When I separated from the Navy in 2015, I did what everybody does. I went to USAJOBS, typed in my job title, and stared at a wall of postings that made zero sense. "GS-0343." "GS-2210." "Series 1102." I had no idea what any of it meant, and I definitely had no idea that the federal government organizes every single job by a numbered classification system called a "job series."

That gap in knowledge cost me about 18 months. I was applying to the wrong postings, writing the wrong resume language, and completely missing entire career fields where my experience was a direct match. Once I figured out how job series actually work, I changed federal career fields six times — Environmental Management, Supply, Logistics, Property Management, Engineering, and Contracting. Each time, knowing which series to target made the difference between getting referred and getting ghosted.

This article breaks down the 10 federal job series that consistently show up as strong fits for veterans across branches. These are series where military experience translates well, hiring volume is high, and veteran preference gives you a real edge. If you have been searching USAJOBS by keyword alone, you are leaving opportunities on the table.

How Do Federal Job Series Work on USAJOBS?

Every federal position is assigned a four-digit occupational series code by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This code tells you exactly what category the job falls into. A GS-0343 is a Management and Program Analyst. A GS-2210 is an IT Specialist. A GS-1102 is a Contract Specialist. The series number stays the same whether the job is GS-5 or GS-15 — the grade changes, the series does not.

On USAJOBS, you can search directly by series number. Go to the search bar, type the four-digit code, and every open posting in that series pops up across all agencies and locations. This is significantly more effective than keyword searching, because keyword searches depend on how each agency words their announcement. One agency calls it "Program Manager." Another calls it "Program Analyst." Both might be GS-0343 positions, but a keyword search for "program manager" misses the second one entirely.

Understanding series codes also helps you figure out what GS level to apply for based on your military experience. Each series has its own qualification standards, and knowing the series means you can look up exactly what OPM requires for each grade level.

Why Should Veterans Search by Job Series Instead of Keywords?

Keyword searches on USAJOBS are unreliable for one simple reason: federal agencies do not use consistent job titles. The Department of Defense might post a logistics position as "Supply Management Specialist." The VA might call the same type of role "Inventory Management Specialist." The Department of Energy might list it as "Material Handler (Supply)." All of them could fall under the GS-2003 or GS-2030 series.

When you search by series number, you bypass that inconsistency entirely. You see every position in that occupational family, across every agency, in every location. For veterans especially, this matters because military experience often maps to federal series in ways that are not obvious from civilian job titles.

An infantry NCO who ran a training program for 40 soldiers might look at USAJOBS and search "infantry" — which returns almost nothing. But that same NCO has direct experience in program management (GS-0340), training instruction (GS-1712), and management analysis (GS-0343). Without knowing those series codes, they would never find those postings. The MOS to federal job series translator can help you identify which series match your specific military background.

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What Is the GS-0343 Management Analyst Series?

The GS-0343 series covers Management and Program Analysts — the people who evaluate how federal programs run, identify problems, and recommend fixes. If you spent any time in the military tracking readiness, writing reports, analyzing unit performance, or recommending process improvements, you have done 0343 work without knowing it.

This series is one of the highest-volume hiring categories in the federal government. Every agency needs analysts. DOD, VA, DHS, HHS — they all post 0343 positions regularly. The grade range typically runs GS-7 through GS-13, with GS-9 and GS-11 being the sweet spot for separating E-5 through E-7 veterans.

What makes 0343 attractive for veterans is the breadth of qualifying experience. You do not need a specific degree. Military experience managing programs, writing SOPs, tracking metrics, or briefing commanders all counts. The key is translating that experience into federal resume language. Our GS-0343 resume guide walks through exactly how to do that.

What Is the GS-0301 Administrative Specialist Series?

The GS-0301 series is the broadest series in the entire federal system. It covers Miscellaneous Administration and Program positions — basically any administrative or program role that does not fit neatly into another specific series. Because of that breadth, it is also one of the easiest series for veterans to qualify for.

If you handled correspondence, managed calendars, coordinated travel, processed personnel actions, or kept an office running, you have 0301 experience. Company clerks, battalion S1 staff, squadron admin personnel, and ship office managers — all of that work maps directly to 0301 duties.

The GS-0301 series appears in literally every federal agency. Entry-level positions start at GS-5, and senior administrative roles go up to GS-12 or GS-13. For veterans who want to get into federal service quickly and then move laterally into more specialized series, 0301 is often the fastest door in. Check out the full breakdown in our GS-0301 resume guide for veterans.

What Is the GS-2210 IT Specialist Series?

The GS-2210 series covers Information Technology Management, and it is one of the fastest-growing series in federal hiring. Every agency is expanding their IT workforce, and veterans with Signal Corps, Cyber, or communications backgrounds are in high demand.

But 2210 is not limited to hardcore programmers. The series includes network administration, cybersecurity, systems analysis, customer support (help desk), and IT project management. If you maintained SIPR/NIPR networks, managed user accounts in Active Directory, troubleshot hardware and software issues, or oversaw IT equipment inventories, you have qualifying experience.

The pay in this series is competitive because many 2210 positions qualify for special salary rates and recruitment incentives. GS-11 and GS-12 are common entry points for veterans with 4-6 years of military IT experience. Some agencies also use Direct Hire Authority for 2210 positions, which means they can skip the traditional competitive process and make offers faster. Read the full GS-2210 resume guide for specific resume strategies.

What Is the GS-1102 Contract Specialist Series?

The GS-1102 series is Contract Specialist — the people who manage the federal acquisition process. If the government is buying it, a 1102 is writing the contract, evaluating proposals, and making sure the vendor delivers. This is one of the series I worked in personally, and I can tell you the demand for qualified 1102s never drops.

For veterans, the path into 1102 usually comes through one of two doors. If you had a contracting officer representative (COR) certification or worked in a contracting shop, you have direct experience. But even without that, if you managed budgets, oversaw vendor relationships, or handled purchase card transactions, you have transferable experience that counts toward the basic qualifications.

One thing to know about the 1102 series: it has specific education requirements at certain grade levels. For GS-5 through GS-12, a combination of education and experience can qualify you. At GS-13 and above, you generally need 24 semester hours in business-related coursework plus four years of contracting experience. Use your GI Bill strategically here — even a few targeted courses can open up the higher grade levels. Our GS-1102 resume guide covers the qualification requirements in detail.

What Is the GS-1811 Criminal Investigator Series?

The GS-1811 series covers Criminal Investigators and Special Agents. If you are a veteran with military police, NCIS, CID, OSI, or security forces experience, the 1811 series is one of the most direct military-to-federal transitions available.

But 1811 is not exclusively for law enforcement veterans. Agencies like the IRS Criminal Investigation division, the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration OIG hire 1811s from a variety of backgrounds. Intelligence analysts, counterintelligence specialists, and even logistics investigators can qualify depending on the specific position.

The 1811 series comes with Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP), which adds 25% to your base salary. Combined with the federal retirement benefits for law enforcement officers (mandatory retirement at 57 with 20 years of LE service), this is one of the highest-compensated series in the federal system. Competition is stiff, though, so your federal resume for 1811 positions needs to be airtight. Two pages, packed with quantified accomplishments, and tailored to the specific announcement.

Which Other Series Should Veterans Have on Their Radar?

Beyond the five series above, here are five more that consistently match well with military experience and have strong hiring volume.

GS-0340 — Program Manager

The 0340 series covers Program Managers who oversee federal programs, coordinate between stakeholders, manage budgets, and track milestones. Any veteran who ran a military program — whether that was a maintenance program, a training program, or a readiness program — has direct experience. The 0340 series is one of the higher-graded series, with many positions starting at GS-12 or GS-13. Read the full GS-0340 Program Manager guide for details.

GS-1101 — General Business and Industry

The 1101 series is another broad category that covers business analysis, industrial operations, and general business administration. Veterans with supply chain, operations, or business management experience fit well here. Like the 0301 series, the breadth of 1101 makes it accessible for veterans from many different MOS backgrounds. Our GS-1101 resume guide covers the specifics.

GS-0346 — Logistics Management

If you worked in military logistics — supply chain, distribution, transportation, or materiel management — the 0346 series is a natural fit. Federal logistics managers handle acquisition logistics, supply planning, and maintenance support across DOD and civilian agencies. E-6 and above with logistics MOS backgrounds often qualify at GS-9 or GS-11.

GS-0080 — Security Administration

The 0080 series covers security specialists who manage physical security, personnel security (clearance processing), and information security programs. Veterans who held security manager duties, processed clearance investigations, or ran physical security programs have direct qualifying experience. With the increasing focus on insider threat programs and facility security, 0080 positions are in steady demand.

GS-1712 — Training Instruction

Military instructors, drill sergeants, schoolhouse cadre, and training NCOs — the 1712 series is where your experience lands in the federal system. This series covers training specialists who design, deliver, and evaluate training programs. The VA, DOD, DHS, and FEMA are all heavy hirers in this series.

How Do You Figure Out Which Series Match Your MOS or Rating?

The crosswalk between military occupational specialties and federal job series is not always one-to-one, which is why finding your military job series equivalent takes some research. An Army 92Y (Unit Supply Specialist) might map to GS-2005 (Supply Clerical), GS-2003 (Supply Program Management), GS-0346 (Logistics Management), and GS-1101 (General Business). A Navy IT might map to GS-2210, GS-0391 (Telecommunications), and GS-0854 (Computer Engineering). The point is that most military jobs map to multiple federal series.

Start with OPM's Position Classification Standards. These documents describe exactly what each series covers, what kind of work falls under it, and what qualifications are required. They are free, publicly available on OPM.gov, and they are the same standards that HR specialists use to classify positions. If you can read an OPM classification standard and recognize your own work in the description, that series is a match.

BMR's military-to-civilian career crosswalk tool can also help you identify which federal series align with your specific MOS, rating, or AFSC. It pulls from real OPM data and shows you the salary ranges and qualification requirements for each match.

What Should Your Federal Resume Look Like for These Series?

Federal resumes follow a different format than civilian resumes. You need to include your hours per week, supervisor name and contact information, salary or grade, and detailed duty descriptions for each position. That said, federal resumes are now 2 pages max — OPM updated the guidance in late 2025, and the old 4-6 page format is no longer the standard.

The biggest mistake I see from veterans applying to federal jobs — and after helping 17,500+ veterans through BMR, I have seen this thousands of times — is submitting one generic resume for every announcement. Federal HR specialists evaluate your resume against the specific qualification requirements for that series and grade level. If your resume language does not mirror the language in the announcement, your application will rank lower in the system and the hiring manager will never see it.

For each series you target, pull up the OPM qualification standard and the specific job announcement. Look at the specialized experience requirements. Then rewrite your duty descriptions using that exact language. This is not about gaming the system — it is about accurately describing your experience in the terms the hiring manager expects to see.

Your resume should read differently for a GS-0343 application than it does for a GS-1102 application, even if both draw from your time as a military program manager. The 0343 version emphasizes analytical work, data-driven recommendations, and process improvement. The 1102 version emphasizes procurement, contract oversight, and vendor management. Same experience, different emphasis. Learn the full process in our step-by-step USAJOBS application guide.

What Is the Smartest Way to Start Your Federal Job Search?

If you are separating soon or recently separated and want to get into federal service, here is what I would do based on everything I learned across six federal career fields.

First, pick two to four series from this list that match your military experience. Do not try to apply to all 10 at once. Focus your effort where your experience is strongest. If you were a logistics NCO, start with 0346, 0301, and 1101. If you were in IT, start with 2210 and 0301. If you were military police, start with 1811 and 0080.

Second, set up saved searches on USAJOBS for each series code. USAJOBS will email you when new positions post. This is more reliable than checking the site manually, and it means you see fresh announcements before the 10-day application window closes.

Third, build a separate resume for each series you are targeting. Yes, this takes more work up front. But submitting one tailored resume to five carefully chosen announcements will produce better results than submitting one generic resume to 50 random postings. BMR's federal resume builder can help you tailor your resume to specific announcements — paste in the job posting and it generates a resume formatted to match the qualification requirements.

Fourth, do not limit yourself to your current duty station location. Federal jobs exist in every state, and many positions are now remote or hybrid. Expanding your geographic search doubles or triples your options in any given series.

The veterans who get hired fastest are the ones who understand the system. Job series codes are a fundamental part of that system, and knowing which ones to search puts you ahead of every veteran who is still typing keywords into a search bar and wondering why nothing comes back.