Jorge Delgado, Wan Embrey, Todd Burkholder and Jose Fiallos, Command Career Counselors; Kathryn Troutman, Certified Federal Job Search Trainer Founder
CFJST Training: Naples, Italy, Aug 2010

“It’s a very stressful time,” admits Jeremy Denton*, a veteran remembering his return from Iraq after serving there in the Marines. “As chaotic as being in the military might be, you knew where you were going to be. Once you’re on your own, there’s no safety net.”

It certainly is a tough time for GIs to be coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, with the recent dismal US employment reports of 130,000 jobs lost in July. Jeremy observes, “When you transition, if you don’t have a plan, you’re going to fall on your face.”

Shirley Victa, Regional Education Services Coordinator Fleet and Family Support Programs; Glovinia Harris, Regional Work / Family Life Coordinator, CNR Europe Africa & SW Asia; and Kathryn Troutman, President and Founder of The Resume Place (www.resume-place.com), have a plan for federal job search training!

It’s called “Ten Steps to a Federal Job.” This step-by-step approach to finding federal employment is an integral part of the Federal Job Search Certification training she is taking “across the pond.” Known as the “federal jobs guru,” Troutman has been hired by the Fleet and Family Services Centers of the Navy to appear at three European locations to train their employment readiness counselors – in Naples, Italy; Sigonella, Italy; and Rota, Spain.

“The federal government is the number one popular employer for separated and retired veterans,” says Troutman. “With this training, when the transition counselors have their military customers come in — and there will be many with the drawdown in Iraq in process — they will be able to help them in a more efficient, empowering, and informed way.”

The Ten Steps curriculum is currently being taught by transition counselors in all branches of the armed services at over 100 bases around the world, to separating and retiring military, and their accompanying spouses.

Locations include Bahrain, Guam, Japan and Alconbury, England. However, in the past, the counselors had to travel to attend The Resume Place’s certification program. Now Troutman is bringing the training right to the three Navy bases (Naples, Italy: August 16-20/Sigonella, Italy: August 23-27/Rota, Spain: August 30-September 2).

“This training will give the transition counselors updated knowledge, including the latest on federal hiring reforms,” notes Troutman. “President Obama came out with new programs for federal hiring of both veterans and their accompanying spouses. We’ll be covering how federal job applications are handled throughout the whole process.”

Troutman sees the possibility of federal employment as being more important than ever to veterans, as separating military face an uncertain future in a down economy. “Training like this could help reduce vets’ suicides and make it easier to overcome Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).” And she applauds the changes in spousal hiring. “The spouses would like to get a federal job as it helps them transition to new employment from base to base,” Troutman says. “This can help the military have a better quality of life by bringing more income to families.”

The certification training includes licensing of a new updated Ten Steps to a Federal Jobs Powerpoint presentation, designed as a three-hour workshop.

“The Ten Steps and the Powerpoint presentation make this material easier to cover,” explains Troutman. “It gives the counselors a structure to use to teach federal job searching. And for the jobseeker, it helps them realize that this is a campaign, and each step is important.”

Also associated with the Federal Job Search Trainer certification is the use of the new 4th edition of a workbook called the Jobseeker’s Guide. Covering all Ten Steps, this Guide includes useful federal resume samples in Troutman’s “Outline Format” that integrate keywords from federal vacancy announcements.

Troutman will be the lead trainer at the 3-day Certified Federal Job Search Trainings in Europe. She heads up The Resume Place, a resume writing and federal job search consulting company in Baltimore, and is the author of six federal career guides, including her latest Military to Federal Career Guide, 2nd edition. Accompanying her will be Emily Troutman, a Ten Steps Trainer and the co-author of The Student’s Federal Career Guide, and Sandra Keppley, a Human Resources expert, who will cover the bulk of the federal hiring changes and reforms.

“It’s important to be able to create a strong foundation when you get back,” notes armed services veteran Jeremy. “And this is especially important for the guys who have a family. Though the military pay isn’t that good, it gets to be pretty substantial when you add up all the benefits such as medical coverage and housing allowances. Having the ability to be trained and prepare yourself to get a good job at home with good benefits is definitely vital.”

For more info on the Certified Federal Job Search Trainer Program, go to http://www.resume-place.com/training/certification-programs/.

Note: US-based Certification Training is available on Sept. 14-16, 2010 at Loyola College, Columbia, MD; and Sept. 21-23, 2010 at Little Rock AFB, Little Rock, AR.

Interested in hosting a program?

This program is available to be presented at your base, state, country or site! We recently presented the program at Charleston AFB, Yuma Private Investment Agency, Yuma, AZ and Lemoore, CA.

Minimum of 10 participants required at your site (computer room).

Email us at training@resume-place.com.

*Jeremy Dutton is an actual veteran whose case study appears in the Military to Federal Career Guide. His name and some identifying details have been changed.

Baltimore, MD, August 6, 2010

In a speech Aug. 2 to a veterans organization, President Barack Obama announced that our combat mission in Iraq will conclude as promised by August 31st. He also noted that 90,000 military service members will have returned by then. Since the government emphasizes hiring vets, the federal job market is one of the best for vets leaving the military. However, few vets are familiar with writing a federal-style resume, let alone one that stands out. Thus they often apply for government positions with private industry resumes that are too short, too dense, too filled with military jargon, and too lacking in an emphasis on the skills and experience federal HR needs.

“No matter how much the government emphasizes hiring vets, or what job fairs present, or what jobs are open on USAJOBS.GOV, veterans still must have an excellent, targeted federal resume that demonstrates their best qualifications,” notes Kathryn Troutman, author of the Military to Federal Career Guide, 2nd edition (released in June). “That’s why I wrote this book.”

The new 2nd edition of the Military to Federal Career Guide has been streamlined with fewer pages (136 pp. down from 400 pp.), an easy-to-follow step-by-step format, non-complex writing, and a reasonable price ($18.95 paper, $14.95 ebook). Both the books and CD-ROM feature six case studies that provide inspiration and models for proper federal resume writing. (The case studies in the book are based on actual people, with names and some details changed.)

Jeremy D. Dutton’s case study is an excellent example of how a vet’s resume can come across as unimpressive without having sample resumes to study. Dutton had served as a Helicopter Crew Chief in Iraq without a loss of life or aircraft on any of his missions. When he wrote his “before resume,” he had been out of the military for two years, had gone back to school for a degree in Government & Public Policy under the GI bill, and was working as a bartender. Troutman notes that his original resume (which is on the CD-ROM for comparison) left out Jeremy’s new college degree, which he did finish, his 3.7 GPA average, all his honors and awards, his training and certifications in the military, his accomplishments, and crucial details of his work as a Team Leader in the Marine Corps. Troutman says that “his original resume was so generic and typical that he would never have stood out as a good candidate for a management position in government.”

“It can be difficult to find a job while still stationed overseas, especially in a war zone,” notes Resume Place spokesperson Diane Hudson Burns. “Even so, there are things that they can do as they anticipate coming home from Iraq and leaving the service.” For instance, she says that they can start thinking about what types of federal jobs they want to apply for when they return to the United States. They can put an alert on their account at USAJOBS.GOV (the federal government’s official job site) so announcements will be emailed to them related to sought-after job categories. They can study the announcements for keywords and other language to use in their resumes. They can write a list of their “Top 10 Accomplishments” (explained in the book) to integrate into their resumes. And they can start writing their federal resume with the help of the ebook version of the Military to Federal Career Guide. That way, once they get home, they’ll be ready to jump into their job search campaign. (Some military service personnel have friends and family back home send in the resumes ahead of time.)

Last November, the President issued an Executive Order emphasizing the importance of hiring vets in the federal government. So now is a good time for veterans to apply for federal jobs, which pay $67,691 on average according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But as a veteran recently commented to Troutman, the most important element in landing a federal position is taking the necessary action. “He had recently transitioned from military to civilian life and he said, ‘You know, being successful at this is really up to the veteran.’ I agree. What I offer in the book are tools that will make this effort go more smoothly. The veteran needs to supply the time for the job search, perseverance and determination.”
For interviews, please contact Diane Hudson Burns at 208.323.9636.

About the Book
The Military to Federal Career Guide is one of six books by Troutman on federal careers available at www.resume-place.com. Go to http://www.resume-place.com/books/military-to-federal-career-guide/ for immediate access to the ebook. ($14.95 ebook/$18.95 paper; 136 pp.; accompanying CD-Rom has type-over federal resume and cover letter templates.)

About the Author & Resume Place
Kathryn Troutman has over 30 years experience in the federal marketplace. In addition to publishing, her company the Resume Place also offers resume writing and federal job-search coaching services.

Eases the Process of Starting a Career in the Federal Government, July 10, 2010
By JD USMC
This Amazon.com review is from: Military to Federal Career Guide, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

After 4+ years in the Marines I was ready for a break and ready to take advantage of the experience my military service gave me. Like all Marines (and I suspect other transitioning Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard personnel) I was made to go through a rushed TAP/ TAMP class on how to get out of the military and be successful as a civilian. After I was forced through yet another power point numbing series of classes punctuated by mock interviews and civilian attire inspections, and after I was mentally preparing to EAS; my unit was deployed for 8 months. I got home and left the Corps 2 weeks after returning to CONUS.

I hate long rambling reviews so I’ll try to get to the book. After I worked my way through school with the help of my GI Bill (that didn’t pay nearly all my education expenses) I found myself lacking a real plan. I started looking into careers in the Federal Government and was baffled and frustrated by USAjobs, Army Resume Builder and all the competition from those snot-nose kids whose parents paid their way through college while I was enjoying MRE’s and bottled water in a place whose name they never will care to learn. I got lucky and stumbled across an early run of the second edition of this book after it came out at the NY Book Expo of America last May. I worked through the book and the CD and I found the process much more manageable. What made it easy were the sample resumes from actual military personal.

I could use their resumes as a starting point for mine. Like them, I found actual jobs on USAjobs and worked the language of the posting into my resume and cover letter. Then there are instructions in the book on how to submit your resume and how long you can expect to wait before you hear back. Additionally there are interview tips and pointers on how to follow up on submitted applications. Finally, in summation, I am personally satisfied with my results after putting in the effort and working through this book, hopefully you will be to. If not, that’s OK. Just hope we both don’t go out for the same opening. Cheers.

Even so, it is still important to demonstrate in your federal job application that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform a job. How do I recommend that you do that? Include the KSAs in your federal resume! In fact, vacancy announcements are already listing KSAs in the qualifications section with the note that the KSAs should be included in the text of the resume.

The best way to make your KSAs stand out in the federal resume is to use our recommended Outline Format for USAJOBS and other online builders. The sample federal resume in this article, which is in USAJOBS format, includes the KSAs found in the vacancy announcement.

Recommend Format for KSAs in the Federal Resume

The Outline Format for your federal resume was first developed in 2000 when Department of Defense agencies introduced the Resumix system. The Resumix system is a keyword system and is still the resume format used today by Army, Navy, and Department of Defense agencies. The Outline Format features keywords that could be the search terms used by the human resources specialists and supervisors.

The KSAs can also be highlighted in the Outline Format by carefully selecting KSA keywords as the paragraph headers, then formatting these headers in ALL CAPS so that the information is very clear to the human resources specialist. The sample federal resume below clearly features the KSAs from Duties; Qualifications; and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities statements listed in the announcement.

Readability is Key to Success for KSAs in the Federal Resume

Federal resumes posted in USAJOBS are read by federal human resources specialists, not a machine or artificial intelligence system. Being able to easily find the KSAs in the federal resume will make it easier to determine that you are Best Qualified for a certain position. Using a limited amount of ALL CAPS in your USAJOBS or builder resume can help HR and the supervisor see your KSAs and specialized experience.

How to Include KSAs or Qualifications in Your Federal Resume

1. Find the KSAs in the announcement in the Qualifications section.
2. Copy them into a Word file.
3. Copy the KSA into your resume.
4. Match your current resume duties and accomplishments to the KSAs.
5. Create the Outline Format, so that the KSAs stand out for the HR specialist.
6. Write a description of your skills in each KSA area and give a short example if you can. It is important to give an example that demonstrates your past performance for each KSA.
7. Write the KSA information within the Work Experience section of your resume.
8. Emphasize the KSA skills within the last 10 years if you can.
9. Emphasize the KSA skills within the most recent one or two positions if you can.
10. Give example for the KSAs if you can. This will improve your chances of being best qualified.

KSAs in the Resume – Sample Outline Format from USAJOBS

The KSAs for this position are the following:
– TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM SUPPORT to an analytical workforce.
– DATA COLLECTION: Gather, evaluate, and compile variety of data and information to report progress.
– REPORT PRODUCTION AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
– CUSTOMER SERVICES AND OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

SARA JACOBS
4567 Dandelion Way
Washington, DC 20009
Mobile: 202-222-2323
Email: smjacobs@verizon.net

WORK EXPERIENCE
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate
8/2009 – Present
Washington, DC US Grade Level: GS-07
Salary: 52,794 USD Per Year
Hours per week: 40
Management and Program Assistant, 0344

TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM SUPPORT to an analytical workforce. As the sole Management Assistant to 10 Analysts, I support higher-level analysts in research and analysis of weapons of mass destruction. Conduct special research projects as assigned or as a team member. Support analysts with administrative tasks and assist in conducting studies concerning research on weapons of mass destruction.

DATA COLLECTION: Gather, evaluate, and compile variety of data and information to report progress. The analysts depend on me to compile and write drafts of final reports to include editing for obvious omissions or errors, as well as compliance with established format. Produce charts and graphics with content provided by analysts and original research.

REPORT PRODUCTION AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION: I am the quality-control check and proofread reports and other documents for correct information. Coordinate administrative requirements with other Dept. of Homeland Security offices. I maintain the WMD databases, identify trends/patterns, compile reports, and apply data-gathering methods to collect information.

CUSTOMER SERVICES AND OFFICE ADMINISTRATION: I am the primary point of contact for the Directorate Analysts. I also hold primary responsibility for administrative programs and ensure compliance with all procedural requirements.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

+ Updated the WMD database with more than 2 months of data collected by the analysts. Created a spreadsheet with the updated information to summarize data collected, as well as news summaries from major news outlets. Received recognition from my supervisor for attention to detail.

+ Developed a spreadsheet to maintain project status of the Analysts’ research, which was posted for easy access and 24×7 viewing. This resulted in less repetition in research and immediate information on available date. (Contact Supervisor: Yes, Supervisor’s Name: Joette Zimmerman, Supervisor’s Phone: 202-222-2222)

*Sample from the Federal Resume Guidebook & CD-ROM, 4th, Edition, Publisher: JIST, Inc.; Author: Kathryn Troutman

What you will need:

1. Several resume versions in your USAJOBS Resume builder Account. Each resume should be named for the occupational series the resume represents, i.e., Contract Specialist, Teacher, Background Investigator, Program Analyst, Park Ranger.

2. Several vacancy announcements matching your qualifications.

3. Three browser windows opened simultaneously with the following webpages:
– USAJOBS announcement page
– USAJOBS resume builder page
– Questionnaire page for that particular announcement (open in Firefox)

4. Any necessary documents (such as transcripts) in PDF format to upload. Or have ready to fax if needed with official fax cover sheet.

Directions

Step 1: Review Vacancy Announcements (Browser 1 / USAJOBS)

After you have found some possible job announcements, analyze each announcement. Read the grade level; location; job title; determine if this is right for you. Go to the Qualifications tab and read Specialized Experience. If this sounds right for you. then to go next step. Look at the duties and specialized experience and make a list of at least 5-10 keywords to add into one of your resume versions.

For this particular job search, I analyzed a number of announcements and narrowed them down to these four:

• Teacher, USDA, Forest Service, Job Corps, GS 9, Permanent, Full-time, Avuecentral.com, selected 3 states
• Training Coordinator, USDA, Forest Service, Job Corps, GS 7, 6 month seasonal, Avuecentral.com, selected 3 states
• Background Investigator, OPM, GS 7, full-time permanent, USAJOBS and applicationmanager.gov, selected 2 states
• Contract Specialist, HHS, Program Service Center, Rockville, MD, USAJOBS and Quickhire questionnaire

Step 2: Get Your Resumes Ready (Browser 2 /Your USAJOBS Resume Builder page)

Keep this page up on a separate browser ALL the time.

Select a resume for each announcement. Edit the resumes by adding keywords from the announcements, review them to make sure that all information is up to date, and RENAME the resumes so that each reflects the position.

If you don’t have a resume for a particular announcement, DUPLICATE one of the others, and follow the steps above.

Step 3: Hit Apply Now (Browser 1 / USAJOBS Announcement)

Now that your resume is ready, you can go back to the vacancy announcement and hit the APPLY NOW button. You will see a BRIDGE page that will TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE. On this bridge page, you will probably be asked to select a resume from your USAJOBS Resume Builder page. Select the newly named resume and the application will take you to a new page.

Step 4: Answer the Questionnaire (Browser 3 / Questionnaire)

NOTE about the third browser: When you go to the questionnaire page, you will move away from your original USAJOBS announcement. Open a new browser with the announcement in USAJOBS again, so you don’t forget what you are applying for. When you read the questions, you might wonder about the context of the question. You can go back to the annoucnement and read the Duties or Qualifications or Mission again to try to understand the questions.

The questionnaire page could be applicationmanager.gov, avuecentral.com, quickhire.com, or monster.com. The government agencies uses a variety of questionnaires for their assessment questions. Start the questionnaire usually with the tabs on the left. Answer the questions. Most of the questions do NOT require essays now, so they are easier than before. Read them carefully. They could have trick questions. I answered 87 questions yesterday for Background Investigator and right in the middle there were two questions about being a fireman and ambulance driver working in emergency planning work. Good thing I was awake and reading carefully. The questions were easy.

Avuecentral.com: I wanted to use my USAJOBS resume instead of completing the entire avuecentral builder. But the builder insisted that I complete the Avuecentral builder. I had to put at least two relevant Work History experiences in the builder and at least one education section, so I did that. Then I uploaded the USAJOBS resume for the entire application. I also uploaded the transcript which was over at USAJOBS. I took it out of my USAJOBS account and put it into the avuecentral account.

Summary

I applied to four applications in 90 minutes. All of them had questionnaires with no essays or KSAs. I was prepared, however. I had 4 resumes in the USAJOBS builder, each named carefully, and transcript was already in USAJOBS. I found four good announcements that were GS 7/9. I really found five, but one of the announcements turned out to require a qualification that my client didn’t have – a Master’s degree or other post graduate degree. I didn’t see it until I was in screen 2 in a questionnaire. But I had only wasted 10 minutes restructuring the resume with 5 keywords and renaming it.

The reason this was fast was because I was organized with my browsers. I had the USAJOBS Resume Builder page up and ready for analysis, adding keywords and renaming. I knew I was going to some kind of questionnaire system, so I was prepared with the right resume version. When I was turned over to the questionnaire page, I went back to a NEW browser and opened up the USAJOBS announcement again (you can’t go BACK from the questionnaire, and you might need to refer to the announcement again). So, those are my three browsers that helped me stay efficient and focused with my applications.

We’ll see what happens with the applications this week. The next step will be to go back to USAJOBS, applicationmanager.gov, and avuecentral.com in one week (next Monday) and see if they have scored any of the applications and if there are any notices in the application tracking page. That will be interesting.

Good luck with your speedy federal job applications with three browsers.

HOT TIPS

Be sure to check off Temp, Term, Permanent, Seasonal – whatever types of positions you can accept. Temp and Term positions could be changed into a permanent one after hire.

Cover letter: You can add a cover letter by browsing and uploading; or adding into ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

Review your resumes frequently to update them.

Kathryn Troutman rolled out the 2nd edition of the Military to Federal Career Guide, 2nd Edition at the Book Expo of America in NYC last week. The second edition is VERY different from the first edition. The new book is 130 pages and is $18.95 and STILL contains a CD with sample in Word to use as templates. The samples are all from E-5 and E-7 military careers that are transitioning into federal services. It is easy to read and will be very helpful to the returning and separating military. Photos by Zoey Troutman.

The expected turnout of librarians was really disappointing, but we always learn something about book publishing to bring back to our publishing and distribution services at The Resume Place, Inc. We found out the librarians have to PAY to come to the BEA now. And the librarians usually come to BEA on weekends. But we will find other ways to meet with librarians.

Since Fleet Week was going on in NYC at the same time, we took 10 of our books down to the Iwo Jima and signed and gave away books to the military personnel on the ship and the CH53 helicopter crew chiefs. Read more about the Autographing.

Zoey Troutman and Kim Schmitt are looking at the Miltiary book at Justin’s sample resume. This is the lead sample in the Book. CH 53 Helicopter Crew Chief, E-5, Jeremy is leaving USMC to go back to finish college degree. And is seeking Program Analyst position at Government Printing Office. We featured TEAMWORK, CRITICAL THINKING, PLANNING, COORDINATING and other competencies that are transferrable to a civil service position.

I met Joe McCarthy, author of Checks for Vets, a guidetook to help wartime service veterans and their surviving spouses receive VA pensions to pay for long-term care. Tips for Veterans are posted on his website.

The Military to Federal Career Guide, 2nd Edition will be available in all major booksellers in August 1st. There are a few pre-publication copies available for previewing. Please write to kathryn@resume-place.com for a free copy of the book.

We were invited by Crew Chiefs of the CH53 Super Stallion Helicopter to come and tour the helicopter — and bring our books too! The Crew Chiefs on the Iwo Jima were fascinated with the sample Crew Chef resume and the possible career they can begin if and when they separate or retire someday. These Crew Chiefs were very happy in their current military careers, so, the book was for future planning or friends who were considering a separation.

Kathryn Troutman, Zonette Troutman and Kim Schmitt walked down to the Harbor after a busy day at the Book Expo of America to climbed aboard the CH53 for parachute lessons. From the looks of our faces, it seems like we were going to take off any second.

The Military to Federal Career Guide, 2nd edition (pre-pub copies available now) features as the first sample, a federal resume for a CH-53 Helicopter Crew Chief / Pilot who flew 60 missions in Iraq. We are very proud of his service and success with his missions. He has just finished his college degree cum laude with the GI Bill, and is now in the Maryland National Guard, and pursing a career as a Civil Servant as well. FREE pub-publication copies of the book are available for preview for a limited time. Write to Kathryn@resume-place.com. Available from our website and amazon very soon – this week!

Kathryn Troutman’s Federal Resume Writing Tips

Washington Post, May 26, 2010

“The federal resume is not the same as a private industry resume. Private industry resumes are usually no longer than 2 pages; the federal resume is an average of 4 pages. Federal resumes MUST match a target announcement to stand out and eventually get referred to a supervisor…”

Read more »

Resume Adviser Helps Ranks of Would-Be Federal Workers Navigate Applications

Washington Post, May 27, 2010

“In a cramped glassed-in room in Crystal City, Kathryn Troutman, who last worked for the federal government as a secretary during the Vietnam War, faces 19 job seekers, the latest of thousands of would-be civil servants who have come to know her as the federal jobs guru…”

Read more »

Federal Job-Hunt Maven in the Spotlight

GovernmentExecutive.com, May 27, 2010

“The fact that there is a market for the services Kathryn provides is an indictment of the current [hiring] system,” John Palguta of the Partnership for Public Service told the Post. “You can’t figure it out without some help… “

Read more »

Book Signing, Military to Federal Career Guide 2nd Edition

Book Expo of America, New York City, May 26, 2010

Kathryn Troutman autographed her new book, Military to Federal Career Guide, 2nd Edition, Federal Resume Writing for Veterans. Kathryn also visited military personnel aboard the Iwo Jima for Fleet Week. She signed books and gave autographed books to Crew Chiefs of CH53 Super Stallion Helicopters.

Article from: www.fedmanager.com/current_e-report.php#1659

OPM and OMB Unveil Major Overhaul of Federal Hiring Process

Last Tuesday, OPM Director John Berry and U.S. Chief Performance Officer Jeffrey Zients unveiled a major overhaul of the federal hiring process, outlining reforms ordered by President Obama. Speaking at OPM headquarters alongside Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, Berry detailed President Obama’s initiative to bring a 21st century approach to the federal hiring system. The announcement was made before an audience of high-ranking officials from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs, as well as federal employees and private sector human resource experts. The announcement came shortly after President Obama issued a memorandum to federal agencies directing them to overhaul their hiring procedures within 180 days.

“Federal workers fill crucial roles that defend Americans from terrorism, infectious diseases, food-borne pathogens, forest fires and countless other threats. We can’t afford delays in filling these jobs, nor can we rely on a system that causes qualified candidates to give up in frustration. President Obama and I believe that we must cut the red tape clogging the Federal hiring process in order to bring aboard outstanding applicants quickly,” OPM Director John Berry said at the announcement event. “President Obama has undertaken a series of reforms today that aren’t so much steps, as leaps forward. I understand the frustration of every applicant who previously has had to wade through the arcane federal hiring process. If qualified applicants want to serve our country through the federal service, then our application process should facilitate that. These reforms are concrete, broad, and will help us do just that. They honor core merit system principles and the sacrifice of the men and women serving our country by preserving their veteran’s preference. And, these reforms will save the American taxpayer money and free up scarce resources that will allow Federal agencies to better serve our nation.”

“The best talent doesn’t wait around for 140 days – they find another job,” said Chief Performance Officer Jeff Zients. “We need to streamline our hiring process to make it more competitive and candidate-friendly. Across twenty years in the private sector, I’ve seen that the best performing organizations focus on people as their most important tool for improving performance. It is time for the federal government to start doing the same.”

At the announcement event, Director Berry outlined steps that President Obama has taken to reform the federal hiring and recruitment process.

In his Memorandum, President Obama directed federal agencies to:

– Dramatically reduce the time between when a job is announced and is filled.

– Eliminate essays as an initial application requirement. Essays may still be used later in the process. Under the previous system, if an individual applied for five separate federal jobs, he or she often needed to complete five separate sets of lengthy essays.

– Use shorter, plain-language job announcements.

– Accept resumes from applicants, instead of requiring them to submit complex applications through outdated systems.

– Allow hiring managers to choose from among a group of best qualified candidates, rather than limiting their choice to just three names, through expanded use of “category ratings.”
Notify applicants in a timely manner (and at four points in the process) through USAJobs.gov – eliminating the “black hole” that applicants often feel they enter when they get no response to their application.

– Submit a hiring and recruitment plan for top talent to OPM by the end of this year.

– Have all Cabinet-level and Senior Administration Officials visiting universities or colleges on official business incorporate time to discuss career opportunities in the federal service with students.

Additionally, the President directed OPM to:

– Design a government-wide plan for recruiting and hiring qualified, diverse talent.

– Review the Federal Career Intern Program and, within 90 days, offer a recommendation to the President on its future and on providing effective pathways into the federal service for college students and graduates.

– Work with agencies to ensure that best practices are being developed and used throughout Government.

OPM is also launching a web site intended to guide federal agencies and hiring managers through this change at: www.opm.gov/hiringreform.

For complete details on hiring reform, including additional measures taken by President Obama and OPM, a Video News Release, and webcast of the entire press conference, visit the OPM web site.

According to a recent article in which USATODAY analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 180 federal salaries were better than private sector levels. In contrast, only 36 private sector salaries exceeded federal pay.

Add to that the fact that federal benefits averaged $40,785 per federal employee in 2008 vs. $9,882 per private worker, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

At a time when job news is grim, this development makes a $600 federal resume a good investment.

Check out the USATODAY article to see specific job salary comparisons between private industry and the federal government. Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website to see find more salary data for your field.