Many companies and governments now offer an expanded array of remote and telework options to attract competent employees. During the COVID crisis, work from home became the norm while traditional at-work activities basically ceased for the majority of Americans.

Workers generally became accustomed to the new work ethic and the family friendly aspects of the option especially for patents with young children. It isn’t uncommon today for tried-and-true traditional workers to seek out remote and telework options and that is why many companies are adjusted to this new norm for suitable positions.

Abundant Federal Jobs

Now is a great time to find federal jobs across the country and in hundreds of occupations. The IRS is hiring over 20,000 specialists this year alone, with more to come next year. Currently USAJOBS has more than 10,000 job announcements posted, many with multiple positions available.  

The diversity of positions is staggering by any standard; you can find everything from traditional to remote and telework opportunities.

Remote Work

There are currently over 1400 remote and/or telework job announcements posted on USAJOBS. A remote federal job doesn’t require the employee to report to an official agency worksite regularly. Instead, you work from your home or other approved alternative worksite either within or outside of the commuting area of your agency’s worksite.

Telework Positions

These positions offer the option to work from home and from an office location. This is often referred to as hybrid work. How often you are required to report to an office depends on the agency and the duties required by the position.

Telework eligible jobs are not the same as remote positions. Review the job announcement to understand the requirements before applying for a job.

Identifying Remote and Telework Positions

Under the Overview section, located at the top and far right side of the job announcement, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) lists whether or not the position is approved for remote or telework options. This section provides the key features for the vacant position including: salary, location, travel, work schedule, appointment type, security clearance requirements, drug testing, and other key information.

If you intend to apply for a position, print the job announcement and keep it for future reference. All of the required qualifications are listed along with other critical guidance that you must follow to successfully apply for the position. The last section of the job announcement lists contact information if you should have questions or issues when applying online.   

Many of the job announcements list (Remote Eligible) in the job title.

Searching for Remote and Telework Job Announcements

Visit www.usajobs.gov to begin your job search. Enter remote in the Keyword search box at the top of any page. To limit the search to your area, enter the city and state or zip code in the Location box. You may have to click on the Search icon, at the top of the page, to display the Location box.

Use the filters on the right side of the screen to display the most relevant positions. For example, if you are not currently a federal employee select “Open to the public” to display the jobs you can apply for. Many jobs are limited to those already working in the federal sector.

Summary

Now is a great time to not only find but land a high paying, secure, and benefit loaded government job. OPM has changed the entry requirements for many jobs and approved direct hire authority under new policies to expand participation in the federal sector. Start your search now to get a head start on the competition.