Air Force Materiel Command news service (Dec. 14, 2005): leaving the Air Force? Consider civilian government employment.

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFPN) -- For those facing force shaping boards and contemplating the possibility of separating from the Air Force, employment options can seem overwhelming.

However, the members of civilian personnel offices are ready to help military members transition to government civilian employment.

People may apply for a civilian position 120 days before separation, said Paula MacKenzie, a human resource officer with the 66th Air Base Wing civilian personnel office at Hanscom. Normally, it takes between 60 and 90 days to receive notification after applying for a civilian position and, if selected, from 30 to 45 days until an applicant can start working.

Military time does count, she said. "It is put towards work experience and may be used for leave accrual or retirement."

Those who recently separated or retired may be eligible for veteran's preference when applying. Point values range from five to 10 points. Disabled veterans are eligible for up to 10 points. Veterans discharged with an honorable or general discharge who served during a war may claim five points. For a detailed listing of veteran's preferences contact the Veteran's Preference Advisor online at: <http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vetspref.htm> for more information. Disabled veteran's counseling is also available from AMVETS.

Applying for a civilian position can be broken into three steps: submit a resume, search job postings, and self-nominate.

Resumes can be submitted to the Air Force Personnel Center in one of three ways: through Resume Writer, the online resume writer; e-mail; or mail.

Submitting through Resume Writer is the preferred method, states the Air Force Personnel Center's Civilian Employment Application Guide job kit. It is posted online at <http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil>. This method allows users to post a resume and have it processed into the personnel system within 24 hours. It also allows users to edit and review resumes at any time. Resumes remain active in the system for one year.

Resumes that are e-mailed or mailed can take up to five days to process. Resumes can be e-mailed to [e-mail] for all external applicants (those not working in a civilian position).

"Applicant Information" must be in the subject line of the e-mail, and resumes should not be sent as an attachment. Applicants cannot review, print, or update their resumes when using this method.

The next step is to search for a job. Federal jobs are posted on a variety of Web sites. AFPC links to various Air Force postings and also to <http://www.usajob.opm.gov>. This site hosts various federal jobs all over the world. The personnel center also offers the Civilian Announcement Notification System, or CANS.

CANS is an e-mail service where users receive notification of Air Force civilian job openings meeting their criteria. Information will be stored in the system for up to 180 days and users may use up to 20 criteria combinations.

After finding a job and making sure that all supplemental data and a resume are active in the system, self-nomination is the next step. There are two ways applicants may self-nominate: online at the AFPC Civilian Employment home page or over the AF Job Line at [phone]. Applicants must have their Social Security number, a personal identification number, and the 11-digit job announcement code when self-nominating via the job line.

AFPC offers this tip: Be sure to see the self-nomination confirmation before exiting the Web site. If people do not see a confirmation, the self-nomination was not completed. Applicants should print a copy of the confirmation.

After completing the process, applicants can log on to the AFPC Web site or call the job line to check on a self-nomination.

Here are some additional tips:

* Those who want to self-nominate and update a resume on file should self-nominate first before updating the resume because applicants cannot self-nominate while a resume is being updated.

* External candidates whose resumes have expired and were submitted through Resume Writer can access the AFPC Web site and select the Resume Writer menu option. Click on "Update Resume" and make any necessary changes; then click "Submit." The system requires 24 hours to refresh before the resume flows into the AFPC Resumix data system. Once the resume has entered the system, applicants can self-nominate for vacancies.

Other supporting documents may need to be provided before an official job offer can be made.

"Transcripts, Defense Department Form 214 (Statement of Service), and applicable licenses or certifications should be submitted in a timely fashion as required by the position," MacKenzie said.

Applicants should keep track of the job close-out date and keep that in mind when applying. Also, applicants need to fill out the knowledge, skills, and abilities section of a job, where required.

Petersante-Gioia is with 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, Hanscom AFB, Mass.

1st Lt. Martha L. Petersante-Gioia, USAF