Kathryn,

As a DON HR Specialist, who works exclusively with staffing/recruiting, I totally appreciate your attempt to clarify the importance of actually READING the entire announcement and following it’s directions. I put a lot of effort towards creating that announcement and assessment questionnaire to capture the essential aspects of the vacancy. My goal is to give the applicant as much information as I can about how to qualify and how to apply to that vacancy.

When you stated that “ignoring the instructions and notices on a federal job announcement is the most sure-fire way to guarantee that your application will not be considered” you were SPOT ON!!!! If you can’t even follow written instructions, do you really think you are the best qualified candidate for that vacancy? Good Grief!

Now, if you could address (or re-address as the case might be) the fact that in order for me (the HR Specialist) to determine if you are qualified for the vacancy, you ACTUALLY have to TELL me in your resume why and where you have the experience to qualify you for the vacancy, because, really…. I don’t know you and I don’t know what your current or past job experience is….. the burden is on you to convince me (via your resume) that you are the best qualified candidate for that vacancy….

Thanks, Kathryn, for your articles… I’ve enjoyed and appreciated them for many years!

– Sally A. Klein, HR Specialist, DON OCHR Silverdale Operations

Find the Pot of Gold in the Vacancy Announcement

To reiterate what Ms. Klein emphasized, you must TELL the human resources specialist in your resume why and where you have the experience to qualify for the job.

How, exactly, do you do this?

I teach my clients to find the pot of gold in the vacancy announcement. The Specialized Experience section is where the jackpot of information and keywords is hidden. You can analyze the Specialized Experience section of the vacancy announcement for the relevant skills that must be (legitimately) included in your resume in order to qualify for the job. Make sure the knowledge, skills, and abilities from this section of the announcement are clearly identifiable in your resume.

As always, good luck with your federal job search.

Every federal job announcement comes with a helpful set of instructions and notices from the human resources specialist who produced the recruitment notice.

Most applicants skim through these – or ignore them altogether – because they are crunched for time, or simply don’t have the desire to read the entirety of a federal job announcement.

But ignoring the instructions and notices on a federal job announcement is the most sure-fire way to guarantee that your application will not be considered.  The job seeker who takes the time to read the helpful instructions and notices enjoys a “leg up” in ensuring that their application packages meet the specific requirements set by Human Resources.

Human Resources Specialists are very particular about the applications they oversee. With an average of 1,000 applicants for every generalist position, Human Resources Specialists need to weed out the competition; they do this by providing a number of very specific instructions.  If the instructions are not followed, the application is either “scored-down” or simply rated ineligible. If the instructions are followed, the application is reviewed, scored, and–barring any disqualifiers–rated eligible.

One of the most important lessons you can apply when considering a federal job is: read the entire announcement and follow the directions.

This sounds like common sense advice, yet everyday otherwise qualified federal job seekers see their applications excluded from consideration, because they did not take the time to read the announcement and follow its specific instructions.

Here are some of my favorite notices, with comments:

The Questionnaire Crosscheck

“NOTE: Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified. Your ratings in this Occupational Questionnaire are subject to evaluation and verification based on the documents and references you submit. Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your ratings. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency.”

Kathryn’s comment: The HR person here is saying that your resume will be compared to your answers in the questionnaire. And if you inflated your questionnaire answers and your resume does not verify your level of skills, they have the authority to throw out your application.

KSAs in the Resume

“NOTE: Your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your application how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the KSAs identified below. Cite specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position. DO NOT write “see resume” in your application!”

Kathryn’s comment: Your resume should include the KSAs. You should not write KSA narratives separately. And the examples demonstrating the KSAs should be within the resume.

Specialized Experience

“Within their resume applicants must explain how they have gained the Specialized Experience required for this position. Applicants applying at the GS-09 level must have 24 months experience, education, or training in budget methods and operating procedures”

Kathryn’s comment: Your resume must explain how you gained the specialized experience. You must show that you have 24 months of budget experience and the details written in this paragraph. This MUST be in your resume!

Word to the Wise

There are, of course, a range of notices including everything from application instructions to warnings about false statements.  Notices in an announcement are helpful to you, the applicant, because they serve as a roadmap for a successfully submitted application. Most important notices are in bold type, ALL CAPS, red type, or italics.  Anytime you see words or phrases in one of these different font settings, take heed!  It is imperative that you review these to determine if your application is falling short.

These are just a few examples of the many specific instructions and notices that you will find in federal job announcements.  Read them carefully!  And then follow them exactly. Doing so can make all the difference in your federal job search.

A typical profile looks something like the following:

PROFILE: Results-oriented manager with 25+ years of leadership experience in operations, administration, and budgeting. Pioneer with a proven ability to lead large-scale undertakings in highly sensitive and publicly visible contexts.  Recognized for financial stewardship, I possess a record of strategic planning, improving business processes, increasing productivity, and achieving significant cost savings. Strong interpersonal and communication ability with a record of proactively conveying operational needs to senior executives.

But what role do profiles play in Federal Resumes, if any?

This question is regularly debated among jobseekers – some arguing that profiles play a key role in helping their resumes stand out and get rated more highly, while others are not so sure.  The reality is more complicated – there are pros and cons to including a profile in your resume.

PRO: The federal supervisor may read your profile to get a “snapshot” of your background. This may help you stand out once your application is on the hiring manager’s desk.  But a profile, in this context, is an eye-catcher, not the selling point.  If the profile is interesting enough, the remainder of your work experience, education, and competencies – as demonstrated throughout the rest of your resume – will determine whether you are called for an interview.

CON: Including a profile on your resume does NOT help initially qualify you for the position.  The profile does not count toward establishing qualifications, category ratings, or points toward your application during the evaluation process.  If the information in the profile is not anchored to a specific position and corresponding set of dates, the Human Resources Specialist will not know how long you have possessed your claimed skills and abilities.

So what’s the best solution?

Establish your “One-Year Specialized Experience” by moving the profile content into the Work Experience sections. Profiles make for nice reading, but ultimately don’t help qualify you (i.e., increase your score) for target federal positions.  Hiring managers will review your entire resume regardless of whether your resume sports a profile.  The best approach is for you to demonstrate your experience and qualifications in the “meat” of the federal resume.  Doing so will help you get qualified and help you get full consideration by the hiring manager.

Candidates may sample the Situational Judgment Test and Writing Exercise online.

The 2013 exam is the first to administer an avatar-driven Situational Judgment Test, and it is the first to include a timed, online writing exercise. Although candidates will not be able to access the Situational Judgment test or complete the writing exercise until the April 29-May 10 window opens, a sample is provided here: https://www.usajobsassess.gov/assess/default/sample/Sample.action?ALJSampleForm. This sample reveals that the SJT will be used to assess 6 of the 13 competencies: decision making, interpersonal skills, judicial management, judicial temperament, litigation and courtroom competence, and problem solving. (Note: some but not all of these 6 were tested for via narrative response in 2009.)

Unfortunately, there is no OPM preview of the Experience Assessment.

The online sample does not discuss Section 3—the Experience Assessment portion of the Online Component—nor does it define the competencies. We are left with the language from the announcement itself:

Section 3: Experience Assessment – The Experience Assessment includes multiple-choice and open-ended questions about work experience that is related to ALJ positions. Applicants select a multiple-choice response and write a narrative response, as appropriate, to indicate and document their experience associated with the targeted competency. The Experience Assessment is not timed.

At this point, candidates should be preparing CCAR narratives (accomplishment stories in the Context-Challenge-Actions-Results format) relating to all 13 competencies so that to-the-point examples are ready for each of them. As of the date of this writing, we don’t know what the character limits will be or whether 13 separate narratives will be required. Nevertheless we are coaching applicants through this process and working to build compelling narratives that fairly address this entire set of competencies.

The Resume Place wants you to be ready to go with well-polished, relevant and recent examples in the narrative format that OPM likes. And even if you don’t use all of these narratives for the online component, you will have paved the way for a successful structured interview, and will have given serious thought to issues and ideas that will be tested elsewhere in the exam.

Fortunately, The Resume Place’s experts have compiled accepted definitions for all 13 ALJ competencies—and we can help candidates craft compelling narratives.

Perhaps the hardest competency to explain is “Judicial Temperament.” OPM hasn’t defined this term, so how do we know what it is? Well, we’ve researched it. The American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary evaluates the professional qualifications of nominees to the federal courts— covering Article III judges but not ALJs. Still, its views are worth heeding. The ABA measures judicial temperament based on a nominee’s compassion, decisiveness, open-mindedness, courtesy, patience, freedom from bias, and commitment to equal justice under the law.

In his 2007 book, The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America, noted author and legal commentator Jeffrey Rosen quotes Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts:

I think judicial temperament is a willingness to step back from your own committed views of the correct jurisprudential approach and evaluate those views in terms of your role as a judge…. It’s the difference between being a judge and being a law professor, and appreciating that it’s not so much a question of analytical coherence or overview, it’s more a question of where this fits in with the Court’s established body of law. And how it’s going to be received as law.

Rosen opines that judicial temperament requires a judge to step away from personal ideologies and “factor in the Court’s institutional role,” in the interests of consensus and stability.

Here are definitions for all 13 Competencies:

Competency 1 – Decision Making

From 2009 ALJ Announcement: Makes sound, well-informed, objective, and timely decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish goals.

Competency 2 – Interpersonal Skills

From 2009 ALJ Announcement: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; deals effectively with individuals who are difficult, assertive, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

Competency 3 – Judicial Analysis

From 2009 ALJ Announcement: Analyzes, evaluates and weighs all evidence, including technical subject matter; defines issues and makes findings of fact and conclusions of law, which are appropriate to the case; clearly articulates the basis for the outcome.

Competency 4 – Writing

From 2009 ALJ Announcement: Recognizes and uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in writing in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.

Competency 5 – Judicial Management

From 2009 ALJ Announcement: Knows and applies legal, trial, and evidentiary rules and procedures; presides at, participates in, and/or facilitates conferences, hearings, and meetings with sensitivity, diplomacy and impartiality; develops a full and fair record (for example, elicits facts, when appropriate, by examining lay and expert witnesses and by other means); gives all sides a fair opportunity to be heard; works with others to find mutually acceptable solutions.

Competency 6 – Oral Communication

From 2009 ALJ Announcement: Expresses information (for example, conclusions, rationale, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Competency 7 – Judicial Decisiveness

From American Judicature Society JNC Handbook (Ch 5: Evaluative Criteria): Decisiveness. A trial judge in particular must be capable of making quick decisions under pressure. Often a trial judge will be required to rule on objections as soon as they are raised. Motions, too, will require prompt decisions if cases are to progress. A trial judge must be able to keep cases moving and be willing and able to reach decisions. He or she must be able to quickly assimilate law and facts and to respond to issues raised by counsel with confidence and without hesitation. The judge must be willing to make hard decisions and be able to rule with firmness. An appellate judge also must act decisively to draft and circulate arguments in support of, or in dissent to, draft opinions in order to facilitate the appellate decision-making process.

Competency 8 – Judicial Temperament

(A) From American Judicature Society JNC Handbook (Ch 5: Evaluative Criteria): Judicial temperament. The judge’s job includes contact with lawyers, members of the public and court employees and requires an inordinate amount of an elusive quality called judicial temperament. Judicial temperament encompasses a variety of noble qualities. One of these qualities is dignity. To be dignified a judge must possess “quiet, tactful ways, and calm yet firm assurance.”6 A jurist with appropriate judicial temperament uses authority gracefully. Judicial temperament also requires sensitivity and understanding. An understanding judge is sensitive to the feelings of those before the court, recognizing that each and every case is important to the participants. Finally, a candidate is not temperamentally suited for the bench unless he or she possesses great patience. Patience is simply the ability to be even-tempered and to exercise restraint in trying situations.

(B) From Standards on State Judicial Selection (ABA Standing Committee on Judicial Independence, July 2000): (iv) Judicial Temperament. Judicial temperament includes a commitment to equal justice under law, freedom from bias, ability to decide issues according to law, courtesy and civility, open-mindedness and compassion.

Competency 9 – Litigation and Courtroom Competence

From Standards on State Judicial Selection (ABA Standing Committee on Judicial Independence, July 2000): (iii) Professional Competence. Professional competence includes intellectual capacity, professional and personal judgment, writing and analytical ability, knowledge of the law and breadth of professional experience, including courtroom and trial experience. Candidates for appellate judgeships should further demonstrate scholarly writing and academic talent, and the ability to write to develop a coherent body of law.

Competency 10 – Problem Solving

From OPM’s MOSAIC Competencies: Professional & Administrative Occupations 1996-1997 (http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/assessment-and-selection/competencies/mosaic-study-competencies-master-list.pdf): Problem Solving – Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

Competency 11 – Professionalism

From American Judicature Society JNC Handbook (Ch 5: Evaluative Criteria): Integrity. This is another touchstone criterion. The responsibility of judges to make decisions that affect lives and fortunes requires the selection of men and women of unquestioned integrity. At a minimum, integrity means intellectual honesty, moral vigor and professional uprightness. It also requires a sense of honor, trustworthiness and absolute sincerity and reliability. A judge with integrity is unswervingly ethical. Ethical conduct by judges requires, at a minimum, commitment and adherence to the law, the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Code of Professional Responsibility. To emphasize the importance of integrity, and to alert potential candidates to the ethical standards to which judges must adhere, a number of nominating commissions, Nebraska and Utah, for example, send potential candidates a copy of their Code of Judicial Conduct along with the applicant questionnaire.

Competency 12 – Reasoning

From OPM’s MOSAIC Competencies: Professional & Administrative Occupations 1996-1997 (http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/assessment-and-selection/competencies/mosaic-study-competencies-master-list.pdf): Reasoning – Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.

Competency 13 – Self Management

From OPM’s MOSAIC Competencies: Professional & Administrative Occupations 1996-1997 (http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/assessment-and-selection/competencies/mosaic-study-competencies-master-list.pdf): Self-Management – Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

Need more help?

The Resume Place is standing by to provide ALJ applicants with the expert help they need to respond appropriately to the online experience assessment. This part of the evaluative process is not timed, and provides candidates with the opportunity to deliberate the merits of their own record, and provide the most accurate and useful responses in keeping with OPM’s standards and accepted techniques for providing accomplishment narratives in the format OPM prefers.

“The federal resume you submitted to USAJOBS will be electronically scanned for keywords to determine if you are qualified for the position.” You’ve heard that before, right?  It is a common myth about the federal job application process – maybe the biggest one.

It is, simply, NOT TRUE. The resume you submit through the USAJOBS system is not electronically scanned for keywords. In reality, a trained professional – also known as a Federal Human Resources Specialist – reviews your resume and application materials to evaluate your qualifications.

The federal job application process is a mystery to many, but not to Human Resources Specialists. These professionals may review your resume and supporting materials as many as four (4) times during the progression from evaluation to selection.   The following provides an overview as to when and why your resume may be reviewed.

First, when applying for a federal job you add your resume to USAJOBS either using the resume builder or uploading the associated file. You also upload other documents that are required by the announcement. Then you complete the applicationmanager.gov or other application system self-assessment questionnaire. When completed with the self-assessment, you submit the application package.

The following morning, the Human Resources Specialist receives a system-generated report providing the score for your questionnaire responses. This is an automated scoring system and the results are provided overnight. Your questionnaire answers, and resulting score, will determine where you fit into the Category Rating System. Once all the questionnaire scores are processed, the Human Resources Specialist reviews the resumes of qualified applicants with a score falling in the “Best Qualified” range, e.g. 90 – 100 (this range varies, depending on the Agency).  Applicants whose score falls outside the range do not have their resumes reviewed further.  NOTE: Human Resources Specialists possess and exercise the authority to adjust your score or remove your application from consideration if there is evidence that you inflated your questionnaire responses!

The Human Resources Specialist will review the resume to verify your eligibility to apply for the position and if you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the qualifying requirements, the Human Resources Specialist then determines if you possess Veterans’ Preference and/or if you may be considered non-competitively.

If your application package is deemed “Best Qualified” or “Qualified w/ Veterans’ Preference” your resume is again reviewed by a Human Resources Specialist to determine who will be referred to the selecting supervisor. If you are referred and are on the List of Certified Eligibles, then your resume will be on the desk of the supervisor. The supervisor will review your resume to determine if he/she wants to meet you for an interview.

If you have questions about your resume, questionnaire, your eligibility, or results, you can always write or call the Human Resources Specialist listed on the USAJOBS announcement.

Good news! Your job search expenses may be tax deductible.

Here are the top six things the IRS wants you to know about deducting costs related to your job search.

1. IRS: “You can deduct certain expenses you have in looking for a new job in your present occupation, even if you do not get a new job. You cannot deduct these expenses if: …You are looking for a job in a new occupation.” (IRS Publication 529, Job Search Expenses)

My comment: The federal government is NOT a new occupation, it is a new employer. If you are looking for a federal job related to your previous position, you may be able to deduct your expenses. The key is whether you are looking for positions requiring some of the same transferable skills from your past position to your new position. For instance, management/leadership skills are the same from private industry to federal government … accounting skills are the same … research and analysis skills are the same … customer services is the same, etc.

2. IRS: “You can deduct employment and outplacement agency fees you pay in looking for a new job in your present occupation.”

My comment: The Resume Place, Inc. is considered an “employment and outplacement agency,” so any fees you incur enlisting our help with your federal job search would meet this criteria. Qualifying fees include our federal resume services, federal career consulting services, federal career training, and books.

3. IRS: “You can deduct amounts you spend for preparing and mailing copies of a resume to prospective employers if you are looking for a new job in your present occupation.”

My comment: Remember to save your receipts for portfolios, envelopes, stamps, faxing, rented computer time, or any other expenses related to writing and sending your resume.

4. IRS: “If you travel to an area and, while there, you look for a new job in your present occupation, you may be able to deduct travel expenses to and from the area. You can deduct the travel expenses if the trip is primarily to look for a new job. The amount of time you spend on personal activity compared to the amount of time you spend in looking for work is important in determining whether the trip is primarily personal or is primarily to look for a new job.”

My comment: If you drive to The Resume Place, Inc. for in-person consultation or to attend one of our training courses, your travel expenses may be tax deductible.

5. IRS: “You cannot deduct job search expenses if there was a substantial break between the end of your last job and the time you begin looking for a new one.”

My comment: The IRS did not define how long a “substantial break” is, but even if you have been out of work for awhile, you may still be able to deduct the expenses. Please check with your accountant.

6. IRS: “You cannot deduct job search expenses if you are looking for a job for the first time.”

For more information about job search expenses, see:

IRS Publication 529, Miscellaneous Deductions » This publication is available on the IRS Web site, IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

About.com article: Job Search Tax Deduction Tips by Alison Doyle »

Almost every position posted on USAJOBS requires a resume, supporting documents, and a completed “self-assessment questionnaire.” Many first-time federal jobseekers are unfamiliar with the questionnaire requirement and express surprise when faced with the daunting prospect of answering extensive, detailed questions about their professional experience. Even individuals who possess a greater level of familiarity with the federal application process often feel overwhelmed and confused by these self-assessment questionnaires.

The typical questionnaire includes 12-35 questions, and some include up to 100 questions. The responses to these questions are critical to the success of your entire federal job application. In fact, Human Resources Specialists will review your questionnaire score before evaluating your resume – if your responses to the self-assessment don’t meet the cut-off, your application won’t be considered.

The questionnaires typically employ a multiple-choice approach. Many federal jobseekers don’t realize that their responses can be the determining factor between being “Best Qualified” and “Not Among the Most Qualified.” Because many don’t grasp the importance of the questionnaire, they fall into the trap of trying to complete it as quickly as possible. Also, and perhaps more importantly, many jobseekers suffer from “Social Desirability Bias,” which is a very common human tendency to answer questions in a manner perceived as being viewed more favorably by others – and it often takes the form of under-reporting, or deflating, responses on self-assessment questionnaires.

A completed self-assessment questionnaire with deflated responses is the death-knell for any federal job application. For example, a client contacted us because she had not been rated “Best Qualified” for a position that she was, in fact, very qualified for (in fact, she had held the position before). In reviewing her application package, we discovered she had deflated her questionnaire responses and didn’t take credit where she should have. Had she responded to the questions differently, she likely would have been rated “Best Qualified.” The questionnaire responses are critical to your application package.

As soon as you find an open position of interest, the first thing you should do is to review the self-assessment questionnaire. Most announcements on USAJOBS include a link so that you can preview the questions. Most questionnaires offer the following multiple choice response options:

• A – I have no experience in performing this work behavior.
• B – I have limited experience in performing this work behavior. I have had exposure to this work behavior but would require additional guidance, instruction, or experience to perform it at a proficient level.
• C – I have experience performing this work behavior across routine or predictable situations with minimal supervision or guidance.
• D – I have performed this work behavior independently across a wide range of situations. I have assisted other in carrying out this work behavior. I seek guidance in carrying out this work behavior only in unusually complex situations.
• E – I am considered an expert in carrying out this work behavior. I advise and instruct others in carrying out this work behavior on a regular basis. I am consulted by my colleagues and/or supervisors to carry out this work behavior in unusually complex situations.

Make sure you can rate yourself highly – if you can’t, you’re likely wasting your time by completing the application.

Tips for completing the Self-Assessment Questionnaire:

• Do NOT deflate your responses. Give yourself the most credit that you can for each response.
• Take your time. Read the questions and choices thoroughly.
• You CAN give yourself credit from previous positions, not just your current position.
• You CAN give yourself credit from experience gained in college coursework.
• Don’t let the self-assessment questionnaire overwhelm you. It is designed to weed people out. So if you’ve found your ideal federal job, don’t let the questionnaire be the reason you don’t get it.

The federal government has taken many would-be Administrative Law Judges by surprise, by requiring additional written narrative responses to the already demanding process of applying for these rare and highly competitive openings, says Kathryn Troutman, founder and president of The Resume Place.

“There are major differences between the old 2009 application process for Administrative Law Judge and the current application, which is open only through March 15,” Troutman says. “When ALJ openings were last posted – and that was four years ago – applicants had to be prepared to write six narrative responses on competencies required for a job. Now seven additional narratives are required.”

The ALJ positions are open to applications only from March 5 to March 15, 2013, for licensed attorneys with at least 7 years of full-time administrative law or litigation experience. Scores of these jobs are available in several federal agencies in many states. In 2009, the Office of Personnel Management stopped taking applications after just 30 hours; this year, because initial applications will be accepted over the full 11-day period announced, competition likely will be even more keen.

Whether or not a candidate has previously applied for an ALJ position, it is important to read the new announcement carefully. In 2009, applications for ALJ opening were required to write narrative responses on these competencies:

• decision-making
• interpersonal skills
• judicial analysis
• judicial management
• oral communication
• writing

To those half-dozen competencies requiring narratives, seven have been added:

• judicial decisiveness
• judicial temperament
• litigation and courtroom competence
• problem solving
• professionalism
• reasoning
• self-management

The Experience Assessment section of the Online Component of the ALJ exam includes multiple-choice and open-ended questions about work experience, related to the qualities sought in an ALJ regardless of hiring agency. Qualified applicants will be invited to answer a multiple-choice questionnaire and provide a narrative response describing an example which illustrates their skills and experience with regard to the targeted competency.

No definitions for any of these competencies are provided in the new announcement, and the length of applicants’ responses has not been specified. Nevertheless, it is essential to have representative narratives prepared in advance.

The ALJ Writing Guide, written specifically for applicants for these Administrative Law Judge positions, is available from The Resume Place. All purchasers of this eBook will receive a free update detailing the new requirements, as soon as the details of the changes can be confirmed.

The Washington Post reported that the word most frequently spoken in the 2013 State of the Union speech, was JOBS. President Obama outlined initiatives that would create a variety of private-sector jobs in many industries. These new employment opportunities will in turn generate many well-paying civil service jobs, according to Kathryn Troutman, president of The Resume Place, Inc. and an expert on federal employment.

“When Congress or the president acts to stimulate job creation in the private sector, the federal government often must take on additional work to support, regulate or augment this economic activity,” said Troutman. “The proposals that the president outlined in his Feb. 12 speech would create work – and likely some new jobs — in departments such as Defense and Homeland Security and in other federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health.” Among the private-sector jobs initiatives likely to create federal jobs are these five:

• President Obama announced the launch of three regional manufacturing innovation institutes that will help modernize American industry. These hubs will collaborate with the departments of Defense and Energy, creating work for those key federal employers.
• Proposed federal funding of research could help scientists understand and eventually prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease, and develop drugs to regenerate damaged organs, among other biomedical initiatives. Such research requires administrative services from the likes of the National Institutes of Health.
• The “Fix-It-First” program would put private-sector engineers, project managers and construction workers on the job, effecting urgent repairs on 70,000 structurally deficient bridges, among other projects. These contracts would likely require hiring in agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration charged with procuring and overseeing such infrastructure construction and repairs.
• President Obama asked Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Such a law could require federal departments and agencies such Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security to process millions of additional applications for citizenship, each requiring a background check and other labor-intensive steps. Additional federal jobs would likely result.
• The president called on Congress to “keep faith with our veterans,” which means, among others things, providing both private-sector and federal employment opportunities. Cabinet departments most likely to yield jobs for former servicemen and women include Defense, Energy, Health & Human Services, Homeland Security, ICE, Interior, Justice and Transportation.

“Any federal jobs engendered by the president’s proposals will be posted on USAJOBS,” said Troutman. “Candidates should be aware that the federal job application is very detailed and technical, and more demanding than the private-sector process. To be successful, applicants must rewrite and expand their resumes to meet stringent federal requirements.”

When it comes to a job market like the one we are having these days, it’s advisable to be ready for anything that might happen. A departing supervisor whose position you are qualified for, an agency restructuring affecting your position, or a job termination are all situations for which you could easily be prepared if you do this one thing I recommend in 2013.

Keep your resume up to date!

As a Federal Career Coach, I frequently get calls from individuals who suddenly need to get an outdated resume into competitive shape as quickly as possible. Shaking my head, the first questions I ask the worried jobseeker are, “How old is this resume? How many jobs have you held since you wrote this resume?”

At this point, the individual usually admits that they had become complacent and not “touched their resume in years.” (Note: “Years” can often mean 10 or more years have gone by since they have looked at their resume!)

Don’t get caught unprepared. Be ready for the next opened or closed employment door now, because it could happen when you least expect it, and you may have very little time to get your ducks in order.

Make it your resolution in 2013 to review your resume at the beginning of every year and update it, so that when you need to use your resume, you will be able to get it into great shape as quickly as you need to. Your recent work accomplishments are best remembered and recorded when they are still fresh in your mind.

Here are some steps for updating your resume:

• Find your resume.
• Find your position description (if you have one). Read it and make sure it sounds like your real job. Edit this and add this to your resume.
• Find your annual evaluations (if you have those), and use the accomplishments from the evaluations in your resume.
• If you don’t have an annual evaluation, write a few accomplishments for the last 5 years.
• Add your most recent training programs or college courses.
• Update your LinkedIn Profile with the new information you just wrote.

After you have taken these steps, you will have an updated resume that is ready to be targeted for your next career move. When you use this basic resume to apply for a job, make sure to include the keywords from the job announcement in the resume before you submit your job application.

Be prepared for anything to happen with your job. There is a good chance you might need your resume in the next couple of years. You can easily manage your career with confidence by taking this one simple step!

Need help getting your resume ready to apply for federal job announcements?

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