Career Planning

New Year, New Opportunities?

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For many of us, the new year represents an opportunity to reflect and make a plan for moving forward. This is a useful exercise whether or not you’re satisfied with your current job / career.

Here are some questions and ideas to help you take advantage of the new year!

  • Think about what you learned and achieved in 2023…what new opportunities did you have? What new training or certifications did you receive? What new skills? List your 5 most significant accomplishments
  • Determine your goals for 2024…Are you looking for a promotion? A new job altogether? A new career? Create a written plan on how you can get there. Putting things in writing will help you hold yourself accountable. What do you need to do to prepare yourself to achieve your goal? Are there specific classes? Work experiences? New technologies? Specific people you need to reach out to? Put it in writing and give yourself a timeframe to accomplish what is needed.
  • Is your resume ready to go? If your resume hasn’t been updated in at least 6 months, add this to your to do list. Make sure your resume is full of accomplishments and numbers—as well as key words for your next job.
  • Review your performance expectations with your boss. Make sure you understand what is expected and how expectations may have changed over 2023.
  • Do you have a system to keep track of your accomplishments and numbers? There is probably nothing more important for your career than taking charge of it. One great way to do that is to track your accomplishments and numbers. You can do it electronically or use a paper file. Note that electronic files on your employer’s computer belong to your employer, not you. So however you decide to track this information, use a personal device or file.
  • How is your network? Do you have a coach or a mentor? If not, consider taking steps to find one. Are you in regular contact with people outside your workgroup? Is your LinkedIn current—and active? Are there people you know who can help take your career to the next level? Are you in touch?

These are just some ideas to help you start 2024 on the right track!

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Performance Review Not As Strong As You Had Hoped? Now What?

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No one wants to receive a poor performance review. But how you respond is important. While you can respond in writing or file a grievance (if you work for the federal government), you may want to consider having a conversation with your boss first. Here is a potential script you can use:

Preparation:

Before approaching your supervisor, you’ll want to prepare. First, take some time and decide what you want to do. Reflect on whether the review was unfair or incorrect, whether it was the first time you received such a review, and whether you are clear on what is expected.

  • If you believe the review was inaccurate, do you have documentation to back up your assertion?
  • If you believe that expectations were not clear, you’ll want to be sure you understand your performance standards.
  • The goal is to assess your performance to get you “back on track.”

Make the Ask:

[Boss name], I’ve been thinking a lot since my review last week, and I’d like to sit down with you to discuss specific aspects of my performance review now that I’ve had a chance to reflect on it.

How It Might Sound:

You: [Boss name], I was kind of shocked by your rating of my performance in last week’s review. Now that I’ve had a chance to think about it some more, I’d like to meet with you to discuss some specific aspects of it. Could we set up a time in the next week to do that?

In the Meeting Itself:

Again, be prepared for the meeting. Make sure you review your performance expectations and you personal documentation of your performance. Plan out what you want to say. Be open-minded; the goal is not to win an argument but to better understand expectations and what you might need to do to meet them.

How It Might Sound:

You: I was pretty defensive in the meeting because I thought I’d been doing a great job. But after looking more closely at the review, I can see there are some things that I need to work on. So that I can improve my performance, I’d like to meet with you monthly — or quarterly at least — so that I can improve my performance for next year’s review. Is that possible?

Boss: We could definitely do check-in meetings at least every other month to make sure you’re on track. But I’ve been pretty clear about our expectations for the areas that you were scored low on, so I’m curious as to the changes you’re going to be making to improve in those areas.

You: Yes, that’s one of the things that I want to talk about in our meetings. While I agree that there are expectations laid out for customer service interactions, for example, there are some things that are ambiguous, and also, you hadn’t said anything to me before about needing to document follow-up interactions, so I was surprised to see that noted on the review. I’m committed to improving my performance, but I want to make sure I’m on the right track.

Boss: Well, I’m happy to discuss some of the specifics, and to clarify anything that you feel is ambiguous. While it’s always been in the customer service guidelines to document follow-up interactions, this is a point of emphasis for management this year, so that’s why it’s noted in the review. But that’s the kind of thing that we can work on throughout the year so it’s not a surprise for you on the annual review. You’re a valued employee, and I am happy to work with you on these issues.

Obviously, not all interactions will be positive but as an employee, you want to do your best to have a win-win outcome.

Need to Write a Bio?

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If you’ve been asked to write a bio, you may be wondering if you can just use your resume and be done. The answer to that is, “no.” A bio and a resume have two different purposes and formats; a bio provides a narrative summary of your professional journey, accomplishments, and a bit of personal information; it serves as an introduction. A resume on the other hand is a highly structured document that communicates your experience, skills, education, and accomplishments; its purpose is to demonstrate your qualifications for a particular position.

Now that you have an understanding of the differences between a bio and a resume, why might you need a bio?

  • To Serve as an Introduction: It introduces you to the audience, helping them get to know you.
  • Establish Credibility: A well-written bio highlights your qualifications, expertise, and achievements, establishing your credibility in your field.
  • Networking: It aids in building professional connections and relationships, as others can understand your background and interests.
  • Personal Branding: A bio can help shape and communicate a personal brand and present your unique qualities and values.
  • Career Advancement: It can contribute to career growth by showcasing accomplishments and expertise, which may lead to new opportunities.
  • Online Presence: In this age of social media, bios, especially on LI (called the About section) are essential and allows you to manage your online presence.

There are different kinds of bios: work bios for your organization’s website, bios for speeches and presentations; and your LinkedIn bio. Each has a different approach, length, and point of view. When sitting down to prepare your bio, you should think about 3 things:

  • The purpose of the bio
  • Your audience
  • What makes you unique

If you’re writing a bio for your organization’s website or something similar, you’ll want to check to see what requirements they have for format, length, and content. Your work bio is typically written in third person and often includes a professional headshot.

Almost all employers and individual hiring managers are using LinkedIn. If you don’t have a bio on LI (under the “About” section). For your LI bio, you can consider using the WHO / WHAT / GOALS structure. Outline:

  • WHO you are
    • WHAT you have to offer (what is unique about you /  your experience
    • What are your GOALS for your career

Your LI bio is typically written in first person and “friendlier” in tone than a formal work bio. And a professional picture (headshot) is critical.

Wherever you are in your career, a bio is a common career document and it is important to do it right.

Check out our Resources for bundles, e-books, courses and more to help you on your career journey!

Show Your Value

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Whether you’re trying to get promoted or change careers, it is important to show your value. No one cares about your career as much as you do; among other things, that means that you must establish some kind of system to track your experiences and accomplishments—ideally with numbers.

Most employers are looking for past experience and accomplishments as a guide to what you can bring to their organization. There are many people both in and outside your organization who do what you do; what makes you better? That’s what employers are looking to see on your resume and hear during your interview.

So how do you track your value? Here are some ideas:

  • The Army asks new recruits to create an “I Love Me Book” to collect accolades, etc. While this language may not be comfortable for you, the concept is sound. Create a log or file, either electronic or paper, and collect nice emails, copies of your performance reviews, award nominations, and the like. If you make an electronic file, remember to do so on your personal computer—remember, your employer owns their equipment and you may lose access. You can also make notes on your calendar, a spreadsheet, or in a journal.
  • Write an annual accomplishment report—whether or not your boss requires you to do so. This is a great way to keep track of and record your biggest annual achievements. Be sure to give a copy to your boss at performance evaluation time—and keep a copy for yourself too.
  • Put time on your calendar to update your accomplishments. With a specific time (perhaps every other week) allocated for updating, you won’t forget. 10 minutes should do it; everyone can spare 10 minutes a couple of times per month.

What should you track?

  • Awards, commendations, and complimentary emails.
  • Professional development.
  • Certifications.
  • Performance reviews
  • Information about involvement (not just membership) in trade associations or industry groups.
  • Speaking engagements and publications.
  • Your performance metrics and how you met them.
  • Notable projects (and their results)
  • Numbers related to budgets, contracts, and people.
  • Dollars saved, % increases in productivity.

The above includes just some ideas to get you started; feel free to add them to this list. Remember, it’s up to YOU to show your value.

Give Your Career a Gift for 2023

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New year, new start! Here are 10 easy things to do to improve your career in 2023:

Career Tips
  1. Listen more attentively and be truly open to feedback (and don’t forget to ask for it).
  2. Work on your soft skills and emotional intelligence.
  3. Set professional goals—they don’t have to be large ones, but you do need to write them down.
  4. Network—both internal and external to your organization.
  5. Find a mentor
  6. Create a professional development plan; consider not just formal training but also short-term / stretch assignments.
  7. Become more self-aware; recognize and address your weak points—as well as improve your strengths
  8. Take care of yourself; this includes short breaks during the workday, as well as using your vacation time.
  9. Update your career documents and social media.
  10. Get in the habit of tracking your accomplishments.

While promotions are certainly not guaranteed, the above 10 ideas will put you on the track for success—either with your current employer or someone else.

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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.