Federal Compass

Your AI compass from private sector to federal career

npm version CI License: MIT MCP OpenSSF Scorecard

Federal job descriptions are 5 pages of legal language. GS grades, clearance levels, hiring paths — none of this is explained anywhere. federal-compass-mcp connects Claude to the official USAJobs API and turns it into an AI advisor that speaks plain English.

Built for tech professionals transitioning from private sector to federal/government careers.

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What it does

• Searches federal job openings with optional filters — keyword, location, salary, clearance level
• Translates federal job descriptions into plain language — what they actually want, without the jargon
• Analyzes your CV against specific job postings and tells you if you qualify
• Explains federal concepts — GS grades, pay plans, security clearances, hiring paths
• Saves your CV locally so Claude can reference it automatically

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Getting started

1. Get your free USAJobs API key

Register at developer.usajobs.gov — takes about 3 minutes. Verify your email and you'll receive an API token.

2. Add to your MCP client

Claude Desktop (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "federal-compass": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "federal-compass-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "USAJOBS_API_KEY": "your_api_key",
        "USAJOBS_EMAIL": "[email protected]"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf — same config, different config file path. See your client's MCP documentation.

3. Try it

Find me senior software developer jobs in Raleigh, NC

What is a GS-13 and how much does it pay?

Save my CV [attach file]

Look at this job posting — am I qualified?

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Tools

Tool	Description
search_jobs	Search federal job openings. All filters optional — keyword, location, salary, grade, agency, remote
get_job_details	Get full details for a specific job posting
compare_jobs	Compare 2-5 job postings side by side
save_cv	Save your CV locally for automatic use in analysis
get_cv	Read your saved CV
explain_federal_concept	Explain GS grades, clearances, hiring paths, pay plans
calculate_salary	Calculate GS salary with locality pay for any grade, step, and location
find_matching_jobs	Find jobs matching your CV — extracts skills and searches USAJobs
check_qualification	Compare your CV against a specific job posting
extract_ksa	Extract KSA requirements from a job posting, optionally match against your CV

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CV storage

Your CV is stored locally on your machine — never sent to any server:

~/.federal-compass/
  cv.json
  config.json
  codelists/     <- cached USAJobs reference data

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Why federal jobs are confusing (and how this helps)

Coming from private sector, federal job postings feel like a different language:

• GS-13 Step 1-10 — what grade am I? what does step mean?
• TS/SCI with polygraph — do I need this? how long does it take?
• Competitive vs Excepted Service — which one can I apply to?
• HiringPath: fed-transition — what is this and why does it matter?

federal-compass-mcp answers all of these through natural conversation with Claude.

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Requirements

• Node.js v22+
• Free USAJobs API key
• Any MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, VS Code, Cursor, etc.)

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Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

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License

MIT — see LICENSE

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Built by @skivuha — a Senior Frontend Engineer navigating the private-to-federal transition firsthand.