Federal Job Search

Are Your ECQs QRB-Ready?

by

Before you may be officially appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES), your Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) must be approved by an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB). What do you have to do to ensure that your ECQs are ready? Follow these tips for a winning package:

  • Follow all formatting rules: 1-inch margins, 12-point font, and 10-page narrative limit. Number pages and don’t forget to include your name. There is no reason to include the competency definition.
  • Spell out your acronyms. Each time. Each ECQ should be readable as a standalone document.
  • Adhere to the CCAR model. Your ECQs should be written using the Challenge, Context, Actions, Results rubric. The focus should be on your executive actions and results.
  • No more than 2 stories per ECQ. Do not repeat stories. And make sure that your stories showcase your leadership achievements, not your technical acumen.
  • Use “I” throughout. Minimize the use of “we,” passive language, and third person.
  • Adhere to the time limits. All stories must be from the past 10 years; if possible, try to use stories from the past 5 years.
  • Do not name names. ECQs should name reference specific people.
  • Keep your personal philosophy, favorite leaders, and information about your “journey” to yourself.
  • Include all underlying competencies in your stories. For example, leading change should evidence vision, strategic thinking, innovation, flexibility, resiliency, and strategic thinking.
  • Be sure to align your stories to the ECQ definitions. And make sure that your examples demonstrate executive leadership, not managerial skills.
  • Remember that readers of your ECQs will not be from your agency. Be sure to make your ECQ stories understandable to people who do not know your agency or work.
  • Proofread, proofread, and proofread again.

Writing a strong set of ECQs takes time. Be prepared to spend 40-80 hours writing yours. And be sure to follow the rules! More information on ECQ writing can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf.

Let’s Talk Cover Letters

by

In the old days when resumes were mailed using the US Postal Service, the cover letter was ubiquitous and almost always started with some variation of, “enclosed please find my resume for…” Since that time, cover letters have evolved; here’s how:

  • Not every application requires a cover letter. If a job posting asks for a cover letter, then you certainly need one. Most federal applications do not require cover letters; they are typically optional. Unless required, I do not generally recommend adding a cover letter to a federal application. Cover letters are much more standard in the private sector.
  • If you do decide to prepare a cover letter, make sure the formatting, including font, margins, and any design elements, match your resume. Your documents should look like one cohesive package. This helps reinforce your brand.
  • Your cover letter should be more than just forwarding your resume. Make your opening paragraph attention getting—and use the key words of the job posting to the extent possible. Share you can add value to the organization—rather than what you want / need.
  • Include real relevant achievements. What have you done that makes you a good fit for the job? Be specific and include measurable accomplishments that relate to what the job is asking for.
  • Address your cover letter to a real person—no “To Whom it may Concern.” With all the online tools available, there is no excuse for not using an individual’s name—and be sure to spell it correctly! Don’t forget to change the name and company for different positions.
  • Keep your cover letter to one page, use personal pronouns, and include a “call to action.” Tell the reader what you want them to do—invite you for an interview? Something else? Here are 1 ideas, “I appreciate your time and consideration; please contact me at 123-456-7890 or name@mail.com to discuss what I can do for your organization.” OR “I look forward to an opportunity to meet with you to discuss…”
  • Ask a third party to review your letter before sending; you do not want your letter to include typos or other mistakes.

Again, while not all job applications require the use of a cover letter, if you do prepare one, make it worth the reader’s time!

Not on LinkedIn Yet? Here are 7 Reasons Why You Should Be

by

What? You’re not on LinkedIn yet? What are you waiting for? While LinkedIn is de rigueur for the private sector, I see more and more federal agency managers using LinkedIn as well.

If you’re not already on LinkedIn these seven reasons outline why you should be on this critical professional social networking site.

  1. Because That’s Where The People Are. LinkedIn is the number one social network for professionals — and, arguably, the most important website for jobseekers — with more than 650M members worldwide. Not only are people you know already on the site (friends, family, co-workers, colleagues), but so are people you should get to know — recruiters, hiring managers, and your future co-workers.
  2. To “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty.” In his book of the same name, author Harvey Mackay advocates building your network before you need it — and joining LinkedIn now gives you time to build your network of connections.
  3. To Strengthen Your Offline Network. LinkedIn helps you keep track of people you know “in real life” — what they are doing, where they work now, and who they know.
  4. To Reconnect With Former Co-Workers. Sometimes it’s hard to stay in touch with the people you used to work with — making it difficult to find them when you need them (say, to use as a reference in your job search). LinkedIn allows you to search contacts by employer, so anyone who listed that company in their profile can potentially be found in the search.
  5. Because You Can Establish Yourself as an Expert. One of the ways to be seen as a thought leader in your industry is to increase your visibility. A great way to do this is to write articles using LinkedIn Publishing. Anytime you post articles or a status update, these updates will be available in your profile, so people looking for you can see that you are actively engaged in this online community.
  6. To Be Found as a Passive Candidate. Having a robust LinkedIn profile — filled with your accomplishments and strong keywords — will lead prospective employers to you, even if you are not actively looking for a job. Recruiters especially are always searching LinkedIn to find candidates to match their search assignments.
  7. Because Your Presence on LinkedIn Can Help You Be Found Elsewhere Online. It’s common practice for hiring managers and recruiters to “Google” job candidates, and your LinkedIn profile will likely appear high up in their Google search results. A strong LinkedIn profile can enhance your candidacy, especially if you have a solid network of contacts, at least a few Recommendations, and you’ve supplemented the basic profile information with things like lists of your certifications, languages you speak, honors and awards, and/or your professional portfolio.

5 Steps to Improving Your Life at Work

by

There are 5 simple steps each of us can take to get what we want and need at work. Now I will not promise these steps will not necessarily guarantee that promotion or raise (or new boss) you’re dreaming about but they can help you ask for what you want and need, and move closer to meeting your goals.

Step 1: Plan and prepare. What exactly do you want? Is it realistic? Before you can ask for anything, you need to be able to define what it is you are looking for. A vague, “I want to be busier,” or “I want more interesting work,” is not enough. Define what those things mean to you. And write it down so you won’t forget. Once you define what it is you want, you then need to figure out who can help you get it. Just talking to your colleague in hopes that she will pass it on to someone in a position to actually help you, is not the answer.

Step 2: Keep your eyes open. Once you have defined what you want and who might be able to help you, make sure that your timing is right. Don’t make your “ask” the day a major project is due, the day your supervisor returns from vacation, or when it is clear that your boss is having a bad day.

Step 3: WIIFM. What’s in it for me (WIIFM)—or in this case, the person who can help you? As you prepare for your “ask,” think about how helping you will help the other person. Make your ask a “win-win.”

Step 4: Make your ask. Once you are fully prepared and have followed the first 3 steps, make your ask. Don’t wait to be noticed. Your ask should be polite, professional, and clear — ask for exactly what you want; don’t expect the person you’re asking to “get it.” It is critical to be clear.  Have your “business case” ready and be sure to include how meeting your needs helps the person you’re asking!

Step 5: Don’t stop with your ask. If the person agrees right away, good for you!! Be sure to say thank you. If the person asks to think about it, thank them for their consideration and ask if you may follow up in a week or so. And if they say no, again, thank them for their time and ask them if there are specific steps you can take to move closer to your goal. And take care to not “burn your bridges” or sulk if you do not get what you want. You may get it next time.

While these strategies are not foolproof, they will maximize your opportunities to get what you need to move your career forward. And what better time to be planning to that next phase of your career than the end of the year!

Basic Approach to Diffusing Coworker Conflict

by

Feeling hot under the collar and it’s not the summer heat? Especially at work? Do not let workplace conflicts get out of hand. Take a deep breath and cool down…there are constructive ways of managing workplace conflicts.

Accept that conflict is natural and unavoidable. Wherever there are two or more people, conflict is inevitable. And in many cases (if handled correctly), conflict can be beneficial if you and your organization learn from it. First, think about the cause of the conflict; is it about communication? Lack of information? Uneven resources? Different values? Feeling overworked? Something else? Identifying the cause of the conflict (at least in your view) is the first step. Spend a few minutes thinking about the conflict from the other person’s perspective as well.

Next, think about how the conflict manifests itself. Has behavior deteriorated? Are you no longer receiving the information you need to do your job? Is the conflict important enough to address? Once you have decided that the conflict needs to be addressed and you’re ready to speak with the person in question, focus on the problem in the abstract rather than in terms of the other person’s personality. Do not make the conflict personal; focus on framing the issue around how it affects you at work.

If the issue is worth addressing directly, make sure you approach the person at an appropriate time and place. Verify that the other person has time to talk and you both can do so uninterrupted by phone calls and emails. Bring up the issue you’d like to discuss. Do not make accusations, and do not assume that you know why the person is acting in a particular way…or that they even know there is a problem. Use “I” statements, rather than “You” statements when telling this person how you feel. Make your perspective known, say how you feel and that you’d like to come up with a mutual solution and look for areas of conflict and agreement so you know what to focus on.

If it turns out you were wrong about something, or in-the-wrong overall, apologize and move on. Otherwise it could even help the situation in the long run for you to simply apologize for your part in the matter. And, once you agree on next steps together, keep your commitment. And follow up periodically with the other person to see how things are from their perspective – especially if lack of communication was what led to the situation in the first place. You don’t have to become best friends but a little “preventative maintenance” in your relationship with this person could go a long way – especially if you wind up pulling in the same direction and understand each other better.

No, I Will Not Guarantee You That Your New Resume Will Result in a Job Offer

by

I am often asked whether I will guarantee a job offer if someone uses my services for resume writing. Not only will I not guarantee that you will get a job, I encourage you to question anyone who makes that claim. Why? There are lots of things that go into getting selected for a job—your resume is only a very small part.

What are some of the other factors that go into determining whether you will get a job?

  • Are you actually qualified for the position(s) you’ve applied for? For example, do have the specialized experienced required (and not just time in grade), if you’re applying for federal jobs. Did you answer the questionnaire properly? If you’re applying for private sector positions, do you meet all of the qualifications?
  • Is the hiring manager just going through the motions of posting because he or she has to because of internal policy or some notion of transparency? Does the hiring manager have someone in mind (that isn’t you) but is just posting out of habit or again, internal policy?
  • Did you blow the interview? Perhaps you received an interview or were referred to the hiring manager; was your interview strong? How did you compare to the other candidates referred / interviewed?
  • Was the hiring manager required to hire someone else due to internal politics?
  • How many positions have you actually applied for? While it is certainly possible that you will get the first position you apply for, it isn’t all that likely. In many ways, applying for a new position is a numbers game. And, while I do not endorse applying for “everything”—also known as the “spray and pray” method, I do believe you need to be realistic about your chances. Most job postings result in hundreds, if not thousands of applicants.
  • Was there an actual position to be filled? Or was the posting in anticipation of receiving funding / approval for the position / whatever? Was it one of those federal postings I often see that are open in dozens of locations for all grades? If you read the fine print on those, it clearly says, “There may or may not be actual vacancies at the time you submit your application.”
  • Are you networking? Have you used LinkedIn or another source to identify people on the “inside” who might be able to assist you in learning about the organization, the position, and the hiring manager? Networking is critical to all job searches, federal and private sector.

The above represents just some of factors that go into a hiring manager making a decision. So, no, I will not guarantee you a job offer. I will guarantee you a best practice, competitive resume that is targeted toward your position of choice.