In 2013, Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) positions became even more competitive when the federal government changed its application requirements. Any ALJ announcement can be tricky to navigate, as it is one of the most complicated applications to develop.
But ALJ positions will force you to pay extra attention to instructions to make sure your application isn’t weeded out because of a technicality. What job seekers might not realize with the USAJOBS system is that it can stop you mid-application if your skills don’t match a vacancy announcement.
We have more than 25 years of experience and have written more than 58,000 military and federal resumes for positions, including competitive ALJ jobs. Our track record speaks for itself, as our customer satisfaction rate is 99.6%.
It is highly recommended that you prepare your Administrative Law Judge application in advance of the vacancy posting. Since this is such a coveted position and thousands of applications are received for each ALJ opening, why not have your application professionally developed, and increase your chances of earning an all-important interview?
Contact us for a free consultation via our Quick Quote form today to see how we can help you land the ALJ jobs you’ve got your eye on.
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How Administrative Law Judge Jobs Vacancy Announcements Are Different
The federal government is growing its cadre of ALJs because of the increasing needs of agencies like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). A strong candidate is one that has experience as a trial attorney or litigator in private practice, military service, or the federal sector, and has significant knowledge of Administrative Law. Applicants are not required to have prior judiciary experience or any political connections. Veterans are awarded their preference points. See the ALJ pay scale here.
ALJs will preside over formal hearings, issue subpoenas, review briefs, and rule on motions for multiple agencies throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. To apply for ALJ jobs, applicants will need a minimum of seven years of experience as an Attorney. Job seekers will also need a license to practice laws in a U.S. state or one of the U.S. territories. In addition, all applicants for ALJ jobs will need to pass a U.S. Office of Personnel Management evaluation.
Experience with cases that do not have a formal hearing process will not be considered qualifying experience for ALJ jobs in the application process. Those positions include Claims Reviewer, Court Clerk, Insurance Adjuster, Law Professor, or State Unemployment Insurance Supervisor.
Here is an example of an ALJ jobs Vacancy Announcement:
New (3/05/2013) ALJ Job Vacancy:
Job Title: Administrative Law Judge
Agency: Multi-agency
Job Announcement Number: ALJ2013-847661
Salary Range: $118,612.00 – $165,300.00 / year
Open Period: Thursday, March 5, 2013 to Friday, March 15, 2013
Series & Grade: AL-0935-03
Position Information: Full Time – Permanent
See Full Posting Information Click Here – ALJ-VacancyAnnouncement
How to Apply for ALJ Positions
A federal ALJ application includes the Accomplishment Record (six narratives based on ALJ competencies), a federal resume (usually about 5–7 pages long), and two additional narratives detailing the candidate’s administrative law and litigation experience. The Administrative Law Judge application process is managed by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for all of the 30 agencies that employ them. Candidates can only apply during the brief and infrequent open period, which typically occurs about once every 12–14 months. The application is completed online and must be submitted by midnight of the date when a designated number of applications (this has varied from 600 to 1,200) is received. During the 2009 exam, the open period lasted less than 40 hours, and more than 1,200 attorneys applied. Advance planning for the Accomplishment Record is critical.
Write in Plain Language
To be competitive, your application materials must be completed before the exam opens. Your Accomplishment Record must rate high in order to be invited to the Written Demonstration and Structured Interview, making it a vital component of the examination—of more import than the resume itself. One potential pitfall with the application writing is that many candidates do not know which key words to use, or how to best showcase their relevant accomplishments. The Accomplishment Record is rated by Human Resources professionals, not fellow attorneys or sitting ALJs. The use of legal jargon and complicated language can hurt your application. Plain language that can be understood by a lay person or professional alike is proven to yield good results. The six competencies assessed in the Accomplishment Record have not changed over the past three examination periods, and remain a good point of preparation for potential candidates. If the proper key words for the ALJ position are used in the writing, even if the rated competencies vary in the future, the narratives will be relevant and can easily fit into new categories.
Learn More About The ALJ Application Writing Process and SES Resume Help:
In addition to your assessment questionnaire, resume, and any Veterans’ Preference documentation, you also have the option to upload a case listing with your AJL application. Note that if you’re going to submit the optional Listing of Significant Litigation and/or Administrative Law Cases, the formatting of these six cases is particularly important.
Our team has some of the most experienced ALJ application writers in the country who understand the complex selection process as well as the stringent writing requirements. We have the expertise to develop your comprehensive federal ALJ application package so that you can be ready for the next ALJ examination. Our experienced ALJ jobs resume writers will provide you with a carefully crafted five-page resume that uses the correct keywords and formatting to make your experience, leadership, and education stand out from the rest.
Send us your resume and the ALJ vacancy announcement for which you’re interested in applying. You can also send us any additional career documents, so our career coaches can gauge the process, costs, and next steps in your Administrative Law Judge employment resume-writing process.
