Frequently Asked Questions
Applying for Jobs
- How often are new jobs posted?
- I’m not very comfortable with computers. How can I get help applying for jobs online?
- I don't have a computer at home. Where can I use a computer to apply for jobs with Fairfax County?
- How do I have proof that my application for a job has been received?
- If I apply for the same job multiple times, will it increase my chances of getting an interview?
- What happens when my resume is reviewed?
- I have applied for several jobs but have not been contacted for an interview. Why?
- I applied for a Management Analyst II position. Will I automatically be considered for other similar jobs?
- Is there any assistance available for applicants with disabilities?
Resumes
- Can someone help me with my resume?
- How do I change fonts and formatting in my resume to make it look better?
- What is the best way to create my resume in AIMS--using the ‘Resume Builder’ or cutting and pasting?
- I have transcripts, work samples and letters of recommendation that I want to submit with my resume. How can I get these materials to you?
- Why can't I submit a paper copy of my resume and have you scan it into your system?
- How many work hours are the equivalent of 'one year experience'? Does one year of working part-time count the same as one year working full-time?
Using AIMS
- I am having difficulty setting up an AIMS account using my computer (Windows XP users).
- I am having difficulty setting up and/or using AIMS on my computer (Firefox users).
- Can I use AIMS to find out what is happening with my job applications?
- What does it mean when my AIMS Status for a job says “Forwarded” or “Not Forwarded?”
- If I apply for more than one job, can I use a different resume in AIMS for each job?
- Can I save different versions of my resume in my AIMS account?
- How do I renew my eligibility on one of the 3-month, renewable eligible lists?
- My contact information has changed and/or I recently changed jobs. Can I update my resume in AIMS?
- I don't have an e-mail account. Does this mean that I cannot use AIMS?
- I have forgotten my password for my AIMS account. How can I log in to my account?
- How can I see a job announcement that I have applied for, now that the job has closed?
- How long will my AIMS account stay active?
Benefits
- How many paid holidays and vacation days do Fairfax County employees receive per year?
- How can I learn more about the employee benefits offered by Fairfax County?
Applying for Jobs
Q : How often are new jobs posted?
New jobs are posted every Saturday. If you don't want to miss out on the latest job listings, you can subscribe to the weekly e-mail version of the Job News. Subscribers receive one e-mail each week listing all the currently advertised jobs. Follow the link to subscribe to the Job News.
Q : I’m not very comfortable with computers. How can I get help applying for jobs online?
You are welcome to come to our Application Center where staff will work with you to establish an AIMS account and get your resume into the system. The Application Center is located in the Government Center at 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 270, Fairfax, Virginia. Call 703-222-5872 for more information. Click here for directions to the Government Center.
Also, if you are a first time user you may want to print the brochure Applying for a Job With Fairfax County [PDF format], which provides illustrated step-by-step instructions.
Q : I don't have a computer at home. Where can I use a computer to apply for jobs with Fairfax County?
Personal computers that may be used for public access to the AIMS system are available in several locations throughout the county:
- Fairfax County Application Center - Located in the Government Center at 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 270 - Call 703-222-5872. Click here for directions to the Government Center.
- Any Fairfax County Public Library - Also, most public library systems throughout the metro area provide limited access to the Internet via personal computers.
- Access Fairfax - South County Center, 8350 Richmond Highway, Suite 125, Alexandria - Phone 703-704-7080
- 26 CRIS Kiosks located throughout Fairfax County, Fairfax City and the Town of Warrenton
- Skill Source Centers - Multiple locations throughout the Northern Virginia area
Q : How do I have proof that my application for a job has been received?
After you click the "Apply" button, this message will
display:
Your application has been submitted. It takes several minutes for
your information to be processed. Your application will be updated and
should be reflected on your Status page in five (5) minutes or
less.
You can check your "My Status" page in AIMS soon afterward, and
the job number that you applied for will appear on the list with the
status "Received."
Also, if you supplied an e-mail address with your account, you will receive an e-mail with the subject: CONFIRMATION OF RECEIPT OF RESUME.
Q : If I apply for the same job multiple times, will it increase my chances of getting an interview?
No, it will not. After the advertised closing date for a position, the most recent resume submission from each applicant is evaluated. Older, duplicate resume submissions are disregarded.
Q : What happens when my resume is reviewed?
Fairfax County operates under a merit system, and applicants are selected for employment on the basis of their education, experience and skills. Your resume will be reviewed against the job you applied for, so it is important to read the job announcement and to supply detailed information about your experience and skills as they relate to the description of the job:
Minimum Qualifications: It is mandatory that you meet the Minimum Qualifications in order to be considered for the job. Be sure you clearly indicate on your resume that you meet these minimums. In some cases, a combination of education, experience and training may be substituted for a college degree. Click here for more information on how these substitutions are evaluated.
Preferred Qualifications: Applicants who meet preferred qualifications (in addition to the minimum requirements) will be a closer match for a job opening and will be considered stronger candidates.
Special Requirements: Some job announcements include mandatory requirements for licenses, bilingual ability, certificates, etc. A candidate must meet these requirements in order to be considered for the job opening.
The reviewer will look at the resumes that have met all the Minimum Qualifications and Special Requirements, and most of the Preferred Qualifications. From this group, the 10-15 resumes that are the closest match to the job announcement will be considered for interviews. In AIMS, the Status indication for these applicants will change to “Forwarded.” At this point, it is up to the staff in the hiring department to determine who will be contacted for an interview. Department staff will generally interview from 6-8 applicants, depending on the number of applicants forwarded.
Q : I have applied for several jobs but have not been contacted for an interview. Why?
Most often the reason an applicant is not selected for an interview is because a large number of qualified applicants applied for the job opening. Applying for job openings at Fairfax County is highly competitive. It is common for a single job announcement to receive hundreds of resumes. From the pool of the most highly-qualified applicants, approximately the top 10-15 will be considered for an interview.
If you have questions about the review process such as why your resume was not selected for further consideration, you should call the Application Center and ask to speak with the Personnel Analyst assigned to review that job. The Application Center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is 703-222-5872.
Q : I applied for a Management Analyst II position. Will I automatically be considered for other similar jobs?
No. Applicants must apply in response to a specific job announcement in order to be considered. The only exception is for jobs that are filled from “eligible lists.” When we anticipate many vacancies in a particular job class we establish eligible lists to create ready pools of applicants. Some examples of jobs that are frequently filled from eligible lists are Day Care Center Teacher I and Administrative Assistant II. The job announcement will indicate whether the job being announced is for an eligible list or not.
Q : Is there any assistance available for applicants with disabilities?
Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation during the selection process. Please call 703-222-5872 (voice) or 703-222-7314 (TDD). Follow the link to learn more about reasonable accommodations.
Resumes
Q : Can someone help me with my resume?
The Department of Human Resources receives over 140,000 resumes a year. Because of this huge volume of submissions, it is not possible for our staff to provide one-on-one resume assistance. Please visit our Resume Guidelines page for some tips and advice that will help you to create a resume that will accurately reflect your skills, experience and education. If you still feel you need additional assistance, there are many companies that provide one-on-one resume guidance or that can create a resume for you.
Q : How do I change fonts and formatting in my resume to make it look better?
The AIMS online system makes all resumes look the same when they are printed. This allows the analysts and hiring managers who review your resume to concentrate on important things like your qualifications and experience, instead of the physical appearance of your resume.
Q : What is the best way to create my resume in AIMS--using the ‘Resume Builder’ or cutting and pasting?
If you do not already have a resume, we recommend that you use the step-by-step Resume Builder process in AIMS. The end result is a chronologically formatted resume with your education appearing near the top of the resume and the work history, starting with the most recent job, next.
If you choose to “paste” in an existing resume, we encourage you to use the chronological format rather than a functional format. You might want to take a look at a sample resume, along with some other helpful resume guidelines.
For formatting, we recommend the following:
- Avoid italics, bolding, tabs and other formatting commands
- Use hyphens (-) or asterisks (*) instead of bullets (•)
- Left-align your text
Be sure to check your resume over before your submit it. You may have line breaks or indents in unexpected places. From the "My Resume" section of AIMS click on the "Edit" button under "Pasted Text Resume." You will be able to make any changes needed on this screen. Just click the "Save" button when you are finished.
Q : I have transcripts, work samples and letters of recommendation that I want to submit with my resume. How can I get these materials to you?
Please keep these materials and make them available to the interview panel if you are contacted to come for an interview. Evaluation of your qualifications is based solely on the information contained in your resume. For that reason, we strongly encourage applicants to provide a detailed, comprehensive resume.
Q : Why can't I submit a paper copy of my resume and have you scan it into your system?
When paper resumes are scanned into a computer system, special software records an image of the resume and extracts information such as name, address, education and work history. The accuracy of this imaging and extraction process is often less than satisfactory.
With electronic resume submission through AIMS, there is 100% accuracy without the errors introduced by scanning and optical character recognition (OCR) software. Plus, with AIMS, applicants can easily modify their resume whenever they want.
The other reason that we no longer accept paper resumes has to do with ability to provide real-time, on-line status information. Because of concerns over identity theft, we no longer collect social security numbers (SSN) from applicants. Without SSN, we do not have a built-in unique identifier. Therefore, in order to provide automated status information, applicants must establish an AIMS account with a User ID and password. PIN numbers are also available for those who wish to obtain status information over the 24-hour job line.
Q : How many work hours are the equivalent of 'one year experience'? Does one year of working part-time count the same as one year working full-time?
The county standard is that 2080 hours equals one work year. Therefore, if you worked 40-hours per week for one year, you have one year of experience. If you worked part-time at a rate of 20 hours per week, it would take two years to reach 2080 hours, or the equivalent of one year of experience. When your resume is reviewed, this is the standard by which your years of experience are evaluated.
Using AIMS
Q : I am having difficulty setting up an AIMS account using my computer (Windows XP users).
If your computer has the Microsoft Windows XP operating system with Service Pack 2, you may need to change some settings to enable it to create your AIMS account. Check your system settings to determine if this may be causing your problem:
- Click on "START"
- Click on "Settings"
- Select "Control Panel"
- Double-click the "System" icon
- Look at the information on the screen under System
If your operating system is Microsoft Windows XP and the Service Pack is the number 2, firewall protection is automatically installed when your system is loaded. You should contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and find out how you should proceed without making your system vulnerable to Internet attacks. Tell them that your Windows XP firewall is preventing you from creating an online account and they should be able to help you.
Q : I am having difficulty setting up and/or using AIMS on my computer (Firefox users).
With the increasing popularity of the Firefox browser, lots of bugs are being reported to the vendor. If you are receiving a 'page not found' error message please read the message below.
AIMS is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher.If you are using Firefox or other browsers you may experience intermittent problems when used on our site. Mac users should try other browsers like Internet Explorer 5.1 for the Mac or Safari.
If you still need assistance after trying Internet Explorer, please call the Application Center at 703-222-5872 or send an e-mail to the Jobs Mailbox.
Q : Can I use AIMS to find out what is happening with my job applications?
Yes. Log in to your AIMS account and click on "My Status." You will see a list of the jobs that you applied for along with the current status.
Status is also available from the 24 hour Job Line at 703-324-JOBS(5627). In order to obtain status or to apply for jobs using the Job Line you must have a User ID and PIN. These numbers are available from your AIMS account.
Q : What does it mean when my AIMS Status for a job says “Forwarded” or “Not Forwarded?”
Forwarded means that your resume has been reviewed and was selected for further consideration. You may be contacted by the hiring department if they elect to interview you for the position. (Please note that this does not guarantee that you will receive an interview.)
Not Forwarded indicates that your resume was reviewed by human resources and/or the hiring department, but was not selected for further consideration at this time.
Q : If I apply for more than one job, can I use a different resume in AIMS for each job?
Yes. The AIMS system allows you to change your resume any time you want. You can tailor your resume to focus on education, skills and work experience that might be the most appropriate for the job you are applying for. However, we recommend that most people stay with one, comprehensive, detailed resume that accurately reflects all of their education and work experience.
Q : Can I save different versions of my resume in my AIMS account?
Your AIMS account will store only one version of your resume. So, the last resume that you saved is the one that will be available to you the next time you access your account. If you feel the need to have more than one version of your resume, we suggest that you save a text version on a disk or your local computer.
Q : How do I renew my eligibility on one of the 3-month, renewable eligible lists?
Log in to your AIMS account and check your status on the eligible list by clicking on the "My Status" feature. If you are within a few weeks of your eligibility expiration date you should consider renewing your eligibility. Return to the AIMS main menu and use the "Quick Apply" feature to reapply to the eligible list number. Remember, when you renew your eligibility, AIMS will submit your current resume, so be sure that your resume in AIMS is up-to-date and has all of the information appropriate for the position for which you are applying.
Q : My contact information has changed and/or I recently changed jobs. Can I update my resume in AIMS?
You can log in and update your resume at any time. Once you update your resume in AIMS, your new resume will be used for all jobs that you apply for from that point forward. Sorry, it is not possible to update resumes that you have submitted in the past. If you have already submitted a resume for a job and then need to change your contact information or another critical piece of information, please call the Application Center at 703-222-5872.
Q : I don't have an e-mail account. Does this mean that I cannot use AIMS?
No, you do not need an e-mail account to use the AIMS system. However, we recommend that people provide their e-mail address during the AIMS registration process as a convenient way to help them remember their User ID.
Q : I have forgotten my password for my AIMS account. How can I log in to my account?
On the main login screen for AIMS you will see a prompt that says, "If you have lost or forgotten your password, click here." Follow that link. You will be asked to choose the reminder question and answer that you set up when you created your account. You will then be able to log in. At this point, you will be asked to create a new password.
If you still need assistance after trying the "Lost Password" feature, please call the Application Center at 703-222-5872 or send an e-mail to the Jobs Mailbox. To assist you with a forgotten User ID or password, you will need to provide your name as it appears in the AIMS account plus some identifying information from your resume, such as the name of your most recent employer.
Q : How can I see a job announcement that I have applied for, now that the job has closed?
Log in to AIMS and visit the "My Status" area to see a list of the job numbers that you have applied for. Click on the job number to view the complete announcement for that job.
Q : How long will my AIMS account stay active?
Once you create an AIMS account, it will remain active. At this time we do not have any plans to purge the system of inactive accounts. However, do not confuse this with maintaining your eligibility on our 3-month, renewable eligible lists. For these lists, you must renew your eligibility at least every three months.
Benefits
Q : How many paid holidays and vacation days do Fairfax County employees receive per year?
Employees receive 11-½ paid holidays per year. Employees with less than 3 years of service earn 13 days of annual leave per year; between 3 and 15 years of service, 19-½ days per year, over 15 years of service, 26 days per year. Employees may accumulate 30 days of annual leave (40 days after 10 years of service).
Q : How can I learn more about the employee benefits offered by Fairfax County?
Visit our Benefits Summary page, or download the current Employee Benefit Plans Summary Handbook (in PDF format).