If a student has a 3.5 GPA or better, he or she can qualify for a GS-7 position, rather than a GS-5, because of the Outstanding Scholar Program. For more information, click here.

From Federal Diary: "Report Highlights Risks of 'Reform'," Stephen Barr, The Washington Post, November 23, 2003: A new report on the concerns of federal employees, issued this month by the Merit Systems Protection Board, suggests that workforce reductions during the 1990s placed a number of agencies at risk of being unable to fully deliver services and programs to the public. The report warns that a surge of departures could happen again –this time because large numbers of federal employees are eligible to retire. To access the full article, click here.

From DON Civilian Personnel HQ: The Bush administration had until Nov. 30 to propose an alternative to pay levels set under procedures laid out in the 1990 Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act. At this point, federal employees will at least temporarily receive the 2 percent across-the-board pay raise in January and a subsequent adjustment totaling the 4.1 percent increase. Keep in mind that this will also affect many Federal Wage System schedules. OPM intends to issue guidance on this issue.

The QuickHire site, CareerFinder (a Customs and Border Protection On-line Application System), does not let you look at the questions from a vacancy announcement until after you have registered on the system.

The World of Acronyms

• DOC - Department of Commerce,
  http://www.commerce.gov/
• DOD - Department of Defense,
  http://www.defenselink.mil/
• DOE - Department of Energy,
  http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do
• DOI - Department of the Interior,
  http://www.doi.gov/
• DOJ - Department of Justice,
  http://www.usdoj.gov/
• DOL - Department of Labor,
  http://www.dol.gov/
• DOS - Department of State,
  http://www.state.gov/
• DOT - Department of Transportation,
  http://www.dot.gov/

On October 1, 2003, the Department of the Navy Civilian Human Resources (DONHR) launched its new job search website at chart.donhr.navy.mil in line with a new marketing campaign that is targeting those desiring to work for the federal government, "2003 & Beyond: No Limits, No Bounds." This campaign includes the redesigned Civilian Hiring and Recruitment (CHART) website, flyers, and posters. Surprisingly, I found the CHART website to be much more user-friendly and streamlined than the old website.

I work regularly with clients who are interested in working for DONHR, and have spent the last two years becoming intimately familiar with its search engines and tricks to find the information that I need. The site was cumbersome and seemed to be purposely designed to make it difficult to find the job vacancy announcements I was interested in. It was also extremely difficult for jobseekers to access their own resumes. To get to the resume builder, it was necessary to find a vacancy announcement, click on it, and then pretend you were applying for the position. This took you to the resume builder.

The CHART website makes it much faster and easier to access the information I want and more convenient to find, apply for, and follow up on vacancies. The most noticeable change is that you can go directly to the site without having to wait for three different websites to download to your screen. Upon entering the site, you will find additional changes. It is colorful and upbeat, with a listing of hot jobs and upcoming events, and the ability to login immediately utilizing your social security number and password with one easy click. Some of the other items found on the CHART site include:

Search for Jobs - This job search engine is much easier to use and it is not necessary to login to access it. Jobseekers are first asked three simple questions to help them determine if they meet any eligibility requirements for preferences, then they are sent to a modified search engine. It is possible to enter a specific vacancy announcement number to go directly to that announcement. Jobseekers can also look for general listings according to position information, pay information, geographic location, and/or organization. What amazed me about this government site is that there was a help box on the page that gave a brief explanation about how the search engine works.

Create Your Account - For those people who already had a resume posted to the DONHR site, the information was reformatted and an account was created utilizing the same password. But, there is a trick for those folks –the new password is only 10 characters in length, so if you had a longer password before, it is now necessary for you to cut your password and enter the first 10 letters.

My Resume - This page allows members who have logged in to prepare a resume with an online resume builder. The resume will remain on file and active for 12 months. Resumes can be updated as necessary and the 12 months can be extended within 30 days of the expiration date. An updated feature is that the resume is divided into sections. Each section may be saved individually to prevent lost data caused by internet disconnections. I found this resume builder easier to use than most. This section also includes a list of tips to help with compiling the resume.

My Status - This section is the most significant upgrade to the old DONHR site. Here, you can check on the status of your application and see whether your resume is active in a certain region. This page will let you know when you've been considered or selected for a position. This is also where you go to extend the expiration date of your resume.

My Job Interests - This page helps you manage your job search. Here, you can obtain information on the positions you have applied for, including the date you applied, and delete positions you are no longer interested in.

My Notices - The following events are tracked on this page: Submitting an updated resume to a job you've previously applied to, Submitting a new resume, Requesting to use your current resume on file to apply for new jobs, Requesting to remove consideration for a job(s) on your current resume, Extending the expiration date of your resume, and Updating your account contact information. The nice thing is that these notices stay posted for 60 days so you can check on them.

My Searches - This area lets you design a job search agent that includes individualized job search criteria. When job vacancies are posted that meet the criteria, you are automatically notified. This will help prevent those instances where job opportunities are missed because they were only posted for a short period of time when you were unable to access the website and do an extensive search. Updating and changing the search agent is simple and requires only a few clicks.

Overall, I was pleased with the new website layout. It takes a little bit of time to get used to new layout, and I had to restructure my resume some. But, I utilized my "Ten Steps to a Federal Job" style electronic resume, and it took me less than 20 minutes to cut and paste my information into the resume builder. The resume preview was easy and the printout required only one click. I couldn't believe that a government agency had made such strides. Don't be afraid to apply for a job with DONHR any longer. You can do it! To view the site, click here.

"You gain strength, experience and confidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you cannot do."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

FEDERAL CAREER Q & A WITH KATHRYN TROUTMAN