Make the Interviewers Love You! Part 1 of 2

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We all get nervous when it comes to interviewing. And if you are one of those who say that if you could just get the interview, you’ll ace it, you should be nervous! Interviews are not the time to wing it; preparation and planning is the key.

Interviews, whether in person, via videoconference, or on the phone, all require that you promote yourself, your qualifications, and your accomplishments. Here are 5 tips to make the interviewers love you:

Tip #1: Show your interest in the organization and the job. Be ready to articulate why the specific job and organization are a fit for you; know why you are applying (and saying you want a promotion is not the right answer!) and how this particular position leverages your skills, experience, and interests.

Tip #2: Research the organization, the position, interview panel members, and hiring manager. Google the organization; review their website, recent press, and strategic plan, as well as how the position fits into the organization’s strategy and mission. Check out your interview panel and hiring manager on LinkedIn so you can learn a little bit about their background and use that information to connect with them. This is not stalking—this is doing your research!

Tip #3: Be ready for “tell me about yourself,” and recognize that this is not a chance to share your biography. This is your opportunity to highlight your skills, experience, and accomplishments in a couple of pithy sentences. Of course, you want to tailor your response to the specific job you’re interviewing for. Practice your answer out loud and time it; aim for 45 – 60 seconds.

Tip #4: Have CCAR stories ready. You want to answer interview questions with specific examples / stories of your experience. The best framework to use for telling your stories is CCAR: context, challenge, action, result. Here’s an example:

Context: “I work as an IT specialist at a small local government agency. About a year after I started, the Director decided to update the agency’s website, my job was to test and launch the new website after it had been designed and developed.”

Challenge: “This was challenging because the website was 5 years old, used old technology, and no updates had been made since the original launch. In addition, I was given only 2 weeks for testing and launching—there was a lot of pressure.”

Action: “First, I created a comprehensive testing strategy and schedule for reviewing all of the new website’s content and graphics. I established daily check-ins with testers to ensure all timelines were met and all issues were identified and addressed. I also did a “soft launch,” to ensure that the new website worked in real time. To ensure user feedback during the soft launch, I added a pop-up short survey to encourage input from actual customers. Finally, I drafted a regular update schedule so that the new website would remain fresh in terms of content, as well as programming.”

Result: “As a result of these efforts, I launched a new website within the timeframe allotted to update it. Our agency receives a lot of positive feedback on the new website and it now serves as a model for other local government agencies’ websites. In addition, use of the updated website increased 20% within 6 months of updating.”

Tip #5: Use “I” when answering questions: While most of us grew up hearing that it is wrong to brag, there’s no “I” in team, etc., an interview is not the time to be self-effacing. Even though most of us operate as part of a larger team, most interviewers want to know about your personal contributions. You’ll need to temper your use of “I” so that you don’t off as a braggart and give credit to a group effort when due, but don’t forget that hiring managers are hiring YOU, and not your team.

Is Your Job Search CRAP?

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Do you follow the C.R.A.P. method for job search? If you just Click, Read, Apply, and Pray, you are doing yourself a disservice and not likely to get the results you are seeking. Instead of just applying willy-nilly and hoping for the best, you need a planned and structured approach to your search.

Here are some ideas for a successful search, whether in the federal or private sector:

• Start with the end in mind. Take the time to think about what kind of job you’re targeting. What job title, functional roles, and industry are you interested in? Any specific companies / organizations you’d like to work for? If your ideal job was available, how would you describe it?
• Read job postings carefully. Are you qualified for the job? Most postings are pretty clear about what they are looking for—if you don’t have the qualifications, don’t waste your time.
• Target your resume. Be sure to target your resume to include key words for specific job postings—each time!
• Network. No one likes it but everyone agrees that it works. This is an important part of your strategy.
• Take time to organize your job search. Outline a strategy and then use your plan to create a weekly list of activities.
• Create a schedule each day for your job search activities. Make a list each day of the activities you want to complete. However, if an interview or networking opportunity comes up, of course you will rearrange your schedule to fit it in!
• Set aside a workspace. Designate a specific area to use when conducting your job search. This should be an area free of distractions.
• Devote sufficient time. The more time and energy you devote to your job search, and the more aggressively you network, the faster your job search will proceed. If you are not currently working, commit yourself to a minimum of 40 hours per week devoted to your search campaign. If you are currently working, devote 10 hours per week at a minimum.
• Recognize that your motivation is going to waver, depending on the success (or lack of success) you are having in reaching your job search goal. Reward yourself for effort, not for results.
• Get the support of a team to help. You don’t have to go it alone in your job search. Ask your family and friends to support you. Join a job club. Use the services offered by your city, county, or state employment office. Look at O*Net (https://www.onetonline.org/). Contact your university alumni association. Hire a resume writer and/or career coach.
• Enlist an accountability partner. Recruit one person to support, encourage, and motivate you in your job search. This can be a friend, another job seeker, or a coach/counselor. (Choose someone who can be objective with you — and critical of your efforts — when they need to be. That role might be too difficult for a spouse/partner.)
• It can be easier to get a job if you have a job (even if the job isn’t related to the job you want). Employers sometimes see hiring someone who is unemployed as “riskier” than hiring someone who is already working.
• Consider relocation. If you live in an area with high unemployment — especially in your industry — consider whether moving to another city, state, or region would improve your chances of getting hired.

What Can You Do to Be Ready for 2019?

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No matter what your individual politics, I think we can all agree that the shutdown is at best disappointing and at worst, a real threat to individuals, families, and the reputation of government employees, the vast majority of whom are committed to their work, their agencies, and the public. As I traveled during this holiday season, I went out of my way to thank the government employees I saw (TSA Officers, among others) to thank them for working without pay.

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Another Initiative: Coaching

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In September 2018, the Office of Personnel Management issued guidance and direction on the importance of creating a coaching culture. The guidance asserted that coaching is a critical tool as the Federal Government strives to develop a workforce that supports the effective and efficient mission achievement and improved services to the American people. This coaching initiative supports the President’s Management Agenda, especially in the areas of Continuous Learning and Strategic Workforce Management.

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Putting Together an Effective Individual Development Plan (IDP)

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While many agencies I work with offer employees the opportunity to put together an Individual Development Plan (IDP), most of the IDPs I see and hear about are simply training plans. An IDP is about much more than training! With a renewed interest in employee development (Priority 4 of the Federal Workforce Priorities Report), I thought it would be a good time to discuss IDPs.

At the end of the day, employees must develop themselves; although supervisors can assist employees on their journey, they cannot do the work for them. An IDP identifies an employee’s development goals in the context of their agency’s Strategic Plan. A good IDP contains training, education, and development activities to acquire or enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to maximize job performance. This will help to ensure that you are prepared to carry out your responsibilities and contribute to your agency’s mission by helping you learn new skills, refresh old skills, and make use of emerging technologies.

An IDP gives you an opportunity to:

  1. establish objectives that support both the unit’s and employee’s needs and goals;
  2. give you a clear guide for working toward career goals and the supervisor a chance to channel your efforts in ways that help the unit achieve its goals and mission; and
  3. organize and set priorities for development experiences, that will help you:
  • learn new skills to improve current job performance
  • increase interest, satisfaction, and challenge in their current position
  • obtain knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to reach career goals that are aligned with your agency’s strategic goals
  • prepare for increased responsibility.

An IDP is NOT:

  • A performance plan or appraisal—the IDP does not replace a performance plan or performance appraisal. Strengths and areas for development are being considered, but you are not being rated for performance appraisal purposes. Discussions about performance and development share some common themes, however, the focus of each discussion is fundamentally different and should not take place at the same time.
  • A promise of promotion—the IDP does not guarantee advancement upon completion of the developmental objectives, but does increase your ability to compete for future jobs as you develop skills.
  • A binding document—when you and supervisor sign the IDP, it is simply an indication of intention and support for your development. You may not always be able to take advantage of developmental opportunities because of budgetary or workload constraints, among other reasons.

Creating a Draft IDP and Discussing It

Either you or your supervisor can initiative an IDP discussion. Ideally the discussion will begin with your supervisor explaining the IDP process, the supervisor’s role, and your role. Both you and your supervisor should review all information regarding your development status. In this process, you and your supervisor typically:

  • Identify knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) or competencies required by the current work assignment
  • Review and discuss strengths and areas for development in performing the current work assignment

Together, you and your supervisor should draft a plan by identifying developmental activities needed to reach the IDP goals. The IDP should specify:

  • Goals and competencies to be developed during the specified period
  • Developmental experiences that address the competencies
  • Measures of success
  • How your supervisor can support you
  • Potential barriers to success
  • Possible developmental activities and proposed dates

Your supervisor should monitor your progress and together, you and your supervisor should update and modify your IDP as appropriate.

Looking Over 2018 and Making Career Plans for 2019

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2018 has been a busy year for the government; I thought it might be a good time to reflect on some of the career-related matters that have come up; having a larger context for what is going on in the government from a Human Resources (HR) perspective can help you think about the decisions you might want to make for your career next year.

In February, the Administration issued the first-ever Federal Workforce Priorities Report. The report identified six Government-wide priorities and provided what it considered promising practices from agencies.

The priorities were in were grouped around two major initiatives: reshaping the workforce and maximizing employee performance, are as follows:

  • Priority 1: Succession Planning and Knowledge Transfer. Conduct succession planning activities to retain and transfer institutional knowledge, as workforce reshaping efforts are undertaken.
  • Priority 2: Deploying Communication Tools. Adopt tools that allow employees to easily connect, communicate, and collaborate with one another regardless of geographic location.
  • Priority 3: Securing Technological Solutions for Human Capital Analysis. OPM will seek to acquire or develop enterprise technological solutions to assist the Federal human capital community with human capital analysis.
  • Priority 4: Expanding Employee Development Opportunities. Provide employees with ample opportunities for continuous professional growth and skill development.
  • Priority 5: Bolstering Employee Recognition Programs. Administer robust programs to appropriately recognize and reward employees who demonstrate high levels of performance and significantly contribute to achieving organizational goals.
  • Priority 6: Enhancing Productivity through a Focus on Employee Health. Encourage employees to engage in physical fitness activities during time spent commuting and being at work.

During 2018, there were several new initiatives that supported those goals; these include new direct hire appointment authorities, the Open Opportunities initiative, upgrades to USAJOBS, and a new emphasis on coaching. We’ll discuss some of these in more detail in additional articles this month.