The rules behind federal hiring.

OPM policy, the Merit Hiring Plan, hiring authorities, veterans' preference and the changes that affect how applications are read.

Hiring rules and changes

Writing the Merit Hiring Plan's Four Short Essays Well

Many federal applications now include four short Merit Hiring Plan essays. See which OPM guidance applies and how to answer without repeating your resume.

9 min · October 19, 2026

Reading is step one. Paste a USAJOBS link and see, requirement by requirement, whether your history shows what HR will look for.

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