Job Search

Still Think You Don’t Need LinkedIn?

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Lots of people are not on LinkedIn and when I ask them about it, they “pooh-pooh” me. Be that as it may, LinkedIn has more than 300 million members and two-thirds of them live outside the United States. Although the federal government is not a heavy user of LinkedIn recruitment tools (which is ultimately where LinkedIn makes its money), the Department of the Army has the third largest number of employees of any organization on LinkedIn, after IBM and Hewlett-Packard, according to an August 2014 (more than a year ago!!) report. (see http://www.businessinsider.com/linkedins-plan-for-the-future-2014-8).

Even if your agency is not using LinkedIn for filling positions (which they probably are not), it is still a valuable tool; a way for you to learn what your former colleagues and friends are doing, keep up with trends and learn about different organizations by “following” them, and establish a positive online presence and increase your professional credibility by using some of LinkedIn’s features such as publishing. If you have an interview scheduled, LinkedIn can be a great way to familiarize yourself with panel members. And, of course, if you are meeting with individuals from another agency, or even talking to them over the phone, a quick look at LinkedIn allows you to put a face with a name (assuming they have a picture posted), learn a little more about who you are working with, and ease those sometimes awkward transactions. Finally, even if you are not looking up your colleagues, they may well be looking for you.

So, if you are one of those people who does not “do” social media, you may want to rethink your approach. Look at the site. See who you know who is on it and how they are using it. You do not want to be left behind.

They’ve Finished Asking Questions, Now What?

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Earlier articles focused on the basics of interview preparation—how to calm your nerves, what to wear,  how to present yourself professionally, preparing CCAR stories, and planning transportation.  This article discusses what happens once the interview panel has stopped talking.

A good interview is not a one-way street. While interviewers are determining whether you are a good match for the job, you should use the interview as an opportunity to learn whether or not the job is a good fit for YOU. One way to do that is to be prepared with questions for the panel.

During most interviews, you will be given an opportunity to ask questions of the panel. Never say that you don’t have any questions! You should always have 3 to 5 well-prepared questions to ask. Your questions should not be about you (how much training will I get? Will I have the opportunity for promotion? Etc.); instead, they should show your interest in meeting the employer’s needs, not yours.

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Do I Really Need a LinkedIn Profile?

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As many of you know, LinkedIn is a social networking site targeted toward professionals. In just over 10 years, LinkedIn has grown to more than 300 million members in 200 countries; LinkedIn is available in 20 languages!

If you are searching for a position in the private sector, you definitely need a strong LinkedIn Profile. Recruiters use LinkedIn to search for potential applicants—thousands of recruiters from thousands of companies use LinkedIn as their ONLY source for candidates so as a job seeker, you are missing potential opportunities if you do not have a good profile. Even if you are targeting organizations who do not use LinkedIn to recruit, many hiring managers are looking at your LinkedIn Profile before deciding whether to interview you.

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Transitioning from the Military? Now What?

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For many active duty military personnel, retiring from the military means leaving the only life and job they have ever known; transitioning from the military to civilian life can be difficult on multiple levels. Whether you are looking for private sector or federal work, you should expect the job search to take some time. While it is possible that you will go from terminal leave to employed without missing a beat, the more likely scenario is a period of job search. There are several ways you can minimize the difficulties of transition:

  • Think about your accomplishments. What successes have you had in the military? Review your OERs, FITReps, performance reviews, and award citations from the past 7-10 years. Write down the accomplishments your supervisors have noted and some of the ways YOU made a different to your unit. And, as you reread these documents, write down any notable remarks made by your supervisors that speak to your leadership and/or technical skills.
  • Understand your veterans’ preference eligibilities. There are multiple kinds of veterans’ preference including Veterans’ Recruitment Act (VRA), Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), 5-point preference, 10-point preference, and preference for those with a 30% or more compensable disability. As a transitioning military member, you may be eligible for multiple kinds of preference or consideration. It is your responsibility to know your preference, include all eligibilities in your USAJOBS Profile (if you are applying for federal positions), and appropriately use your preference and/or eligibilities when applying for positions. Additional information about veterans’ preference and veterans’ eligibilities can be found at www.fedshirevets.gov and http://www.dol.gov/vets/. You should also note that many state and local governments provide extra “credit” to military veterans and many private sector companies have programs specifically designed for returning / transitioning veterans.
  • Translate your experience. Most people outside of the military do not understand the difference between a brigade and a battalion, or a Captain and a Corporal, let alone the alphabet soup that makes up most of military language. When drafting your resume, preparing your LinkedIn Profile, and interviewing, be sure to translate your military-speak to civilian language. Even if you are applying to work for the Department of Defense (DoD), many of the Human Resources people who will review your resume first, have not spent time on active duty. So, instead of stating, “Commanded a battalion…”, say “Led, managed, and directed a team of 500, including more than 20 subordinate supervisors.” Not sure if you’ve translated enough? Give your resume or LinkedIn Profile to a friend who has never been in the military and see what they have to say.
  • Be realistic. It is not unusual for military members to have much more responsibility on active duty than they are given credit for in civilian jobs. If you are leaving the military as an E-5, 6, or 7, you may not get a grade 14 or 15 position. If you are an O-4, you will not likely qualify for a Senior Executive Service (SES) position. Competition for all jobs is stiff and many of the people applying have many of the same skills and experience you do. Many federal postings receive hundreds and sometimes thousands of applications—and half of those are from applicants who have preference. Private sector postings also receive hundreds of applications—especially those on job boards. It is likely that you will need to apply for more than one position, whether you are seeking federal or private sector employment. Focus on positions where you already have the experience and skills the organization is seeking.
  • Prepare a targeted resume. Whether you are seeking federal or private sector employment, your resume should use the key words of the job posting, be appropriate for the kind of position you are targeting (federal resumes are much longer than private sector ones, and require certain kinds of information and detail you would never put on a private sector resume), and demonstrate specific, quantifiable results.
  • Create LinkedIn Profile. Your profile should be friendly and approachable (again, think civilian language and no acronyms), include a civilian picture, use key words from the positions you are seeking (so the computer algorithms can find you), and demonstrate that you can achieve results. This is particularly important for those of you seeking private sector employment as 80% of companies use LI to search for applicants.

These are just a few of steps you’ll want to take as you prepare to transition from the military to civilian life.

Time to Look for a New Federal Job?

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If it has been a while since you’ve looked for a new government job, it may be helpful to review the two basics before you get started.

1. Make sure your USAJOBS account is up-to-date.

Test your USAJOBS user name and password to make sure that they work. If you cannot remember your user name or password, recover/reset them before you start applying. You do not want to find yourself unable to get into your USAJOBS account at 11:58 PM on the night the job is closing! Contact the USAJOBS Help Desk for assistance.

2. Review your USAJOBS Profile.

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