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BREAKING NEWS: USAJOBS announcement search feature is new and easier to use. Great for new federal job seekers.

Posted in Federal Job Search, Federal Resume Writing
by Elizabeth Juge on May 18th, 2009 | 3 Comments - Make a comment »

USAJOBS Search

USAJOBS Search

The BASIC Search is now easy to read – in one second – you can see the number of jobs in each city, each each job category and for each agency. This is a WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENT FOR THE BASIC SEARCH. Check out the new search functionality on USAJOBS at http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/default.aspx. The new basic search now features an easy-to-read list of job search options by Agency, Location and Occupation, with an indicator of how many jobs are available in each category. As you narrow your search criteria, so narrows the list. This provides a much better starting point for job seekers.

A tip for announcement searching: searching key words can really be useful. For example, the job title Emergency Management Specialist is classified to the 301 job series, which is general administrative and management. Searching the 301 series will yield administrative positions and even a food service specialist! Searching key words like “COOP,” “exercises,” or “incident response” will yield a variety of positions in the field, even those with titles like “Program Specialist” that are in the Emergency Management field.

Still need help to find the jobs that are right for you? Click here to arrange a one-on-one discussion with one of our Certified Federal Job Search Coaches: http://www.resume-place.com/services/federal-job-search-plan/.

Teaching the first-time American Public Federal Jobseeker – Contract Specialist

Posted in Federal Job Search, Federal Resume Writing
by Kathryn Troutman on May 17th, 2009 | 1 Comment - Make a comment »

I hear the most amazing questions from the “first-timer”. But the most typical is this one: “I just don’t know if I am applying to the right job.” It is amazing to me that the federal jobs are so unique, and written in such a way that really smart people are not sure what the job really means. Even the Contract Specialist position, which from the name seems understandable, is an uncertain for the first-time applicant who has business, sales, account management, national accounts, federal sales, retail sales background.

Here’s the short version. The Contract Specialist manages contracts for federal agency program managers who need goods or services to complete their mission. Contract Specialists purchase millions of dollars of IT services, training programs, specialty services, or computers, office furniture or food.

This job involves researching the best vendors, writing a “statement of work” about the services needed, receiving bids from the vendors, negotiating terms, and helping to select the vendor. And then maybe monitoring the contractor to make sure they perform correctly.

SAMPLE LANGUAGE FROM USAJOBS:
A Sample Contract Specialist Position, posted 5/16

These positions are in the Division of Contracting and General Services, Portland, Oregon.

These positions serve as contract specialists procuring supplies or services through formal advertising or negotiation procedures, intra/interagency agreements, cooperative agreements, and grants. The contract specialist plans, coordinates, negotiates and administers complex purchases, such as construction material, heavy equipment, construction of hatchery/refuge facilities, structural and living quarters, building rehabilitation, dam and bridge construction, architect-engineer services, janitorial services, IT and telecommunications hardware, software and programming services, contracts for installation of building equipment systems, and various supplies.

At the GS-9 and 11 grade levels, duties will be performed under closer supervision, and training will be provided to prepare the employee for eventual promotion to the full performance level.

THE KEYWORDS SHOULD BE IN ALL CAPS IN YOUR RESUME. OUTLINE FORMAT. The words in the Duties section of the announcement should be added to your resume. And preferably the resume should be in our Outline Format. Scroll down on this page to see the Outline Format. Click on the graphic to see the entire resume.

SEARCH FOR RECOVERY ACT JOBS. There are many Contract Specialist positions post now to help with Recovery Act contracts and jobs, as well as other federal positions. Kathryn Troutman, Author Ten Steps to a Federal Job

Job Classifications Vs. Job Qualifications – Are They Related?

Posted in Federal Job Search, Federal Resume Writing, Self-Assessment
by Kathryn Troutman on February 13th, 2009 | 3 Comments - Make a comment »

We recently had a federal employee ask us to help him restructure his resume so that he could get his current job reclassified. The employee had a professional degree in Engineering, but had accepted an Engineering Technician position to “get his foot in the door.” He felt he was performing professional work, and wanted to ask the classification specialist to review his job and change it to that of a professional. He believed that re-writing his resume would convince the classifier to change the position.

What is the relationship between your resume and your job classification? Actually, they are two different things and are used differently in the federal employment process.

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