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Archive for June, 2012

Inspiration from the Star Spangled Banner

Posted in Federal Resume Writing, KSA Writing
by Kathryn Troutman on June 18th, 2012 | No Comments - Make a comment »

"The Defence of Fort McHenry", poem by Francis Scott Key, published in the Patriot on September 20, 1814.

Can your spirits be raised to write a better resume by thinking about the morning that Francis Scott Key wrote the poem “Defence of Ft. McHenry” that became the National Anthem? (Mr. Key’s accomplishment would make a great KSA for Ability to Write!)   Read his “Star Spangled” KSA

The actual Banner that flew over Fort McHenry

Star Spangled Banner project at the Smithsonian

On September 14, 1814. Francis Scott Key was on a ship eight miles down the Patapsco River (near the Key Bridge today). He had been sitting out there watching the bombardment of the British on Ft. McHenry all day and through the night. By early morning, he looked out and the huge flag was still waving in the breeze after twenty-five hours of heavy bombardment by the British. Key, who sometimes wrote religious poetry, was inspired to pen the poem (in the graphic above) that became the National Anthem http://www.fortmchenryguard.org/images/fort_fade.jpg in 1931.

The Commander of Ft. McHenry, Colonel Armistead knew how important Ft. McHenry was to our nation in 1812. The British had just burned Washington (including the White House and the Capitol Building) and were advancing toward Baltimore. The Commander felt that the Baltimoreans were discouraged and afraid for their city. He felt that they would have their spirits raised by seeing a huge, high flying flag at Fort McHenry as a symbol of defiance.

Colonel Armistead commissioned Mary Youngs Pickersgill, a local seamstress and flag maker to make two flags for Fort McHenry in 1813 – a large flag and a smaller one to fly in bad weather. She was paid $500 for both flags, the large one being 30 x 42 feet, so it could be seen from a great distance. She was asked to sew a flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes, the number of states then in the Union. (My grandmother was a seamstress and flag maker with a famous flag maker in Baltimore City from 1910 until 1940 – I wonder if this is the same flagmaker?)

Personally, I am inspired by Francis Scott Key’s experience, the flag, Ft. McHenry and our country’s survival, and what poem that he wrote. Especially “O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.”

Have a great weekend everyone, be inspired to write good words! I’ll be looking at Ft. McHenry from a boat in the Baltimore Harbor on the fourth of July and thinking about the war, the flag and Francis Scott Key out in the water writing that poem.

Kathryn Troutman, from Canton, across from Ft. McHenry, Baltimore, MD, President of The Resume Place, Inc.

The 15-star, 15-stripe flag was authorized by the Flag Act of January 13, 1794, adding 2 stripes and 2 Stars. The regulation went into effect on May 1, 1795. This flag was the only U.S. Flag to have more than 13 stripes. It was immortalized by Francis Scott Key during the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Sept 13, 1814. The image above is representative of the actual flag that flew over Fort McHenry on that day and which is now preserved in the Smithsonian Museum. You can notice the “tilt” in some of the stars just as in the original Star Spangled Banner.

http://www.usflag.org/the.15.star.flag.html

4 Intelligent Specialist Resume Tips

Posted in Federal Resume Writing
by Kathryn Troutman on June 18th, 2012 | No Comments - Make a comment »

Applying The Intelligence Lifecycle To Your Resume Development Process

Many parallels exist between the intelligence lifecycle and your resume development process. After all, your resume is simply a method by which you share intelligence about your professional experience. To create your appeal, you must turn your daily tasks and accomplishments into actionable intelligence that can be disseminated to, and understood by, a wide-audience. Thus, your resume is not much different than a report about target cells or a human terrain map.

Consider the steps that intelligence analysts and specialists take in developing intelligence products:

1. COLLECT RAW DATA: When developing your resume, create your portfolio of accomplishments. Brainstorm your ideas — that is, collect raw data about your accomplishments. For each of your positions, develop two to three solid value statements pertaining to your actions. Ask yourself, “How did I positively affect the mission of my organization or impact a critical objective?”

Examples of accomplishments – the raw data:

. Recognized for ability to lead team of intelligence analysts. Assisted team members throughout the intelligence lifecycle.

. Developed greater regional, political and social awareness of region and knowledge of regional threats.

. Recognized by government authorities for delivering high-quality reports.

. Received an award as a team leader using language skills and interpersonal skills to promote cooperation and information sharing.

. Provided briefings to the SECDEF and CJCS.

2. ORGANIZE AND VERIFY DATA: Organize these accomplishment statements by defining what actions you took to make the accomplishment. Did you conduct extensive research or work collaboratively with a diverse team of technicians?  Essentially, delineate for each accomplishment the skills you needed to use to make the accomplishment come to fruition. Now, add facts and figures. Quantify this data and check for accuracy. Reach out to former team members and get their input regarding the impact of your work effort.

Examples of skills:

. Knowledge of the Intelligence lifecycle

. Research and analysis skills

. Studied geographic region

. Verified intelligence data

. Cooperate with external agencies; language skills; interpersonal skills

. Write 18 reports for senior officials

. Communication skills; delivered high profile briefings

3. FORMULATE ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE: Now that you have the facts and figures about your work effort, you can exploit your professional intelligence by matching your intelligence with the key words and phrases found in the job announcement. Analyze, evaluate and integrate your raw data relative to the functional areas or job requirements described in the announcement. Write to the requirements ensuring that you respond to the specialized experience and/or the knowledge, skills and abilities criteria. Use the language of the announcement and write clearly and concisely – all fundamental requirements of a solid intelligence briefing or report.  By using the phrasing of the announcement, the human resource personnel evaluating your resume will understand your role, skills, and accomplishments making your intelligence digestible. This is critical in moving you forward through the evaluation process and getting you qualified and referred.

. SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN INTELLIGENCE LIFECYCLE

. IDENTIFIED AND COLLECTED NEEDED INTELLIGENCE DATA

. APPLY CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS in formulating actionable intelligence

. REPORTED FINDINGS

4. DISSEMINATE FINISHED INTELLIGENCE: This is the final resume and interview step. Your objective is to ensure that all of your experience and skills are known. As in an intelligence briefing, communicate the facts about yourself. During interviews, rely on your intelligence data that you collected in step one. This is your professional portfolio from which you can provide evidence of your effectiveness. Speak clearly and not overly technical. Demilitarize your way of speaking to appeal to a broader audience. Use technical terms when appropriate.

. SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN INTELLIGENCE LIFECYCLE. Execute all functions of intelligence lifecycle with in-depth understanding of the Intelligence Community mission needs and objectives. Apply principles, techniques and methodologies of intelligence research. Collect and interpret raw data; synthesize data from various sources and formulate information; produce actionable intelligence products. Identify trends and relationships; make inferences and draw conclusions. Disseminate information to decision makers.

. IDENTIFY AND COLLECT NEEDED INTELLIGENCE DATA using regional knowledge, foreign language skills and political-military relationship building techniques. Provide vital data for planners.

. BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH EXTERNAL COUNTERPARTS: Focal point for communication among local and state authorities, DoD components, and executive agencies. Network/build partnerships among law enforcement agents at the local, state, federal and international levels. Ensure information sharing among key personnel to promote resolution of criminal events.

. APPLY CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS to manage complex problems in a highly dynamic environment. Work independently and achieved safe, defensible solutions and recommendations in facilitating operations.

. REPORT FINDINGS using clear and concise language. Describe politico-military situation. Information drove decision-making and relationship-building efforts. Wrote 18 critical documents pertaining to aerospace issues supporting senior air analysts. PREPARE BRIEFINGS including centerpiece, US-only briefing for the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Resumes are, in fact, your intelligence report. Your objective is to convey as much key information about your abilities and expertise as possible in a limited space. To meet this object, you must collect as much data about yourself as possible and then exploit it as you would when formulating an intelligence briefing about a suspect or when supporting an operation.  Critical to the intelligence specialist resume is that you convey an understanding of the life-cycle of the intelligence collection process.  Communicating intelligence whether orally or in writing is what an intelligence specialists and analysts do on a regular basis. The only difference during the resume process is that the content is about you.