Federal Job Search

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

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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.

How Long Should I Expect to Spend on My Resume?

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I am often asked how long writing a resume should take. There are several ways to answer this question; the first one depends on whether you are prepared with all of your information before you sit down to write. And whether you are writing a private sector or federal resume—or both!

Here is what you need to have ready to prepare a strong resume before you sit down to write:

• A target job posting. Key words are essential. You’ll need to identify the key words of the postings or kind of job you are pursuing. If you are writing a resume for the private sector, you should assume that your resume will be “read” by Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) which will search for key words. If you are writing a federal resume, you should know that USAJOBS is not an ATS; however, Human Resources (HR) professionals will be reviewing your resume to ensure your experience as outlined in your resume matches the qualifications sought—and the best way to demonstrate that is through the use of key words.

• Your work history for the past 10 or so years. It never ceases to amaze me how many people do not accurately track their titles, employers, and month/year of employment. All employers want to know this and you need this information on hand before you start drafting your resume. Most employers do not need the specific start date (only month and year) but some federal job postings do request actual dates, in addition to month and year.

• Metrics related to your current job (and ideally the ones past too). Metrics give your work context and it is important to use them as often as possible. What is the dollar value of your budget? How many people do you supervise? How long are your projects? Any place you can include a number, you should; this will be a real differentiator in your resume. Again, numbers are something you should track throughout your career—it’s almost impossible to remember them over a long period of time.

• Achievements. It is not enough to include duties in your resume; employers want to know how you have added value / made a difference. Try to track your achievements over the course your career. It’s not enough to list your duties on your resume; you can differentiate yourself by demonstrating that you not only did your duties but that you did them well. Try to have at least 3-5 achievements for your current job (assuming you’ve been in it for a couple of years). Again, having achievements can make you stand out from other candidates who have essentially the same experience.

• Education information, along with professional certifications, awards, professional development, and other details. While all resumes need education (although skip your graduation date if you graduated more than 5 years ago) and professional certifications (CPA, PMP, PE, IT certifications, etc.), in most cases you should only include awards and professional development on a federal resume.

Only after you have gathered all of your relevant information, is it time to start writing. How long should that take? If you are writing a private sector resume, assume it will take you at least 4 to 6 hours (or more); if you are writing a federal resume, assume a minimum of 6 to 8 hours.

These timeframes are minimum and do not include time for editing and revision. Nor are they illustrative of how long it takes to prepare an executive or Senior Executive Service (SES) resume. And I always recommend that you walk away from your draft for at least a day so you can review it with fresh eyes.

You’ve Been Hired, Now What?

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The job search is daunting — at times, it can feel hopeless, frustrating, and downright exhausting. And when you do land the job, challenges arise that the best of us need help to navigate.

Career books are a great source to turn to, no matter what stage of your career you’re in — whether you’re decades in at your organization or are looking to start a new career path altogether.

Here are 10 of the best career books to help you think about your career in a new way and get ahead:

1. The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels: By Michael D. Watkins
If you’re in a transitional period of your career, this is for you. Watkins focuses on the challenges of moving into a new role and knowing how to navigate the first three months of a new job. This book serves as your guide to every aspect of your transition scenario.
2. So Good They Can’t Ignore You: By Cal Newport
This is an eye-opening book that discuses the notion that you should follow your passion in your career, rather than what you’re innately good at. Newport sets out to discover how people end up loving what they do — he can change the way you think about your career and how you go about creating a career you love.
3. Second-Act Careers: By Nancy Collamer
This is for those who are at retirement age, but aren’t quite ready to live their lives work-free. Collamer looks at this period of life as an opportunity to pursue a new passion while continuing to make an income. Read this book before you embark on your golden years.
4. The Pathfinder: By Nicholas Lore
This book is a considered a classic for a reason. For everyone from college graduates to someone considering a mid-life career change, this book can help you choose a new career — or look at your current one through a completely new lens.
5. How to Win Friends and Influence People: By Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie’s book will teach you how to make people like you — an essential part of climbing the ladder of success in both your professional and personal life. You’ll learn how to win people to your way of thinking and how to get what you want in your career.
6. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: By Stephen R. Covey
This book encourages internal changes that can completely change how you operate day-to-day. As people have claimed it as one of the most powerful books they’ve ever read, this can be beneficial for anyone on any career path.
7. The Third Door: By Alex Banayan
From Bill Gates to Lady Gaga to Larry King, this book has incredible one-on-one interviews with some of the world’s most successful people, with invaluable information on how they got there.
8. Crushing It: By Gary Vaynerchuk
Nowadays, more and more people are rejecting a traditional, corporate career path to try their hand at entrepreneurship. This book explores the lives of people who have made it on their own, and how creating a personal brand is vital to success.
9. Willpower Doesn’t Work: By Benjamin Hardy
Benjamin Hardy presents a unique argument against willpower and for altering your surroundings to achieve the success you’re seeking. This book will give you guidance on how to make the biggest decisions of your life, and how to invest in yourself to upgrade your life and happiness.
10. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing: By Daniel H. Pink
It’s a common belief that timing is everything, but how do we act on that notion without leaving it up to fate? Pink dives into the science of timing, and how to take the guesswork out of the “when” aspect of decisions.

BONUS: If federal is your interest, please check out my books, published by FEDweek: The Complete Guide to Writing a Federal Resume, The Complete Guide to Interviewing for a Federal Job, and Making a Federal Career Transition.

Handbooks and guides here: FW books

Preparing Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ)

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You’ve examined your qualifications and interest, and made the decision to apply for the Senior Executive Service (SES). It is time to start working on your ECQs. Don’t wait until you have a specific SES posting. There is absolutely no reason why you cannot work on your ECQs now.

Not Job Specific

ECQs are NOT job specific; instead, they are about your leadership. Getting your ECQs prepared ahead of time will allow you the necessary time to prepare your executive resume and any Technical Qualifications (TQ) associated with an individual posting. Once you have a strong set of ECQs, you can use them across multiple postings.

What goes into ECQs?

ECQs include specific evidence of your possession of the each of the 5 executive competencies (leading change, leading people, results driven, business acumen, and building coalitions). In addition to the 5 ECQs, there are also 28 sub-competencies embedded within the ECQs and an additional 6 cross-cutting competencies that should be clearly exhibited throughout your ECQ document.

What is CCAR and why does it matter?

CCAR (challenge, context, action, result) is the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rubric that must be used for your ECQs. Using this rubric will help readers of your ECQs understand your stories. The CHALLENGE is the specific problem you faced, the CONTEXT tells the reader about the people involved, the organization, the larger climate, and other details that demonstrate the executive nature and complexity of the challenge. ACTIONS are the things that you personally did (or that you directed others to do) to address the challenge. And of course, RESULTS are proof that you solved the challenge. In a perfect world, results should be demonstrate using qualifiable metrics; it’s not enough to say “things improved…” you need to prove that they improved.

What are your ECQ stories?

Before starting to write, you should identify your ECQ stories. Your stories need to be executive (rather than transactional) and ideally show enterprise-wide impact. Examples should be from the past 10 years (5-7 years is better if possible). Your examples should have an ending so that you can demonstrate results. If your specific example has not yet fully concluded, provide a specific metric to demonstrate progress. And obtaining a degree or talking about your philosophy will not be considered executive. Focus on specific leadership achievements.

How can you identify your stories?

There are two ways to go about identifying your stories; the first way is to identify when you led change, led people, etc. The second way is to identify your most significant achievements from the past 10 years and then match them to a specific ECQ. Both ways work; you need to figure out what works bet for YOU. It is not unusual to have more stories than you need for Results Driven and not enough for another ECQ. If that is a situation you face, review the underlying competencies for the ECQs and see if you can tell your story in that frame. For example, if you have too many Results Driven stories and not enough Leading Change, look at the underlying competencies for leading change (vision, strategic thinking, innovation/creativity, external awareness, flexibility, and resilience) and see if you can think about how to tell one of the results driven stories through the leading change lens.

Other things to keep in mind:

Review OPM Guidance on preparing ECQs (see: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf.) Try to have at least one action for each underlying competency in every ECQ (and keep the underlying competencies in the right ECQ). Use as many numbers as possible throughout your ECQs—numbers of people, dollar value of budgets / projects / contracts, timeframes, etc.

These numbers provide context to your stories and the ultimate readers of your ECQs is the Qualifications Review Board (QRB) at OPM—they will not know your agency or your job. Focus on your leadership, not your technical acumen. Be prepared to spend the necessary time to put together a good package; in my view, this is 40-60 hours.

And if you’re struggling with your package, get help! No one does this alone.

Make the Interviewers Love You! Part 1 of 2

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We all get nervous when it comes to interviewing. And if you are one of those who say that if you could just get the interview, you’ll ace it, you should be nervous! Interviews are not the time to wing it; preparation and planning is the key.

Interviews, whether in person, via videoconference, or on the phone, all require that you promote yourself, your qualifications, and your accomplishments. Here are 5 tips to make the interviewers love you:

Tip #1: Show your interest in the organization and the job. Be ready to articulate why the specific job and organization are a fit for you; know why you are applying (and saying you want a promotion is not the right answer!) and how this particular position leverages your skills, experience, and interests.

Tip #2: Research the organization, the position, interview panel members, and hiring manager. Google the organization; review their website, recent press, and strategic plan, as well as how the position fits into the organization’s strategy and mission. Check out your interview panel and hiring manager on LinkedIn so you can learn a little bit about their background and use that information to connect with them. This is not stalking—this is doing your research!

Tip #3: Be ready for “tell me about yourself,” and recognize that this is not a chance to share your biography. This is your opportunity to highlight your skills, experience, and accomplishments in a couple of pithy sentences. Of course, you want to tailor your response to the specific job you’re interviewing for. Practice your answer out loud and time it; aim for 45 – 60 seconds.

Tip #4: Have CCAR stories ready. You want to answer interview questions with specific examples / stories of your experience. The best framework to use for telling your stories is CCAR: context, challenge, action, result. Here’s an example:

Context: “I work as an IT specialist at a small local government agency. About a year after I started, the Director decided to update the agency’s website, my job was to test and launch the new website after it had been designed and developed.”

Challenge: “This was challenging because the website was 5 years old, used old technology, and no updates had been made since the original launch. In addition, I was given only 2 weeks for testing and launching—there was a lot of pressure.”

Action: “First, I created a comprehensive testing strategy and schedule for reviewing all of the new website’s content and graphics. I established daily check-ins with testers to ensure all timelines were met and all issues were identified and addressed. I also did a “soft launch,” to ensure that the new website worked in real time. To ensure user feedback during the soft launch, I added a pop-up short survey to encourage input from actual customers. Finally, I drafted a regular update schedule so that the new website would remain fresh in terms of content, as well as programming.”

Result: “As a result of these efforts, I launched a new website within the timeframe allotted to update it. Our agency receives a lot of positive feedback on the new website and it now serves as a model for other local government agencies’ websites. In addition, use of the updated website increased 20% within 6 months of updating.”

Tip #5: Use “I” when answering questions: While most of us grew up hearing that it is wrong to brag, there’s no “I” in team, etc., an interview is not the time to be self-effacing. Even though most of us operate as part of a larger team, most interviewers want to know about your personal contributions. You’ll need to temper your use of “I” so that you don’t off as a braggart and give credit to a group effort when due, but don’t forget that hiring managers are hiring YOU, and not your team.

Is Your Job Search CRAP?

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Do you follow the C.R.A.P. method for job search? If you just Click, Read, Apply, and Pray, you are doing yourself a disservice and not likely to get the results you are seeking. Instead of just applying willy-nilly and hoping for the best, you need a planned and structured approach to your search.

Here are some ideas for a successful search, whether in the federal or private sector:

• Start with the end in mind. Take the time to think about what kind of job you’re targeting. What job title, functional roles, and industry are you interested in? Any specific companies / organizations you’d like to work for? If your ideal job was available, how would you describe it?
• Read job postings carefully. Are you qualified for the job? Most postings are pretty clear about what they are looking for—if you don’t have the qualifications, don’t waste your time.
• Target your resume. Be sure to target your resume to include key words for specific job postings—each time!
• Network. No one likes it but everyone agrees that it works. This is an important part of your strategy.
• Take time to organize your job search. Outline a strategy and then use your plan to create a weekly list of activities.
• Create a schedule each day for your job search activities. Make a list each day of the activities you want to complete. However, if an interview or networking opportunity comes up, of course you will rearrange your schedule to fit it in!
• Set aside a workspace. Designate a specific area to use when conducting your job search. This should be an area free of distractions.
• Devote sufficient time. The more time and energy you devote to your job search, and the more aggressively you network, the faster your job search will proceed. If you are not currently working, commit yourself to a minimum of 40 hours per week devoted to your search campaign. If you are currently working, devote 10 hours per week at a minimum.
• Recognize that your motivation is going to waver, depending on the success (or lack of success) you are having in reaching your job search goal. Reward yourself for effort, not for results.
• Get the support of a team to help. You don’t have to go it alone in your job search. Ask your family and friends to support you. Join a job club. Use the services offered by your city, county, or state employment office. Look at O*Net (https://www.onetonline.org/). Contact your university alumni association. Hire a resume writer and/or career coach.
• Enlist an accountability partner. Recruit one person to support, encourage, and motivate you in your job search. This can be a friend, another job seeker, or a coach/counselor. (Choose someone who can be objective with you — and critical of your efforts — when they need to be. That role might be too difficult for a spouse/partner.)
• It can be easier to get a job if you have a job (even if the job isn’t related to the job you want). Employers sometimes see hiring someone who is unemployed as “riskier” than hiring someone who is already working.
• Consider relocation. If you live in an area with high unemployment — especially in your industry — consider whether moving to another city, state, or region would improve your chances of getting hired.