Teaching the First-Time American Public Federal Jobseeker – Contract Specialist

Kathryn Troutman — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:43:05 +0000

I hear the most amazing questions from the “first-timer”. But the most typical is this one: “I just don’t know if I am applying to the right job.” It is amazing to me that the federal jobs are so unique, and written in such a way that really smart people are not sure what the job really means. Even the Contract Specialist position, which from the name seems understandable, is an uncertain for the first-time applicant who has business, sales, account management, national accounts, federal sales, retail sales background.

Here’s the short version. The Contract Specialist manages contracts for federal agency program managers who need goods or services to complete their mission. Contract Specialists purchase millions of dollars of IT services, training programs, specialty services, or computers, office furniture or food.

This job involves researching the best vendors, writing a “statement of work” about the services needed, receiving bids from the vendors, negotiating terms, and helping to select the vendor. And then maybe monitoring the contractor to make sure they perform correctly.

SAMPLE LANGUAGE FROM USAJOBS: A Sample Contract Specialist Position, posted 5/16

These positions are in the Division of Contracting and General Services, Portland, Oregon.

These positions serve as contract specialists procuring supplies or services through formal advertising or negotiation procedures, intra/interagency agreements, cooperative agreements, and grants. The contract specialist plans, coordinates, negotiates and administers complex purchases, such as construction material, heavy equipment, construction of hatchery/refuge facilities, structural and living quarters, building rehabilitation, dam and bridge construction, architect-engineer services, janitorial services, IT and telecommunications hardware, software and programming services, contracts for installation of building equipment systems, and various supplies.

At the GS-9 and 11 grade levels, duties will be performed under closer supervision, and training will be provided to prepare the employee for eventual promotion to the full performance level.

THE KEYWORDS SHOULD BE IN ALL CAPS IN YOUR RESUME. OUTLINE FORMAT. The words in the Duties section of the announcement should be added to your resume. And preferably the resume should be in our Outline Format. Scroll down on this page to see the Outline Format. Click on the graphic to see the entire resume.

SEARCH FOR RECOVERY ACT JOBS. There are many Contract Specialist positions post now to help with Recovery Act contracts and jobs, as well as other federal positions. Kathryn Troutman, Author Ten Steps to a Federal Job

The Resume Place » Outline Format

Teaching the First-Time American Public Federal Jobseeker – Contract Specialist