Federal Job Search

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!

Good Interview Questions for Managers to Ask

by

Since my first article this month explored Interview Best Practices for Hiring Managers, I thought it would be good to couple that article with some sample questions that managers can use. The best interview questions are job related; they can be behaviorally-based, or situational.

Behavioral questions are based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance. These are recognizable because they start with, “Tell me about a time…” or “Give me an example when…”

Situational questions are similar but focus on how the applicant would handle a specific situation that he or she is likely to encounter. These kinds of questions typically open with, “What would you do if…”

Here are some questions that fit both categories and can be easily adapted, if needed, to specific jobs:

  1. Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses at work that tested your coping skills.  What did you do?
  2. Tell me about a time when you had to use your oral communication skills in order to get a point across that was important to you.
  3. Tell me about a specific occasion when you conformed to a policy even though you did not agree with it.
  4. Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to gain information needed to solve a problem and then tell me how you analyzed the information and came to a decision.
  5. Describe a situation in which you were able to read another person effectively and guide your actions by your understanding of his/her individual needs or values.
  6. Describe the worst customer you have ever had and tell me how you dealt with him or her
  7. What would you do if you were asked to perform a task you had never done before?
  8. What would you do if you were committed to a particular project but your boss canceled it halfway through?
  9. Give me an example of a project you were a part of failed, despite your best efforts.
  10. What would you do if you were given a timeframe that you knew at the outset was totally unrealistic?

These kinds of questions allow you to ask job related questions AND find out a little bit about the candidate’s thought process, experience, and skills—in other words, see the person behind the resume! And do so in a way that minimizes the risk of making a bad selection and avoids potential legal pitfalls.

Did YOU Know September is a Great Time to Update Your Resume?

by

This is a September like none other. Despite the stress of the past several months with changes to our routines, work location, and, for many of us, home schooling, we should not neglect our careers.

September is International Update Your Resume Month and a great time to think about yourself and your accomplishments over the past 12 months. For those of you who are federal employees, International Update Your Resume Month coincides with the end of the fiscal year—a perfect time for reflection and setting yourself up for future possibilities.

Even if you are not currently in the job market, you should always have an updated resume. And, for my federal readers, with the potential change of leadership at the federal level, regardless of who wins the upcoming election, you are likely to be asked for your resume.

Here are some easy ways to ensure you’re ready—regardless of what comes to pass!

  • Be sure your accomplishments are up to date. For those of you whose performance evaluation is coming due (or recently completed), use that process to reflect on your accomplishments in the past year—and add them to your resume.
  • Check for action verbs. Make sure your resume is full of action verbs. What is an action verb? Lead, create, oversee, analyze, communicate, etc. Action verbs do NOT have an “s” on the end.
  • Banish “responsible for.” Just because you’re responsible for something doesn’t mean you actually did it—it just means you should have done it!
  • Add numbers to your resume. Numbers give your work context so that readers of your resume understand the full scope of your work. If you just say that you “track a budget,” readers don’t know how large that budget is, from how many funding sources, or anything else.
  • Remove old content. Does your resume still mention MultiMate? Y2K? Hurricane Rita? Or something equally dated? The standard for resumes these days is 10 years or so. Employers want to know what you have done recently—not what you accomplished 15, 20 or even more years ago.
  • Update your professional certifications, speaking engagements, awards, and professional development. This information shows that you are active in your field and a continuous learner.

These are just some of the easy ways to update your resume, be prepared for the future, and honor International Update Your Resume Month!

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.