Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship is Required.
- Selectee must pass all preemployment requirements prior to appointment.
- Selectee must undergo a background investigation for a Suitability.
- Males born after 12/03/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
- Selectee may be required to serve a one year probationary period.
- Selectees must pass a physical examination prior to appointment.
- Physical - Effort: The work is generally sedentary and involves a combination of sitting and standing.
- Working Conditions: Primarily the duties are performed in an office setting. However, the incumbent may be required to visit other sections whose work is performed in a production environment.
- Working Conditions: Work performed in a production environment where there is exposure to noise, ink mist, odors/fumes, spray powder, and paper dust from machinery. Ear protection, eye protection and safety shoes are provided as necessary.
Qualifications
To qualify for the Proofreader/Keyboarder, you must meet the following requirements:
Applicants must meet the following Screen Out Element/Job Element #1 to be considered eligible for this position: Ability to do the work of a Proofreader/Keyboarder without more than normal supervision. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed Screen Out Element/Job Element. If your knowledge and ability in the Screen Out Element/Job Element is not sufficient, you will not receive further consideration. In addition to the requirements above, applicants must have the following knowledge and abilities:
Proofreading books, newspapers, or magazine proofs for publication or general distribution;
Manipulating electronic files to make corrections;
Keying manuscripts with a high degree of speed and accuracy;
Typesetting materials; and
Using and interpreting proofreader marks.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement to be considered.
This Open Continuous announcement allows acceptance of applications through June 30, 2026, or until 400 applications have been received or all positions have been filled whichever occurs first.
The intent of this announcement is to establish a standing register of qualified candidates to refer for consideration. Applicants that self-assess as qualified and that meet the eligibility requirements will then be further evaluated by completing a series of progressive hurdle assessments. Assessments that may include online assessments, work sample assessments, and/or interviews. Each assessment has a pre-determined cut score which must be achieved or exceeded to be "best qualified (BQ) and advance to the next assessment." Upon completion of all required hurdle assessments, applicants will be referred to the selecting official for consideration after their resume has been reviewed for qualifications and found qualified by the staffing specialist.
The initial cut off for the referral list is August 30, 2025, or until 100 applications are within reach. Applicants are encouraged to apply early in order to maximize their employment opportunities. Subsequent cut-offs will be midnight on the dates below. Applications received after these cutoff dates may be considered on future requests to fill vacancies. Your application will remain in the inventory of tentatively qualified applicants. The announcement may be closed earlier or extended without further notice. Final application disposition will be completed once all positions have been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period.
Applications will be reviewed and referred for selection as vacancies occur within the Business Unit. The initial cut off for the referral list is August 30, 2025, or until 100 applications are within reach. Additional application cut-off dates are as follows:
1st cut-off: August 30, 2025, or until 100 applications have been reached, whichever occurs first.
2nd cut-off: October 29, 2025, or until 200 applications have been reached, whichever occurs first.
3rd cut-off: December 28, 2025, or until 300 applications have been reached, whichever occurs first.
4th cut-off: February 26, 2026, or until 400 applications have been reached, whichever occurs first.
Final Closing date: 06/30/2026
***ONCE ALL SELECTIONS ARE MADE, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE CLOSED WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE.***
Education
Substitution of education in lieu of training or experience may not be used for this grade level.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this position, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire and supporting documents. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be excluded from further consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.
Those who meet the minimum level of experience and training for the screen-out element will then be evaluated in each of the following job elements:
- Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision
- Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Other Than Blueprint Reading)
- Ability to Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
- Technical Practices (Theoretical, Precise, Artistic)
We DO NOT require a separate narrative statement responding to the competencies; however, your resume should CLEARLY show possession of these competencies.
If you meet the qualification requirements listed above, your application will be rated based on your online questionnaire and supporting documents. Your application will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. If your final rating places you among the top candidates, your application will be referred to the selecting official for further review.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes 1) your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire, 2) your resume and 3) any other documents needed to verify your qualifications or eligibility (see the required documents section).
Please follow the instructions listed below for submitting your complete application package. Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all instructions before you begin.
Resume Requirements:
- Resumes are limited to eight (8) pages
- Resumes should focus on the knowledge, skills, abilities; accomplishments and results; and training and education relevant to this position.
- Resumes must be in the following format (for each position held relevant to this position):
- Short summary of position duties
- Accomplishments while in the position
- Results of those accomplishments
Copying and pasting position descriptions into a resume is not acceptable.
Illegible Information and/or Documents
- If your supporting documents and resume are illegible or do not provide the necessary information for the Human Capital Specialist and/or Subject Matter Expert to make a qualification determination, you may lose consideration for this position.
Last Document Uploaded
- If multiple copies of the same document are uploaded/faxed and submitted with your application, GPO will only consider the last copy of the document uploaded/faxed when determining your eligibility and qualifications. For example, if you upload/fax two or more resumes only the last resume uploaded/faxed and submitted will be considered.
Print a copy of the occupational questionnaire so that you can read and review the questions before submitting your online responses. Click here to view the Occupational Questionnaire:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12754983
The completed online Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/30/2026.
- To begin, click
Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to
select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and
click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account
http://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Next steps
After each step in the recruitment process, your status will be updated in our application tracking system and if you have elected to receive email updates, you will be notified through your USAJOBS registered email address. If you have not elected to receive email updates, you can review your current application status in USAJOBS at any time. Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job. This will ensure we can contact you as quickly as possible.
In addition to changing your status online, we will send you email notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or ineligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected. If your final rating places you among the top candidates, your application will be referred to the selecting official for further review.