Federal Job Search

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

by

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 Say It: Job Search Scripts

by

Many of us know that it’s a good idea to reach out to hiring managers but aren’t sure how. Here are the basics, including a script you can use to follow up after sending a resume or completing an interview.

  • To prepare for a call to follow up after sending a resume, know the name of the person you’re calling (and how to pronounce their name). Or, if you only know the title of the person responsible for hiring, call the company’s general number and get the name (and pronunciation). PRO TIP: LinkedIn has a feature for individuals to record their names and include it on their profiles. Check to see if the individual has done that.
  • Research LinkedIn and other sites to determine if you have a connection with the person you’re contacting. If you were referred to the organization by a mutual contact, mention the person you were referred by.
  • Follow up after an interview if you haven’t heard back from the interviewer. Consider an email as your first follow-up unless the hiring manager gave you permission at the end of the interview to call OR if it’s been more than a week for private sectors jobs and two weeks for federal jobs, and you haven’t heard back.
  • If you do get in contact with the hiring manager but a decision still has not been made, ask when would be a good time to check back. PRO TIP: mark the follow up date on your calendar so you don’t forget!
  • Ask for an informational interview with someone who can help give you information about a target employer or help you network to a job.

Here is a sample script you can adapt to your circumstances:

Make the Call:

Hi! My name is (your name).

[If you have a mutual connection or were referred to the position by someone specific, mention it. For example: “Jane Jones suggested that I speak with you.” People are more likely to take the time to talk to you if you mention a mutual friend or acquaintance, so always mention the common connection.]

Do you have a minute?

[If no: “When would be a good time for me to call back?”]

I submitted (my resume/an application) for the position of (name of job) on (date).

(Provide a one- or two-sentence summary of your qualifications and what you can offer to the company in this role.)

I wanted to make sure you had everything you need from me to consider me as a candidate for this position. And I wanted to ask if you have a date when you expect to start interviewing for this role.

[If yes: Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today.]

[If no: Is it okay if I check back with you in a (timeframe – for example, a week)?”

Bitesize Ways to Move Your Job Search Forward

by

You may have heard that looking for a new job IS a fulltime job. While I do not disagree; looking for a new job requires focus and time; there are a number of things that you can do to move your search forward.

If you’re willing to spend 5-10 minutes of your time, here are some small steps you can take to forward your job search—each of these can be accomplished in less than 10 minutes:

  • Add a recent achievement to your resume.
  • Reach out to a former colleague on LinkedIn and connect. Be sure to send a personal note with your connection request.
  • Comment or “like” a LinkedIn post—or two.
  • Identify 3 organizations you want to work for; connect on LinkedIn and / or Facebook.
  • Make a copy of your last 3 performance evaluations (so you can “mine” them later for additional accomplishments).
  • Check out free sources of information to further your job search.
  • Identify a potential mentor and reach out to them.
  • Pinpoint 1 professional skill or knowledge that you could improve; find a way to close your gap.
  • Write down 1 thing you want to accomplish professionally in the next 12 months; share that with a colleague or family member to hold yourself accountable.
  • Spend 10 minutes searching for potential jobs online. Be sure to time yourself; it’s easy to go overboard!
  • Find a career expert you like on LinkedIn; follow them.
  • Look at YouTube for a short video on an aspect of job search (interview skills, elevator pitch, preparing accomplishments, etc.)
  • Add 2 numbers to your current resume to provide better context to your work. Think about your budget, the size of your team, the number of transactions you prepare monthly, etc.; anything that you can quantify will work!

While doing any one thing will not likely result in a new job, tackling your job search in bitesize pieces will help you make progress! It’s like the old saying, “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

10 Steps to a Successful Job Search

by

Looking for a new job? If so, there are a number of things you should do before you submit your resume.

  1. Conduct informational interviews to learn about different jobs and organizations, and figure out what you want to do.
  2. Research organizations to identify those in your sweet spot—learn about their culture, mission, and values.
  3. Write a job search plan to hold yourself accountable; write down where you want to apply, how many applications you want to send out each day / week, how many people you will contact in your network each week, the time you will commit to networking each day, the resources you will use to help you prepare your career documents, etc.
  4. Once you have identified where you want to work and what you want to do, list your contacts so you can reach out to your network. Not sure you have the right contacts? There is where LinkedIn can help you see who you know who might be able to assist you.
  5. Draft your resume toward your target job(s). Make sure that your resume is appropriate for your career field, includes key words, focuses on the past 10 years, uses numbers to provide context to your work, accomplishments to demonstrate the value you have contributed to your employers, and a strong qualifications summary.
  6. Use your network to apply for positions you hear about, tweaking your resume each time to ensure it fits the specific announcement. If you can identify the hiring manager and find him/her on LinkedIn, read and respond to their posts. It’s OK to apply through job boards but do not make job boards your sole strategy.
  7. While you are waiting for responses, practice your interview skills.
  8. Follow up if you haven’t heard about your applications after 2-3 weeks.
  9. Don’t get discouraged. Job search takes time and in the current environment where many employers are still teleworking and the volume of applicants is high, it may take longer than usual to make the transition you want.
  10. Engage in self-care throughout the process. Job search is high stress. Don’t forget to do all of the things that you know you should: eat right, exercise, take breaks, engage with family and friends—and take time for yourself!

LinkedIn by the Numbers

by

As you know by now, LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool. I look at LinkedIn profiles every day and see that many users do not take full advantage of their profile. Character counts are changing regularly; here are some current character counts—check out your profile and make sure you’re taking advantage!

  • First name: 20 characters. If you have a formal name but use a nickname, this can be helpful. For example, Robert (Bob). This is 12 characters and allows people to search for you by either your formal or nickname.
  • Last name: 40 characters. BONUS: If you name is difficult to pronounce, LinkedIn has a feature where you can record your name; this is a great tool to use!
  • Headline: 210 characters. If you don’t create a headline, LinkedIn automatically uses your job title. Consider using a customized headline so you can include words that are specific to your industry. This is a search feature that recruiters use.
  • Customized URL: 30 characters. LinkedIn allows you to customize your URL; a customized URL allows you to remove the random numbers that LinkedIn assigns. A customized URL can be used on your resume.
  • About: 2,600 characters. This is a great opportunity to get personal and tell something about yourself; who are you? What do you bring to the table? What is your story? Using first person is acceptable, as is highlighting your achievements and the things that are important to you. This section can also be searched by recruiters so be sure to include key words from your industry.
  • Company name: 100 characters
  • Location / Industry: this is a predetermined list prepared by LinkedIn. Don’t forget to include your industry and location. As of this writing, LinkedIn as identified 148 industries ranging from law enforcement to shipbuilding to retail to farming to computers and everything in between. These too, are searchable by recruiters.
  • Job Title (100) / Job Description (2,000) each. Don’t forget to populate these sections.

LinkedIn offers lots of other section too including Education, Field of Study, Volunteer, Skills, Projects, Publications, Certifications, Languages, Awards, Courses, and Patents. Take a good hard look at your Profile and see what you can do to attract more views and connections!

End of Year Wrap-up

by

Hard to believe that 2020 is coming to an end—this year has definitely been different for most of us. Let’s hope that 2021 allows us to get back to normal—whatever that might look like going forward. As you prepare for year end, there are a number of things that you can be doing to move your career to that next step:

  • Work on reaching out to your network. The end of the year is a great time to catch up with people you likely haven’t seen in months—or had occasion to interact with. Send holiday cards if you’re able; and if you do so, be sure to include a personal note. It doesn’t have to be long; a sentence or two to acknowledge the recipient.
  • Add your 2020 accomplishments to your resume. The end of the year is a great time to reflect on your achievements. Try to identify 2-3 ways you added value to your employer this year—and quantify it. Add those new achievements to your resume.
  • Review your LinkedIn Profile. If it doesn’t include your current job, add it. If you haven’t customized your LinkedIn URL, do so (see: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/87/customize-your-public-profile-url?lang=en); it will make your profile more professional—and your new LinkedIn URL to your resume. Make sure that you have a professional photo, you have key words for your industry in the About section, and your headline (the words under your name) are other than the default which lists your job title. Doing these things will likely take you less than 30 minutes.
  • Assess your gaps. Are you missing a critical skill? Certification? Something else? Write down what you’re missing and make a plan to address it. For best success, take specific action: sign up for a class, find a buddy to hold you accountable, schedule time to practice what needs improvement.
  • Unhappy in your job? First, try to figure out why. Next, assess your strengths, weaknesses, and be honest—take an assessment if you need to. Identify what you want to do and whether you have the existing skills and experience to do so. If not, make a written plan to close those gaps and implement it.
  • Practice interviewing. Ask a friend or a colleague to give you a practice interview and record it. Spend 45 minutes (or longer) on your practice interview. You can use Zoom, Skype, or another platform—the platform doesn’t matter but the practice does. And when you watch your “interview,” do so critically and write down what you could do better—and practice again.
  • Identify what you wish you had done this year. And resolve to do it next year.
  • Prepare your answer to, “what do you do?” Everyone needs a good answer to this question. Make your answer interesting and engaging. Think about using this formula to craft your answer: what do you do/what you want to do + why you’re good at it + value you add.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, healthy, and joyous holiday season!