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| Volume Number 2 - Issue Number 8 - Mid-June |
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The FEDERAL CAREER CORNER(TM) is a free bi-monthly e-newsletter sponsored by The Resume Place, Inc., Kathryn K. Troutman, President; Jessica Coffey, Managing Editor, editor@resume-place.com. Please share our newsletter with friends, customers, and co-workers! 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, Mid-June 2004 ************************************ FEDERAL CAREER CORNER™, Volume 2, No. 8, Mid-June 2004 The latest Federal Job Search news from The Resume Place, Inc. and Kathryn Troutman, Publisher Featuring: "7 Tips for Surviving Government Outsourcing," Federal Job News, Interview Tips, SES Info., and much more! Read the entire online newsletter here: www.resume-place.com/newsletter/vol_2_issue_8.html Sign up here for our free bi-monthly newsletter: lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs.aspx?customerid=18651 ************************************ __________________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S IN THIS NEWSLETTER? WHAT'S NEW FROM KATHRYN FEATURE ARTICLE -- 7 Tips for Surviving Government Outsourcing FEDERAL JOB NEWS THE LIGHTER SIDE INTERVIEW SAVVY SES TIPS from Susan Custard CAREER PRO INFO UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, & EVENTS RESUME PLACE SUCCESS STORIES AND READER FEEDBACK SPECIAL OFFER FROM THE RESUME PLACE! Introducing our Federal Resume Assessment Service – Try it and receive a FREE "Ten Steps to a Federal Job - Jobseeker Guide"! __________________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S NEW FROM KATHRYN  Dear Federal Jobseekers, We’re busy here at The Resume Place helping first-time federal jobseekers with their federal resumes; writing KSAs; offering web courses; teaching executives how to write competitive SES packages; answering questions; and working on our new Student Federal Career Guide. We just hired a new Training Coordinator/Marketing Assistant, Dawn Holmgren. She is amazed at how many people are seeking federal jobs, finding our website, and looking for tips on writing the best possible federal application. Sarah Blazucki, our Client Coordinator, went to Singapore for two weeks on a vacation. My daughter and the co-author of our next book, Emily, is leaving for Beirut, Lebanon on Wednesday to study Arabic at the American University there. She received a Fellowship from her university and the Federal government. I wish her luck and look forward to her returning! Emily is taking her laptop to keep working on the student book from the dorm. I hope that she writes emails to me in English, not Arabic! We’re very pleased that Mike Ottensmeyer, our Senior SES Writer living in Weisbaden, Germany, is recovering well from his illness. He became ill while on vacation in Europe with his wife and was flown back to Germany in an emergency. He’s almost back to work! Welcome back, Mike! From all of us. Next week is our 13th Federal Job Search Trainer Certification Course in Columbia, MD. Twenty-seven military and university Career Counselors are traveling from all over the world to learn how to help customers find and apply for federal jobs. Ligaya Fernandez, Sr. HR Policy Analyst, will be presenting Step 2 -- Reviewing the Federal Job Search Process and Learning the Federal Hiring Process. Courses are available in August and Sept., 2004. 2005 dates are still to be set! More info: www.resume-place.com/workshops/certification.html Last, but not least, we have created our own Free Federal Job Forum! Write to me here with your federal resume writing and job search questions: www.federalresumeplace.com/forum/ Thanks for reading the newsletter, Kathryn Back to Top __________________________________________________________________________ FEATURE ARTICLE 7 Tips for Surviving Government Outsourcing -- Kathryn K. Troutman, Resume Place President & Federal Job Expert It's in the headlines of every national paper and on-line news service -- government agencies, and private industry firms alike, are going through major transitions, including reorganization, outsourcing, and privatization. Jobseekers who are applying for their first federal jobs are asking, “Should I go ahead and apply for a federal job, with all of this outsourcing news?” The answer is YES! The changes are occurring because organizations, federal agencies included, are constantly seeking ways to improve, to do business more efficiently and effectively. So instead of becoming gun-shy, now's the time to figure out how to remain competitive and stay ahead in the federal employment game. Here's some tips on how to survive:
__________________________________________________________________________ FEDERAL JOB NEWS
Listen to Mike Causey and Kathryn Troutman, Monday June 21st, 10 am EST Internet Radio -- http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=55 Ask Kathryn and Mike about Federal Jobs, On-Line Applications, and Challenges of Getting Hired! Send in your questions to YourTurn@FederalNewRadio.com or call toll-free during the show: 1-866-895-5086. THE LIGHTER SIDE What Not To Do On An Interview! excerpted from Slimeland website
Back to Top __________________________________________________________________________ INTERVIEW SAVVY What to say and how to say it... The CCAR Model If you’ve read this newsletter before, you are most likely familiar with the acronym CCAR. The letters stand for Context, Challenge, Action, and Result. The CCAR model is highly recommended for creating accomplishment statements to be used in your resume or for your KSA/ECQ responses. By breaking down your experiences/examples under specific headings, you are better able to create an effective, results-oriented accomplishment statement. Accomplishments are what will set you apart from your competition. They go beyond the job description and duties to show the employer what you have done and how you have succeeded. They show how you have made a difference. Well, guess what? The CCAR model is an excellent tool to use for interview preparation. And if you have done it for your resume or KSAs/ECQs, you already have them written down. In an interview, you will more effectively sell yourself (your knowledge, skills, abilities, education…) if you are able to give examples and tell stories. The CCAR model helps you do this. It gives you the opportunity to focus on a specific example, provide some background (Context), tell what you were up against (Challenge), describe what you did to meet the challenge/overcome the obstacle (Action), and explain what this meant for your team/department/organization… (Result). It creates a ready-made story for the interview. So, if you haven’t already, try sitting down and thinking of examples you can apply the CCAR model to – it is a tool that will prepare you well for interview success. Back to Top __________________________________________________________________________ SES TIPS ECQs – Building Coalitions and Communication 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; 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 issue is on ECQ #5 – Building Coalitions and Communication. 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 Building Coalitions and Communication are: Influencing/Negotiating - Persuades others; builds consensus through give and take; gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals; facilitates "win-win" situations. Interpersonal Skills - Considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of different people in different situations; is tactful, compassionate and sensitive, and treats others with respect. Oral Communication - Makes clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals or groups; listens effectively and clarifies information as needed; facilitates an open exchange of ideas and fosters an atmosphere of open communication. Partnering - Develops networks and builds alliances, engages in cross-functional activities; collaborates across boundaries, and finds common ground with a widening range of stakeholders. Utilizes contacts to build and strengthen internal support bases. Political Savvy - Identifies the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization. Approaches each problem situation with a clear perception of organizational and political reality; recognizes the impact of alternative courses of action. Written Communication - Expresses facts and ideas in writing in a clear, convincing and organized manner. When developing a response to Building Coalitions and Communication, 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 through 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 examples from your personal experience that best demonstrate what you have accomplished in terms of Building Coalitions and Communication. For example, you should identify situations where you have successfully negotiated a “win/win” solution, or where you have built support for a new idea that is controversial or complex. You may find an opportunity to discuss the successful use of political savvy to effectively attain consensus on a project or plan. You may describe a time when your interpersonal skills were enhanced through a situation in which you had to rely on current skills, but develop new ones to successfully obtain agreement and support for your proposal. In your examples, you should address both forms of communication, oral and written, and discuss your approach to communication and how you have used it to be an effective leader. In responding to this ECQ, I would recommend breaking it into two sections, the first to provide your examples of building coalitions, the second to describe communication successes. Communication at the executive level should include complex, controversial issues, with high-level briefings to senior levels of government, including the Secretarial level, or Congressional committees. 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. Back to Top __________________________________________________________________________ CAREER PRO INFO Helpful information for federal career advisors and trainers.
__________________________________________________________________________ UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, & EVENTS The Resume Place will offer a FREE hour-long teleclass on Thursday (July date TBA), at 12 noon, EST. Ask your questions here. Sign up now. The sessions will include: INTRODUCTION TO THE SES HIRING PROCESS (7/12), EXECUTIVE FEDERAL RESUME WRITING (7/19), and WRITING OUTSTANDING EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQS) (7/26). TIME: 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET, Mondays. COST: $300 per person; $250 each for 3 participants from one agency (attend from the convenience of your office - no travel or other costs required.) First session begins July 12th -- Sign up here. __________________________________________________________________________ RESUME PLACE SUCCESS STORIES AND READER FEEDBACK
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__________________________________________________________________________ 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. Back to Top __________________________________________________________________________ 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. Back to Top  |
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