs are located out of Washington.When it comes to federal jobs there is no dearth in the market. According to key statistics by the Office of Personnel Management in the USA, there are a total of 2.3 million federal employees as of now.

Most of them have reached the age of retirement or leave too soon, which is the main reason why federal jobs open every year. Agencies always want to look for experienced workers that can fill in the space. Even for a complex and multi-faceted profession like postal services, there are many skills like problem-solving, navigation, and memory retention that play a huge part in shaping employee experience.

While every federal job has a standard test that has to be passed to get to the next stage, most of them are quite easy. With impressive study materials and practice tests, almost any federal exam, especially a postal service test, can be easily aced.

However, what worries most candidates is the second stage: the interview. This can be a real dread for some people as tests only test your skills on paper. You have more time and space to develop the right answers. An interview setting requires you to be on your toes and super-alert. With real-life scenarios and group problem solving, your panelists will test your skills during a pressing situation.

Don’t worry, though. The key to acing a federal interview lies in your belief, knowledge and skills. If you passed the test, you can certainly get through this stage as well. Here, we have crafted the best career advice to prove you really are the ideal candidate for the job.

1.Prepare a Concise Summary of Your Profile

The national test is the most important yardstick whenit comes to federal jobs. However, your people skills, on the job management, and ability to work under pressure is just as important. For example, in a postal carrier job, your employers may ask you how you would handle irate customers.

Creating a viable solution on the spot can be hard. A good way, therefore, is to prepare a concise summary of your achievement and skills. Tell the panelists what you’re an expert at to direct the conversation in your favor. When you lay down your skills, they will throw situations that test those skills. This way, you’ll be better prepared for an answer.

2.Carry Out Extensive Research on the Agency

There are countless agencies that post federal jobsevery day. Even a postal service can be linked back to various federal agencies operating in the country. For this reason, you should always carry out extensive research on the agency that will be hiring you. Find out from the former employees and search for the company’s strengths and weaknesses. This can help you leverage the interview in your favor.

Instead of fretting over how to get a federal job, start preparing for the test and interview through these two major tips.