Federal Jobs

What Do You Mean My ECQs Need Work?

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It is not unusual for me to get a call from recently selected Senior Executive Service (SES) candidates asking for help with their Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). They have been told by their selecting agency that their ECQs need work before submission to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Hand selecting a file among many files. Some files in background have red Xs on them.

When I read their ECQs, candidates are often surprised to hear that their ECQs need a complete overhaul before submission. How, they want to know, could they have been selected if their ECQs need as much work as I say?

Here are my thoughts:

  • If you applied internally, your agency likely already knows you.
  • The agency focused more on your Technical Qualifications (also known as Mandatory Technical Qualifications or Professional Technical Qualifications) than on your ECQs.
  • Your ECQ stories are more agency- or technically-focused and “inside baseball” so they were relatable to agency readers who were not really thinking about OPM requirements.
  • Agency reviewers were not focused on OPM requirements.

It is important to remember that your audience for your ECQs is not people who know you are or likely to be wowed by your technical brilliance. Instead, OPM reviewers, known as a Qualifications Review Board (QRB), are looking for specific examples of your leadership experience as expressed through your 10 ECQ stories. Those stories need to meet specific criteria and be told in a certain way.

As you work on your ECQs, be sure to review OPM guidance for ECQ writing. Make sure that your ECQs are written using the Challenge-Context, Actions-Results (CCAR) framework, reflect the key competencies from each ECQ, include stories from the past 10 years, and clearly demonstrate your executive (not managerial) experience.

Getting selected for an SES position is great—congratulations! Understand, however, that getting selected does not guarantee that your ECQs will pass a QRB. Make sure that you put your best ECQs forward so that you are certified by a QRB the first time.

For more information check out our SES Playlist on YouTube or learn more about our SES & ECQs services.

Are You Getting Passed Over for Promotions?

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Have you been applying for promotions and not getting picked despite the fact that you think you’re qualified? Here are some possible reasons why:

Man distraught over not getting job promotions.
  • You may not have the skills you think you do. Perhaps you’re really good technically but haven’t exhibited the interpersonal or soft skills the next level requires. Or one of the technical skills needed for that promotion may not be your strength—even though you can perform that function at a basic level.
  • While you do everything asked—and do it well, you may not be seen as someone who takes the initiative. Do you proactively problem solve or look to management to help? Do you go above and beyond—all the time?
  • You may be seen as too casual or unprofessional. Do you gossip? Dress too casually? Sign off the minute you’re able? Again, you may get everything done but these other issues—or your reputation—may hurt your chances for promotion.
  • You’re not really known outside your work group. As you move up the ladder, people you do not interact with regularly may weigh in on promotion decisions. Do you the people above you—and do they know you?
  • You have communicated that it’s “your turn” to be promoted based on tenure. This never goes well; promotions need to be earned and it needs to be clear that you’re ready. Organizations need to be convinced that you can add value for them.
  • You haven’t communicated that you’re looking to move up. Have you spoken to your boss about your career interests? Actually applied for the job? Shown that you can “do more”?
  • Your organization doesn’t have higher-level work. You may have simply reached as far as you can go in your organization. Are you competing with lots of high-potential employees? Is your organization flailing or otherwise not doing well? Is the work you do fairly routine? Assessing whether promotion is possible in your current environment is important.

What can you do to better position yourself for promotion?

  • Sit down with your supervisor and share your short- and longer-term goals. Ask for feedback—and listen to what you hear. Show that you’re trying to implement suggestions.
  • Track your accomplishments. It is important for you to recognize and share your achievements. This does not mean being a braggart. But it does mean that you should know and communicate your achievements to your boss. You can do this during your performance discussions and in writing during your end-of-year evaluation.
  • Build and leverage your professional network. You need support to get promoted—and that support needs to come from more than your peers and subordinates. Make yourself known to leadership in a positive way. Use LinkedIn and other tools to stay in touch with colleagues outside your organization to stay current and understand how other organizations view your position.
  • Consider getting a coach and/or a mentor. It’s always helpful to hear another unbiased opinion on your situation.

Remember, no one cares about your career more than you do. Take charge!

Are You Following to Bad Career Advice?

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There’s a lot of career advice available—some of it is current and informed –other advice, not so much! If you do a simple search for career advice, you will get literally millions of potential hits. And that’s before you hear from friends and relatives. How do you wade through this advice?

Graphic of a jobseeker covering its ears as others speak through a megaphone towards them.
  • Look at the source. Are they a “flash in the pan” or are they credible, credentialed, and currently working in the career field and publishing? I see a lot of people writing about resumes and careers and it is clear that many are not up-to-date.
  • Are they telling you to include an objective and references on your resume? If so, keep looking for more updated advice! No employer cares what you want (objective)—they want to know what you offer. And every employer knows that you’ll provide references if requested; no need to mention references on your resume at all.
  • What about page limits for your resume? If they’re telling you to limit your resume to 1 page and you’ve been working for more than a couple of years, 2 pages for private industry is totally appropriate. And, if you’re looking for a federal job, a one-page resume will never do (and neither will a two-pager).
  • The focus is on finding your “passion.” Most of us have to work, period. If you find yourself in a career that you consider to be your passion, congratulations! But do not expect every job to fulfil every part of yourself. Looking only at jobs that you are passionate about may have you pass by jobs that don’t fit into your ideal job—but might be equally fulfilling.
  • You’re being told to take the first job offered. If you need the money and you need it now, then taking the first job offered may not be the worst thing you can do. But if you can afford to wait a bit and have other potential jobs in process, you may want to try and delay making a decision. This will allow you to see if something else comes up and do your due diligence on the position offered. Of course, you cannot a delay a decision indefinitely.
  • The person offering advice may have an underlying bias. Whether the bias is about what women can do career-wise, or has a generally anxious approach to life, or wants you to make a certain amount of money, or whether they do not want you to leave your current job situation for personal reasons, or something else entirely, consider who is offering the advice and what they may personally get out of your decision.
  • If you set your mind to it, you can do anything; this is common advice—mostly from friends and relatives. You need to be qualified (at least mostly) for the jobs you’re targeting, and your resume has to show it.

No one cares more about your career than you do—manage it strategically. Engage professionals along the way to help, for sure; just make sure that what they’re offering makes sense and represents current best practices.

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

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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.

Thinking Career Change?

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Deciding to change careers is a big decision.  It doesn’t just happen; it takes work and focus in 4 areas: Future Orientation, Research, Mindset, and Putting Yourself Out There. Whether you are focused on a federal or private sector career change, here are some specific actions to take to help you make that change you’ve been dreaming about.

Future Orientation

  • Start thinking about the future by examining the past. Reflect on your career journey to date — how you got to where you are today. How did you choose your current career?
  • Spend 15 minutes brainstorming what you want your ideal next job to be like in your new career fields.
  • Take a career assessment test (skills test) to identify opportunities for a future career. Free assessments include the O*Net Interest Profiler (https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip) or the CareerOneStop Skills Matcher (https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/Skills/skills-matcher.aspx).
  • Make a list of what you like — and don’t like — about your current job. What do you want to be different in your next career?
  • Take a sheet of paper. On one half, write a list of the skills you already possess. On the other half, make a list of the skills required in your new industry.

Research

  • Conduct an inventory. What skills, education, and experience do you have to offer (not just from your current job, but also consider volunteer work, hobbies, previous roles, etc.)?
  • Explore your transferable skills and experience using a tool like the CareerOneStop mySkills myFuture tool: https://www.myskillsmyfuture.org.
  • Spend 15 minutes researching a target profession. Use an online tool like the CareerOneStop Occupation Profile: https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/occupation-profile.aspx
  • Make a list of 10 job titles you’d consider in a career change.
  • Make a list of 10 target employers you’d be interested in working for in your next career.
  • Spend 15 minutes researching the salary and benefit averages for your desired career.
  • Write down the names of 10 people who might be helpful in making your career change.

Mindset

  • Take out a piece of paper (or open a document on your computer) and spend 5-10 minutes answering these questions: Why do you want to make a change? What do you want to be different in your next career?
  • Write out a statement — a mission statement — that you can use to guide your career change. It should outline what you want your career to look like and how you will achieve your goal.

Putting Yourself Out There

  • Register for a class, training, or degree that will move you towards your next career.
  • Make an appointment with a career counselor to provide an objective point of view on your career change planning.
  • Set up an informational interview. Arrange a meeting/call to talk to someone who does the job you want to do.
  • Ask one of your contacts if you can “shadow” them at their job to see what a “day in the life” is like in that career.
  • Re-target your resume to highlight your transferable skills, training and education, and experience towards your new career target.

None (or even all) of the above ideas will guarantee you a successful career change but they will help you get on the road to success!

3 Approaches to Customizing Your Resume

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There is no such thing as a generic resume anymore. You should customize your resume every time you apply for a job. Here are 3 different approaches to fitting your resume to the job.

Remember: Before customizing your resume, do a “save as” of the document to preserve the original file. Re-name the file with your first name, last name, and desired job title (for example: JaneJobseekerBudgetAnalystResume.doc)

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