Volume Number 2 Issue Number 1 January 6, 2004

	FEDERAL CAREER CORNER(TM) Helping Federal Jobseekers Learn the Ins and Outs of Federal Employment A bi-monthly, free e-newsletter sponsored by The Resume Place, Inc., Kathryn K. Troutman, President; Jessica Coffey, Managing Editor, editor@resume-place.com. The Federal Career Corner newsletter will be sent to you regularly on the first and third Tuesdays of each month -- for FREE! Please tell your friends and colleagues. REMEMBER – The Resume Place’s President, Kathryn Troutman is the “Monster Federal Career Coach” at Monster.com. Check out http://forums.monster.com/forum.asp?forum=3336 __________________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S IN THIS NEWSLETTER? WHAT'S NEW FROM KATHRYN HAVE YOU HEARD?... ...AND DID YOU KNOW? FEATURE ARTICLE - Ten Steps to a Federal Job with Kathryn Troutman FEDERAL CAREER Q&A SES TIPS FROM SUSAN CUSTARD CAREER PRO INFO THE RESUME PLACE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES __________________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S NEW FROM KATHRYN I’ve had a great holiday with no training anywhere! I’ve been working steadily with David Raikow and Susan Custard on our newest upcoming book, Ten Steps to a Federal Job or Internship for Recent Grads. I’ve been having a wonderful time recruiting our case studies for the book, including David Raikow (co-author of the book), who recently landed a wonderful GS-11 Biologist position with NOAA; Scott Holland, who landed a fantastic Career Management Internship with USACE starting at a GS-7 and moving to a GS-11 very quickly; and Lisa Reichenbacher who landed an excellent part-time position while in college with USDA FSIS. The success stories will include the case study’s fedres, KSA, electronic fedres, announcement, and federal job search story. It will be out in about 4 months! I’ll keep you posted on the book and more case studies! The University Career Centers have requested this book and so have the recent grads! Many of my Monster.com writers are students who are struggling to find good jobs! Read my Public Service Message Board sometime on Monster.com and if you have an answer to a question, PLEASE, go ahead and write to my inquiring federal jobseekers. Thanks for reading and I hope we all have a HAPPY FEDERAL JOB SEARCH YEAR in 2004! -- Kathryn Troutman, “Monster Federal Career Coach” & President, The Resume Place __________________________________________________________________________ HAVE YOU HEARD?... There are always exciting things happening in the federal job arena. We will try to keep tabs on some of the big ones and share them with you – The Army has Civilian Jobs in Iraq. If you want challenging work, go to this site and slect Iraq under Country and see what's available: https://cpolwapp.belvoir.army.mil/public/vabSelfNom/index.jsp Call to readers: If you find civil service or contractor job listings for jobs in Iraq, please send them to me so we can share them in our next newsletter. Thanks, Jessica Attention University Career Center Counselors and Graduates of Four Year College with 3.45 GPA! There is an Outstanding Scholar Career Management Internship Program that is open until Feb. 4th. Send your Federal resume, cover letter, and follow the instructions. Great opportunity to enter the Department of Homeland Security. http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=19990389&AVSDM=2003%2D12%2D04+09%3A24%3A53&Logo=0&col=dltc&cy=&brd=3876&lid=&fn=&q _________________________________________________________________________ ...AND DID YOU KNOW? USAJOBS (http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/) now has 14,821 federal jobs in their database. From Marty Nemko, Ph.D. Career Coach Columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle: Government jobs will be job seekers’ treasure trove. Government has a luxury companies don’t have: If government needs money, it usually finds a way to raise taxes. So, government has continued to hire even during the recession’s darkest days. A year ago, for example, http://www.usajobs.opm.gov, a website that lists just 60% of federal job openings listed 16,000 positions! I haven’t counted, but a quick review of corporate websites suggests that even the nation’s 50 largest corporations combined didn’t post as many US openings. For example, Hewlett Packard (#16) posted just 283. And most government jobs are full-time with benefits and unsurpassed security of employment. The World of Acronyms Since it’s the beginning of a new year, let’s start off with the beginning of the alphabet. ACF: Administration for Children and Families, http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/index.html AID: Agency for International Development, http://www.usaid.gov/ ANG: Air National Guard, http://www.ang.af.mil/ ARL: Army Research Lab, http://www.arl.army.mil/main/Main/default.cfm ARS: Agricultural Research Service, http://www.ars.usda.gov/ __________________________________________________________________________ FEATURE ARTICLE TEN STEPS TO A FEDERAL JOB, Part 1 -- Kathryn K. Troutman This is THE FEDERAL JOB SEARCH YEAR for private industry applicants, returning Iraqi and other military personnel, family members at military bases, new graduates, and students! In a nutshell, here’s what you have to do to land a Federal job (to read more, grab a copy of Ten Steps to a Federal Job, http://www.resumeplace.com/booksandbuilders/bk_10steps.html): 1. NETWORKING – Think about who you know who works in the government, about who you know who knows somebody who works in the government. They don’t have to be a best friend or close relative. Talk to them about their jobs, offices, and agencies. Ask them what they do at work and who their customers are. If they don’t have time to talk, ask for another time when you can ask some questions. Don’t ask for a job, ask for information so you can get smarter about federal employment and the jobs that are available. Later on, you can meet them again and ask if they are hiring particular types of people. 2. REVIEW THE FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT PROCESS – Before you can intelligently use the official Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website to find federal jobs that are reasonable for you to apply to, you have to figure out what job title, grade (salary), and agency fits your experience, skills, and interests. Agencies: You can learn about the agencies by going to http://www.firstgov.gov and looking at the list of agencies and deciding which ones interest you. You can decide on agencies by which ones are in your local geographic area if you can’t relocate. Job Titles: You can decide on the job titles by going to http://career.usajobs.opm.gov/ and using the Career Search system. You input your skills and education and the system will tell you which job titles are best for your qualifications. Grade/Salary: You can decide on your grade or salary, based on your past salary and experience level by looking at this salary chart: http://www.opm.gov/Federal_Salaries_Wages/ 3. FIND FEDERAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS – This can be fun! Just go to http://www.usajobs.opm.gov. Go to SEARCH JOBS. Look for jobs in Hawaii or Japan for the fun of it – just as a warm-up! Then get serious and do a geographic search for ALL JOBS in your state and town. Don’t be too specific, because if you are, you won’t find much. You can’t begin your federal job search without playing the vacancy announcement game. This is where you’re going to learn about the job titles, pay, locations, agency names, and duties. And the duties are downright interesting and amazing. Read the job duties for Department of Homeland Security and you will be impressed at the great work our federal employees do every day to protect our country! 4. DETERMINE YOUR FEDERAL CORE COMPETENCIES - There’s more to landing a federal job than having the right education, experience, employment history, and contacts. You have to stand out two times in the hiring process: a. Human Resources (HR) review to determine the Best Qualified; and b. Supervisor or Hiring Panel who will decide who to interview. One of the best ways to stand out among the Best Qualified is to include the important core competencies (or values/soft skills) desired in the agency. Department of Homeland Security employees have to be customer-focused, flexible and adaptable, patient, creative, work well under pressure, and work effectively as a member of a team. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) employees should be flexible, team players, who are customer-focused and efficient. You can read a good list of competencies for the VA here: http://www1.va.gov/visns/visn02/education/hpdm/flexibility.html 5. ANALYZE YOUR KEY WORDS IN VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS - Again those HR folks are looking for the right candidates that MATCH the skills in the vacancy announcements. Study the “duties” and “qualifications” sections of the announcements to uncover the keywords that you should include in your federal resume or electronic resume. It’s not a secret, the words are there for you to use and include in your package. The HR folks WANT you to use their language, skills, and abilities so they can find the best qualified people the EASIEST. Remember how busy they are and how many packages they have to read. Make it quick and easy for them to find that you should be given a chance at an interview. If the announcement uses words like: Advisor, Team Leader, Policy Analyst, PowerPoint, Planner, Schedule, Writer, decision-making, problem-solving, devising solutions, making recommendations, THESE ARE KEYWORDS. Use them! Federal resume writers struggle to find the language to use in their federal resume. It’s not a struggle, just use their words! The next 5 Steps to a Federal Job will be available in the next Federal Career Corner Newsletter on Tuesday, January 20, 2004. Stay tuned. More on the 10 Steps is available in Ten Steps to a Federal Job & CD-ROM available at http://www.resume-place.com and other booksellers. If you order from http://www.resume-place.com in the next 2 weeks, you will also receive a complimentary first-edition, pre-publication copy of Kathryn’s 60 minute audio (worth $29.95 when it is published) with the same name. Kathryn speaks the 10 steps in just 60 minutes, in a fast-paced, interesting, and complete summary. Get inspired, motivated, and get rolling in your 10 steps to a great new Federal job! __________________________________________________________________________ QUOTEWORTHY "The future depends on what we do in the present." – Mahatma Ghandi __________________________________________________________________________ FEDERAL CAREER Q & A WITH KATHRYN TROUTMAN Q: Once I have the appropriate resume formats for my selected agencies, can I just go to that site and copy and paste my resume onto their Resume Builder? A: For the QuickHire agencies and Resumix and even Avue, YES, you can go to the agency webpages and set up your profile, answer the basic personnel questions, and put your fedres into their builder or on-line Internet field. Then look for announcements on the agency’s pages. That way you are about half-way completed with the QuickHire, Avue, and USA Staffing announcements. Usually these three automated systems will ask you to answer job-specific questions, and even write short essays for a few of the questions. So, this is a good idea. And for the Resumix system, you will be better prepared as well. The second step here is to self-nominate for a particular announcement that you might find with a closing date. So, you will be ahead of the game there too. As long as you have determined your occupational series and grade ahead of time then your resumes will include the right keywords for your job interests. So go ahead and post your resume into the automated system. Then you’re ready for the specific announcement instructions for actually APPLYING. Q: Once the resume is posted, is it ever reviewed by the personnelists trying to find candidates for vacancies, or is that strictly a private sector notion? What about Self-Nomination? A: The resume will be viewed when you also self-nominate for a specific job. They don’t just search the database for qualified candidates (like Monster.com does). They will search the list of people who have self-certified for a specific job. This keeps the searchable list of candidates more up-to-date and available and less HUGE. The self-nomination is super important because that’s the way you are actually applying for a job, not just registering. __________________________________________________________________________ SITES TO SEE Here are some websites we think are worth checking out -- http://www.ourpublicservice.org/press_release3749/press_release_show.htm?doc_id=199176 – interested in a job in public health? Read this article to learn more about how the Partnership for Public Service has released a new handbook to jump-start federal hiring efforts in public health fields including biodefense, medicine and nursing. http://www.nationalservice.org/serve.asp - link to volunteer opportunities through the Corporation for National and Community Service. One way to gain experience or exposure in a field you may be interested in is through volunteer work. http://www.state.gov/p/io/rls/fs/2003/24798.htm - Interested in an international civil servant position? http://www.resume-place.com – a link to the leading experts in writing successful federal packages for both private industry to federal applicants and current feds seeking promotion. __________________________________________________________________________ SES TIPS FROM SUSAN CUSTARD Your New Year’s Resolution – Getting Your SES Application Done! Happy New Year – and this is the year that you are going to get motivated and get that SES application pulled together. This is an exciting time in the government, and it’s anticipated that with the changes to the SES pay system, and the SES retirement demographics, there will be many SES opportunities this year! One of the advantages to developing an SES application prior to a vacancy is that all SES “KSAs” are the same – and are known as the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). The ECQs are the same for each SES vacancy, since they are required by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for selection. The ECQs are Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, and Building Coalitions/Communication. Once you have the ECQs fully developed, you can use them over and over again – you may only need to add responses to technical qualifications required by individual vacancy announcements. So, why not take the time right now to look into putting your SES package together at the beginning of the year, so that you are ready for the vacancies throughout the year! At the Resume Place, we have experts standing by to assist you in developing your package – your SES resume that demonstrates your executive competencies and your ECQs. We can work from your drafts or interview you and develop the entire package at your convenience. Our SES experts have been successful in working with clients to develop an SES package that results in getting them on the short list for an interview. Why should you use a professional writer to help you? Our writers are experienced in understanding what selecting officials, agencies, and OPM are looking for in a package. The Resume Place writing coaches are great at working with you to PULL OUT those key experiences that meet the definitions of the ECQs, and will help you put together a WOW resume that will impress selecting officials, and meet all the regulatory requirements as well. Please go to http://www.resume-place.com for more information. __________________________________________________________________________ CAREER PRO INFO For federal career advisement and training success stories and strategies. NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW The Resume Place is launching a NEW newsletter, the Federal Career Pro Central Newsletter, geared toward career professionals who have participated in The Resume Place’s Certified Federal Resume Writer and Coach (CFRWC) certification program. The newsletter will include training strategies, new sources for Federal job information, book reviews, and other information to make it easier to deliver quality federal job information and services to your clients. So take the next step and sign up to become a Certified Federal Resume Writer and Coach (CFRWC) today! Federal Job Search Trainer Certification Program: http://www.resume-place.com/workshops/certification.html Register now -- the next dates for the Federal Job Search Trainer Workshop are: 2004: February 4, 5, 6; April 21, 22, 23; June 23, 24, 25 Federal Resume Writer & Coach Certification Program: http://www.resume-place.com/workshops/fedrescertification.html Work Experience on the Federal Resume The following information is required for the Work Experience section on the Federal resume: Job Title (include series and grade of a Federal job); Duties and accomplishments; Employer’s name and address; and Supervisor’s name and phone number. Of course, each application can have specific, additional information that may be required. It is essential to read and re-read the fine print of the job announcements to ensure your client includes all relevant information. If something is left out, your client’s package may not be considered. What are KSAs? KSAs refer to Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. KSA statements are often required as part of the application package. They are statements that describe an applicant’s ability to perform the job. Some agencies refer to KSAs as Quality Ranking Factors, Narrative Factors, or Supplemental Statements. Get additional information on KSAs and other Federal career terms and concepts in our NEW Federal Career Pro Central Newsletter by becoming a Certified Federal Resume Writer and Coach (CFRWC), http://www.resume-place.com/workshops/certification.html. __________________________________________________________________________ THE RESUME PLACE SUCCESS STORIES "Thank you for all the practical advice outlined in your books. If it weren’t for the 10 Steps to a Federal Job System, I might still be looking for a job. To everyone out there looking for a Federal job, USE THE 10 STEPS SYSTEM! It works!" "Thank you for your hard work and assistance. It really looks good. I really want you to know how much I appreciate your support and patience. You’re wonderful!" "I really like the new (newsletter) format!" __________________________________________________________________________ THE RESUME PLACE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Begin the New Year with some excellent resources from The Resume Place. Ten Steps to a Federal Job Walks job-seekers through every step of the highly intricate federal application process, providing the insider tips you'll need to succeed. Featuring the most up-to-date techniques and strategies, it's an essential tool for anyone searching and applying for work with the federal government. You can order it here: http://www.resumeplace.com/booksandbuilders/bk_10steps.html The Federal Resume Guidebook, 3rd ed. The 3rd edition of the Federal Resume Guidebook & CD-ROM has now arrived. You can only get the CD-ROM from www.resume-place.com. The book is available everywhere, but the CD is ONLY available at the Resume Place. The CD is filled with great federal resume samples that you can use as a template for your own resume. You can order it here: http://www.resume-place.com/booksandbuilders/bk_guidebk.html Assessment Guide The best way to get help with your Federal Resume, Resumix, QuickHire resume, KSAs or other application is to complete our Assessment Guide. The Guide is here: http://www.resume-place.com/assessment/ __________________________________________________________________________ CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FEDERAL CAREER CORNER NEWSLETTER Please write to us with websites, success stories, job search tips, article ideas, and questions that we can use in the Federal Career Corner. Send your ideas to Jessica Coffey, Managing Editor, at editor@resume-place.com. Thanks for reading. __________________________________________________________________________ THE MAILING LIST Please refer our free bi-monthly Federal Career Corner newsletter to your colleagues and friends. Please sign up for the mailing list at: http://lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs.aspx?customerid=18651 __________________________________________________________________________ PRIVACY STATEMENT We do not share or sell our mailing list, client list, or any other information to anyone for any reason. The Resume Place, Inc. has not shared information for the entire 30 years we have been in business. All samples in our books and CD-ROMs are from real people who have volunteered to share their resumes with other federal jobseekers. We are a member of BBB and Dun & Bradstreet in good standing. Kathryn Troutman, President, The Resume Place, Inc., 89 Mellor Ave., Baltimore, MD 21228; (410) 744-4324; http://www.resume-place.com
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