Writing Your Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), Part 1/2

by

A fundamental part of the SES application process is ECQ writing. Many applicants fear writing ECQs and the idea of it can be overwhelming. Let’s start by talking about the ECQs in general. The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) describe the leadership skills needed to succeed in the SES; they also reinforce the concept of an “SES corporate culture.” This concept holds that the Government needs executives who can provide strategic leadership and whose commitment to public policy and administration transcends their commitment to a specific agency mission or an individual profession.

OPM has identified five executive core qualifications. The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential–not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions–not whether they are the most superior candidate for a particular position. (The latter determination is made by the employing agency.) Successful performance in the SES requires competence in each ECQ. The ECQs are interdependent; successful executives bring all five to bear when providing service to the Nation.

The ECQs are:

Leading Change
This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. This ECQ requires the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

Leading People
This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals. This ECQ requires the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

Results Driven
This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. This ECQ requires the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

Business Acumen
This core qualification requires the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

Building Coalitions
This core qualification requires the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

Each of the ECQs include sub-competencies which are the personal and professional attributes that are critical to successful performance in the SES. They are based on extensive research of Government and private sector executives and input from agency Senior Executives and human resources managers. There are 28 sub-competencies. Twenty-two of them are specific to one of the ECQs; the remaining six are fundamental and cross-cutting across all ECQs.

Each applicant to the SES must demonstrate their experience in each ECQ, as well as the sub-competencies. How do you do that? By telling interesting, engaging stories that illustrate how you have exhibited these competencies in your work or volunteer activities.

Our next article will include additional information on how to tell your stories.

Are You SES Ready?

by

I hear from potential clients all the time who ask about preparing a package for the Senior Executive Service (SES). In some cases, people currently serving in grades 9, 11, and 12, or those transitioning from the military at Master Sergeant and Chief Warrant Officer levels, reach out, seeking SES positions. Unfortunately, far too many times, I have to tell these and other people that they are not ready for the SES.

Read more

Writing Technical Qualifications for Your SES Package

by

Many agencies require that you prepare and submit TQs (also known as Mandatory Technical Qualifications or Professional Technical Qualifications) with your SES application. Think of these as the old knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) statements we used to write prior to 2009, whenever applying for a federal job. TQs are reviewed carefully at the agency level but never seen by a qualifications review board – QRB. When you review a job announcement, be sure to look at the TQs before deciding whether to apply. If you cannot provide specific examples of when you demonstrated each TQ in your work, you may want to consider picking a different announcement.

Although there is no prescribed format for preparing your TQs, I recommend that you to use OPM’s Challenge, Context, Action, Result (CCAR) model when preparing them. Think about composing your TQs to tell a story that demonstrates your possession of the relevant technical expertise. Start your example with a general statement that you have consistently demonstrated that technical expertise over the course of your career; you may want to provide a sentence or two that discusses the various jobs, agencies, etc., where your expertise was demonstrated.

Then, discuss a particular challenge you faced; include the specifics of the goal you were trying to meet and the obstacles you faced in doing so. Those obstacles could pertain to resources, people, technology, etc. (challenge) Then talk about your job, your role, and the specific environment you were working in when you faced the challenge (context). Next, discuss the specific steps (one by one) you took to overcome the challenges (actions) that demonstrate your technical expertise. Finally, discuss the outcome and include any metrics you can to demonstrate that you achieved success because of your technical expertise (result).

There is no overarching OPM guidance on the length of a TQ or the freshness of the story. The vacancy announcement may spell out specific character limits for the length of your TQ response. Common sense tells us that the more recent the story, the better. However, if your best example is from 20 years ago, you are allowed to use it. You may also repeat an example that you use in your ECQs but remember to frame it differently as the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) are focused on your leadership, while your TQs are focused on technical knowledge and expertise. Try to use at least 2 specific examples / stories for each TQ.

Writing A Senior Executive Service (SES) Resume

by

While you are probably familiar with writing a resume, writing your SES resume is somewhat different. Not only must your resume include the required information for federal resumes, it must also show your executive-level experience and accomplishments. Typically grade 15 work (and sometimes grade 14, depending on the specific position) meets the basic qualifications requirement; therefore, your resume should focus on your highest-level work—there is no need to focus on earlier work experience – most resumes only go back about 10 years or so. In addition, like with other resumes, your executive resume should include the key words from announcement, as well as the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ), and as many of the sub-competencies as possible, in addition to the key words from technical qualifications.

Before starting to put your resume together, you should carefully review the job posting, especially the technical qualifications (TQs; also known as Professional Technical Qualifications or Mandatory Technical Qualifications). If you cannot provide specific examples of when you demonstrated each of the TQs, you should probably pick another announcement.

Additionally, you should carefully check the “how to apply” section of the announcement for any special requirements, such as a transcript, performance evaluation, supervisory endorsement, references, or something similar. You do not want to be applying at 11:59 PM on the closing date and find that you are lacking a critical document! Finally, you should carefully check the announcement to determine any character limits, font sizes, or application requirements (such as no uploaded resumes) before you start writing.

An executive resume typically includes several parts:

  • Executive Qualifications
  • Executive Experience and Achievements
  • Professional Leadership Development
  • Awards and Honors
  • Professional Presentations and/or Publications
  • Relevant Certifications and/or Licenses
  • Education

This is a lot of content; in most instances, your federal executive resume will be five or six pages. While this may sound long, it is important to remember that from a Human Resources (HR) review perspective, if it is not on your resume, you did not do it. So, a traditional two-page resume will rarely get your application in front of the agency Executive Resources Board (ERB).

Many agencies are restricting SES resumes to 5 pages. In these situations, many agencies are considering the resume as the entire application; in this case it is critical that you demonstrate your executive leadership through your resume. This means focusing on the language of the ECQs in addition to your technical qualifications. Do not rely on your resume “passing” because you are already in the agency. Throughout your resume, be sure to include metrics to give your work context (how many people do you lead? What is your budget? Etc.) and accomplishments to demonstrate that you can achieve results.

In addition to the above-mentioned parts, be sure to include all required information such as your title, job series, and grade, name of your supervisor, etc. Check the announcement to see if your Social Security Number is required (or prohibited). You do not want to be disqualified for failing to follow the rules.

Since veterans’ preference is not a consideration in the SES, this is less important in your executive resume. However, if you have military leadership experience at a high level (typically Colonel or above), you may want to include it in your SES resume.

10 Mistakes You’re Making on LinkedIn

by

Mistake 1: You’re not on LinkedIn. If you’re not, you need to be—even if you’re working for the government! While LinkedIn is used more in the private sector than in the government, the US Army has the largest number of “employees” of any company in the world. And in some agencies I work with, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you won’t get an interview.

Read more

Do I Really Need a Cover Letter?

by

Back in the days of “snail mail,” the use of a cover letter was standard. Applicants mailed their resumes and included a cover letter to introduce themselves and highlight their qualifications. Nowadays, no one actually mails their resume to anyone; so the obvious question is whether cover letters are still needed.

Here are some thoughts to consider:

  • Does the job posting ask for a cover letter? If so, you definitely want to include one. If nothing else, it shows that you can follow instructions (always a plus for an employer!).
  • Is there a place to upload a cover letter? Many private sector Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) do not provide space to upload a cover letter. If you find yourself in this situation, it is clear that the organization does not want a cover letter.
  • Most private sector recruiters (over 60% according to some studies) do not read them. Of course, that means that approximately 40% of resume reviewers and recruiters do review cover letters.
  • In the federal arena, the first thing that is reviewed is basic qualifications and then the questionnaire; next is the resume. An applicant has no way of knowing whether the Human Resources Specialist reads your letter—or even more importantly, passes it along to the hiring manager.
  • A cover letter that simply says “here is my resume for the ABC position is always worse than no cover letter at all. If you are going to prepare a cover letter, you should make it meaningful. There are still no guarantees that it will be read or considered but if it is, it will at least say something.

If you do decide to prepare a cover letter, here are best practices:

  • Customize your cover letter, including addressing it to a real person and properly noting the job and organization. There is no excuse for “to whom it may concern.” All federal job postings list a contact person. And for private sector positions, use LinkedIn and other sources to find the hiring manager.
  • Make it different than your resume. A cover letter should not just repeat what’s in your resume—highlight your key qualifications and accomplishments vis-à-vis the posting and tell your story, while making it personal. You can and should use “I” in your cover letter.
  • If you are emailing your resume to someone, you should put your “cover letter” in the body of the email, rather than making it a second attachment for someone to open. Keep it short; emails are typically shorter than letters. If you’re putting your resume and cover letter into a system, be sure to put it in the right place.
  • Keep it short and sweet; your cover letter should not exceed one page and paragraphs should be kept to 4-5 sentences.
  • Ensure perfection. Make sure your cover letter is well written and includes no typos or grammatical errors. Ask a friend, family member, or colleague to proof it for you.

While in many cases, a cover letter is no longer needed, if you are going to prepare and submit one, make sure it is worth the reader’s time and attention!