How to apply to an opportunity or internship
Applying to and participating in an opportunity or internship is a great way to gain experience, contribute your expertise and work with others across the federal government.
You must be a current federal employee to apply to an opportunity. If you’re a student, you can apply to Virtual Student Federal Service internships. To apply to either, you need to create a profile. Your profile highlights your skills, education, experience and areas of interest, such as career areas, agencies you’re interested in and other topics. If you’re a federal employee, you also need your supervisor’s permission to apply and participate.
How to apply to an opportunity
Once you have a profile, you can apply to any opportunity that is open.
- Click Find opportunities on the home page or the search icon in the top navigation.
- Enter a keyword into the search box to find opportunities that interest you.
- Use the search filters, on the right, to narrow your results. You can search by status, skill, career field, series, time commitment and more. Learn how to search for opportunities.
- Read the opportunity details to learn what skills are needed, how much time is involved and to see if it’s a good match for you.
- Click Apply if you’re interested in an opportunity and follow the steps in the application process.
How do I apply to a detail or lateral?
To apply to a detail or lateral opportunity, follow the same steps above. After you click Apply, you’ll need to enter a statement of interest and submit a resume. You can select a resume you’ve already created or uploaded on USAJOBS or you can upload a new resume.
What happens after I apply?
The person who posted the opportunity will review your profile or application (if you applied to a detail or lateral) and reach out to you by email to see if you’re a good match for the work. They may even set up a time to talk.
How do I know if I’m selected?
You’ll get an email letting you know if you’re selected. The email will include all the details you’ll need to get started. We’ll also mark the opportunity as “In progress”, so it will no longer appear as open and accepting applicants.
You’ll also get an email if you’re not selected. Don’t give up—there are plenty of other opportunities available.
Who can I contact if I have questions?
Feel free to post questions in the comments section at the bottom of the opportunity detail page or contact us using this form.
How to apply to an internship
Participating in an internship is a great way to gain experience, contribute your expertise and work with others across the federal government.
Once you have a profile, you can apply to internship opportunities.
- Click Find internships on the home page or use the search icon in the top navigation. If you use the search icon, select Internships located in the navigation.
- Scroll through the available internships or enter a keyword into the search box to search for internships that interest you.
- Use the search filters, on the right, to narrow your results. You can search by status, commitment, community, skill, language, agency and more. Learn how to search for internships.
- Read the internship details to learn what skills are needed, how much time is involved and to see if it’s a good match for you.
- Click Apply if you’re interested in the internship and follow the steps in the application process.
What happens after I apply?
The person who posted the internship will review your profile and application. They will contact you if you’re a good fit.
How do I know if I’m selected?
You’ll get an email letting you know if you’re selected. The email will include the details you’ll need to get started. We will update the status of the internship on your dashboard.
You’ll also get an email if you’re not selected. Don’t give up—there are plenty of other internships available.
You can contact us using this form.