Nancy

It’s That Time Again…September is Update Your Resume Month!

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You know you should keep your resume updated but do you actually do it? If not, September is the perfect time to do so. Designated “Update Your Resume Month,” you can get in the spirit by updating yours!

So, what should you do?

Here are 10 easy things for you to do:

  1. Review your existing resume; ensure that your current job is on your resume
  2. Remove jobs that are more than 10 or so years old; or at least put them in a category called Earlier Professional Experience (or something similar)
  3. Update your achievements; what have you done in your current position that had an impact on your employer? Did you save money? Increase productivity? Create a new way to do something?
  4. Add any new educational achievements; did you get a new degree? A new license of some sort? Professional certifications? Something else?
  5. Note any significant awards or industry honors. It adds to your credibility when you are recognized outside your organization.
  6. Include updated numbers. Did your staff size increase? What about your budget? Size of your territory/responsibility? Numbers help give your work context.
  7. Delete the words “responsible for;” just because you are responsible for something, it doesn’t mean you actually do it. It means that you should do it. It tells the reader nothing.
  8. Eliminate personal pronouns from your resume. Resumes should be written in first person implied—no personal pronouns. Started your sentences with active verbs (and no “s” at the end of them either!)
  9. Assess your Qualifications Statement; does it still reflect what you’re targeting? Include keywords? Make a compelling case for your candidacy? If not, tweak it.
  10. Check for typos you may have missed the last time you reviewed your resume.

Doing the above should take less than an hour. If you spend the time to keep your resume updated, you’ll be ready to go when that dream job becomes available!

You can check out some other Update You Resume Month posts from previous years below:

Social Media Scrub Checklist

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Thinking about looking for a new job? Scrub your social media first!

A checklist on a phone held by a person. Social media logos of Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, Whatsapp, Twitter on the side that are connected.

1 – Google Yourself

If you have a common name, you will want to see what information is broadly available through a simple name search, but then also narrow it by your profession or geographic location. (For example: “Jane Jobseeker Public Relations” or “Jane Jobseeker Omaha.”)

Be sure you are logged out of your Google account before searching. Review the results on pages 1-3. Are there any links of concern to address? (Negative information about you, incorrect information, etc.)

2 – Clean Up Any Digital Dirt

If you identified any negative, false, or inaccurate information in your Google searches, take steps to try to have it removed.

  • Figure out who controls the content. (For example, if the photo you want to hide is on your Facebook profile, change the visibility settings of that photo.)
  • If the content is on a website or page you don’t control, see if there is a way to request that it be removed. If the information isn’t removed from the original source, people will still be able to see if, even if it doesn’t appear in Google’s search results. (If the content is not removed from the source, it will reappear in Google’s search results when the site is indexed again.)
  • Check on the content again later. After the webmaster has made the change to the website, the information will still show up in Google for some time until Google updates its index.

3 – Create Positive Content

One way to have better content show up in the first couple of pages of Google when you name is searched is to create new content.

Here are some ways to do that:

  • Post on blogs and news sites that appear in search results. Write constructive comments that Google can associate with your name.
  • A personal or business blog – if you are committed to it – can provide a solid online presence. If you don’t like to write, you can shoot videos and publish them on your blog.
  • Posting content on YouTube and LinkedIn will also show up prominently in search results.
  • Reviews you post on Amazon.com will also show up in your Google search results.

4 – Make Sure Your LinkedIn Profile is Complete

A “complete” profile by LinkedIn standards is more likely to appear in search results.

Make sure you have these items in your LinkedIn profile:

  • Your industry and location
  • An up-to-date current position (with a description)
  • Two past positions
  • Your education
  • At lease three skills
  • A profile photo
  • At least 50 connections

5 – Review Your Facebook Privacy Settings

Lock down your social media settings during your job search. (This will not prevent your friends from sharing a screenshot of your posts/profile, but will limit who can see your posts.)

Do these six things:

  • Set your default sharing option to Friends.
  • Change the privacy settings for your previous posts (“Limit Past Posts”) so that previous posts are set to Friends. You can override the privacy setting of any individual post on that specific post, but this will change all your past posts at once.
  • Make your Facebook Friends list private so only you (select “Only me”) or only your friends (“Friends”) can see your Friends list. You can also customize it further by choosing “Specific Friends” or “Friends Except.”
  • Customize who can see your “Intro” details (education, current city, hometown, etc.).
  • Block your profile from appearing in search engines.
  • Change your privacy settings on photo albums.

On the topic of social media, please feel free to connect with us and follow along for more resources and tips on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube!

Thinking About Technical Qualifications (TQ)

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A woman in front of a laptop with a thought bubble filled with icons representing different qualifications like a phone, tools, envelope, and phone to represent skills.

Most postings for the Senior Executive Service (SES) include Technical Qualifications (TQ). But if you search for what they are and how to write them, there isn’t much to find. While the SES is focused on leadership, most agencies want to ensure that their selectee has some level of technical knowledge as well. The TQs are your opportunity to demonstrate your relevant technical knowledge.

Unlike your Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) which may be used for virtually all SES positions, TQs are job specific. You will not be able to prepare them in advance or without a specific posting.

Here are some things to assist you in understanding and preparing your TQ:

  • Review the TQ before deciding to apply. If you do not have specific experience with one or more of the TQ, it may not be worth applying.
  • There is no real difference between TQ, Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQ), and Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQ).
  • Read the posting carefully; some agencies require 2 pages per TQ, others want only a page, while still other postings want to see evidence of the TQ in your resume. Be sure to follow instructions!
  • There is no required format for TQ. That being said, I recommend that you use the CCAR (challenge-context-actions-result) framework to provide specific examples of when you demonstrated the technical skill being assessed. Ideally, you’ll be able to provide 2 stories for each TQ.
  • When writing a TQ, focus on recency of experience. If the last time you did whatever the TQ is asking about is 20 years ago, it may not be the best posting for you.
  • Use the language of the TQ when writing your response. For example, if the TQ is, “Describe your experience that demonstrates a broad knowledge of animal diseases and epidemiology and incorporation into regulatory or industry control, eradication or safeguarding programs,” your response should include something along the lines of, “I have broad knowledge of animal diseases and epidemiology… One example which highlights my ability to incorporate my knowledge into regulatory and industry control is…”
  • You may use ECQ examples in your TQ. However, be sure to reframe your ECQ stories so that they address and use the language of the specific TQ.

What Do You Mean My ECQs Need Work?

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It is not unusual for me to get a call from recently selected Senior Executive Service (SES) candidates asking for help with their Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). They have been told by their selecting agency that their ECQs need work before submission to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Hand selecting a file among many files. Some files in background have red Xs on them.

When I read their ECQs, candidates are often surprised to hear that their ECQs need a complete overhaul before submission. How, they want to know, could they have been selected if their ECQs need as much work as I say?

Here are my thoughts:

  • If you applied internally, your agency likely already knows you.
  • The agency focused more on your Technical Qualifications (also known as Mandatory Technical Qualifications or Professional Technical Qualifications) than on your ECQs.
  • Your ECQ stories are more agency- or technically-focused and “inside baseball” so they were relatable to agency readers who were not really thinking about OPM requirements.
  • Agency reviewers were not focused on OPM requirements.

It is important to remember that your audience for your ECQs is not people who know you are or likely to be wowed by your technical brilliance. Instead, OPM reviewers, known as a Qualifications Review Board (QRB), are looking for specific examples of your leadership experience as expressed through your 10 ECQ stories. Those stories need to meet specific criteria and be told in a certain way.

As you work on your ECQs, be sure to review OPM guidance for ECQ writing. Make sure that your ECQs are written using the Challenge-Context, Actions-Results (CCAR) framework, reflect the key competencies from each ECQ, include stories from the past 10 years, and clearly demonstrate your executive (not managerial) experience.

Getting selected for an SES position is great—congratulations! Understand, however, that getting selected does not guarantee that your ECQs will pass a QRB. Make sure that you put your best ECQs forward so that you are certified by a QRB the first time.

For more information check out our SES Playlist on YouTube or learn more about our SES & ECQs services.

References On Your Resume?

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A person's hand connecting icons of people that represent References.

Instead of listing references on your resume, or even noting “references available upon request,” all job seekers should have a professional reference page to provide when asked for references. Identifying and preparing a reference page is about more than listing your supervisor—or your best friend.

Choosing References

Make sure to choose at least 5 references. Typically, employers ask for three business references. Some ask for one or two personal references, excluding family members. Prepare more professional references and choose the best for each application.

Appropriate references are usually previous bosses, supervisors, and employers or leaders of volunteer organizations with which you are affiliated. If these choices are not available, consider customers, vendors, professors, and/or professional colleagues from networking, professional, or community organizations.

Select only articulate individuals who will give a positive, professional reference. If there are doubts, it is best for you not to consider that person as a reference. If you have worked in a variety of career fields, the best strategy is to obtain references that can speak with knowledge about your performance in areas relevant to your current job search.

Preparing References

Before you add a reference to your list or use the reference in an online application, obtain the reference’s permission by emailing, telephoning, or meeting with them.

To prepare professional references, you should provide copies of your resume and a summary of your current career goals. You can email the job description of the position for which you are applying or share three to four of the most important points mentioned in the job announcement. This helps the reference understand how to describe you in terms that are relevant and specific to the goal at hand. 

Remind the reference of relevant projects or tasks in which they were both involved. Offer to answer questions or have a conversation regarding the specific qualifications relevant to the desired position. This conversation can refresh the reference’s memory of your qualifications and help you to understand what pieces of information would be most helpful in a letter of reference or when discussing you with the hiring manager.

In addition to vetting talents and skills, good references can speak with knowledge about your work ethic and personal characteristics such as integrity, honesty, dependability, punctuality, and attitude.  

Following up with References

Maintain contact and a good business rapport with your selected references. Each time you apply for a new position, the references who will be asked to speak on your behalf should be contacted and emailed the job description for the position.

Saying thank you is VERY important to the relationship with your references and to ensure they do not become disinterested in continuing to provide references for you. Do not take references for granted.

Don’t be caught off-guard. Now is the perfect time to update your references so you’re ready for that next opportunity!

For more information about References check out these blog posts:

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Do I Really Need A New Resume?

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Man looking at computer working on his resume.

I haven’t met anyone yet who thinks writing resumes is fun…except for professional resume writers. If you are staring at your own resume and deciding what to do, here are some thoughts to help you determine if you really should start over.

How long ago was your resume created or updated?

  • If your resume was created within 12 to 18 months, and you’re seeking a similar role to your current position, the answer is easy: Update your existing document. If the resume was created 18 months to 3 years ago, and you’re seeking a similar role, the right answer is probably to update the existing resume.
  • The more difficult choice is if the resume was created between 3-5 years ago. In that case, review the resume format. If the structure is still modern in appearance, and adding the new information doesn’t substantially affect the format, a refresh is most likely the right choice.
  • If the resume was created more than 5 years ago, 99 times out of 100, the right answer is to start over.

Are you seeking a new role in the same profession/career field, or are you changing professions?

  • If you are pursuing a new role in a different field, whether to refresh or do over depends on if the industry you are targeting has different standards for resumes than your current industry. Moving from the federal to the private sector or vice versa would qualify as a do-over.
  • If you are changing careers entirely, you will want to start fresh. You can’t use the same resume for substantially different positions. If you’re a teacher and want to pursue a role in outside sales, your education-focused resume won’t work. If you’re a former trial lawyer who is seeking a role in nonprofit administration, you’ll want a new format that showcases your transferable skills.

Is there an “Objective” statement at the top of your resume?

  • If the answer is yes, you need an overhaul. Even removing the objective statement probably won’t be enough to meet the standards of a modern resume, since the content in the top 1/3 of the resume is so critical. (It needs to be replaced with branding statements and content that showcases your qualifications.)

Has your existing resume gotten too long?

  • Federal resumes typically run 4-6 pages (the longest I’ve ever seen was 67 pages and included footnotes!!); a private sector one should not typically exceed 2 pages. If your resume includes 25 years of work experience in excruciating detail, it may be time to start completely from scratch. The reason is: If you’ve just constantly added new positions without thinking through the strategy of what you’re including on your resume, it may be best to start over.

If you need assistance with your resume you can check out our Resume Writing Services or Contact Us for help! There are also many videos about resume writing on our YouTube channel like ‘Essential Tips for Writing Your Federal Resume‘.