Job Search

Get Your Digital House in Order!

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The beginning of the year is a great time to get your digital house in order. Whether you are pursuing federal employment or employment in private, nonprofit or state and local sector, people are looking at your LinkedIn profile. Don’t get left behind. The market is highly competitive and we should use every advantage we can. And yes, I know the feds aren’t as active on LinkedIn as the private sector but this is changing rapidly.

LinkedIn is the premiere platform for jobseekers. You can argue that it’s good or bad but at the moment, this is the place to be digitally. Here are some ways you can optimize your LinkedIn account:

Basics:
  • Headline Strategy: Use all 220 characters with a formula: Current Role + Value Proposition + Target Keywords + Unique Differentiator
  • About Section: Structure with a hook, story arc, and clear call-to-action using the STAR method
  • Experience Optimization: Include 3-5 bullet points per role with quantified achievements and relevant keywords
  • Skills & Endorsements: Strategically order your top 3 skills and actively manage endorsements
  • Activity Publishing: Share original content 2-3 times per week during peak engagement hours (Tuesday-Thursday, 8-10 AM)
Advanced LinkedIn Features:
  • Use LinkedIn Creator mode for expanded content tools
  • Leverage LinkedIn Stories for behind-the-scenes content
  • Host LinkedIn Live sessions or audio events
  • Create LinkedIn newsletters for consistent thought leadership
  • Utilize LinkedIn’s SEO by including keywords in all sections
AI Prompts:
  • “Create a LinkedIn headline using the formula: [Current Role] + [Value Proposition] + [Keywords for target role] + [Unique differentiator] for someone targeting [specific position]”
  • “Write a compelling LinkedIn About section that follows the STAR method and includes keywords for [industry/role]”
  • “Generate 10 LinkedIn content ideas that demonstrate expertise in [field] and encourage engagement

Please note that some of these ideas are more important for some jobseekers (and those who want to stay put) than others. And of course, LinkedIn is changing all of the time. Regardless, the above represents a great way to start or improve your LinkedIn presence.

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Feeling Like Your Age is Getting in the Way of You Getting Hired?

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I regularly hear from people who believe their age is hindering their ability to get a new job or a promotion. We all know that age discrimination is illegal. That being said, individual hiring managers may have biases and unfortunately ageism is one.

There are a number of strategies you can use to minimize age being a factor in hiring and promotion decisions. Here are 5 strategies you can employ:

  1. Keep the focus on your past 10 or so years of experience. I promise you that no one cares what you did in the 1990’s. You do not want to come off as if you’re living on your laurels. Hiring managers want to know what you have done recently. You can show earlier work experience in a category called Earlier Work Experience and list your titles, employers, City, ST without including dates. You can, if there’s room, list an accomplishment or two.
  2. Remove graduation dates (if you graduated more than a couple of years ago). If your resume states that you graduated in 1978, for example, the first thing anyone is going to do is the “math” to figure out how old you are.
  3. Ensure you have an updated email address. Your email should be Gmail or something similar. You should not be using AOL or Yahoo for job hunting. AOL especially screams that you got your email 25+ years ago.
  4. Remove content that immediately dates you. Examples include mentioning your success in managing Y2K, have your summary state that you have 25+ years of experience (or even more!), outdated software on your list (WordPerfect, LOTUS 1-2-3, etc.).
  5. Including Objectives and mentioning References on your resume. Hiring managers don’t care what you want (objective); instead, they want to see what you can offer them (professional summary). All hiring managers know that you will provide references if asked; mentioning them on your resume is considered old fashioned.

The above goes for both federal and private sector resumes. If an individual job posting requires something on this list (such as graduation dates), of course you need to include it. But as a general rule, ensuring you are following modern resume standards will help minimize opportunities for you to be eliminated on first glance because the reader makes a negative assumption about your age.

If you’re in need of resume writing assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Federal Hiring Freeze Update

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On October 15, the White House issued an Executive Order (EO), Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal Hiring. Here is a summary of what you need to know:

  • The hiring freeze is not over. According to the EO, “No Federal civilian position that is vacant may be filled, and no new position may be created,” with exceptions outlined in the EO.
  • The policy applies to all agencies and Departments, regardless of their funding  sources.
  • By mid-November, every agency should have a Strategic Hiring Committee with senior officials, including the Deputy head of the agency and the Chief of Staff to the agency head. They will approve the creating or filling of vacancies.
  • The Committee will ensure that hiring is, “consistent with the national interest, agency needs, and the priorities of [the] Administration.
  • Agencies are directed to improve operational efficiency and reduce redundancy, and reduce contractors, among other things while prioritizing filling national security, homeland security, and public safety positions.
  • The order does not affect the ability of agencies to provide Social Security, Medicare, or veterans’ benefits.
  • The order does not affect positions related to immigration enforcement.
  • OPM may grant exceptions as appropriate. There are also carve-outs for Schedule C (political positions) and a few other things.

The bottom line is that the hiring freeze remains in effect for most positions. Federal employees should be aware that the pressure to reduce the size of government continues into 2026.

If you are interested in staying with the government, you should make sure your 2-page resume is ready to go; opportunities are likely to be limited.

If you’d like to stay up to date on federal and career news, follow us on LinkedIn!

What is the Difference Between a RIF and a Transfer of Function?

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While being separated from the organization can be a result of either a RIF or a Transfer of Function, these are two different kinds of personnel actions with differing rules and procedures. It is important to understand the differences between them.

Reduction in Force:

When an agency must abolish positions due to reorganization, shortage of funds, insufficient personnel ceiling, or lack of work, the RIF regulations establish procedures for determining how employees are released and whether an employee has retention rights to a different position. In determining who is affected by a RIF, agencies take 4 factors into account:

  1. Tenure of employment (type of appointment—permanent, TERM, temporary, etc.)
  2. Veterans’ preference
  3. Length of service
  4. Performance ratings

Transfer of Function:

A transfer of function takes place when a function ceases in one competitive area, and moves to one or more other competitive areas that do not perform the function at the time of transfer. OPM’s transfer of function regulations apply only when, after transfer, the gaining competitive area uses Federal employees to perform the function. For example, a transfer of function does not take place when after transfer the gaining competitive area performs the work through contract employees, a reimbursable agreement with a different competitive area, or by members of the Armed Forces. The movement of work solely within a competitive area is a reorganization, and is not a transfer of function.

A transfer of function also takes place when the entire competitive area moves to a different local commuting area without any additional organizational change. A transfer of function may be intra- or interagency. The transfer of function regulations use the same procedures for both types of transfers.

An employee has no right to transfer with the function unless the alternative in the competitive area losing the function is separation or demotion by reduction in force.

An agency may always direct an employee’s reassignment to another position (regardless of location) in lieu of transfer of function rights. The vacant position may be in the same or in a different classification series, line of work, and/or geographic location.

Finally, there are realignment actions that are not considered a transfer of function. An employee has no right to transfer with a function if, at the time of transfer, the gaining competitive area performs the same type of work as the function that is transferring from the losing competitive area. Also, an employee has no right to transfer if the function does not cease in the losing competitive area at the time of transfer. In these situations, the employee has a right to compete in a reduction in force in the losing competitive area if the agency does not offer the employee another position at the same grade. The offered position may be in the same or in a different local commuting area. The agency must use adverse action procedures to separate an employee who declines relocation (e.g., by reassignment, change of duty station, realignment, etc.) to a different local commuting area.

As you can see, this gets pretty complicated and employees’ individual situations matter. This is just intended as a basic overview. Again, it is important to understand the nuances and recognize that different actions have different procedures and employee rights.

If you have any questions or need resume writing assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Think You Might Get RIF’d?

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It is a challenging period for federal employees. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimates that the federal workforce will have 350,000 fewer employees by the end of 2025. Additional cuts are expected for 2026. So it behooves every federal employee to prepare for further potential cuts. Here are 7 things to know about:

  1. Get a copy of your eOPF and check it carefully to ensure it is complete and accurate. Alert your HR office in writing of any problems. While you can still request your eOPF after separation, several media outlets are reporting that HR offices are overwhelmed with requests and HR staffs are depleted. The sooner you start, the better. And it is best practice to keep a hard copy of every SF-50 whether or not you think you might leave the government.
  2. If you are RIF’d and in the competitive service, you are entitled to advanced notice and appeal rights. Excepted service rights are more complicated and depend on individual situations and agencies. Again, if you plan to appeal, recognize that the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and similar agencies are also overwhelmed and resolution is unlikely to be quick.
  3. You should not wait to start considering your options. The current job market is challenging and most recruiters are suggesting job searches will take 6-9 months—or more. Of course, you could be the exception but why take the chance?
  4. What about becoming a contractor? Federal contractors have been a traditional place for separating federal employees to land. However, many federal contractors are also laying off staff,. especially in the National Capitol Region, so targeting federal contractors only may not be the answer for everyone.
  5. What about getting another federal job? Competitive service employees who are RIF’d have CTAP (Career Transition Assistance Program) and ICTAP (Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program) rights. Basically employees who have been RIF’d must receive priority consideration in their own agency (CTAP) or in another federal agency (ICTAP) for positions at their grade or below in the same commuting area if they  are rated well qualified or higher. CTAP and ICTAP candidates must be offered a position before someone from outside the advertising agency is selected. RIF’d employees interested in exercising their CTAP / ICTAP rights must follow the instructions on the vacancy announcement. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/
  6. Can I come back to the government if I retire? The short answer is yes—in many cases. Employees in this category are called reemployment annuitants. The specific rules and impact on a person’s annuity depend on the applicant’s  retirement system and the kind of reemployment. https://www.fedweek.com/experts-view/want-to-un-retire-returning-to-work-for-the-government/
  7. Ethics requirements can be complicated depending upon your federal position and agency. Employees should check with their Ethics Officer before reaching out to potential employers. https://www.fedweek.com/issue-briefs/oge-addresses-post-employment-restrictions-other-ethics-issues-for-deferred-resignation/

This is just a brief overview of things to be thinking about if you believe you might be RIF’d. Individual circumstances vary and it is those individual circumstances which affect eligibility and other details.

Thinking About Those 4 New Questions for Federal Applications?

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As many of you know, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will be implementing 4 essay questions for new federal employees, GS-5 through 15. Agencies are also being encouraged (but not required) to use the questions for existing federal employees seeking promotions and reassignments.

Here are the 4 questions:

  1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
  2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
  3. How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
  4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Essay responses are considered voluntary, limited to 200 words, and not be scored or rated, according to OPM. Responses may only be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (not HR). Applicants must certify that they completed the essays themselves, without the use of AI or a consultant.

If you do decide to respond to the essay questions, here is a possible approach for each question:

  • For question 1, think about:
    • A specific constitutional principle or founding ideal that resonates with you (e.g., separation of powers, individual rights, democratic governance)
    • A concrete example that demonstrates this principle in action
    • Make a clear connection between example and how it prepared you for federal service
    • Mention the specific role and how your constitutional commitment will guide your work
  • For question 2, think about:
    • Brief statement of your approach to efficiency (data-driven, process improvement, stakeholder engagement, etc.)
    • 2-3 concrete examples with specific metrics (cost savings, time reduction, improved outcomes)
    • Different types of improvements: process streamlining, technology implementation, resource optimization)
    • Clear connection to how these  skills apply in the federal role
  • For question 3, think about:
    • Brief acknowledgment of your research into current administration priorities
    • 1-2 specific Executive Orders or policy initiatives (use actual titles/numbers)
    • Clear explanation of why these resonate with you personally or professionally
    • Specific, actionable steps you would take to implement them in role
    • Understanding of potential challenges and how to address them
  • For question 4, think about:
    • Brief discussion of your work ethic philosophy (persistence, accountability, excellence, etc.)
    • 1-2 specific examples from different contexts (professional/academic/personal)
    • Clear demonstration of the challenges you overcame through work ethic
    • Quantifiable results or meaningful outcomes
    • Direct connection to how these qualities will benefit the federal role

Some agencies have already implemented these questions—they are effective government-wide on October 1, 2025. You’ll need to read job postings carefully. If you are thinking about federal employment and wish to respond to the questions, you may want to start drafting your responses now.