Metal Mechanics Open at DOD Facilities Nationwide

Part-time and temporary jobs easiest to find. Many lead to permanent positions.

Openings for Sheet Metal Mechanic, WG-3806, occur regularly on military bases throughout the country. The majority of positions are filled by the Departments of Air Force, Army, and Navy which combine to employ 67% in this occupation nationwide. Some 11 vacancy announcements appear in the current Federal list for Sheet Metal Mechanics.

Job Requirements

Sheet Metal Mechanics repair, modify, fabricate, assemble and install sheet metal parts, items, and assemblies. Metals include stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum alloys, copper, lead alloys, bronze, brass, galvanized and black iron, and others. They plan, lay out, construct, and install articles such as deflectors, pans, straps, containers, wing patches and flaps, metal furniture, and other items with predominantly straight edges and regular curves.

Some Sheet Metal Mechanic jobs are filled by part-time and intermittent workers. Taking these positions is often an important step in getting a permanent full-time position.

A recent trend in blue-collar Federal hiring is the importance being placed on multi-skill candidates. Those who are skilled in more than one trade can be viewed as being more desirable candidates than those with only one skill. A candidate who can, for example, do sheet metal work and repair HVAC equipment and perhaps do some electrical work or repair air handlers may be rated higher than a candidate who does sheet metal work alone.

How To Apply

Applicants for Sheet Metal Mechanic positions stand the best chance of getting hired, if they pursue either part-time or temporary positions. Agencies are more likely to offer first-time applicants part-time or temporary jobs instead of full-time positions. Part-time and temporary vacancies are also more frequently announced than full-time openings. Once selected, individuals should establish contact with their supervisors in an effort to secure future, full-time jobs.

Candidates can look for openings in the Federal Jobs Nationwide section of FJD. In addition, candidates who live near military bases should keep informed of job openings by checking with Agency personnel offices or local newspapers. Vacancies sometimes are open for only a week.

In many cases, applicants are told that the base is under a hiring freeze. Yet, a few weeks or even a few days later an opening may occur. Therefore, regular contact should be maintained with the personnel officer who is in charge of Sheet Metal Mechanic positions. Having a acquaintance who works at one of the installations and can keep an ear open for job openings is a very good method of finding out about job openings.

If the Agency which is offering a position is not hiring candidates from outside government, applicants should check with their local Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to see if it is accepting applications. Some OPMs accept applications to form registers of applicants in anticipation of a number of vacancies occurring at once. See page 4 of the FJD for OPM addresses.

Some bases may maintain applicant supply files against future openings. In these cases jobs are never posted, because they are filled from applications already on file. Candidates should find out if an applicant supply file is maintained for the position, and then request inclusion of his or her application in the file. KV