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January 13 , 2003
KATHRYN TROUTMAN'S FEDERAL CAREER CORNER NEWSLETTER
Jobhunting Tips for 2003
from Robin Quinn and the "Federal Work Search Guru," Kathy Troutman
Career goals were on the minds of many Americans as they composed their resolutions for 2003. According to Greg Helmstetter, President of myGoals.com, a leading 27% of this year's resolutions were estimated to be job-related, surpassing last year's primary category, health and fitness, and surging up 18% since 2002. If you've unhappily joined the 6% of U.S. residents who are unemployed or simply are anxious to land a better job, your career-related resolutions will feel even more pressing. One option you may have overlooked for your work search efforts in 2003 is entering the massive Federal job market.
"The Federal government is our nation's largest employer," notes Kathryn Kraemer Troutman, a top Federal career strategist. "And they are hiring for good-paying, interesting positions. The government is going to need talented people for these jobs. At the start of 2003, for example, there were over 12,500 openings listed at the official Office of Personnel Management website—usajobs.opm.gov."
To get you on the right track and give you a jumpstart with this goal, Troutman has whipped up Ten Tips for a Successful Federal Job Search. These tips are gleaned from her almost 30 years of experience helping jobseekers in this specialized market.
| Tip #1. | Recognize up front that applying for a Federal job is complex. "This is not just about sending in a resume," Troutman points out. "You'll have to do a lot of learning about the Federal job market in order to be successful." |
| Tip #2. | Take time to do your research. "Just rushing out there probably won't get you hired," warns Troutman. A good primer on this job market is her new book, Ten Steps to a Federal Job, which breaks down the process of applying for Federal work into ten effective, doable steps. Another good introduction is a two-hour teleclass on the Ten Steps process that Troutman offers regularly. At Troutman's website (http://www.resume-place.com), you'll find a description of the informative two-hour teleclass, and you can also easily register there. The class fee of $75 includes the new Ten Steps book. |
| Tip #3. | Check out the Federal agencies and their missions. An initial part of any job search is considering where you might want to work. For the Federal job market, Troutman says the government information website, http://www.firstgov.gov, can be a big help, as it is a gateway to background on most of the Federal agencies. "Consider the mission and purpose of each agency that interests you and compare that to your goals, knowledge and skills," advises Troutman. |
| Tip #4. | Network, network, network. Troutman recommends developing a network of contacts made of people who are Federal employees. Members of your network might include friends, relatives, neighbors or acquaintances. You can also ask people who know Federal employees to introduce you to them. In Ten Steps to a Federal Job, Troutman tells the story of a smart networker who gave her resume to an outgoing Washington, D.C. realtor dealing with new Presidential appointees looking for homes. Your network can become a source of untapped job leads, key contacts and deal-clinching background. |
| Tip #5. | Study the Federal job announcements. "This is crucial," says Troutman. She suggests touring websites where Federal openings are listed, such as http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/, www.federaljobsearch and www.fedjobs.com). Once you're familiar with them, spend some time learning how to interpret the dense Federal job announcements found there, which average six to 15 pages. "Pay special attention to the duties and qualifications sections, the job titles, and the application instructions in the announcements," says Troutman. More deciphering methods are provided in her Ten Steps book.
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| Tip #6. | Match up your skills with specific job titles. "Federal job titles can be different than those in private industry," notes Troutman. "For instance, a university researcher and writer could be very well qualified for a 'Program Analyst' position in government. But how would they know unless they've researched the job titles?" In her book, Troutman covers job titles, grade levels and salaries. |
| Tip #7. | Make sure your resume is tailored to what they're looking for. "This may be the most important tip of all," Troutman maintains. "Don't make the mistake of writing your resume once and sending it out for everything. Instead, remember that it's very important to play up the skills that each employer asks for." How will you know? Troutman points once again to studying the job announcements. |
| Tip #8. | Keep moving through Troutman's Ten Steps. "Since 9-11, I've been receiving lots of calls from people who say, 'I'm considering Federal employment for the first time but I don't know where to start," Troutman reports. "I wrote Ten Steps to a Federal Job to make the hiring process as simple as possible for Federal jobseekers, and that wasn't easy! My Ten Steps can take you successfully through the entire process, from the decision to apply to following up on the eventual interview." |
| Tip #9. | Stay motivated during your search. To remain inspired, Troutman advocates looking at landing a Federal job as a personal challenge. Then, instead of running from the challenge, she recommends embracing it! At first, dealing with the process may feel like coming up against a wall, she notes. But just because the wall is there doesn't mean that you have to turn and run. "There are ways to learn to climb over the wall successfully," she asserts with a knowing smile. |
| Tip #10. | Play the game big time. "Keep applying," Troutman encourages. "Apply for lots of Federal jobs." She recommends devoting a least ten hours a week to your Federal job search in 2003. "When you play the game in a big way, that's how you win," she discloses. "It's a numbers game." |
To check the dates of the upcoming two-hour Ten Steps teleclasses and to register for $75, visit http://www.resume-place.com. Register at least five days in advance in order to receive your copy of the fee-included Ten Steps book and CD-Rom. Separate purchases of the Ten Steps title, or Troutman's Federal paper resume and electronic resume books, can also be made at her website. In addition, Ten Steps to a Federal Job is available from Amazon.com or your local bookstore.
To interview Kathy Troutman, contact Sarah Blazucki
(410/744-4324; sarah@resumeplace-com) in Baltimore.
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from the "Federal Work Search Guru," Kathy Troutman
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Feel free to forward this Career Corner column to friends and colleagues. You may use this column for training in career classes with recognition of the author and website. You may not link this column to other websites without permission. For information about licensing this content write to Kathryn at kathryn@resume-place.com.
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