Nancy

Still Think You Don’t Need LinkedIn?

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Lots of people are not on LinkedIn and when I ask them about it, they “pooh-pooh” me. Be that as it may, LinkedIn has more than 300 million members and two-thirds of them live outside the United States. Although the federal government is not a heavy user of LinkedIn recruitment tools (which is ultimately where LinkedIn makes its money), the Department of the Army has the third largest number of employees of any organization on LinkedIn, after IBM and Hewlett-Packard, according to an August 2014 (more than a year ago!!) report. (see http://www.businessinsider.com/linkedins-plan-for-the-future-2014-8).

Even if your agency is not using LinkedIn for filling positions (which they probably are not), it is still a valuable tool; a way for you to learn what your former colleagues and friends are doing, keep up with trends and learn about different organizations by “following” them, and establish a positive online presence and increase your professional credibility by using some of LinkedIn’s features such as publishing. If you have an interview scheduled, LinkedIn can be a great way to familiarize yourself with panel members. And, of course, if you are meeting with individuals from another agency, or even talking to them over the phone, a quick look at LinkedIn allows you to put a face with a name (assuming they have a picture posted), learn a little more about who you are working with, and ease those sometimes awkward transactions. Finally, even if you are not looking up your colleagues, they may well be looking for you.

So, if you are one of those people who does not “do” social media, you may want to rethink your approach. Look at the site. See who you know who is on it and how they are using it. You do not want to be left behind.

10 Things that Will Improve Your USAJOBS Resume

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I am often asked what the DIY person can do to their resume to make it better. Here are 10 easy-to-implement suggestions: 

  1. Create a Skills Summary or Professional Profile. This is great way to include keywords and summarize who you are and what you bring to the table in a couple of sentences.
  1. Add awards. Give yourself credit.
  1. Get rid of experience that is irrelevant and/or more than 10 years old. Hiring Managers [and Human Resources (HR) people] want to know what you have done lately. And, most likely your experience from 10+ years ago was not at the same level as you are targeting now—so it may not count as qualifying experience. Finally, if you haven’t done something in more than 10 years, even if you are considered qualified, you may not be best If you were the hiring manager, would YOU want to select someone who hasn’t done something in 10 years or someone who is doing it now?

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The Senior Executive Service (SES) is Changing!

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You may have seen the recent Executive Order (EO), Strengthening the Senior Executive Service, issued by the White House on December 15, 2015. What does this mean to you as a potential SES candidate?

The EO orders a number of reform action items over the next six months, and I believe these are the ones that potential SES candidates should note:

• The Qualifications Review Board (QRB) process will be evaluated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and new alternatives to the traditional 10-page Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) submission may be deemed acceptable.

• The SES application process may change. Heads of agencies are encouraged to simplify and shorten the initial application process, including only Technical Qualifications (also known as Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Professional Technical Qualifications) that are truly necessary for success. Look for more five-page (or similar) resume-only applications.

• By May 31 of this year, agencies with 20 or more SES are expected to submit a plan to OPM for rotating SES members to improve talent development, mission delivery and collaboration. The goal is to rotate 15% of SES for at least 120 days.

If you are considering applying for the SES, what should you do?

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A Thank You Gift From Nancy

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As we close out 2015, I am providing my readers with a year-end bonus — a free, downloadable e-book to help you think about your career planning for 2016. Download your  Career and Personal Planning Guide e-book now! I appreciate your trust and confidence in me, and I’m committed to giving you even more assistance, tools, and resources in the upcoming year to help you in your career.

As always, please feel free to get in touch and let me know how I can help!

Here’s to 2016!

Nancy

Special Interview Considerations: Phone and other Remote Interviews

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While the traditional face-to-face interview is still the most common, many agencies and companies are conducting first interviews (or sometimes, the only interview) remotely, using the telephone, Skype, video-teleconferencing (VTC) or another medium. Preparation, including researching the organization, drafting your CCAR examples, composing questions to ask the employer, etc., are applicable to both in-person and remote interviews, however, remote interviews present some special challenges.

Telephone interviews are particularly challenging since you cannot see the people with whom you are interviewing. If contacted for a phone interview, I encourage you to ask if the interview can be conducted using Skype, FaceTime, VTC, or something similar where you can see the interviewers. While still not as personal as face-to-face interviews, being on camera can help everyone stay more focused on the interview itself.

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