Step-by-Step Guide to Complete an EPAP Application on USAjobs.gov

For details on the program, including required documents to submit with your application, please carefully review the check list on www.state.gov/flo/epap. Appointment Eligible Family Members (AEFM per 3 FAM 7120) applying for any of the advertised EPAP positions for 2018 spring/summer (March 15 to March 29, 2018) must submit an application, including required documents via www.usajobs.gov by the closing date and time of the vacancy announcement. This document provides tips and details on how to navigate the USAJOBS site and complete your application. Screenshots are subject to change. 1. Sign-in to an existing or create a USAJOBS.gov account/secure a login with login.gov

1.1 Use Login.gov

1.2 Additional Information

2. Prepare your USAJobs.gov application by creating your profile/resume/document package 2.1 Save your job search under USAjobs.gov 2.2 Create your Profile under USAJOBS.gov

2.2.1: Profile Questions will pre-populate the Eligibility Questions 2.2.2: Occupational series vs skill codes

2.3 Create or update a USAJOBS.gov resume using the resume builder

2.3.1: Build one complete USAJobs.gov resume 2.3.2: How to build your USAJobs.gov resume with the resume builder

2.4 Prepare your document package under USAJOBS.gov

3. Apply under USAJOBS (Phase I) - Select your resume and documents 3.1 USAJOBS vacancy announcement/important points to pay attention to 3.2 Submit your documents and review your application package

3.2.1 Login and apply 3.2.2 Select your USAJOBS resume 3.2.3 Select your documents 3.2.4 Review your application package 3.2.5 Provide demographic data (optional)

3.3 Transfer your application from USAJOBS to the State Application Site.

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4. Under Gateway to State Site (Phase II) – Answer personal/veteran/demographic questions and create your State Application Site’s account 4.1 Provide personal information and answer questions about veteran eligibility

4.1.1 Personal information 4.1.2 Answer questions about veteran eligibility (if applicable) 4.1.3 Answer demographic questions (optional)

4.2 Check your resume 4.3 Finish creating your State Application Site’s account

5. Under Gateway to State Site (Phase III) – Answer eligibility/vacancy questions - review and submit your

application 5.1 Eligibility Questions 5.2 Series, grade and location of the position

5.2.1 Series 5.2.2 Grade 5.2.3 Location 5.2.4 Email reminders

5.3 Vacancy Questions 5.4 Attach your documents to your application 5.5 Answer demographic questions (optional) 5.6 Review and submit 5.7 Check your dashboard to know the status of your application:

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1. Sign-in to an existing or create a new USAJOBS.gov account/secure a login with login.gov 1.1 Use www.login.gov

Go to www.USAJOBS.gov. You will be prompted to sign in using login.gov.

Please refer to our detailed “Step-by-Step Guide to Sign-in to an Existing or Create a USAJOBS.gov Account”, which

explains how to create a login.gov account, how to link it to your USAJOBS account, and how to login again. Once

your log.gov account is created, you will see the below screen:

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1.2 Additional Information In addition to our “Step-by-Step Guide to Sign-in to an Existing or Create a USAJOBS.gov Account.” Please check the following FAQ:

How do I create an account with login.gov?

Do I need a mobile phone to use login.gov?

What do I need to have in order to sign in?

How do I change the phone number I am using with my account?

2. Prepare your USAJOBS profile/resume/documents package: Once you have logged in into login.gov, you will be able to enter www.USAJOBS.gov and will see the following screen:

2.1 Save your job search under USAJOBS.gov

As recommended on our How to Apply webpage, you may have already saved a job search by using the keyword “EPAP.” See How do I set up notifications for future job announcements?

As soon as the EPAP vacancy announcement goes live, you will receive a notification informing you the EPAP vacancy is open.

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2.2 Create your profile under USAjobs.gov

Create your profile by filling the “Contact” section as seen in the below screenshot. Fill as needed.

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Complete your profile by indicating your current or past employment status. Please note that while this

information is required to set up your USAJobs.gov account, it is mainly used in relation to civil service

applications.

2.2.1: Profile Questions will pre-populate the Eligibility Questions

When the EPAP vacancy goes live and you are transferred from the USAJobs.gov website to the “Gateway to State”

site (State Application Site), you will be asked additional questions (Eligibility and Vacancy Questions). Your

USAJOBS profile responses will pre-populate the Eligibility section. However, because EPAP positions are Family

Member Appointment (FMA) for overseas, your answers to the “Vacancy questions” as well as your USAJOBS

resume will be the primary sources for the regional bureau HR specialists to determine your eligibility and

qualification.

Please note that reinstatement eligibility does not apply to FMAs. You may have reinstatement eligibility but it would only be considered for civil service position applications and is not a factor in your EPAP application. See here for more information. 2.2.2: Occupational series vs skill codes (Optional Section) Please note that occupational series only apply to civil service positions. FMA are listed with skills codes such as:

2090 Management Support Professional Associate – Management

2190 Financial Mgmt Assistance Professional Associate – Financial Management

2291 Human Resources Assistance Professional Associate – HR

2390 General Services Assistance Professional Associate – GSO

2890 Information Mgmt Support Professional Associate - Information Management

4490 Public Diplomacy Assistance Professional Associate - Public Affairs

5095 Economics Assistance Professional Associate – Economics

5096 Political Affairs Assistance Professional Associate - Political Affairs

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9080 Office Assistance Professional Associate - Office Assistance

If you wish to include this information in your application, find the closest definition to your previous position. Remember that if you previously encumbered an EPAP position, SF-50s and a successful JF-57 (in addition to your USAJOBS resume and your degree(s)), are the only documents that will show your skill code and establish you worked in a certain EPAP area. The section “Demographics” and “Preferences” are optional.

2.3 Create or update a USAJOBS.gov resume using the resume builder

2.3.1: Build one complete USAJOBS resume Under the section “Resume” start building your EPAP resume. When your application is transferred from the USAJOBS website to the “Gateway to State” site (State Application Site), you will be requested to choose one USAJOBS resume. Please note that although USAJOBS allows you to create and save up to five resumes, only one USAJOBS resume built by the resume builder is allowed in the State Application Site for your EPAP application. Therefore, make sure you list all your education and specialized experience in your document and address each position’s minimum requirements. For additional guidance about how to qualify on paper, please watch the webinar, “Qualify on Paper.”

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2.3.2 How to build your USAJOBS resume with the resume builder

Click on upload or build a new resume. You must select “Build Resume.”

Name your new resume and start building it following USAJOBS’ instructions.

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Under the section “Work Experience”, make sure you address each section. Save and repeat the “Work Experience” section as often as needed. You may also copy and paste your resume from Word, as long as it contains all of the required information of a USAJOBs resume. See below FAQs:

How to fix formatting errors

How to supply work experience

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Indicate in the “Relevant Coursework” section how the degree you earned has given you the specialized experience and

knowledge as stated in the Qualification Standards for the position(s) to which you are applying.

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2.4 Prepare your documents under USAJobs.gov In the following section, you will prepare the documents that you will upload into your USAJOBS account so that they are ready to be transferred to the “Gateway to State” site (State Application Site) when the vacancy goes live.

When you click on “upload document”, you will be allowed to browse your computer files and choose your document(s). Very important: as illustrated in the screenshot below, you may save and upload your documents under USAJobs.gov. We suggest you name them appropriately (100 character maximum): e.g. “John Doe Transcripts,” “John Doe SF-50s,””John Doe Assignment Notification.” Additionally, if your document type needs to include more than one document, you must scan/merge them together into one single document and upload them as one single document per document type. For instance, for initial and final SF-50s documenting your prior employment in an EPAP position or positions, you will combine those SF-50s into one scanned SF-50 document. Similarly, if you have more than one transcript, those documents should be combined into one Transcript document, adding the foreign degree accreditation, if relevant. Files must be one of the following formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF or Word (DOC or DOCX) and should not exceed 3 MB. If you do not save these documents to your USAJOBS.gov account, you will be able to upload them from your computer to the Gateway to State site when you complete your application.

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Although USAJobs.gov allows you to add up to ten documents, remember that under the State Application Site (where you will be transferred), you will only be able to select and attach up to six document types. See list below and our Checklist found on the EPAP webpage: How to Apply

Assignment notification or travel orders or approved OF-0126 (required)

College University transcripts (required) and foreign degree assessment (if relevant)

Medical certification/licensure (if relevant)

An initial and a final SF-50 that shows a minimum of 12 month service in a prior EPAP position (if relevant); or a SF-50 for prior IM specialist position that shows prior employment with IT military codes (if relevant)

JS-57 fully satisfactory or above employee performance report covering at least 12 months in an EPAP position (if relevant)

DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (as the case may apply) and other supporting documentation (if relevant)

3. Apply under USAJOBS (Phase I) - Select your resume and documents

Once the vacancy goes live, you will be able to click on “Apply”. This will lead you to a new screen with 26 “Eligibility questions” followed by another screen with “Vacancy questions”. The eligibility questions are being pre-populated with your initial answers from your USAJOBS profile, however, those answers are geared toward civil service positions because USAJOBS is mainly designed to advertise civil service positions. The “vacancy questions” will mainly help the regional bureau’s HR specialists determine your eligibility for an EPAP position.

3.1 Vacancy announcement/important points to pay attention to

The vacancy announcement will go live on www.usajobs.gov at 12:01 a.m. (Eastern Time) on March 15 and will close on March 29 at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time). If you have not subscribed to the automatic notification service, search “EPAP” under USAJOBS.gov to find the announcement as of March 15, 2018.

Very important: Note the following announcement anomalies and clarification:

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Location – Although USAJOBS indicates “Department of State Posts –Overseas and Domestic, United States” EPAP Professional Associate positions are only available at U.S. Missions abroad.

Work schedule –All EPAP positions are full time, unless otherwise noted.

Appointment type: The hiring mechanism is the Family Member Appointment (FMA). An FMA is not a “permanent” appointment and “temporary” here means that the family member appointment cannot exceed 5 years. See 3 FAM 7120 definition of FMA.

Pay scale and grade: The series and grade level indicate FP-01-07, which means the actual pay grades range from FP-07 to FP-01. The 2018 Qualification Standards posted on www.state.gov/flo/epap list the possible grade range for each EPAP position. Additionally, the list of advertised positions posted under the section “How to Apply” indicates the possible grade levels at which individual positions may be offered. Salary/grade level will be determined at the time an offer of employment is made by a bureau HR Specialist based on the advertised grade(s) of the position and the individual's ability to meet the education and specialized experience requirements.

This job is open to Family of overseas employees: As indicated in another section of the vacancy, “to be eligible to apply, EPAP applicants must meet the definition of an Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM) as defined in 3 FAM 7120.” Please refer to the EPAP home page “eligibility” section.

Background check and security clearance: the list of advertised positions posted under the section “How to Apply” indicates the level of security clearance required for each position.

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3.2 Submitting your EPAP application 3.2.1 Login and Apply

Once the vacancy announcement is open on www.usajobs.gov, you can submit your application by clicking The “Apply” button on the vacancy announcement.

You will need to use login.gov to login to your account. Follow the instructions. Please remember that if you do not

have access to your phone to login, you may use your personal key instead. Please refer to our Step-by Step Guide.

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3.2.2 Select your USAJOBS resume Click on “Start Application.” You will see the following screen:

Select the USAJOBS resume you created by clicking on your EPAP resume icon. You can only select one resume which should demonstrate you meet all the qualification requirements listed for the position(s) to which you are applying. Save and continue as indicated at the bottom of the screen.

3.2.3 Select your documents

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Select any required documents you have saved in your USAJOBS.gov account to be attached to your application. You will be able to select these by checking the upper right corner of the document. Click on “Save and Continue.” If you have not saved these documents to your USAJOBS.gov account, you will be able to upload them from your computer to the “Gateway to State” site when you complete your application. Very important: saving documents to your USAJOBS.gov account does not automatically upload them to your EPAP application when you enter the State Application site. You will have to follow this process when you complete your application on line.

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3.2.4 Review package

Once you have selected your USAJOBS resume and documents you want to attach, you will see the

following screen:

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3.2.5 Provide demographic data (optional)

Click the “Save & Continue” button. You’ll be asked to provide Personal Information. As indicated below, you may opt to decline providing it.

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3.3 Transfer your application from USAJOBS to the State Application Site.

Click the “Save & Continue” button. Check the box and click the “Continue Application with Agency” button.

You will leave USAJOBS site and will be transferred to the Gateway to State site.

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4. Under Gateway to State Site (Phase II) – Answer personal/veteran/demographic questions and create your State Application Site’s account

If you are not directed to the Gateway to State site, refresh or check your browser settings and/or try a different browser to access the portal. Internet Explorer, especially from a Department of State computer, does not always connect properly to the site. If you do not reach the Gateway to State site, you will not be able to complete or submit your application.

4.1 Provide additional information

4.1.1 Personal information Provide your personal information. Some part of the below form will be pre-populated based on the information you provided in your USAJOBS profile.

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4.1.2 Answer questions about veteran eligibility (if applicable) Indicate if you claim veterans’ preference. Please note that applicants who are AEFM and also a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of their most recent Member Copy Four (4) of the DD-214 to receive hiring preference at post. See section Hiring Preference Order under the EPAP main page. Click “Next.”

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4.1.3 Answer demographic questions (optional) Provide your Demographic Information. Completion of this from is voluntary. You may choose not to answer those questions. Click “Next.”

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4.2 Check your resume Check your resume. If you need to edit its content, you will need to return to your USAJOBS account.

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4.3 Finish creating your State Application Site’s account

Click “Next” to confirm your account creation. You will then need to continue your application by clicking “Apply to this vacancy.”

If you decide to stop in the middle of your application without clicking on “Apply to this Vacancy,” you will be able to return to your application in process by locating the EPAP vacancy announcement and updating your application.

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5. Under Gateway to State Site (Phase III) – Answer eligibility/vacancy questions - review and submit your application

5.1 Eligibility Questions Once you have clicked on “Apply to the Vacancy”, you will need to answer to several sets of questions.

The first set of questions will ask about your current or past federal employment. If you are currently working or have previously worked for the federal government, refer to your most recent SF-50 to respond to these questions. If you have questions, contact your HRO at post or the EPAP Coordinator at FLOAskEPAP@state.gov.

Some of your responses to these questions will be pre-populated based on your responses to the questions answered in your profile.

Answer all the questions that are marked with a red asterisk. Please note that the 26 questions as seen below are standard questions that are geared toward civil service positions and which are included in any application done with the Department of State. EPAP positions are not civil service positions but FMAs. Each bureau’s HR specialist will mainly determine your eligibility by reviewing your documents and the responses provided under the section “Vacancy Questions” which you will find after those “Eligibility Questions”.

Questions 1 and 2: please note that if you are a current civil service employee, you may apply for an EPAP position assuming you do not have re-employment rights and that you will resign from your civil service position to be appointed into an FMA if hired for an EPAP position (see “Vacancy Questions” numbered 3 and 4).

Question 4: if you are currently hired at post under an FMA, please choose ‘Excepted Service.” Other responses will vary depending on your actual circumstances.

Question 5: see OPM reinstatement definition. Reinstatement only applies to civil service positions, not EPAP positions which are a FMA.

Question 9: Although this question is not mandatory and asks about the highest-grade level of the civil service employee, please note that EPAP position grades are determined by a combination of degree and specialized experience (see 2018 Qualification Standards) and do not offer a grade based on a prior civil service grade. Therefore, applicants must demonstrate they meet or exceed the Qualification Standards minimum requirements for the grade to which they apply. However, Higher Previous Rate may be considered by the regional bureau to match a salary earned in a previous position. See 3 FAM 8216.2 Highest Previous Rate for more information.

Questions 12, 13 and 14: these questions revolve around non-competitive eligibility (NCE). While you may have earned NCE by working 52 weeks in an FMA, NCE may only be used to re-enter the civil service when you return stateside. It is not applicable to apply for an EPAP position.

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Questions 21 and 22: this question relates to nepotism. Check here for more information.

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Click “Next.”

5.2 Series, grade and location of the position

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5.2.1 Series

There is only one choice: Foreign Affairs Officers/Specialist. Please confirm this choice.

5.2.2 Grade If you wish to apply to several EPAP positions, select as many grades as you think you qualify for in relation to each position. You must answer Yes or No for each grade, otherwise the system will give you the error message below.

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5.2.3 Location For the location, please refer to “section 3.1 - Vacancy announcement/important points to pay attention To”, which mentions this anomaly. EPAP positions are only available at U.S Missions abroad.

5.2.4 Email reminders Please select accordingly.

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5.3 Vacancy Questions

The final set of 20 questions confirms your eligibility for the program and enables you to indicate for which positions you are applying. Several questions are “branched,” meaning you will respond to the initial question in sequence and respond to the sub-parts of the questions once you are prompted.

You must answer all the questions marked with a red asterisk; otherwise you will get an error message:

Question 3 and 4: Current civil service employees are eligible to apply for an EPAP position assuming they meet the following conditions:

They do not have re-employment rights;

They will resign from their civil service position when they accompany their sponsoring employee to their post of assignment; or;

If they are on LWOP, with no re-employment rights, and are selected for an EPAP position, they will also have to resign from their civil service position prior to being appointed to FMA.

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Question 10: This question will help the bureau’s HR specialist determine if you previously qualified in an EPAP position of the same area to which you are applying now. Remember you may only qualify for the same EPAP area and same grade as listed in the 2018 Qualification Standards (with the exception of OBO, MED and IRM positions which require you meet the current education and specialized experience requirements) if you can demonstrate that you were successfully employed in that EPAP area for 12 months or longer. Please submit your first and final SF-50s and your JF-57 (Employee Performance Review) to document your qualification. See Note to Applicants who previously qualified for EPAP positions as found in our Checklist.

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Question 12 will ask you to identify the bureau in which you will be applying for a position(s) Question 14 will ask you to indicate to which positions you are applying. This question is branched and a new

window will open only after you have completed the remaining questions of this “Vacancy Questions” section.

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The follow up questions will allow you to select the position(s) you wish to apply to (in relation to Question 14). Confirm your choice(s) for positions that are offered at the same post. Remember, you cannot be considered for a position at a post that is different from where your spouse is officially assigned.

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Candidates who meet the minimum education and specialized experience qualifications will be offered the grade stipulated in the 2018 Qualification Standards; if the selected position includes more than one possible grade, the grade offered will be the highest that is justified by the candidate’s education and specialized experience at the time the offer is made.

5.4 Attach your documents to your application Upload the required documents (see the vacancy announcement and the Checklist posted on www.state.gov/flo/epap for details) You may transfer documents from your USAJOBS account or upload documents from your computer. Faxed documents will not be accepted.

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Select and click any document you want to attach to your application file.

Very important: make sure you have previously uploaded all your documents under your USAJOBS document tab. Since USAJOBS only allows one document per document type /category, you need to scan/merge your documents into one single document for each document type/category you need to fill. Those categories are listed in the Checklist document and are: Assignment Notification/Cable/OF-126; U.S.Transcripts/Foreign Education Evaluation; SF-50s; DD-214; JF-57and U.S. Medical Certification. If you upload an additional document after another into the same category, the last uploaded document will overwrite the previous one. Therefore, to include an additional document (e.g., one that is currently stored on your computer, but not in USAJOBS), you will need to scan/merge them into one single document for each document type/category.

If you do not attach your documents, you will get the following message:

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5.5 Answer demographic questions (optional) The last section of the application includes demographic information that may be pre-populated by your responses in the profile section under USAJOBS.gov.

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5.6 Review and submit

Verify that you have answered all of the questions and attached all required documents to your application prior to the closing date. If you have not attached your documents, you may still be able to come back to the “Document” section and add them by clicking on “edit”

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Click the “Submit Application” button to complete your application.

5.7 Check your dashboard to know the status of your application:

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You must complete and submit all required supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement, March 29, 2018 ET 11:59 p.m.

Applications received without required documents will be deemed ineligible. Applications and documents cannot be submitted after the deadline.

In case your application is incomplete, you will be able to access the following board:

If you wish to make any changes to your responses or documents, you can do so by going back into the application and follow the prompts to review your submitted application before the closing date of the announcement (March 29, 2018, ET 11:59 p.m.).

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If you return to your USAJOBS account, you will be able to check whether your application was received.

By clicking on the application name, you will be able to return to the application and update it as long as the vacacy is open.

If you wish to withdraw your application, you may click on “withdraw” and will see the following window:

Check the status of your application before the closing date of the announcement:

Logon to your USAJOBS account.

Click on the "Applications" tab and locate the position.

Under the "Application Status" column click on the "more information" hyperlink.

You will then be transferred to the "Gateway to State" application detail screen.

Under the "Vacancy Status" column it will show you the status of the vacancy announcement (e.g., if your application was received, whether the job was cancelled, if the vacancy was filled, etc.);

Under the "Application Status" column it will show you the status of your application (e.g., incomplete application, not qualified - lacks specialized experience, not eligible, referred for consideration, selected, etc.).

Click the "Return to USAJOBS" radio button to return back to USAJOBS. If the status of your application states: Application Status Not Available, be sure to follow the steps above and

confirm that your application was completed in the Gateway to State site. If you have confirmed that your

application is complete in the Gateway to State site, click the update application button and your status should be

updated to Application Received. If the status does not change, contact the Monster Help Desk at

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mgshelp@monster.com or (866) 656-6830 or (703) 269-4944 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

You should allow at least three to four hours to complete your application package and are encouraged not to

wait until the deadline to submit your application.

For any technical problem encountered with the USAJOBS site, please contact the Help Desk at

mgshelp@monster.com or (866) 656-6830 or (703) 269-4944 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

For general information, please see FLO's website: www.state.gov/flo/epap or contact

FLOAskEPAP@state.gov.