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| Volume Number 2 - Issue Number 6 - May 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. Sharing our newsletter with friends, customers, and co-workers? Due to popular demand, we are adding an easy-to-use e-mail message with the website address for each newsletter so that you can easily send a copy of our informative Federal Career Corner Newsletter to your customers, clients, and friends. Simply copy and paste the text between the stars below and send the e-mail! The entire newsletter can be read on-line! Suggested Subject Line: From your name - The Federal Career Corner Newsletter, May 2004 ************************************ FEDERAL CAREER CORNER™, Volume 2, No. 6, May 2004 The latest Federal Job Search news from The Resume Place, Inc. and Kathryn Troutman, Publisher Featuring: "NSA IS HIRING 1,500 by Sept. 2004," FEDERAL JOB NEWS, Q & A, INTERVIEW TRAINING, and much more! SES Tips, KSA and Federal Resume Writing Tips, Workshops… Read the entire online newsletter here: www.resume-place.com/newsletter/vol_2_issue_6.html Sign up here for our free monthly newsletter: lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs.aspx?customerid=18651 ************************************ 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 – NSA IS HIRING 1,500 by Sept. 2004 FEDERAL JOB NEWS Q & A WITH KATHRYN TROUTMAN FEDERAL RESUME AND KSA WRITING TIPS THE LIGHTER SIDE OF THE FEDERAL JOB SEARCH INTERVIEW SAVVY SES TIPS FROM SUSAN CUSTARD CAREER PRO INFO THE WORLD OF ACRONYMS UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, & EVENTS THE RESUME PLACE SUCCESS STORIES & JOBSEEKER QUOTES THE RESUME PLACE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES __________________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S NEW FROM KATHRYN  Dear Federal Jobseekers, This month I was talking to many Federal human resources staff and recruiters. It’s so good to talk to them about the challenges of applying for and getting hired into federal jobs. Since jobseekers and Federal HR/supervisors seem so far apart, it feels like I bring them closer together if I talk to HR and ask questions and get “real” answers. Here’s a summary of a few of my conversations: USAJOBS.OPM.GOV – Talked to the manager of this website and congratulated her on the new vacancy announcement format. She said that they are gradually converting all of the announcements to the new “top link” style. It’s much easier to read and pleasant to look at: jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=21926772&AVSDM=2004%2D05%2D10+18%3A53%3A05&Logo=0&col=dltc&cy=&brd=3876&lid=645&fn=&q= NSA.GOV – The HR recruiters took me step-by-step through the www.nsa.gov resume submission website. Please be sure to use an electronic federal resume format for this database! I just love the Job Shopping Cart! This is a first for government. DHS.GOV – An HR staff member told me that there has been some temporary holds on job offers waiting for the “war budget” clearance. They are recruiting, selecting, and interviewing, but some supervisors are not sending their “offers” yet. It’s temporary, so just be patient. www.dhs.gov CMS.GOV – An HR staff told me that since they started using the HHS Careers Now QuickHire system, they are receiving more applications than ever! And they are submitting complete applications too! jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/hhs.exe US Forest Service – For a GS-14 position, the job announcement is requesting the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ)factors, rather than typical Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs). The Forest Service is looking for executives with the core competencies from GS-14 and above! Start writing your ECQs right away if you are heading toward executive management (whether you’re seeking Forest Service or another agency). www.fs.fed.us/ WWW.AVUECENTRAL.COM – I’m getting more familiar with this growing federal job database and agencies who are managing their recruitments through this one-step federal job system. Many agencies from Homeland Security, Justice Department, Library of Congress, and others. Check it out and submit your resume into the database. I’ll write an upcoming article on this system. Good luck with your applications. Keep reading, writing, and applying and send us your success stories! - Kathryn Troutman, "Monster Federal Career Coach" & President, The Resume Place __________________________________________________________________________ FEATURE ARTICLE NSA IS HIRING 1,500 by Sept. 2004 - Kathryn K. Troutman, Monster’s Federal Career Coach The National Security Agency (NSA) is currently looking for qualified individuals for a wide range of positions. NSA is seeking graduating college seniors, experienced professionals, and high school students in a number of career areas. NSA’s core missions are foreign signals intelligence and information assurance. A great deal of research is also conducted at NSA, and there are positions available in various technical as well as non-technical fields. Kathryn interviewed professionals from NSA’s recruitment team to get information on the NSA jobs and how best to apply for their exciting jobs and careers. The NSA HR Recruitment team gave Kathryn an orientation for finding NSA career and job listing information. They took her through a step-by-step intro on how to apply for jobs by submitting a resume using their open-job database and the on-line application system. Kathryn asked "who can apply for jobs here at NSA?" An NSA representative responded "we would consider all applications from U.S. Citizens with the required qualifications for our jobs." The qualifications for specific careers and jobs at NSA are described on the NSA Careers website at www.nsa.gov under Careers. Here is what Kathryn discovered about applying for NSA jobs:
NSA jobs begin at their headquarters in Ft. Meade, MD, however relocation and travel are possible. Ft. Meade, MD is just 45 minutes from downtown Washington, DC, 30 minutes from downtown Baltimore, and 15 minutes from Columbia, MD. Some jobs may require travel. What are the career paths?
After your resume is in the database: You do not need to return to see if there are new announcements posted, new closing dates, or what happened to your application. Your part is complete! The HR staff will select candidates for particular jobs and contact you. As always, it is best to keep applying to other jobs and submitting your resume to other on-line databases for federal jobs. Use the NSA Job Shopping Cart and submit your online resume to apply for NSA jobs today! -- Kathryn Troutman, The Monster Federal Career Coach __________________________________________________________________________ FEDERAL JOB NEWS
QUOTEWORTHY "The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails." - John Maxwell __________________________________________________________________________ Q & A WITH KATHRYN TROUTMAN Q: I am desperate for a job opportunity in an entry-level. I am currently a student at the University of Phoenix working on getting my BS in Human Services and I would love to work for an agency or government organization to expand on my career. I am bilingual in Spanish. I am currently working as an Accounts Payables Agent. I am currently making $12/hr and I need to be making more than that. Please help. A: Well, the government is certainly hiring HR staff. In fact, the story is this: In 1995 when President Clinton and VP Gore created their "Reinvention Government" program, they downsized government by 300,000. And LOTS of those people were HR staff. So the current HR numbers are quite low and THEY ARE HIRING. If you go to www.usajobs.opm.gov and search for Human Resources jobs, you will find many; the GS-5 level is probably right for you. If you want to get hip with your skills, you should try to gain some knowledge and experience in automated hiring systems. The popular ones in government - where they manage resumes, select resumes and keep them in databases are: QuickHire.com; Resumix.com; avuecentral.com. Check these out. If you can take a course in automated hiring systems it would be a great idea! Automation in HR is totally HOT and it's usually one of the questions they will ask you. If you want more help with your federal resume, I would recommend a couple of books on federal resume writing, http://www.resume-place.com/shop/. You need to write your fedres in a certain way. In fact, the Federal Resume Guidebook has a whole chapter on writing an HR Federal Resume. Thanks for writing. You do not need to be desperate, just determined. You can get a federal job. Just get to it! Q: Hi, can anyone tell me if on average benefits for nonprofit/government jobs are higher, lower, or about the same as those in the private sector? A: Federal employees love their benefits - 12 days off per year; great flexibility on the job (extensive cross training in government agencies); career training; conferences; excellent health benefits; IRA with government matching generously; life insurance; more benefits. I'd say that government beats them all. Q: Do I need to answer all 5 KSA's questions for a GS-7 position? A: You have to respond to each of the KSAs because they are all "rated and ranked". This is the way you can get best qualified and go to the next level for the interview. Here is a sample of a KSA from the Resume Place website: Good luck, make them good! www.resume-place.com/services/ksastaffsample.html__________________________________________________________________________ FEDERAL RESUME AND KSA WRITING TIPS Before and after writing samples to assist you in your resume and KSA writing: OBJECTIVE: Program Assistant, GS-7/7 Before: PROFESSIONAL PROFILE Program Assistant with more than eight years of diverse of administrative operations and program support experience. Expertise in information systems management, customer service, training, public affairs, and financial administration.
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE Results-focused Program Assistant with more than eight years of diverse of administrative operations and program support experience. Expertise in information systems management, customer service, training, public affairs, and financial administration. Flexible, adaptable, and highly-organized, with exemplary oral and written communications skills.
__________________________________________________________________________ THE LIGHTER SIDE OF THE FEDERAL JOB SEARCH We do not recommend that you use these in your cover letters or resumes!: From website of Bobby Matherne who credits Tom Friedman for the following: Quotes From Real Resumes and Cover Letters
__________________________________________________________________________ INTERVIEW SAVVY What to say and how to say it... Behavior-based, or situational questions, are very popular in today’s federal interviews. This type of questioning is based on the idea that past performance/behavior predicts future performance/behavior. Interviewers will ask you questions that give you the opportunity to give an example of how you performed a job or duty, or how you reacted to a situation similar to what can be expected in the position you are interviewing for. Being familiar with your accomplishments and prepared with examples is the best way to respond well to behavior-based questions. A few examples of behavior-based questions are: 1. Describe a situation where your work or an idea was criticized. 2. Tell me about a time when you’ve been particularly effective in relating with others. 3. In this position, you will be leading several important teams on projects that will significantly impact the agency’s goals. A team member on one of your teams is making it difficult for you to motivate the rest of the team in order to accomplish your mission. How do you respond? __________________________________________________________________________ SES TIPS FROM SUSAN CUSTARD ECQs – Business Acumen In this 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; however, 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 written 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 #4 – Business Acumen. 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 Business Acumen are: Financial Management - Demonstrates broad understanding of principles of financial management and marketing expertise necessary to ensure appropriate funding levels. Prepares, justifies, and/or administers the budget for the program area; uses cost-benefit thinking to set priorities; monitors expenditures in support of programs and policies. Identifies cost-effective approaches. Manages procurement and contracting. Human Resources Management - Assesses current and future staffing needs based on organizational goals and budget realities. Using merit principles, ensures staff are appropriately selected, developed, utilized, appraised, and rewarded; takes corrective action. Technology Management - Uses efficient and cost-effective approaches to integrate technology into the workplace and improve program effectiveness. Develops strategies using new technology to enhance decision making. Understands the impact of technological changes on the organization. As you begin developing a response to the Business Acumen ECQ, you should take a moment to reflect on the leadership competencies above, and determine some examples you can 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 or experience that demonstrate what you did personally to lead people. For example, in responding to Business Acumen, you should describe a management or leadership situation where you demonstrated leadership in at least two of the three leadership competencies. You may have provided leadership and direction in the automation of an agency-level process or procedure; or you may have managed large scale budgets in which you were responsible for successful formulation and execution, but you had to defend requested increases or develop a plan of action when funding levels were not approved. You may have also participated in the development or assessment of human resources tools, such as a new performance evaluation system. 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 if 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. We’ll also be discussing the CCAR model in detail later in the year in this column. In our next column, we will focus on the final ECQ, Building Coalitions and Communication– so stay tuned! __________________________________________________________________________ CAREER PRO INFO Helpful information for federal career advisors and trainers.
THE WORLD OF ACRONYMS FHWA - Federal Highway Administration, http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ FLRA - Federal Labor Relations Authority, http://www.flra.gov/index.html FRS - Federal Reserve System, http://www.federalreserve.gov/ FS - Forest Service, http://www.fs.fed.us/ FTA - Federal Transit Administration, http://www.fta.dot.gov/ __________________________________________________________________________ UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, & EVENTS
Ten Steps to a Federal Job & CD-ROM For complete information on the Federal Job Search process, get our book, Ten Steps to a Federal Job. Order your copy of the Ten Steps to a Federal Job book and CD-ROM today! $38.95 + $8.00 postage, or call 888-480-8265 to order. Also available from local bookstores. 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 next interview with general interview prep materials, position-specific questions to practice with, a telephone mock interview, plus 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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