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

Unique Job Search Training for Career Professionals Graduates Its First Class

First Certified Federal Job Search Trainer Class

Left to right, back row: Vernon Williams, Alan Cross, Steve Gallison, John Huguelmyer
2nd row: Kim Rhim, Sendia Spradley, Akua Sewer, Chester Jones
1st row: Margaret Robinson, Nancy Fink, Kathryn Troutman, Elda Schwartz, Bonnie Kurka

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Baltimore, MD--

"People want this information so badly. And there's never been a certification program set up before for Federal job search training."

Kathryn Troutman in her newly released book,
Ten Steps to a Federal Job

For the First Time Ever, Career Professionals Can Be Trained and Certified in Federal Job-Search Techniques

[December 2002, Baltimore, Maryland] - A one-of-a-kind training program for career development professionals celebrates the graduation of its initial class of 13 students this month. The unique program to develop trainers of Federal Job Search methods was created by Kathryn Kraemer Troutman, a career strategist known as "the Federal Job Search Guru."

"Jobseekers are intimidated by the process of applying for a Federal job," noted Troutman who has worked with Federal jobhunters for almost 30 years. "The certification program is oriented around an easy-to-grasp ten-step structure career professionals can use to help their very anxious clients approach the Federal government." Interestingly, Troutman has noted an upsurge since 9-11 in interest in Federal employment among Americans now in the private sector.

To offer this unique certification program, Troutman's The Resume Place has partnered with the Maryland Institute for Employment and Training Professionals (MIETP), a non-profit organization that specializes in providing continuing education for people working in the field of workforce development. Future plans include a possible expansion of the Federal Job Search Certification program by MIETP to other locations beyond the present Howard County, Maryland site.

"MIETP is thrilled to partner with Kathryn Troutman and The Resume Place on this cutting-edge program," commented Bruce Wahlgren, MIETP's Executive Director. "Our collaboration enables career development professionals to develop the expertise they need to help their customers access the wealth of Federal employment opportunities that exist today."

The new graduates attended three intensive days of classes lead by Troutman in November. Subjects included ways to streamline the complex Federal hiring process, techniques for unearthing job listings, how to interpret complicated Federal job announcements, and the all important writing of the distinct Federal-style paper and electronic resumes. On the last day, Ligaya Fernandez, Project Manager at the Merit Systems Protection Board, gave a two-hour talk on Federal hiring practices. In addition, after-session writing assignments and pro bono trainings are required to complete the certification.

The first class featured a diverse group of career development professionals:

• Nancy Fink, Assistant Director, Professional Outplacement Assistance Center, Columbia, MD
• Steve Gallison, Director, Professional Outplacement Assistance Center, Columbia, MD
• Chester Jones, Human Resources Professional, U.S. Navy, Civilian Personnel Office, Washington, DC
• John Huegelmeyer, Human Resources Program Manager, Welfare-to-Work, Maryland Department of Human Resources, Baltimore, MD
• Bonnie Kurka, Federal Job Trainer & Career Consultant, President, Resume Suite, Dumfries, VA
• Leigh Moore, Career Consultant & Trainer, Bridge Career Management, Atlanta, GA
• Kim Rhim, Executive Director, The Training Source, Inc., Seat Pleasant, MD
• Margaret Robinson, Personnel Psychologist & Trainer, EMC Consulting - Workforce Development Division, Upper Marlboro, MD
• Elda Schwartz, Career Counselor, Dundalk Community College, Baltimore, MD
• Akua Sewer, Trainer & Career Consultant, District of Columbia One-Stop Centers, Resource Consultants Inc., Vienna, VA
• Sendia Spradley, Trainer & Career Consultant, District of Columbia One-Stop Centers, Resource Consultants Inc., Vienna, VA
• Vernon Williams, Federal Trainer & Career Consultant, Baltimore, MD
• Alan Cross, Senior Writer & Federal Job Search Trainer, The Resume Place, Inc., Baltimore, MD

Graduates will soon be taking the training to jobseekers in a wide range of venues. These include veterans centers, unemployment offices, corporations that are downsizing, military base transition centers, disabled organizations, colleges and universities, and more.

Graduate Sendia Spradley of the District of Columbia One-Stop Centers—for one—wasted no time applying her new training. "I've already been using the new information," she reported a week after the last session. "The customers love it!" Spradley added that a client had just set up an interview with the Coast Guard using the process she'd learned. Another graduate, Kim Rhim, a trainer with a private company, called the course "eye-opening." She added, "The Ten Steps are logical and simple to understand. They greatly reduce the mystery associated with finding employment in the Federal sector."

The next three-day certification sessions are scheduled for January 2003 (see below). Interested candidates who are unfamiliar with the Federal world of work might consider first signing up for Troutman's one-hour teleclass, "Introduction to Federal Resume Writing for Career Development Professionals." The cost for the teleclass is just $50. To learn more about the teleclass, contact Sarah Blazucki at The Resume Place, (410) 744-4324 or sarah@resume-place.com.

To check for the dates of future certification trainings, as well as to obtain additional information, visit the MIETP website at www.mietp.org, the "Training" pages of www.resume-place.com or contact Tammy Dietzel of MIETP at tammy@mietp.org or (410) 290-9072 in Maryland.