How To Apply

  • How to Apply
  • KSAs

To apply for a NOAA Professional Mariner job, please follow these steps:

  1. 1. Learn about working as a Professional Mariner with NOAA OMAO Marine Operations
  2. 2. Review employment opportunities, carefully considering position:
    a. Duties
    b. Minimum eligibility requirements
    c. Conditions of employment
    d. Evaluation criteria
    e. Documents and other information required for the position
  3. 3. Build a resume using the online form and add your documents
  4. 4. Select the job announcement for which you would like to apply
  5. 5. IMPORTANT: Once your resume is created, select the position you'd like to apply to, click on the “Apply” button, and then click “Submit”

Below is an overview of the federal hiring process for new employees and an outline of what potential candidates can expect after submitting their application for a position. This process ensures all applicants receive fair and equal opportunity.

  1. 1. NOAA OMAO evaluation of applications
  2. 2. Selection of qualified applicants (notifications sent to all applicants regarding selection status)
  3. 3. Tentative offer of employment sent to selected applicants via email address provided in resume
  4. 4. Pre-employment background security check (requires applicant to have fingerprints taken, submit security forms, and complete online questionnaire)
  5. 5. Successfully pass pre-employment Physical Examination and Drug Test
  6. 6. Interview(s) and assignment to a NOAA Ship
  7. 7. Final offer of employment sent to applicant via email
  8. 8. In-Person New Employee Orientation

In addition to your application, it is highly recommended you supplement your application with responses that directly address the Evaluation Criteria in the Job Announcement. These statements should clearly and concisely express your qualifications, achievements, and detailed examples of your knowledge, skills and abilities.

Below is a guide to how you might address these differing levels of understanding in your responses when those words are used:

KNOWLEDGE: Refers to an organized body of information, usually of a factual or procedural nature, which, if applied, makes adequate performance of the job possible. Knowledge gained with experience can play a part here.

SKILLS: Refers to the proficient manual, verbal, or mental manipulation of data or things. Skills can be readily measured by a qualitative or quantitative performance test, usually within an established time limit. Examples of proficient manipulation of things are skills in typing or skills in operating a lathe or a fork truck, etc. Examples of proficient manipulation of data would be skilled at math using decimals, skill in ordering supplies or paint for the paint locker, or skill at celestial navigation. An example of using verbal skills could be how you communicate over the phone.

ABILITIES: Refers to the power to perform an observable activity. This means that abilities have been proven through activities or behaviors that are similar to those required on the job. For example, ability to plan and organize work, ability to repair a winch or paint a bulkhead. Abilities are different from aptitudes. Aptitudes are only the potential for performing the activity. Describe the kinds of documents you have written: “I wrote a report on the condition of the storeroom shelves and how I thought they could be improved”. Describe the types of reviews to which they have been subject: “This document was reviewed by my immediate supervisor and my department head”. Describe the target audience: “The chief engineer used it to put together a Voyage Repair report and got it in the shipyard package for bidding”. Describe the results of your activity: “The old shelves were removed and new ones were installed. The storage space was increased by 20 percent and lightweight battens were installed – significantly upgrading the safety of the storeroom”

WHY YOU CAN’T IGNORE THEM: Evaluation Criteria provide an objective, fair system of dealing with a large number of applications. Some applicants aren’t sure whether the evaluation criteria apply to them or if a response is optional. If you ever have any doubts about whether it’s worth the extra effort, wipe them out of your mind. You cannot be forced to submit responses to the evaluation criteria but there’s a good chance that your competition will be submitting them! You are at a disadvantage if you choose not to make the effort. One purpose of evaluation criteria is to measure those qualities that will set one candidate apart from the others. To do this, there must be a response that can be scored, something to compare against the crediting plan. Provide examples of what you have actually done, how, when, and where.