There are two classes of Jobs in the Federal Government:

1. Those that are in the Competitive Civil Service

2. Those that are in the Excepted Service

Competitive service Jobs are under OPM.s jurisdiction and subject to the civil service laws passed by Congress to ensure that applicants and employees receive fair and equal treatment in the hiring process (Title 5, USC).

Excepted service agencies (Legislature, Judicial, CIA, and others) set their own qualification requirements and are not subject to appointment, pay, and classification rules in Title 5, USC. Positions may be in the excepted service by law, by executive order, or by action of the Office of Personnel Management.

In filling competitive service jobs, agencies can generally choose from among 3 groups of candidates:

1. A competitive list of eligibles administered by OPM or by an agency under OPM's direction. This list consists of applicants who have applied and met the qualification requirements for a specific vacancy announcement.

2. A list of eligibles who have civil service status consist of applicants who are eligible for noncompetitive movement within the competitive service because they either now are or were serving under career-type appointments in the competitive service. These individuals are selected under agency merit promotion procedures and can receive an appointment by promotion, reassignment, transfer, or reinstatement.

3. A list of eligibles that qualify for a special noncompetitive appointing authority established by law or executive order. Examples of special noncompetitive appointing authorities include the Veterans' Readjustment Appointment (VRA), the special authority for 30% or more disabled veterans, and the Peace Corps.

Veterans' preference recognizes the economic loss suffered by citizens who have served their country in uniform in times of strife, restores veterans to a favorable competitive position for Government employment, and acknowledges the larger obligation owed to disabled veterans. More information about Veteran's Preferences is available at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/EI3.asp

THE VETERANS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ACT (VEOA)

This act gave veterans who qualify as preference eligibles and veterans with 3 or more years of continuous active service access to jobs that might otherwise be closed to them. More information about VEOA is available at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/EI52.asp

There are only two areas of consideration for SES position and SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP) vacancy announcements: 1) All Federal Civil Service Appointees or 2) All Qualified Persons.

Federal Civil Service Appointments:

* The "civil service" consists of all persons who occupy positions in executive, judicial, and legislative branches, except positions in the uniformed services (the armed forces, the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, and the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Included are experts and consultants who occupy appointive positions, and individuals in the Postal Service and Postal Rate Commission. The District of Columbia Government is not part of the Federal Civil Service.

* A person is considered to be in the civil service only if occupying a civil service position at the time of application. For example, an individual who is not a civil service appointee but has reinstatement eligibility to the competitive service is not eligible for a SES position or a SESCDP announced for "All Federal Civil Service Appointees."

Persons who have noncompetitive eligibility for career SES appointment include:

* A former career SES appointee who has career reinstatement eligibility (to qualify, you must have successfully completed a one year career SES probationary period or been exempted from that requirement); and

* A graduate of an OPM-approved Federal agency SES Candidate Development Plan who has been certified by a Qualifications Review Board.

NOTE: An agency has the option of applying the SES merit staffing process to persons who have noncompetitive eligibility for career SES appointment. If you have further questions about the SES, please consult OPM's SES Web Page.I