Career

Wondering Why Your Career Has Stalled?

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There are lots of reasons your career has stalled—and many of them have nothing to do with your supervisor. If you find your career to be stuck, you need to take a hard look at how you might be contributing to the situation.

Here are some of the most common reasons things are not going as well as you had hoped.

You don’t take the initiativeYou fulfill only your job requirements
The position you want doesn’t existYou only want a paycheck—and it’s clear
You have an entitlement mentalityYou are unorganized / procrastinate
Your job skills are outdatedYour personal issues affect your performance
You lack interpersonal skillsYou don’t follow through
You don’t implement suggestionsYou don’t express interest in development
You lack professionalismYou have “issues” with key personnel
Of course, there are other possibilities as well but if one (or more) of the above reasons resonate with you, consider making a commitment to getting your career back on track. You can make a plan by documenting the following—and following through:

Feedback Received:    

What Needs to Work:    

My solution to fix this is:    

I can demonstrate improvement by:    

While I cannot guarantee that this will work, at a very minimum it will allow you to know that you did everything you could before you decide to move on to another employer.

If you’re considering a career change check out our free Career Change Self-Assessment Worksheet and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance with updating your resume, interview prep, or more!

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!

How To Apply For Senior Executive Service (SES) Positions

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Like almost all positions in the federal government, positions in the Senior Executive Service (SES) are required to be posted on USAJOBS. The minimum posting time is 14 days, although many SES positions run longer. No big surprise here. But did you know that not all SES postings require that you submit Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) as part of your SES application?

Agencies have 3 methods they can use to post SES positions: traditional, resume-based, and accomplishment record. There are a few other nuances related to SES applications as well. When you’re thinking about applying for a SES position, the first thing you want to do is carefully review the posting to see which method is being used. Here’s a quick summary of the different SES application methods:

  • Traditional Method. When most people think about applying for a SES position, they are thinking about the traditional method. This involves a SES resume, a full set of Executive Core Qualifications (10 pages, prepared consistent with Office of Personnel Management guidance), and Technical Qualifications (TQs) (also known as Professional Technical Qualifications or Mandatory Technical Qualifications). SES applications that are posted using the traditional method can easily run 20 pages (10 pages for ECQs, a 5 page resume, and typically 4-6 pages for TQs, depending on the number of TQs and their length). This represents the vast majority of SES postings.
  • Resume-based Method. Under this approach, applicants only submit a resume (typically 5 pages but check the posting to be sure). Resumes must include evidence of the candidate’s possession of the ECQs and any TQs listed in the announcement. Some agencies using this method require separate TQs to be submitted with the resume. If a candidate is selected by the agency, they then need to prepare ECQs for submission to OPM before they can be appointed to the SES. Some Departments and agencies use the resume method exclusively for their SES postings while others use a mix of traditional and resume based.
  • Accomplishment Record Method. This approach is also more streamlined than the traditional method. In this method, applicants submit a resume and short narratives addressing selected competencies (e.g., strategic thinking) underlying one or more ECQs and any technical qualifications. Narratives addressing the competencies are normally limited to one page or less per competency. I generally do not see this approach used that often but it is the approach the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been using for its SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) application for the last several years.
  • Excepted Service SES-equivalent positions. There are a number of excepted service agencies. SES equivalent level postings in these agencies (FAA, the financial regulatory agencies such as the SEC and OCC, DEA, and more) generally do not require ECQs and if they do, those ECQs are not submitted to OPM for approval.
  • Certain Department of Defense (DoD) SES positions. Under the NDAA of 2019, the DoD was provided authority to eliminate the requirement for certification of ECQs by the Office of Personnel Management for initial SES appointments in DoD. DoD may appoint no more than 50 individuals in any calendar year using this authority. People selected under this authority cannot be selected for other SES positions that do not fall under this authority without approval of their ECQs by OPM.

There are other SES application options as well. Before deciding to apply for a SES position, be sure to read the posting carefully to ensure you understand the application process itself.

Interested in learning more about the SES? Check out our self-paced online training course Preparing a Senior Executive Service Package!

I’m in the Federal Government—Do I Really Need LinkedIn?

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I frequently hear from my federal clients that they don’t need LinkedIn. Have you wondered if that’s true?

While I think it is fair to say that LinkedIn plays less of a role in federal hiring than it does in the private sector, I still think it’s value-add.

Here are 6 reasons why:

  1. The federal government is present on LinkedIn; jobs are posted there. While the vast majority of federal positions are also posted on USAJOBS.gov, many are also posted on LinkedIn. And many agencies use the recruiter function on LinkedIn to reach out to candidates.
  2. It’s a great way to research agencies—and find out who you might know. Looking for a new agency? Applying for your first federal job? LinkedIn is a great source of information about agencies; most have a presence. And you’ll likely find someone you know who works for that organization; it’s a great way to find real information about an agency.
  3. Some agencies (and certainly some hiring managers) will look for you on LinkedIn before they call you for an interview. You want to be easily found. Of course not all agencies or hiring managers do this but many do—whether they admit or not.
  4. Interview preparation. Getting ready for an interview? Find out who is on your interview panel and look them up on LinkedIn. It might provide you with some useful information that you can use during your interview.
  5. Networking is critical to your career. There are over 2.4M federal employees on LinkedIn. The Army alone has more than 500,000 employees on LinkedIn. The Air Force (USAF), Defense Department (DoD), Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Postal Service (USPS), each have more than 100,000 employees who claim to work for those agencies—that’s another 600,000+ federal employees. And of course, that does not count the 220M users in the United States. Lots of possibilities.
  6. Establish yourself as an expert / get noticed. LinkedIn is a great place to showcase your experience and knowledge—as well as share the interesting things your agency is doing. I am not suggesting that you violate your agency’s ethics rules or share information that should not be shared; that still leaves you with plenty of other opportunities.

Looking for more information about LinkedIn? Check out our Resources which include bundles and ebooks about LinkedIn and more! You can also connect with and follow Solutions for the Workplace on LinkedIn too to stay up to date.

Do You Know There’s More Than One Way To Get A Federal Job?

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While most federal jobseekers are focused on USAJOBS, there are dozens (and dozens) of approaches to get a federal job. You’ve already figured out that getting a federal job is complicated. And you may well know that veterans’ preference can be challenging—if you are not a veteran and trying to get your first federal position.

‍What do you need to know?

A) Not all positions require the use of veterans’ preference.

B) Some veterans may be eligible for as many as 4 different hiring eligibilities while others may be eligible for none.

C) There are many agency-specific hiring authorities; if you are a veterinarian, for example, or looking to work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an emergency specialist, or a healthcare provider looking to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—just to name a few—the “standard” hiring process may not apply.

D) The Intelligence Community (IC), which includes 17 different agencies, has its own hiring process. And the IC hires a wide range of expertise, everything from security to STEM to intelligence analysis, contracting, computer science, and foreign language, to name a few. Here is a great place to start: https://www.intelligencecareers.gov/career-fields.

E) Lots of agencies have student internships (paid, too); the government also offers its Pathways Program for students still in school, recently graduated, and the prestigious Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) program. Start here for additional information: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/students/.

F) Other possible approaches (not inclusive) include being a military spouse, an individual with disabilities, a Native American (either American Indian or Alaska Native), a returning Peace Corps Volunteer, a former AmeriCorps volunteer, a current or former Department of State or Foreign Service Officer, to name a few. This can be complicated (as you can tell) and specific paperwork is required to establish your eligibility, but if you fall into one of these job categories, you should take advantage.

As you can see from the above, getting a federal job is about more than just applying through USAJOBS.gov. In some cases, you may not even need to use USAJOBS at all!! This is not easy to navigate and getting a federal job takes time (and likely multiple applications) but it IS doable. Good luck!

‍This post was written by Nancy Segal in collaboration with Federal Career Connection, Inc., an independently organized educational nonprofit organization who are grounded in community service and commitment to helping individuals in career transition. Learn more about the partnership by clicking here!