Troutman views many of the Presidential initiatives as having a positive long-term impact on America’s job outlook and on job seekers through improved educational programs. For current job seekers, Troutman continues to encourage the following activities to support your job search:

“The initiatives described in the State of the Union may or may not be offering you real jobs today.  The job sectors that may be affected are: manufacturing, exporting goods, infrastructure-related construction, clean energy, teaching, training, and government.  Some of these positions will require additional specialized training, and it is important that you continue to monitor public (and private) initiatives if you plan to position yourself to be marketable in the upcoming years.

“Keep track of these initiatives; listen to the news, monitor the President’s weekly radio talks, and follow the legislation to see if these initiatives are moved forward. For instance, if you need re-training, you can listen to see whether the re-employment programs are expanded to include specialized business training programs in community colleges. Or, if you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, you can look for opportunities that may develop to get more financial support from banks.”

Obama’s 2012 Jobs Plan

1. Bring Manufacturing Back to the U.S.

“Stop rewarding businesses that
 ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs
 right here in America.”

“If you’re a business that wants to
 outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it.”

“If you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax
cut. If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax
 deduction you get for making products here. And if you want to
 relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town,
 you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for
 new workers.”

2. Increase U.S. Exports

“[I will create] a Trade Enforcement Unit that
 will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries 
like China.”

“Make
 sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American 
manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new markets.”

3. Improve Training Programs

“Cut through the maze of confusing training programs.”

“Turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that 
puts people to work.”

“Join me in a national commitment to train two million
 Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job. My 
Administration has already lined up more companies that want to help.
Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community 
colleges in places like Charlotte, Orlando, and Louisville are up and
 running. Now you need to give more community colleges the resources 
they need to become community career centers – places that teach 
people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from
 data management to high-tech manufacturing.”

4. Improve Education System

“Offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good
 teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant 
schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop 
teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping 
kids learn.”

5. Make Higher Education Affordable

Currently “…Americans owe more in tuition debt than 
credit card debt.”

“Higher 
education can’t be a luxury – it’s an economic imperative that every
 family in America should be able to afford.”

“Extend the tuition tax credit we
 started that saves middle-class families thousands of dollars.”

“Give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by
 doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years.”

“States also need to do their part, by making higher education a higher
 priority in their budgets.”

“Colleges and universities have to do
 their part by working to keep costs down[, such as] … re-design courses to help students finish more quickly … [and] … use
 better technology.”

6. Retain Skilled International Students Educated in the U.S.

“Hundreds of thousands of talented, 
hardworking students in this country … aren’t yet American citizens.”

“As soon as they get 
their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new 
jobs somewhere else.”

“We should be working on 
comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year
 politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at 
least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to
 staff our labs, start new businesses, and defend this country.”

7. Promote Entrepreneurism

“Most new 
jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses.”

“Tear down regulations that prevent 
aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow.”

“Expand tax
 relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good 
jobs.”

8. Support Innovation and Basic Research

“Support the same kind of 
research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the 
Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries.”

“Don’t gut these investments in our budget.”

9. Bolster Clean Energy Programs

“Nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made
 energy.”

“I’m directing my
Administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore 
oil and gas resources.”

“With only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough.”

“We 
have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough.
 It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely
 been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry 
that’s never been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits and
 create these jobs.”

“We have a supply of natural gas that can last 100 years.”

“Experts believe this will support more 
than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.”

“The development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and
 factories that are cleaner and cheaper.”

“Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly 
doubled. And thousands of Americans have jobs because of it.”

“I’m directing my Administration to allow the development of
 clean energy on enough public land to power three million homes.”

“Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in
 their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their 
buildings. Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the 
next decade, and America will have less pollution, more manufacturing,
 and more jobs for construction workers who need them.”

10. Repair America’s Infrastructure.

“There’s never been a better time to build, especially since the 
construction industry was one of the hardest-hit when the housing 
bubble burst.”

“In the next few weeks, I will sign an Executive Order clearing away 
the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. But you 
need to fund these projects. Take the money we’re no longer spending 
at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do 
some nation-building right here at home.”

11. Assist Returning Veterans

“We are providing new tax
 credits to companies that hire vets. Michelle and Jill Biden have
 worked with American businesses to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for 
veterans and their families.”

“I’m proposing a Veterans
 Job Corps that will help our communities hire veterans as cops and
 firefighters, so that America is as strong as those who defend her.”

The new top 10 includes the most common problems we have seen in working with our clients this past year with writing a federal resume that will get an applicant Best Qualified, Referred, and Interviewed. These tips are based on federal resume writing classes taught at more than 30 federal agencies in 2011 with varied occupational series specializations, missions, and grade levels.

The work experience section is the most important section of your federal resume, and the hardest part to write. If you correct these common pitfalls in your resume, your chances of getting Referred and selected for an interview will dramatically increase. Try it and let me know what happens. Write me at kathryn@resume-place.com.

Problem # 1: Big Block Paragraphs

One of the biggest problems I saw in 2011 with client federal resumes was the use of a Resumix format that I call the “Big Block.” The original instructions for Resumix, which is now nearly gone, said to write as much as possible, use as many keywords as possible from an occupational series or vacancy announcement, and fill in all of the character space allowed. It was a common myth that you had to write it in one paragraph.

The big block legacy lives on today. The format that I saw most often this past year in my federal resume writing class for federal employees was one huge paragraph for the work experience section of the resume.

THE FIX: Instead of one big paragraph, create 5 to 7 paragraphs that are 5 to 10 lines long. Each paragraph should feature one skill set or one accomplishment. This format will be more successful and more readable for someone in human resources (HR) who could be reading from 30 to 500 resumes.

Problem # 2: Weak Presentation of Your Accomplishments

In many resumes that I have reviewed, accomplishments are often either not included or blended in the middle of a paragraph that could be up to 100 lines or more. The HR specialist or the hiring manager will not be able to determine what you have achieved for your current agency.

THE FIX: Tell a good story about your accomplishment! With the stiff competition for today’s federal positions, it’s important that the accomplishments stand out in separate paragraphs so that they are readable and engaging. Your goal is to get the interview. It’s time to let the hiring manager know that you could be a valuable asset to the new organization as a result of your past performance.

Problem # 3: Lack of Proof

Most vacancy announcements now include a self-assessment questionnaire where you score your skill level. Did you know that you must also back up your questionnaire answers with proof in your resume? We often find this connection between the questionnaire and the work experience section missing. If your questionnaire is scored at the perfect level, then the resume MUST ALSO match those levels. The HR specialist will compare your answers to your resume, and they do have the authority to reduce your score if your resume does not demonstrate the level of expertise that you are stating in your questionnaire.

THE FIX: After you have completed the questionnaire for an application, make sure you go back through your work experience section and check that your work experience section provides adequate proof for your questionnaire answers.

Problem #4: Keywords Are Missing

The busy HR specialist will be looking for keywords from the announcement. If they receive 500 resumes, they will focus their search on specific skills. Many applicants use the same resume to apply for a variety of job announcements, and these applicants will not be recognized as having the specific set of skills needed for a position.

THE FIX: Make sure your resume is updated to match each announcement. Analyze each vacancy announcement for keywords by looking for 5 to 10 words that are repeated throughout the announcement. I know this takes time, but with a little practice you will be able to analyze an announcement and add the keywords into your resume in about half an hour.

Problem # 5: Not Taking KSAs Seriously

It is well known that the KSA narratives were eliminated in November 2010 with Hiring Reform. But the reality is that you are not completely off the hook with KSA writing. KSAs are frequently still listed in the vacancy announcement. They are there so that you will know what Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities are required for the position. They are also most often covered in the questionnaire. Most resumes that we review do not include accomplishments that speak to the KSAs in the announcement.

THE FIX: If you want to prove that you have a certain Knowledge, Skill, or Ability, you will need to add an achievement that proves you have that experience. Write examples of accomplishments or write statements that clearly demonstrate that you have the KSAs for the position. Including these accomplishment statements within the text of your resume.

Problem # 6: Resumes That Are Too Long

USAJOBS resume builder has no limit for length. You could actually put a 20-page resume in the builder, and we have seen people try to do just this. It’s important that you TRY to limit your writing to a range of about 5 to 7 pages, even if your career is long and accomplished. Hiring officials will focus on the most recent 5 years of your career. They will also read and consider up to the last 10 years of work experience. Prior to 10 years, they will scan quickly.

THE FIX: The USAJOBS builder does not automatically optimize the space of your resume content, so your resume could print out longer than you expect. Print our your current resume to see how long it is, and adjust it accordingly.

Problem # 7: The USAJOBS Upload Resume Feature

The upload resume feature seems to work well for vacancy announcements where the questionnaire managed by applicationmanager.gov

PROS: The resume that you upload can be formatted for plain paper reading. You can use bold type, centering, indentations, and other helpful styling techniques.

CONS: If the announcement is posted by NASA, DHS, or other agencies not using applicationmanager.gov, the integration between the resume and the questionnaire may not be perfect.

THE FIX: I am starting to use the Upload resume feature, but when I do, I ensure that I include the critical compliance information, such as: month and year, hours per week; supervisor name; supervisor phone; salary; full address and location of the employer for each position for 10 years.

Problem # 8: Too Many Words Spent on Irrelevant Jobs

Sometimes employees get into a job that is not great. Or you may have a job in the past that simply has nothing to do with the position for which you are applying. I have seen resumes that spend too much time describing the jobs that I would basically call irrelevant.

THE FIX: What should you do? You can keep the job(s) on the resume; just keep the description short. You can write about any transferrable skills that will be helpful for your preferred career, but don’t dwell on unnecessary details.

Problem # 9: One Year Specialized Experience Is Not Taken Seriously Enough

The One Year Specialized Experience is a deal breaker for your application. This is a very simple, but sometimes overlooked, requirement. One of the very first sections I look at in the vacancy announcement is the qualifications section and the One Year Specialized Experience.

THE FIX: Ask yourself, “What is the best position in my experience that supports the One Year Specialized Experience requirement?”  I hope you have an answer to that question from the last 5 years of your work experience; if necessary, you can go out to 10 years. At the Resume Place, we make it a priority to feature the One Year Specialized Experience in a resume with accomplishments that prove the level of that experience.

Problem # 10: Not Getting Selected for an Interview

I realize that this problem isn’t really a specific problem with your resume. However, the current reality is that many current federal employees can get Best Qualified and even Referred, but they don’t get selected for an interview. If you have personally experienced this, then take it to be an indicator that there IS something in your resume that could use adjusting.

THE FIX: Get to the bottom of it! Carefully review your resume again, using this top 10 list and the top 10 list of 2011. If you still cannot determine where your resume needs strengthening, consider getting some professional eyes to help you look over your resume for its weaknesses.

Wishing you the best for your federal job search in 2012!

Do you know the top three new year’s resolutions for Americans in 2012?

#1 Lose Weight

#2 Reduce Stress

#3 Financial Management

The same three resolutions are also critical for success in your federal job search. Let me show you how:

#1 Lose Weight

Make Your Resume Lean AND Mean!

Every day, we see federal resumes that are 10 pages or more in length and STILL do not clearly hit the important information critical to a successful resume. Trim your resume down by cutting out the irrelevant information. Then make your resume mean: flex your best muscles by focusing your resume on what the hiring officials are actually seeking in a potential applicant: your accomplishments and specialized experience. Your resume should be 5 to 7 pages in (printed) length and targeted for EACH vacancy announcement for which you are applying.

#2 Reduce Stress

Knowledge is power.

Doing something over and over with little result is stressful, especially when it comes to job hunting and if you are not currently employed. Repeated application failure and financial pressure can easily wear down even the strongest person. Is all that stress really necessary? To reduce your job search stress, take the guesswork out and take real control of your federal job search. Make sure you have the right resume, the right strategy, and that you are applying for the right jobs. With today’s stiff competition for the federal jobs, anything less will likely not be successful.

#3 Financial Management

Time is money.

Do you really to want to spend this upcoming year applying unsuccessfully for federal jobs? Doesn’t that mean a potential huge loss of income, benefits, and retirement savings? Many people view the price of getting professional help with their resume as expensive, but we also think that NOT getting professional help with your resume has some serious financial costs.

Get Help With Your New Years Resolutions!

To get your 2012 federal career search off to the right start, we’ve added some important bonuses to our specially-priced resume packages. You will not only get a polished professional federal resume and cover letter, you will also be armed with critical information you need to navigate the process of getting your federal resume and cover letter submitted and noticed.

This month, order one of our popular packages, and you will receive:

FREE BONUS #1: One of Our Hot Books!

We publish award-winning and best-selling titles on federal job search tailored to different federal jobseekers.When you are contacted by our office regarding your project, just let us know which one of these titles you would like us to ship to you:

• Ten Steps to a Federal Job, 3rd Edition
  For applicants from private industry
• Federal Resume Guidebook, 5th Edition
  For current federal government employees looking to land their next position
• Military to Federal Career Guide, 2nd Edition
  For military / veteran applicants
• The Student’s Federal Career Guide, 2nd Edition
  Ground-breaking guide for students and graduates
• The New SES Application
  For potential SES applicants. Get this book if you are thinking about applying for SES In the next five years.

FREE BONUS #2: USAJOBS 3.0 Webinar

Get the latest information about USAJOBS 3.0 from Kathryn Troutman, the federal resume guru, in the convenience of your own home or office! When you are contacted by our office regarding your project, let us know which session you would like to attend, and we will send you a link to register for the session.

Upcoming session:

• January 26, 2012 (12 noon – 1pm EST)

• Webinars are offered at least once a month, and additional dates will be posted soon.

Are you a Hotshot Supervisory Forestry Technician? If so, better include these keywords in your federal resume if you want to get Best Qualified.

Department:Department Of Agriculture, US Forest Service

SALARY RANGE:

$38,117.00 to $54,879.00 / Per Year

SERIES & GRADE:

GS-0462-07/08

DUTIES:

Serves as a highly trained and specialized fire suppression crewmember. Performs incident response to the “hot” portions of the fireline, operating under the pressure of unpredictable, changing conditions.

Performs the administrative and human resource management functions relative to the staff supervised. Plans, schedules, and assigns work to subordinates. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff members; provides feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance. Provides advice, counsel, and/or instruction to staff members. Recommends or approves appointments, selections, or reassignments to positions appropriate to the selection authority delegated. Effects disciplinary measures as appropriate to the authority delegated in this area. Carries out Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies and program activities.

Keywords:

• Incident response to the “hot” portions of the fireline
• Working under pressure of unpredictable, changing conditions
• Perform administrative and human resources; staff supervision
• Carries out disciplinary and EEO functions

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

I have 90 days on-the-line wildland firefighting experience gained through containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. I have documented this experience with specific dates in the Work Experience, Additional Information portion of my application, or Resume.

To determine your eligibility for a primary firefighter position, indicate whether you meet the following age requirement: I am under age 37; OR, after subtracting the months of Federal Service worked in a primary firefighter/law enforcement position, I am less than age 37; OR I am a veterans preference eligible, I am older than age 37 and am requesting a waiver to the maximum age requirement.

Keywords:

• On-the-line wildland firefighting
• Containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire
• Primary firefighter / law enforcement

Specialized experience is defined as: GS-07: Performed interdisciplinary tactical methods and techniques, related to wildland fire operations for use of water and other additives in controlling and mopping-up fires in order to efficiently and effectively accomplish operations where water was in short supply. Served on a specialty crew (hotshot, helitack, engines, etc.) or assigned to lead fire suppression under the most adverse conditions of climate, fuels, and terrain.

Keywords:

• Tactical methods and techniques related to wildland fire operations
• Use of water and addictives in controlling and mopping up fires
• Efficiency and effectively accomplish operations where water is in short supply
• Specialty crew (hotshot, helitack, engines
• Adverse conditions of climate, fuels and terrain

If you could be interested in living in Beckley, W. VA, you could get a nice bonus of $5K.

The HR specialist who wrote the vacancy announcement gives this instruction about your federal resume:  IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE ON YOUR RESUME, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.  If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Job Title: Police Officer

Department: Department Of Veterans Affairs

Job Announcement Number: VHA-517-11-GM577206

Salary Range: $34K to $45K

Operation Period: Tues, Dec. 13, 2011 to Wed., Jan 4, 2012

Series and Grade: GS  0083-6

Duty Location: Beckley, W. Va.

$$ RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE: One-time $5,000 incentive with a 3-year employment contract for an applicant who is Law Enforcement Training Center certified at the time of application, job offer, and upon appointment. $$

DUTIES:

Ensure compliance with and enforce a full range of Federal, State, local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations as they pertain to law enforcement work. Arrest/apprehend individuals.  Provide physical protection of patients, visitors, and employees.  Preserve a peaceful environment necessary for medical treatment program operations. Protect United States Government and personal property on VA controlled property.  Conduct foot and vehicle patrols.  Provide directions/assistance to patients, volunteers, visitors, and employees. Respond to emergencies including crimes in progress or just discovered, disturbances, and assaults.  Intercede in physical assaults in progress by stopping the aggressor in compliance with use of force policy/regulations to prevent the physical injury or death of others.  Pursue and apprehend persons causing disturbances. Take charge of crime or accident scenes and detains witnesses or suspects as necessary.  Transport arrested persons to detention facilities and perform required booking procedures.  Fully investigate crimes which may extend beyond one duty shift. Interrogate suspects; take witness statements; collect, mark, identify, and preserve evidence. Prepare reports of investigations. Seek and detect signs of alcohol and drug abuse. Identify signs of trafficking alcohol, drugs and other activities involved in the introduction of contraband on VA controlled property.  Check occupants of vehicles parked on grounds to ascertain legitimacy of presence.  Perform searches and seizures.  Establish surveillance operations.  Respond to routine or emergency calls for assistance from other officers or acts as backup officer on these calls.  Report fire and safety hazards and take immediate action to extinguish, to control fires and secure fire areas.    Write Uniform Offense Reports covering incidents on his/her shift containing pertinent information which is factual, classified properly and timely. Issue citations for violations of the law, rules, or regulations.  Assist victims of accidents or assaults by providing first aid and/or calling for medical assistance, or assist in transporting to a specific location for medical treatment.  Testify in courts of law.

Keywords:

• Knowledge of full range of federal, state and regulations to law enforcement work.
• Arrest / apprehension of individuals
• Physical protection of patients, visitors and employees
• Intercede in physical assaults
• Take charge of crime of accident scenes
• Fully investigate crimes
• Interrogate suspects; take witness statements
• Prepare reports of investigations
• Investigate crimes, interrogate suspects, prepare reports of investigations
• Identify signs of trafficking alcohol
• Write Uniform Officer Reports
• Issue citations
• Assist victims of accidents
• Testify in courts of law

Specialized Experience Required: Experience that provided knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property. Creditable specialized experience may have been gained in work on a police force; through service as a military police officer; in work providing visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forests, or other natural resource or recreational environments; in performing criminal investigative duties; or in other work that provided the required knowledge and skills.  No substitution of education or training may be made for the required specialized experience at GS-6 and above.  For this position, specialized experience must be equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-5, or equivalent.

Keywords:

• Knowledge of basic laws and regulations
• Law enforcement operations, practices and techniques
• Maintain order and protecting life and property
• Military police officer
• Visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forests
• Criminal investigative duties

Logistics Management Specialist, FV-0346-F/H, DOT, FAA – Keyword Study.

A successful federal resume should match a target vacancy announcement. The match should include keywords from the vacancy announcement, demonstrate the specialized experience and give examples that prove you have the experience.

This is the first of Keyword Series articles for 2012. Each article will contain 10 to 15 technical keywords that will be a must for your federal resume. The keywords are found in the following sections of the announcement: Mission, Duties, Qualifications, Specialized Experience and KSAs.

MISSION:

The Next Generation of Flight is Underway – and you can be part of it! We need you and your fresh ideas to shape the air transportation system of tomorrow, and the way America flies.

DUTIES: Serves as a Logistics Management Specialist in a Logistics Service Area with primary responsibility for in use management of personal property to support the National Aerospace System (NAS), the Air Traffic Organization (ATO), and other Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiatives and organizations. The incumbent uses a variety of property and accounting systems including, but not limited to, Automated Inventory Tracking System (AITS), Logistics and Inventory System (LIS), and is responsible for maintaining automated property systems.

• Keywords: Logistics Service; Management of personal property; Property and accounting systems utilization; Automated property systems

Qualifications:

F-Band Duties: Assignments provide on-the-job experience to develop proficiency in all aspects of personal property management, capitalization, project material, inventory management, property control, motor fleet and property disposal and to prepare the incumbent for potential advancement.

• Keywords: Personal property management, capitalization, project management inventory control management, property control, motor fleet and property disposal.

Specialized Experience:

F Band Experience: This position requires at least 3 years of progressively responsible general experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-4, which demonstrates your ability to: Analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; and communicate effectively.

• Keywords: Analyze problems, Gather data, Recognize solutions, Plan and organize work and communicate.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge and experience in the application of Federal Laws, regulations, policies, and best practices for government personal property, asset management and capitalization. The incumbent typically acquires this knowledge through work involving acquiring, managing and disposing of personal property for the U.S. government. The incumbent may also acquire this knowledge through working in supply and inventory management and/or through formal training or education in business or logistics related fields.

• Keywords: Federal Laws and regulations for government personal property, asset management and capitalization. Acquiring and disposing of personal property. Supply and inventory management.

12 IMPORTANT KEYWORDS AND SKILLS TO ADD TO YOUR FEDERAL RESUME:

1. Logistics Service
2. Management of personal property
3. Property and accounting systems utilization
4. Acquiring and disposing of personal property
5. Automated property systems
6. Capitalization
7. Project management
8. Inventory control management
9. Analyze problems, Gather data, Recognize solutions
10. .Knowledge of Federal Laws and regulations for government personal property
11. Asset management and capitalization
12. Supply and inventory management

Student's Federal Career Guide, 2nd Ed.

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) December 12, 2011

In recent years, every US President has considered revamping the hiring system for federal jobs, and Obama has taken this a step further by instituting a set of reforms. Certain reforms, like the proposed Pathways Programs, are good news for students, and they reflect Uncle Sam’s desire to improve students’ federal career options as well as streamline the application processes. A new book, Student’s Federal Career Guide, 2^nd Edition, written by Federal Job Guru Kathryn Troutman and Federal Career Counselor Paul Binkley, provides a roadmap for the many current programs, as well as info on how they’re changing.

“With the current job market, there are fewer jobs in the private sector for new grads,” notes Troutman. “Federal student opportunities are out there, but students need this book to figure out how to find them and learn how to apply more successfully.”

Why should college students and student veterans consider Uncle Sam as an employer? One very important reason is that federal internships have a different application system, in which the students compete only amongst themselves (as opposed to someone with, let’s say, five years experience at Verizon). Troutman and Binkley agree that internships are one of the best ways for these groups to enter federal employment. There is also the Federal Student Loan Repayment program, through which a new hire for a federal job can negotiate the repayment of up to $60K along with their salary after their internship. Veterans can get tuition, books and housing under the GI Bill, secure a federal internship, and use the 5 or 10 points they get added to their federal resume scores when applying for a federal position when their internship is completed.

“I tell my students that the federal government is the largest employer in the country, bar none,” shares Binkley, who works at George Washington University. “You can find just about any job inside government.”

Student’s Federal Career Guide, 2^nd Edition, was written with both regular college students and student veterans in mind. With troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (40,000 expected from Iraq in the latest wave alone), many exiting soldiers are going back to school to prepare for their post-military careers. Veterans’ tips are included in every chapter, with special formatting. The eight case studies include three veterans. Troutman estimates the book’s emphasis overall to be 30% veteran and 70% regular student.

The guide’s format is an easy-to-follow and sensible Ten Step approach, a hallmark of Troutman’s federal career books It starts with networking, and also covers figuring out which agency and job title is right for you, understanding the student programs, finding positions, analyzing the announcements, writing resumes for internships and federal jobs, dealing with the KSAs, cover letters and questionnaires, applying for jobs and internships, tracking and following up on applications, and handling the interview.

An outstanding chapter is “Step 3: Programs for Students.” It describes the best ways for students to get into government under the current system, including STEP (Student Temporary Employment Program), SCEP (Student Career Experience Program), FWS (Federal Work Study), and Internships and Fellowships in general. The government will be offering its current programs until Obama’s new proposed Pathways Programs consolidate and replace most of them. “There are so many programs out there that students don’t know about,” says Binkley, “and they don’t know how to find them either. This book will enable them to become their own advocates.”

The guide’s winning resumes are great samples. Studying them will be crucial for students, since internship resumes and federal resumes are different and longer than private industry resumes. “Also, veterans often struggle to figure out how to translate what they’ve been doing in the military into a resume,” says Troutman. “Students have to blend in courses, majors, papers, projects, all they’re doing in college.” Both regular college students and student veterans are guided in the book on how to present their experiences in resumes and cover letters. Plus, three of the eight case examples are on the book’s website (www.tenstepsforstudents.org) in Word as templates. Troutman’s Resume Place offers resume writing and job coaching for those who want more assistance.

The book explains that Obama’s Pathways Initiative has three parts: (1) Internships (merging SCEP and STEP), (2) a new Recent Grads developmental program leading to federal employment, and (3) an improved Presidential Management Fellowship program. The projected time of implementation is around May 2012. Pathways updates and other fedjob news for students will be provided on the book’s website.

“This book provides massive information important to both students and their counselors,” says Troutman. “It’s for anyone who’s going back to school and wants to go into public service. Have it with you from Day One your freshman year to start building your internship resume.”

Contact Information

KATYRYN TROUTMAN, The Resume Place, (410) 744-4324

I have heard this anecdotally from others, but today I put this to the test. I used the USAJOBS 3.0 Advanced Search to find IT Specialist positions for a client. My search was: IT Specialist, Washington, DC, GS 12/13, and Federal Employee. Search results: 119 positions. BUT … only 9 positions were IT Specialist positions; the rest were Contract Specialist, EEO Specialist, Public Affairs Specialists, etc. This number could be a historic low; I normally would find well over 100 IT Specialist positions using this type of search.

I do believe that in the next couple of months, as the USAJOBS 3.0 issues get resolved, there will be a backlog of vacancies that will be posted.

What does this mean for you NOW? Get ready for a potential influx of job announcements! The next few months may well present one of your best opportunities to land a government job.

The government will be hiring again. Get ready to compete with a targeted federal resume written toward specific occupational standards.

While we wait for USAJOBS 3.0 to get fixed, we are offering a special price to get your federal résumé the best it could possibly be with the help of our certified writers.

We are offering $100 to $130 savings on our already-discounted packages for federal resume consulting & writing, cover letters, and USAJOBS submissions. Take advantage of this USAJOBS 3.0 debacle to get expert help with a good discount. The silver lining: take advantage of the great timing to get your federal resume written, targeted, posted in the USAJOBS 3.0 resume builder before the holidays. You’ll be done before the holiday rush.

This discount will last only 30 days. So don’t wait; check out our services and order your federal resume writing package. SAVE NOW!

– Kathryn Troutman, President, www.resume-place.com and www.fedjobtraining.com

USAJOBS 3.0 went up last Wednesday!  Have you checked it out?  Our reviews have found some important updates to USAJOBS that you will want to be aware of. We have certainly heard some complaints about accessing the new site and the advanced search function.  However, the resume builder has clearly been improved with new features and additional space. This change can make a big difference for the savvy federal job search applicant who can adjust their resume to take advantage of these improvements.

Find out what you need to know and what you need to do to improve your resume visibility in USAJOBS 3.0. Join our upcoming webinars to get the details of our review and our recommendations. Our USAJOBS 3.0 webinars are being offered once a month for the next few months.  The first webinar is THIS FRIDAY–don’t miss this opportunity to get ahead of the game! Register now »

Here are some immediate improvements to USAJOBS that we want to make sure you know about:

• USAJOBS will now be searchable by HR recruiters!
• USAJOBS 3.0 allows you to customize your job search.
• Your USAJOBS account is now managed by your email ID.
• USAJOBS 3.0 has a new Profile format with five pages of questions to answer to update your information.
• Work Experience Block space limit has increased from 3,000 characters with spaces to 5,000 characters with spaces.
• Work Experience job listings are now at the top of the Work Experience page. This helps resume writers to quickly see which jobs they have already listed without having to scroll down to the bottom of the page.  The same improvement has been made for the Education section.
• Now there are expand and shrink functions that allow you to see up to 50 lines of type in the Work Experience block, a huge increase from the previous 15 lines, making it easier for resume writers to get the full picture of their writing.
• Training and Publications increased to 5,000 characters with spaces from previous 3,000 characters.
• Final Resume View comes up automatically for you to quickly preview your final product and get a look at how the recruiters will view your resume. Make sure you use this opportunity to proof your resume carefully and make changes to improve the readability of your resume.
• Resume Upload: Now you can upload a Word document version of your resume into USAJOBS to be searchable by recruiters. There is even a sample federal resume that is acceptable, and tips for writing a good federal resume on this page.

Learn how to translate these changes into federal job search success in USAJOBS 3.0.

Here are some of the questions we will answer in our webinars:

• How can you make the most of the additional space for your resume?
• What changes should you make to your resume to make it more searchable in the new system?
• What does it mean that you can customize my job search?
• What is this feature? How can you use it to improve your chances of getting your resume recognized?
• What are the tips you should know for filling out the five-page profile section to make your information more visible to HR recruiters?
• What should you be careful about when managing your account information in the new system?
• How are the hiring eligibility and preferences fields being used by HR?
• What do you do with your Social Security number in USAJOBS 3.0?
• What do you writing the 500 character personal information block?

Overall, the improvements in the Profile, Resume Builder, and Resume Upload are very good. I especially like the restructure of the Work Experience and Education pages, so that the listing of jobs and education is on the top screen. And the 5,000 characters are now great (especially for former CHART resumes), and I like the Expand and Shrink work experience blocks. AND … the final preview of the resume before the FINISH button is really nice.  That is a great finale for a lot of hard work!

Thank you, USAJOBS 3.0 Resume Builder Team. This is a great improvement for thousands of resume builders who would like to land a federal job or internship! Kathryn Troutman, Author, Federal Resume Guidebook, 5^th Ed.

Register Now »

We are saying goodbye to CHART, the Department of the Navy’s hiring system.

I was the very first workshop leader for Navy Resumix in the Southeast Region in 1999-2000. At that time, Navy Civilian HR recruiters were transitioning from paper / SF-171 / resume to Resumix. I taught a group of 35 Human Resources specialists that they would be using an automated system to query for keywords from the applicant resumes. And the keywords would be taken from the announcement, PD or occupational series for the position. This was world-class change in Federal HR Recruitment.

Now in 2011, we are leaving Resumix and the keyword query system behind. I wrote the first (and only) book on how to write a Resumix resume for the Navy/USMC system, the Electronic Federal Resume Guidebook – filled with keywords for many occupational series.

Navy and US Marine Corps are moving to USAJOBS.gov, which is an automated application system of resumes online, and a questionnaire system in Application Manager. The Self-Assessment Questionnaire was originally designed and developed by Bryan Hochstein, Founder of QuickHire. This Questionnaire is now the “valid, reliable assessment tool” that President Obama wrote about in his Hiring Reform Executive Order.

Below is a summary of the major differences between CHART and USAJOBS for your consideration when revising your resume and applying for jobs with the NAVY and USMC through USAJOBS. Please share the dates, times and access to USAJOBS info with your colleagues and federal job-seeking friends.

Key Points About the Transition:

• All resume information in CHART will be manually uploaded and transferred to a USAJOBS account by September 30 as USAJOBS will not be available October 6-12 (due to updates and maintenance).
• If you didn’t make the September 30 deadline, you can still try to access your CHART resume and move it to USAJOBS before October 6.
• If you have an electronic copy of your CHART federal resume, you can copy it into the USAJOBS Resume Builder after October 12.
• CHART will be taken offline on October 12 for external applicants.
• Current DoD or DON employees will have access to CHART via their CAC until December 30.
• Applicants should search for civilian Navy and Marine Corps jobs at USAJOBS.

At a recent training, we said our farewells to CHART with CAKE!

** Photo of our Bye Bye CHART cake taken at the Federal Career Training Institute in Baltimore, MD with the following class members:

Front Row: Felipe Gonzalez (Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, GA); Victor Johnson (Marine Corps Community Services, Arlington, VA); Kathryn Troutman (President, Resume Place); Lisa Bauch (Military and Family Support Center, Joint Base Anacostia Bolling, DC); Paul Alen Stewart (Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, GA); Pamela Sikora (Resume Place)

Back Row: Dong Kim (McConnell AFB, Wichita, KS); Stephen Petro, Monroe Community College, Rochester, NY); Walter Anderson (Laughlin AFB, TX); Coletha Cox (Hanscom AFB, Woburn, MA); Sharon “Dee” McCrae (Aberdeen Workforce Center, Havre de Grace, MD)

The Differences Between CHART and USAJOBS

DONHR Civilians and Navy Civilian Jobseekers will be getting used to the USAJOBS.gov resume builder and the Applicationmanager.gov questionnaire after October 13. The new combination USAStaffing application is a whole new world for Navy Civilian Job Applicants. DONHR Civilians and Navy Civilian Jobseekers will be getting used to the USAJOBS.gov resume builder and the Applicationmanager.gov questionnaire after October 13. The new combination USAStaffing application is a whole new world for Navy Civilian Job Applicants.

How Applications are Processed

CHART: No More Resumix! CHART was a Resumix System where the HR specialists searched for best qualified candidates with keywords and keyword phrases. Army CPOL is still using Resumix for some agencies and bases, but this will end very soon also. Resumix will be totally gone in 2012.

USAJOBS: This is a human system, where the keywords are important for the resume for the human HR specialists and the supervisors to read, but there will not be any keyword searches for the best qualified candidates.

Document Submission

CHART: Resume Only + Supplemental Data Sheet + Documents.

USAJOBS: Resume Builder + Applicationmanager.gov Questionnaire + Documents (including optional cover letter).

Closing Dates

CHART: Most closing dates in the job announcements were Open Inventory – open for a year or more.

USAJOBS: Most closing dates have a closing date of 5 days to maybe 1 year.

Vacancy Announcements

CHART: Vacancy announcements were short, generic and used to collect resumes for entire occupational series for the program or organization to consider. The Navy Civilian announcements were not very helpful for finding keywords for writing the best federal resume.

USAJOBS: Vacancy announcements are usually more specific for a particular position or positions. The announcements will include better descriptions of duties, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities, specialized experience and questionnaires. Some announcements collect resumes for future consideration for a number of programs or organizations; some are for locations throughout the US or the world.

Character Counts

CHART: You could write up to 6,500 characters for each of your Work Experience job blocks.

USAJOBS: You can write only 3,000 characters (including spaces) for each of your Work Experience job blocks.

Resume Format

CHART: Big Block format. The Work Experience blocks were typically written in Big Block format with the 6,000+ characters in one paragraph, which is difficult for HR reviewers and supervisors to read. It was commonly thought that “since a computer reads the resume, the big block of type is just fine.”

USAJOBS: Small paragraphs with Accomplishments. No computers are reading the resumes, only people. Therefore, the Big Block paragraph format is not a competitive style for the USAJOBS HR reviewers and supervisors. For USAJOBS, the federal resume should be written in small paragraphs, 6 to 8 lines long; should include accomplishments to support the KSAs in the announcement; and should include keywords that match the duties and questionnaire questions. This combination of small paragraphs, keywords and accomplishments will be easy for HR reviewers and supervisors to read.

Resume Selection

CHART: The first cut was made by Resumix and keywords. The HR specialist review was done bykeywords with the Resumix system. The HR specialist and supervisor would agree on 5 to 7 keywords to “pull” the best qualified candidates. The applicant had to show minimum qualifications and have the keywords in order to get referred.

USAJOBS: The first cut is made by the Questionnaires. The HR specialist review is done by getting the score on the multiple-choice, self-assessment questionnaire. Therefore, you should give yourself all the credit that you can on the questionnaire. Your questionnaire score is added to your resume score, and that will determine if you are Minimally Qualified, Qualified or Best Qualified.

Moving Resumes from CHART to USAJOBS for DON and DoD Employees