Contact: Kathryn Troutman or
Sarah Blazucki
(410) 744-4324

2 Awards Turn the Spotlight on Book That Can Lead Struggling College Grads & Others to Jobs

Kathryn Troutman (Right) signing her Ten Steps book at a Barnes & Nobles Bookstore in Ellicott City, MD.
Nancy Fink and Steve Gallison from the Professional Outplacement Assistance Program (POAC) in Columbia, MD.
Photo by Bonny Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Baltimore, MD--

(Baltimore -- June 13, 2003) The much-needed employment guide Ten Steps to a Federal Job picked up two of the major small press awards this week—the Best Career title in the Benjamin Franklin Awards and the Bronze prize in the Career category in the ForeWord Magazine Awards. These awards could open eyes to what is often a hidden job market, the Federal employment scene. Author Kathy Troutman says many people are not aware that the U.S. Government is our nation's largest employer. This insight is especially pertinent to recent college grads in America, who are struggling to begin their careers in a down economy.

"The U.S. government wants to hire more young people because of the huge number of Federal employees who will be retiring soon," says Troutman, who has counseled jobseekers in this employment market for over 30 years. "About one-third of our Federal employees are scheduled to leave over the next five years. The government needs more young people in the system to come up through the ranks."

Because the Federal government is so vast, the openings for possible employment for recent grads span many categories, says Troutman. Here are some of the positions she recommends looking for, along with the relevant college degrees:

• I.T. Specialist (Computing, I.T., Database Management)
• Biologist (Sciences, Biology)
• Public Affairs Specialist (Public Relations, Mass Communications, Journalism, Graphic Design)
• Contract Specialist (Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration)
• Management Analyst (Bachelor's Degree in Business or M.B.A, English majors)
• Engineers (Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, etc.)
• Writer/Editor (English, History, PolySci)
• Accounting Technician (Accounting, Finance)
• Program Assistant (English, History, PolySci, Liberal Arts)
• Administrative Assistant (Human Services, Social Services, Business, Psychology)

Agencies to apply to are also far-ranging. Potential employers include the Department of Homeland Security, National Science Foundation, the Bureau of Land Management, the F.B.I., the National Institutes of Health, NASA, the General Services Administration, the U.S. Mint, among many others.

"Why don't college grads turn to the Federal government as a possible employer?" Troutman queried. "They just don't know how to apply. This market requires a specific approach." That approach, including the unique Federal-style resume, is what she has honed into ten practical moves in her job search guide Ten Steps to a Federal Job.

"It's thrilling to be recognized by other book professionals," said Troutman, regarding the two book awards. (Her publishing company, The Resume Place Press, had released the Ten Steps title as its sixth career guide.) "These nominations reinforce my skills and insights as a publisher, being able to take a book from concept, through writing, design, printing, and marketing, with a specific audience in mind." The team that Troutman led in creating her book included cover designer Brian Moore of MJR Design; interior page designer Paulina Chen; contributing writers Laura Sachs, Mike Ottensmeyer, Mark Reichenbacher, and Jessica Coffey; and Quinn's Word for Word for the back cover copy.

Troutman was in a unique position to write and publish Ten Steps to a Federal Job. She was inspired to create the book after observing jobseeker responses to the September 11th tragedy. At her Federal employment assistance firm The Resume Place in Baltimore, MD, Troutman started getting more calls from private industry employees interested in moving into government service after 9-11. Before this, her clientele had been mostly Federal employees changing positions. The new Federal jobseekers from private industry were at a loss about how to proceed.

"The Ten Steps book is important because it provides a logical strategy that a person can follow to apply for a job in an often-confusing employment environment," notes Troutman.

Read about the Ten Steps book here, including the Table of Contents.

The Ten Steps book has become a trainer's curriculum and basis for a popular trainer's certification program being implemented in U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, workforce centers, veteran's job centers and universities U.S. wide.

Read about the Certification here.

ORDER TEN STEPS BOOKS HERE: