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| Volume Number 2 - Issue Number 4 - March 3, 2004 |
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The FEDERAL CAREER CORNER(TM) is a free monthly e-newsletter sponsored by The Resume Place, Inc., Kathryn K. Troutman, President; Jessica Coffey, Managing Editor, editor@resume-place.com.
CHANGE IN NEWSLETTER! This newsletter has become a monthly publication, instead of bi-monthly! We know you have lots to read already, so we are compiling all of our Federal job search info once per month. We hope it doesn't get too long. You might want to print it to read it at home, or when you have more time to consider our articles and insight. You can sign up for this valuable, FREE newsletter at Federal Career Corner. Please tell your friends and colleagues. DON'T FORGET –- The Resume Place’s President, Kathryn Troutman is the Monster Federal Career Coach at Monster.com. Ask questions, provide some answers (if you have tips), and read responses at http://forums.monster.com/forum.asp?forum=3336.  WHAT'S IN THIS NEWSLETTER? WHAT'S NEW FROM KATHRYN FEATURE ARTICLE - Recruitment Announcements That Recruit! HOT FEDERAL JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, & EVENTS FEDERAL RESUME AND KSA WRITING TIPS SES TIPS FROM SUSAN CUSTARD CAREER PRO INFO THE WORLD OF ACRONYMS THE RESUME PLACE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES __________________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S NEW FROM KATHRYN 
Mid-Career Changers are considering federal jobs now because of the private industry job market. Writing a Federal Career Change resume is a lot more difficult than if the person is staying in the same field. The key words from one field are different from another. So, it’s important that you match the skills to the target job. In the last couple of weeks, I have advised some major career changers in federal job search strategies, job titles, and agency selections:
Kathryn’s favorite way to search for federal jobs:
This search will result in the most jobs to review. The jobs are NOT in alphabetical order, so you have to scan them all. Good luck with your searches and career change writing! If you’re interested in a one-hour Federal Job Search Consultation with Kathryn, write to sarah@resume-place.com. - Kathryn Troutman, “Monster Federal Career Coach” & President, The Resume Place __________________________________________________________________________ FEATURE ARTICLE Recruitment Announcements That Recruit! On February 20th, Kathryn presented a workshop to Federal Human Resources Professionals and Recruiters on the topic of writing better vacancy announcements. Here’s a quick list of recommendations that the class came up with that could result in more readable, friendly, and inviting recruitment ads for government agencies: “List of Things To Do To Make Federal Vacancy Announcements Recruit Better”
Kathryn is available for HR staff in-service training to write better, more friendly vacancy announcements for special recruitments, internships, agency and www.usajobs.opm.gov listings. Write to kathryn@resume-place.com. - Kathryn K. Troutman, Monster’s Federal Career Coach __________________________________________________________________________ UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, & EVENTS
QUOTEWORTHY "Challenges are what makes life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." - Joshua J. Marine __________________________________________________________________________ HOT FEDERAL JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS Kathryn’s Hot Picks of Interesting and Available Federal Jobs: Recruiting The Best Material/Logistics Leaders to support DOD material readiness! Read the announcement here: www.resume-place.com/info/links.html How To Apply: For ADDITIONAL INFORMATION visit www.AMCcareers.com. Find out if you are qualified for this program -- e-mail a Letter of Interest, resume, and unofficial undergraduate transcripts to Mae.Hazelton@peostri.army.milor fax resume & transcripts to (407) 810-0152, ATTN: Mae Hazelton. VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: Position: Clerk, GS-0303-1/2/3/4/5 Salary Range: $17,516 - $26,990 per annum Read the annct here: jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=21160847&AVSDM=2004%2D03%2D03+00%3A01%3A00&Logo=0&col=dltc&cy=&brd=3876&lid=17514&fn=&q= The Departmental Offices of the U.S. Department of Treasury are seeking to fill Secretary (Office Automation) vacancies in the offices of the Assistant Secretary International Affairs, Middle East, & South Asian Nations (Turkey Task Force). Closes 3/9/04; Washington DC metro area (3 vacancies). Read the announcement here: jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=21069218&AVSDM=2004%2D03%2D01+15%3A12%3A34&Logo=0&col=dltc&cy=&brd=3876&lid=17514&fn=&q= Pay is $23,000 to $46,700, DC and Reston, VA – Program Assistant. Looks like the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) Headquarters is hiring! Read the announcement here: jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=20218664&AVSDM=2004%2D02%2D02+21%3A07%3A38&Logo=0&col=dltc&cy=&brd=3876&lid=17514&fn=&q= SAIC's Reconnaissance and Surveillance Operation (RSO) recently announced the establishment of new division offices in Waimea, Kauai, and Kihei, and Maui. The Pacific Technology Division will be the home of SAIC's High Performance Computing capability supporting federal customers across the nation. SAIC is the nation's largest employee-owned research and engineering company, providing information technology, systems integration and eSolutions to commercial and government customers. SAIC engineers and scientists work to solve complex technical problems in national and homeland security, energy, the environment, space, telecommunications, health care, and logistics. More information about SAIC can be found at www.saic.com. DoD has a huge hiring surge going on right now for Entry-Level Employees. For those in government, this means GS-7 to GS-12. Salary range, $33K-77K. They want to hire 300 new employees. And they need to bring on three times that amount by September 30, 2004. To find out more, go to www.dia.mil and apply directly on line. "The PALACE Acquire (PAQ) Intern Program is a fast-track program that usually hires interns on GS-07 Target GS-11 positions as part of a 3-year training program. Promotions are noncompetitive (you don't have to compete with other civil service employees from your office, base, etc. to be promoted to your target level), and based on successful performance. The program provides you with OJT and formal training, which will provide you with the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position to which you're appointed. Also, the program offers 100% tuition assistance to qualified candidates for completion of a graduate degree. This includes the cost of books. Huge benefit that places you ahead of your peers. The requirements are most commonly: Under the Outstanding Scholar Hiring Authority, have completed a 4-year degree from an accredited college/university with at least a 3.45 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Or have graduated in the top 10% of your class. However, as we saw in a recent announcement, the PAQ was recruiting for people that either had the 4-year degree with at least a 3.0 GPA or had one year experience at the GS-05 level. This is because they were hiring new PAQs under a different hiring authority called Administrative Careers with America (ACWA). Pay close attention to the types of hiring authorities being used by each anouncement as this determines what qualifications candidates must meet in order to be eligible to apply. The main ones used are the ACWA and Outstanding Scholar. The open announcement periods for Outstanding Scholar announcements are normally July and February of each year; the open announcement period for Administrative Careers with America (ACWA) is usually November of each year. If you only meet the qualification requirements for ACWA, then look our for their announcements in November. If you will be done with your 4-year degree this June (or so), and have the required GPA, then look for the Outstanding Scholar announcements this February and July. Useful links: Main Site: www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/cp/recruit/paq.htm Vacancy Announcements: www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/cp/recruit/hotjobs.htm Links to the two AF Intern Programs (there is another program called "Copper Cap"): www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/cp/recruit/default.htm" Thank you Oscar! (this information was shared by Oscar E. Bocanegra, Personnel Management Specialist, PALACE Acquire Intern)__________________________________________________________________________ FEDERAL RESUME AND KSA WRITING TIPS Before and after writing samples to assist you in your resume and KSA writing: We are always helping clients “build content” and “find keywords” for their federal KSAs. You can see from this Before & After the difference in the content and language used to describe this job. You can see that there are many more words, giving more details and specifics about a job duty. We have used the personal pronoun “I” here in this description. This is okay, as long as you don’t use “I” for each sentence. BEFORE: As a Library Technician I research information for customers in a timely manner. AFTER: As a Library Technician, customer service is a priority. In order to best meet my customer's needs, I ensure on-site delivery of material from the general collection within 20 minutes of request. I also provide books and articles in response to customer e-mail, fax, mail, and telephone requests within three days. Bottomline -- Use specifics to draw the reader in and provide information about HOW you are qualified for the position. __________________________________________________________________________ SITES TO SEE Here are some websites we think are worth checking out --
SES TIPS FROM SUSAN CUSTARD ECQs – Leading People In today's column, we are going to continue addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). As a quick reminder, the ECQs are the core of your SES application, along with an outstanding Federal resume. There are five ECQs, which are the same for each SES vacancy; some agencies may request that you also respond to technical qualifications regarding the position you are applying for. The ECQs are: Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, and Building Coalitions/Communications. Each ECQ has a corresponding set of leadership competencies. The leadership competencies are the personal and professional attributes necessary for successful performance at the executive level. A well-developed ECQ statement will reflect most of the leadership competencies identified. Applicants developing ECQs should use the leadership competencies as a checklist to ensure that the example(s) being used demonstrate experience that brings forth the leadership competencies. Each leadership competency is defined by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Our focus in this column is on ECQ #2 – Leading People. Along with Leading Change, this is considered a critical ECQ. As we have discussed in our previous columns, each ECQ has corresponding leadership competencies – those behaviors and skills that identify successful performance at the executive level. The leadership competencies for Leading People are: Conflict Management - Identifies and takes steps to prevent potential situations that could result in unpleasant confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a positive and constructive manner to minimize negative impact. Leveraging Diversity - Recruits, develops, and retains a diverse high quality workforce in an equitable manner. Leads and manages an inclusive workplace that maximizes the talents of each person to achieve sound business results. Respects, understands, values, and seeks out individual differences to achieve the vision and mission of the organization. Develops and uses measures and rewards to hold self and others accountable for achieving results that embody the principles of diversity. Integrity/Honesty - Instills mutual trust and confidence; creates a culture that fosters high standards of ethics; behaves in a fair and ethical manner toward others, and demonstrates a sense of corporate responsibility and commitment to public service. Team Building - Inspires, motivates, and guides others toward goal accomplishments. Consistently develops and sustains cooperative working relationships. Encourages and facilitates cooperation within the organization and with customer groups; fosters commitment, team spirit, pride, trust. Develops leadership in others through coaching, mentoring, rewarding, and guiding employees. As you are working on developing a response to Leading People, you should take a moment to reflect on the leadership competencies above, and determine an example that you will use to describe your competence in this ECQ. As you read the leadership competencies, there is a key area to take note of -– each of the leadership competencies is highlighting the personal actions taken by the applicant -– not the actions taken by staff, or through others. The ECQs should focus on the personal incidents that demonstrate what YOU did personally to lead people. For example, in leading people, have you coached or mentored? What success have you had in the placement and retention of diverse applicants? How have you successfully managed conflict in your organization and what have you learned from the resolution? These are examples of the questions you should be asking to test the experience sample that you are including in your response to Leading People. As we’ve discussed before, all ECQs need to be written utilizing the CCAR model – Context, Challenge, Action, Result. OPM reviews all ECQs to determine whether they meet this model. When developing ECQs, the quality of the example is critical – your response should have one or two quality examples that meet the CCAR model – which means describing steps taken, and personal action taken by you, for achievement; the ECQs should not be focused on many small examples. You can find examples of ECQ statements in a variety of places, including The Federal Resume Guidebook, Third Edition, available through The Resume Place at www.resume-place.com/shop/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=4&category_id=3dca2a3d3f09419baf8a8a35013014a5. In our next column, we will focus on ECQ#3, for Results Driven. Stay tuned! __________________________________________________________________________ CAREER PRO INFO Helpful information for federal career advisors and trainers.
THE WORLD OF ACRONYMS DISA – Defense Information Systems Agency, www.disa.mil/index.html DLIS – Defense Logistics Information Service, www.dlis.dla.mil/employment/dlisjobs.asp DoDEA - Department of Defense Education Activity, www.odedodea.edu/pers/employment/ DTIC - Defense Technical Information Center, www.dtic.mil/ DTRA - Defense Threat Reduction Agency, www.dtra.mil/ __________________________________________________________________________ THE RESUME PLACE SUCCESS STORIES & JOBSEEKER QUOTES
THE RESUME PLACE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES @ http://www.resume-place.com/shop/ All New 3rd Edition Guidebook Now Available!  Straight from the author who set the standard, this guide will show you what works in resume writing for the federal government and what doesn't. Along the way, you'll gain the advantage of seeing the application process from an insider's perspective and thus avoid common pitfalls. CD-ROM included. $38.95 USD. Order your copy today! Federal Resume Edit and Design Have you written your Federal resume, but would like a professional editor and designer to improve your draft? Send us your draft and for just $250, we'll edit and design your federal or private industry resume. http://www.resume-place.com/shop/?page=shop/browse&category_id=49b4819720199bb90ab4820dab6b7eec Interview Training Get ready for your interview with general interview prep materials, position-specific questions to practice with, a telephone mock interview, and a critique and Q+A session. Work with an expert Interview Coach to learn strategies that will help you Win the Job! www.resume-place.com/shop/?page=shop/browse&category_id=8ff6b75552eeed41fffc4ab8099a1f6f __________________________________________________________________________ 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 Newsletter. Send your ideas to Jessica Coffey, Managing Editor, at editor@resume-place.com. __________________________________________________________________________ THE MAILING LIST Please refer our free bi-monthly Federal Career Corner newsletter to your colleagues and friends. Sign up now for the mailing list.  |
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