Spouse employment preference is a preference for employment in
DoD appropriated fund civilian positions for which the military spouse is best
qualified at grade levels GS-5 through GS/GM-15 (or equivalent wage system
positions). Preference for NAFI positions is at grades UA-8 and below
(and equivalent positions) and for those jobs paid at an hourly
rate. Depending on qualifications and experience, the spouse is
afforded serious consideration for competitive civil service
vacancies.
If the spouse has previous government work experience,
preference can be exercised up to the highest grade level ever
held. Spouses of active duty military personnel of the DOD with
personal civil service status (i.e. current career or career-conditional
employees, reinstatement eligibles) should apply to the Civilian Personnel
Office/Advisory Center for available positions.
Preparation for seeking
employment is vital to your success. Spouses coming to the area
should update resumes and/or SF171's. Positions in the civilian sector are
plentiful, depending on your job preference, however, self-marketing is the key
to finding satisfactory employment.
When transferring from a civilian
position in government service be sure to hand carry your notification of
Personnel Action (Form 50). Once it is presented to Civilian
Personnel, this form will make applying for employment much smoother and
quicker.
Other sources of employment can be gained by
networking. We are fortunate, in this area, that there are many
organizations and associations with which to affiliate. One such
organization is the Military Spouse Business and Professional
Association. They provide information on jobs, finance, meeting and
making new friends and various other things. For more information,
review "Networking Opportunities" section of SITES.With the significant
"downsizing" of the Federal Government and the Defense industry, many local
governments and larger corporations (i.e., IBM, Westinghouse, AT&T, etc.)
have realized significant reductions in their workforce also. The
"laid off" employees have ventured outward from DC to seek security with smaller
companies not dependent on government contracts.
The Civilian Army
Personnel Services National Capital Region, formerly known as Civilian Personnel
Office or CPO, is located at Fort Belvoir.
For those seeking government
employment, have a current copy of your SF-171/OF-612/resume with
you. For current status Federal Government employees, make sure you
have your SF-50 prior to your departure and request Leave Without Pay for as
long as your command can afford to authorize. Consider enrollment in
the Priority Placement Program.
See Contacts/Links for further
information.