Are You Following to Bad Career Advice?

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There’s a lot of career advice available—some of it is current and informed –other advice, not so much! If you do a simple search for career advice, you will get literally millions of potential hits. And that’s before you hear from friends and relatives. How do you wade through this advice?

Graphic of a jobseeker covering its ears as others speak through a megaphone towards them.
  • Look at the source. Are they a “flash in the pan” or are they credible, credentialed, and currently working in the career field and publishing? I see a lot of people writing about resumes and careers and it is clear that many are not up-to-date.
  • Are they telling you to include an objective and references on your resume? If so, keep looking for more updated advice! No employer cares what you want (objective)—they want to know what you offer. And every employer knows that you’ll provide references if requested; no need to mention references on your resume at all.
  • What about page limits for your resume? If they’re telling you to limit your resume to 1 page and you’ve been working for more than a couple of years, 2 pages for private industry is totally appropriate. And, if you’re looking for a federal job, a one-page resume will never do (and neither will a two-pager).
  • The focus is on finding your “passion.” Most of us have to work, period. If you find yourself in a career that you consider to be your passion, congratulations! But do not expect every job to fulfil every part of yourself. Looking only at jobs that you are passionate about may have you pass by jobs that don’t fit into your ideal job—but might be equally fulfilling.
  • You’re being told to take the first job offered. If you need the money and you need it now, then taking the first job offered may not be the worst thing you can do. But if you can afford to wait a bit and have other potential jobs in process, you may want to try and delay making a decision. This will allow you to see if something else comes up and do your due diligence on the position offered. Of course, you cannot a delay a decision indefinitely.
  • The person offering advice may have an underlying bias. Whether the bias is about what women can do career-wise, or has a generally anxious approach to life, or wants you to make a certain amount of money, or whether they do not want you to leave your current job situation for personal reasons, or something else entirely, consider who is offering the advice and what they may personally get out of your decision.
  • If you set your mind to it, you can do anything; this is common advice—mostly from friends and relatives. You need to be qualified (at least mostly) for the jobs you’re targeting, and your resume has to show it.

No one cares more about your career than you do—manage it strategically. Engage professionals along the way to help, for sure; just make sure that what they’re offering makes sense and represents current best practices.

Are YOU Up-to-Date on Federal Hiring Flexibilities?

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We have all heard that getting a federal job can be a laborious process. While that can certainly be true, federal agencies have more hiring flexibilities than ever before. If you are looking for a federal position, it behooves you to know that agencies can hire in multiple ways.

The flag of the United State of America in front a federal building.

While it is likely that not all the hiring flexibilities apply to your personal situation, nor are federal agencies not required to use these flexibilities—they may be available, depending upon your and the agency’s situation.

Here are some of the hiring flexibilities that exist. The appropriate use of these flexibilities is nuanced and varies for each authority/flexibility—this list is a good place to start.

  • Veterans’ authorities: Veterans Recruitment Act (VRA), 30+% compensable
  • Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) and Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act
  • Military Spouse
  • Returning Peace Corps  and AmeriCorps Volunteers
  • Schedule A for People with Disabilities
  • Direct Hire (available for Contract Specialists, Cybersecurity Specialists, Veterinarians, among others)
  • STEM Hires (Economists, Biological Sciences, Fishery Biologists, General and Civil Engineers, Physical Scientists, Actuaries, Mathematics positions, Mathematical and regular Statisticians)
  • Reinstatement eligibles
  • 30-day appointments to positions for which a critical hiring need exists
  • 1-year, 1040-work hours per year appointments in remote/isolated locations
  • Temporary Appointments, not-to-exceed 120 days
  • Reemployed annuitants (when the retiree’s salary is offset by the annuity amount)
  • Contracting with private sector temporary firms
  • Student hires
  • Postal Career Service Employees*
  • Government Accountability Office*
  • Administrative Office of the US Courts*

* these positions are in the excepted service are not regulated by the Office of Personnel Management.

Again, the above list is not all-inclusive but meant to give you an idea of the myriad of ways that federal agencies can hire people. If you believe that any of these flexibilities might apply to your situation, reach out to an agency Human Resources Specialist for more details.

Getting a federal job does take time and effort but by understanding the process, you can make that process easier on everyone.

How to Resign

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Perhaps you have reached the point of no return. Or you have decided that you want to be part of the “great resignation.” Or maybe you have gotten another job (congratulations!) If any of the above are true (and of course there are other reasons too), you will need to resign from your current employer. And ideally you want to do so gracefully.

An employee holding a resignation letter and packed things in a box while leaving a job.

Here are some tips for how to (and how not to) resign:

  • DO NOT forget to give notice. Two weeks is standard; depending upon your role in the organization, more time may be appropriate.
  • DO NOT burn bridges. You may need a reference—or you may decide you want to return to the organization.
  • Do NOT take the opportunity to share everything you think is wrong about the organization.
  • DO NOT brag about your new opportunities.
  • Do put your resignation in writing—and provide your contact information.
  • DO understand your separation benefits; COBRA, whether you’ll be reimbursed for unused vacation pay, 401(k), etc.
  • DO meet with your boss to tell her personally that you are leaving.
  • DO thank your organization for the opportunity – and share something you learned or enjoyed about the job.
  • DO offer to assist with the transition.
  • DO return all property that belongs to your organization.
  • DO be sure to delete any personal files from your work computer.
  • DO say goodbye to your colleagues.

People will remember how you resign. Take the time to do it right!

Thinking About Personal Pronouns on Your Resume and/or LinkedIn Profile?

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You may have noticed pronouns (he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs, ze/hir/zir) being included on social media profiles, email signatures, and in the job search process in general. Including pronouns can prevent accidental misgendering, helping you avoid having to correct a hiring manager or recruiter using incorrect pronouns. It could also help you identify an inclusive workplace. There is no one blanket rule/policy that can apply to all, and your decision to include your pronouns is a very personal one.

There are a few ways that you can clarify your pronouns within a job application process. If you want to include on your resume, you can simply add your pronouns under your name in the header (before your contact information). Another perhaps less obvious way to include your pronouns is in your cover letter, beneath your signature at the bottom of the page. You can add your pronouns in parentheses next to your name, or you can add an additional line under your name/title.  Sometimes, job applications will ask you to identify your salutation of Mr./Ms./Dr./other.

If you do want to include your pronouns on your career documents, there are a couple of ways to do so.

  • On the resume, add your pronouns in parentheses next to your name, or under your name. You can also choose to put your pronouns in a different color text to make them stand out.
  • On your cover letter, you can include your preferred pronouns under your signature at the bottom of the page. Or you could add them in parentheses next to — or underneath — your name at the top of the cover letter.
  • When sending an email to a hiring manager or recruiter, you can include your pronouns in your email signature.
  • On job applications, there may be a place to select your gender and/or pronouns. If you identify as nonbinary or transgender, you can leave that question blank if there is not a suitable choice.
  • On LinkedIn, you can add your pronouns to the “Last Name” field (so they appear after your name), or LinkedIn has now added a “Pronouns” drop-down to select your pronouns (or input custom pronouns).

While there can be many benefits to including your pronouns, the unfortunate truth is that there is still hiring discrimination in some quarters, so delineating your pronouns on your documents is ultimately your choice. You may have other opportunities, during the interview or after hiring, to share your preferred pronouns.

Thinking Career Change?

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Deciding to change careers is a big decision.  It doesn’t just happen; it takes work and focus in 4 areas: Future Orientation, Research, Mindset, and Putting Yourself Out There. Whether you are focused on a federal or private sector career change, here are some specific actions to take to help you make that change you’ve been dreaming about.

Future Orientation

  • Start thinking about the future by examining the past. Reflect on your career journey to date — how you got to where you are today. How did you choose your current career?
  • Spend 15 minutes brainstorming what you want your ideal next job to be like in your new career fields.
  • Take a career assessment test (skills test) to identify opportunities for a future career. Free assessments include the O*Net Interest Profiler (https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip) or the CareerOneStop Skills Matcher (https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/Skills/skills-matcher.aspx).
  • Make a list of what you like — and don’t like — about your current job. What do you want to be different in your next career?
  • Take a sheet of paper. On one half, write a list of the skills you already possess. On the other half, make a list of the skills required in your new industry.

Research

  • Conduct an inventory. What skills, education, and experience do you have to offer (not just from your current job, but also consider volunteer work, hobbies, previous roles, etc.)?
  • Explore your transferable skills and experience using a tool like the CareerOneStop mySkills myFuture tool: https://www.myskillsmyfuture.org.
  • Spend 15 minutes researching a target profession. Use an online tool like the CareerOneStop Occupation Profile: https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/occupation-profile.aspx
  • Make a list of 10 job titles you’d consider in a career change.
  • Make a list of 10 target employers you’d be interested in working for in your next career.
  • Spend 15 minutes researching the salary and benefit averages for your desired career.
  • Write down the names of 10 people who might be helpful in making your career change.

Mindset

  • Take out a piece of paper (or open a document on your computer) and spend 5-10 minutes answering these questions: Why do you want to make a change? What do you want to be different in your next career?
  • Write out a statement — a mission statement — that you can use to guide your career change. It should outline what you want your career to look like and how you will achieve your goal.

Putting Yourself Out There

  • Register for a class, training, or degree that will move you towards your next career.
  • Make an appointment with a career counselor to provide an objective point of view on your career change planning.
  • Set up an informational interview. Arrange a meeting/call to talk to someone who does the job you want to do.
  • Ask one of your contacts if you can “shadow” them at their job to see what a “day in the life” is like in that career.
  • Re-target your resume to highlight your transferable skills, training and education, and experience towards your new career target.

None (or even all) of the above ideas will guarantee you a successful career change but they will help you get on the road to success!

3 Approaches to Customizing Your Resume

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There is no such thing as a generic resume anymore. You should customize your resume every time you apply for a job. Here are 3 different approaches to fitting your resume to the job.

Remember: Before customizing your resume, do a “save as” of the document to preserve the original file. Re-name the file with your first name, last name, and desired job title (for example: JaneJobseekerBudgetAnalystResume.doc)

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