Job Search

What is a Career Portfolio & Why Should I Care?

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Have you thought about creating a career portfolio to highlight your accomplishments? While portfolios are expected in certain creative professions, jobseekers in the more traditional fields could also benefit from preparing one to display in an interview.

A portfolio or presentation binder illustrates your professional achievements. When beginning your portfolio, review your resume, your performance evaluations, and awards to identify and substantiate your qualifications. Start collecting this information and try to show off your accomplishments with images—for example, photos of your awards, your team or you in action, copies of letters of recommendations, events you’ve organized, etc. Choose only the best achievements and visuals and carefully cultivate items that provide concrete evidence of those skills.

Once you’ve gathered this information, then what? Find an attractive binder or portfolio to hold everything. With your binder in hand:

  • Create a logical order and structure—start with your most recent accomplishments and work backwards chronologically
  • If you have more than 20 pages, include a table of contents and list the included documents.
  • Depending on the breadth of your content, consider creating sections using divider tabs
  • Use clear sheet protectors and make sure all printed photos and documents are the highest quality of color.
  • Always use copies, never original documents.
  • Consider tailoring your portfolio for a specific job/position (leave pages out if specific positions do not require certain skills).

How can you use your portfolio?

  • Consider including it (or portions of it) on your LinkedIn Profile.
  • Review it to prepare for interviews. Studying your portfolio is a good way to refresh your memory about your achievements.
  • Bring it with you to your interviews. At the beginning of the interview, let the interviewer know you’ve prepared a “portfolio” that illustrates your qualifications and accomplishments.
  • Do not leave the portfolio unless you are asked to do so.

Building your portfolio from scratch will take some time, but you can start small and improve it as you go along. Don’t forget to keep it updated and when an opportunity presents itself, you’ll be ready to share!

End of Year Wrap-up

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Hard to believe that 2020 is coming to an end—this year has definitely been different for most of us. Let’s hope that 2021 allows us to get back to normal—whatever that might look like going forward. As you prepare for year end, there are a number of things that you can be doing to move your career to that next step:

  • Work on reaching out to your network. The end of the year is a great time to catch up with people you likely haven’t seen in months—or had occasion to interact with. Send holiday cards if you’re able; and if you do so, be sure to include a personal note. It doesn’t have to be long; a sentence or two to acknowledge the recipient.
  • Add your 2020 accomplishments to your resume. The end of the year is a great time to reflect on your achievements. Try to identify 2-3 ways you added value to your employer this year—and quantify it. Add those new achievements to your resume.
  • Review your LinkedIn Profile. If it doesn’t include your current job, add it. If you haven’t customized your LinkedIn URL, do so (see: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/87/customize-your-public-profile-url?lang=en); it will make your profile more professional—and your new LinkedIn URL to your resume. Make sure that you have a professional photo, you have key words for your industry in the About section, and your headline (the words under your name) are other than the default which lists your job title. Doing these things will likely take you less than 30 minutes.
  • Assess your gaps. Are you missing a critical skill? Certification? Something else? Write down what you’re missing and make a plan to address it. For best success, take specific action: sign up for a class, find a buddy to hold you accountable, schedule time to practice what needs improvement.
  • Unhappy in your job? First, try to figure out why. Next, assess your strengths, weaknesses, and be honest—take an assessment if you need to. Identify what you want to do and whether you have the existing skills and experience to do so. If not, make a written plan to close those gaps and implement it.
  • Practice interviewing. Ask a friend or a colleague to give you a practice interview and record it. Spend 45 minutes (or longer) on your practice interview. You can use Zoom, Skype, or another platform—the platform doesn’t matter but the practice does. And when you watch your “interview,” do so critically and write down what you could do better—and practice again.
  • Identify what you wish you had done this year. And resolve to do it next year.
  • Prepare your answer to, “what do you do?” Everyone needs a good answer to this question. Make your answer interesting and engaging. Think about using this formula to craft your answer: what do you do/what you want to do + why you’re good at it + value you add.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, healthy, and joyous holiday season!

Thinking About Changing Careers?

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Changing careers is a major undertaking; it takes time and effort. You’ll need to assess yourself and your skills and think about how your existing skills might transition to a new career. You’ll also need to spend time researching your new career; this includes traditional research to learn about your new field, as well as networking with people who are already in it. You may also need to go back to school to learn new skills. And finally, you need to recognize that you may not be able to shift to a new career and retain your current salary (especially if you’ve been working in your industry for a long time).

If you’re still game, here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • Do you want to pursue a new job, or a new career?
  • Why do you want to make a change?
  • What do you LIKE about your current job/career?
  • What do you DO NOT LIKE about your current job/career?
  • What do you want your next job to do for you that your current job doesn’t. In other words, what will be different about your next job.
  • What is your dream job. What are the kinds of things you’d be doing each day if you were working in your dream job?
  • What are you most proud of in your past work experience? How does that translate into a new career?
  • How much do you need to make in your next job/career (each year)? How much do you want to make in your next job/career?
  • What tools do you need to move forward? More training / education? Updated resume? Updated LinkedIn profile?
  • Who can you work with to support you during your job search? Champions? People who might have ideas about your desired new role?
  • What 10 organizations would you like to work for, whether or not they have current openings?

These questions, of course, are just a start. Be prepared for the transition to take time and expect setbacks along the way. Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you; yes, you CAN change careers as long as you’re willing to be realistic, put the in the hard work, and get started. Assessing yourself and where you want to go is the first step. Good luck!

Did YOU Know September is a Great Time to Update Your Resume?

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This is a September like none other. Despite the stress of the past several months with changes to our routines, work location, and, for many of us, home schooling, we should not neglect our careers.

September is International Update Your Resume Month and a great time to think about yourself and your accomplishments over the past 12 months. For those of you who are federal employees, International Update Your Resume Month coincides with the end of the fiscal year—a perfect time for reflection and setting yourself up for future possibilities.

Even if you are not currently in the job market, you should always have an updated resume. And, for my federal readers, with the potential change of leadership at the federal level, regardless of who wins the upcoming election, you are likely to be asked for your resume.

Here are some easy ways to ensure you’re ready—regardless of what comes to pass!

  • Be sure your accomplishments are up to date. For those of you whose performance evaluation is coming due (or recently completed), use that process to reflect on your accomplishments in the past year—and add them to your resume.
  • Check for action verbs. Make sure your resume is full of action verbs. What is an action verb? Lead, create, oversee, analyze, communicate, etc. Action verbs do NOT have an “s” on the end.
  • Banish “responsible for.” Just because you’re responsible for something doesn’t mean you actually did it—it just means you should have done it!
  • Add numbers to your resume. Numbers give your work context so that readers of your resume understand the full scope of your work. If you just say that you “track a budget,” readers don’t know how large that budget is, from how many funding sources, or anything else.
  • Remove old content. Does your resume still mention MultiMate? Y2K? Hurricane Rita? Or something equally dated? The standard for resumes these days is 10 years or so. Employers want to know what you have done recently—not what you accomplished 15, 20 or even more years ago.
  • Update your professional certifications, speaking engagements, awards, and professional development. This information shows that you are active in your field and a continuous learner.

These are just some of the easy ways to update your resume, be prepared for the future, and honor International Update Your Resume Month!

Are Your ECQs QRB-Ready?

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Before you may be officially appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES), your Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) must be approved by an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB). What do you have to do to ensure that your ECQs are ready? Follow these tips for a winning package:

  • Follow all formatting rules: 1-inch margins, 12-point font, and 10-page narrative limit. Number pages and don’t forget to include your name. There is no reason to include the competency definition.
  • Spell out your acronyms. Each time. Each ECQ should be readable as a standalone document.
  • Adhere to the CCAR model. Your ECQs should be written using the Challenge, Context, Actions, Results rubric. The focus should be on your executive actions and results.
  • No more than 2 stories per ECQ. Do not repeat stories. And make sure that your stories showcase your leadership achievements, not your technical acumen.
  • Use “I” throughout. Minimize the use of “we,” passive language, and third person.
  • Adhere to the time limits. All stories must be from the past 10 years; if possible, try to use stories from the past 5 years.
  • Do not name names. ECQs should name reference specific people.
  • Keep your personal philosophy, favorite leaders, and information about your “journey” to yourself.
  • Include all underlying competencies in your stories. For example, leading change should evidence vision, strategic thinking, innovation, flexibility, resiliency, and strategic thinking.
  • Be sure to align your stories to the ECQ definitions. And make sure that your examples demonstrate executive leadership, not managerial skills.
  • Remember that readers of your ECQs will not be from your agency. Be sure to make your ECQ stories understandable to people who do not know your agency or work.
  • Proofread, proofread, and proofread again.

Writing a strong set of ECQs takes time. Be prepared to spend 40-80 hours writing yours. And be sure to follow the rules! More information on ECQ writing can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf.

Let’s Talk Cover Letters

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In the old days when resumes were mailed using the US Postal Service, the cover letter was ubiquitous and almost always started with some variation of, “enclosed please find my resume for…” Since that time, cover letters have evolved; here’s how:

  • Not every application requires a cover letter. If a job posting asks for a cover letter, then you certainly need one. Most federal applications do not require cover letters; they are typically optional. Unless required, I do not generally recommend adding a cover letter to a federal application. Cover letters are much more standard in the private sector.
  • If you do decide to prepare a cover letter, make sure the formatting, including font, margins, and any design elements, match your resume. Your documents should look like one cohesive package. This helps reinforce your brand.
  • Your cover letter should be more than just forwarding your resume. Make your opening paragraph attention getting—and use the key words of the job posting to the extent possible. Share you can add value to the organization—rather than what you want / need.
  • Include real relevant achievements. What have you done that makes you a good fit for the job? Be specific and include measurable accomplishments that relate to what the job is asking for.
  • Address your cover letter to a real person—no “To Whom it may Concern.” With all the online tools available, there is no excuse for not using an individual’s name—and be sure to spell it correctly! Don’t forget to change the name and company for different positions.
  • Keep your cover letter to one page, use personal pronouns, and include a “call to action.” Tell the reader what you want them to do—invite you for an interview? Something else? Here are 1 ideas, “I appreciate your time and consideration; please contact me at 123-456-7890 or name@mail.com to discuss what I can do for your organization.” OR “I look forward to an opportunity to meet with you to discuss…”
  • Ask a third party to review your letter before sending; you do not want your letter to include typos or other mistakes.

Again, while not all job applications require the use of a cover letter, if you do prepare one, make it worth the reader’s time!