Hey friend,

Getting a federal job can be difficult.

Make it easier on yourself by focusing on the direct hiring authority (DHA).

While many federal agencies have frozen hiring, urgent high-paying roles remain open using Direct Hiring Authority.

When you spot “Direct Hire” on USAJobs.gov, it means hiring moves faster, veterans’ preference is removed, and ratings/rankings are bypassed. Because USAJobs lacks a DHA filter, type “direct hire” into the search bar alongside your location or preferred job series.

Top High-Demand Job Series Using DHA

• Healthcare (300+ openings): Dominated by the VA and DoD (nurses, medical officers, nursing assistants). Perks include self-insured environments (no private insurance billing), strong legal protections against malpractice, and a federal pension.

• Engineering (100+ openings): Mainly GS-11 to GS-15 roles in NASA and the DoD, plus student pathways starting at GS-5/GS-7 with ladders to GS-9.

• IT Management / 2210 (100+ openings): High demand for Cybersecurity (INFOSEC) and Data Science, particularly in D.C., Texas, and Alabama. A common transition path for defense contractor employees.

• Administrative (53 openings): Roles across the DoT, DoD, and Department of Education—including high-level Program Analyst positions (up to $170k/year at the GS-13 level).

• Police (30 openings): VA and DoD roles paying $50k–$75k+ (plus overtime), with high-cost areas like Los Angeles offering up to an 85k salary plus a 15% recruitment incentive.

How to Spot a Direct Hire Job

1. Check the title: It often mentions “Direct Hire” before you click.

2. Review the summary: Look at the first section when scrolling down the announcement.

3. Look for labels: Many will be marked as Open Continuous.

💵 How Much is a Pension?

Under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), working just 5 years earns you the legal right to a lifetime defined benefit pension.

• GS-1 to GS-4 (Lower tier):

  • After 5 Years of Service (At Age 62): ~$142 / month

  • After 30 Years of Service: ~$850+ / month

• GS-5 to GS-9 (Mid-lower tier):

  • After 5 Years of Service (At Age 62): ~$235 / month

  • After 30 Years of Service: ~$1,400+ / month

• GS-10 to GS-15 (Higher tier / DMV area):

  • After 5 Years of Service (At Age 62): ~$500 / month

  • After 30 Years of Service: ~$2,800+ / month

  Average FERS Pension: Around $2,200 a month (~$26,000 a year).

  Top-Tier (GS-15): Averaging $4,000 to $5,000 a month depending on service years.

The “3-Legged Stool” Retirement Strategy

A federal pension is only part of the puzzle. Retirement income is typically structured around three streams:

1. FERS Pension: Average of ~$2k/month.

2. Social Security: Adding another ~$/2k/month on average.

3. TSP (Thrift Savings Plan): The government’s equivalent to a 401(k), where average retiring balances sit between $200k and $300k.

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🤖AI is Here

Artificial Intelligence is changing the federal hiring landscape. On USAJobs, roughly 25% of job postings now feature position descriptions automatically generated by an algorithm called USA Class (trained on over 300,000 historic postings and OPM standards).

While a human HR specialist still reviews your resume against these requirements, understanding the underlying evaluation standard is critical.

The 9-Factor System & Factor 1

• The Stakes: Factor 1 (Knowledge Required by the Position) accounts for 40% to 50% of a job’s total grade points.

• The Rule: If your resume fails Factor 1, it is mathematically impossible for the other eight factors to elevate your GS grade.

To clear the HR hurdle, your resume must mirror the job announcement’s specialized experience section using accomplishments. Frame every bullet point around four questions:

1. What did you do?

2. How did you do it?

3. What was the result?

4. Can you quantify it?

⚠️ The Ultimate Mistake: Stating duties without impact (e.g., “Responsible for writing compliance reports”) hides your value. Show the scope, did it save money, change a process, or help thousands?

🤝Hiring Events

July 28th from 2pm – 3pm EST

Join the HHS to participate in a virtual event. Recruiters will discuss tips and best practices for creating a 2-page resume.

Learn more here

July 29th from 4:30pm – 5:30pm EST

Join the GSA in an information session to discover how your project management, construction, or facility operations skills can serve the public, learn about our culture, and get tips on navigating USAJOBS and crafting a competitive federal resume.

Session Focus:

• 7/29/2026: Building Management Specialist - Register Below

• 7/30/2026: Construction Project Management, Construction Representative (Contract Admin), & Construction Representative (Cost Estimation) -

Register here

July 30th from 1pm – 3pm EST

Join the IRS for their “Career Opportunities for Veterans and Military Spouses” Event.

The Veterans Program Office would like to discuss the opportunities they offer for veterans and military spouses. During this information session, they will provide an overview of IRS benefits, explain the eligibility and documentation requirements for unique veteran hiring authorities, how to apply for positions, and they will provide tips for creating an effective federal resume.

Following their presentation, they will have a Q&A session for you to interact directly with their recruiters.

Learn more here

🏆Success Story

Watch the last Q&A livestream: here

📝 Download Federal Resume Examples & Interview Guide: https://payhip.com/ArmandCuret

📓Get the Government Job Secrets Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D695NKCN

📲 Schedule a call with me: https://clarity.fm/armandcuret

📧 E-mail me: federalresumemasterclass@gmail.com