WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is announcing the release of the first iteration in a rolling set of improvements to the job application components of the USAJOBS website.  Over the coming months, the new features will transform a website that for many years served as a primary entry point to the Federal hiring process as it showcased the vast majority of the Federal Government’s job opportunities in one place.  Through design research, OPM reimagined not only what is possible in people’s interaction with USAJOBS, but also what is possible in the end-to-end hiring process.   

To preview these new changes, please check out this video, which offers a step-by-step guide, as well as our informative blog, highlighting the recent updates.

“Throughout the rest of the year, new features will be added to increase the usability of the USAJOBS website by enhancing the job application process for those interested in careers in the Federal Government,” said Acting OPM Director Beth Cobert.  “By streamlining the USAJOBS process, we will also improve our ability to attract the best and brightest to apply for jobs in the Federal workforce,” added Cobert.

The primary purpose of the USAJOBS website’s improvements is to create a more user-friendly application experience when applying for a Federal job - one that closely mirrors the experience job seekers have with many non-government job sites.  The new features incorporate the new U.S. Web Design Standards, and are designed to do the following:

• Simplify the application process 

• Reduce the number of incomplete applications
• Improve access to materials required to complete an application

Specifically, the new features will allow the job seeker to:

• Track progress of an application on USAJOBS

• Check on required documents for a position without leaving the application process
• Save progress on a pending application
• Add, build, view or delete a resume
• Attach, view or delete resumes and other required documents
• Review the final application on USAJOBS before official submission to an agency


Additionally, OPM has created a new design system for the USAJOBS website that leverages the new U.S. Government Web Design Standards jointly released by the United States Digital Service and 18F - a group of designers, developers and product specialists inside the General Services Administration.  In the coming months, the team will apply the new design standards across the remainder of the USAJOBS website.

The research OPM conducted found that the job application experience in USAJOBS could be confusing, difficult, and frustrating for applicants, driving some to abandon their applications.  The revised job application features are designed to clearly communicate the steps applicants are expected to complete, and then guide them through building a completed application package that they can seamlessly transfer to an agency for final submission.

OPM has begun testing additional features that will be integrated into the website throughout the rest of the year.  As noted above, those changes will be released on a rolling basis and will be designed to continue improving job seekers’ experience when applying for Federal Government jobs.