The Uniqueness of the Federal Job Search

If there is one thing all federal workers, both former and current, have in common, it is this: they all got their job in the face of that daunting process. Do you want to be in their number?

When officials at the Office of Personnel Management agree that the process needs simplifying, and they agree to do it, many of us have learned to be just a bit cynical.  Remember the written civil service test?  The dreaded SF-171? The next step was the federal resume, creating an industry which supported it, defined it, and for a price, would write you one.

The complication of the federal job search is not an urban myth.  It really is that challenging, with its unique requirements. Just ask an expert.  I did.  She’s Karol Taylor, co-author of Guide to America’s Federal Jobs (Jist, 2009).  Taylor says it is complicated because there is a unique body of regulations for these competitive service jobs, managed by OPM.  If you are serious about applying for one of the thousands of openings in the federal workforce, this is a book you must have.

According to Taylor and her colleague, Janet Ruck, you will need a resume, several essays, and any additional supplemental information the hiring agency may require.  Daunting?  Definitely.  Impossible?  Not at all.

With the help of this wonderful book, you can prepare your application tools effectively and stand a good chance of surviving the screening process.  If you need additional support, or have questions the book doesn’t address about your unique situation, you can reach Karol Taylor ( Karol@tayloryourcareer.com )

I invite any federal employee to share strategies that might help someone’s application stand out from the pack.

Congratulations, New Graduates: now about that job…

Doesn’t everyone out there know a young person who is just completing some aspect of formal education?  From high school to advanced degrees, our graduates are basking in their accomplishments while experiencing a gnawing sense of anxiety about their next steps.  I have a suggestion.

A brand new volume, just out, may have some information for new graduates on getting a federal job.  Get to your nearest bookstore or library and look at Guide to America’s Federal Jobs by Karol Taylor and Janet Ruck. Federal employment is surging in popularity as its virtues of reliability, good pay, and great benefits shine in today’s tough times.  

In Appendix A, you can find a breakdown of the most popular college majors and some typical federal jobs that use that education.  So if you despair because your kid majored in physical education, don’t worry: he or she might qualify as a program analyst or a recreation specialist.

If you know a new graduate in business with real estate credentials, remind that person about opportunities in housing, building management, and contract specialists.  Who knew?

Of course, there’s more to the process than connecting a major to a job possibility, but this is a great place to begin.  So many people feel overwhelmed, not knowing how to relate to these unique job titles.  

Despair no more!  Graduates, even as we salute your accomplishments, we’d like to welcome you to the world of work as soon as possible.  Get this book and begin your research.

Questions?  Please feel free to contact me at www.anneheadley.com for further assistance.

From Ho-hum to Trendy: government jobs in the recession

I’m surprised and encouraged to hear that federal, state, and municipal jobs are looking more attractive to new college graduates for the first time in many years.  The benefits are obvious:

• a growing workforce instead of a shrinking one, 
• relative job security (more on that later), 
• a predictable, competitive pay scale.

Why did it take people so long to figure it out?  Here are some possibilities:

• the application process is cumbersome beyond belief,
• the “good enough for government work” mentality may still prevail,
• takes too long to get ahead,
• you can’t get anything done,
• they don’t reward visionary thinking.

What is the truth here?  

Yes, the process is awful.  From lengthy applications (phone number of supervisor in your first job many years ago) to those pesky KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities questions designed to either torment you or elicit narrative of your relative accomplishments), filling out a federal application can take hours and hours.  It’s so complicated that a mini-industry has sprung up to coach you through it.  And state applications aren’t much better.  You can submit your packet and then wait and wait and wait. And while you’re waiting, you can read articles about the simplification of the application process.  Um-hum.

But there is an exception to the usual process. Did you know that jobs related to the federal stimulus package are handled differently?  Check out www.opm.gov and follow the link  to recovery jobs.  It is possible to apply for these special positions with a resume and cover letter.  Who knew?  

 What about the role of creativity and ambition in the bureaucracy? Some agencies get it and some don’t.  At least a decade ago, enlightened planners began to see the need to reward creative problem-solvers on the job.  And they have tried to infiltrate the workforce with mixed results.  I think that as the workforce ages and retires, things will move more quickly, more responsively to public demands.  This is a case of “hang in there”.  

What about job security?  The class of 2009 doesn’t want to go through what their elders are experiencing.  It’s traumatic all around.  Yes, government work is more predictable than the private sector.  But it’s not ironclad anymore, and hasn’t been for a long time.  Please never forget to keep up your network, to keep expanding your skills, and to keep broadening your horizons in many ways.  You will be glad you did, because nothing lasts forever in the world of work.

The pay scale is indeed competitive.  According to Karol Taylor, author of the brand-new Guide to America’s Federal Jobs (Jist), the average federal job pays $77,143 per year, versus the private sector job which pays $48,035.  And this is not factoring in the cost of the benefits package, which is substantial.  Note:  this figure does not suggest that you will begin your job earning this amount, but it does give an indication of what upward mobility is possible.  

Read. Pay attention to articles that compare worker satisfaction in different agencies.  Interview people that work in these places.  Send in applications.  And when you get an interview, don’t hesitate to ask about creative ideas, problem-solving opportunities, and the chance to get ahead.  

Once again, welcome, Class of 2009, to the major sources of employment around here.  You’re needed more than ever.

Good news in troubled times (3)

For the past few days, I have been writing about patterns of employment in these troubled times. I have drawn on the experience of actual clients, who have generously agreed to let me share their stories with you, hoping to show you that good things do happen to diligent job-seekers.

My third example of good change coming to a client is Dan. He’s young, he’s an artist, he is trying to support himself. He was gainfully employed in an arts program until a year ago. After his program ended, he accepted a job by some friendly people who offered to train him in a related artistic field. Let’s just say that it didn’t work out. After an awkward period of extricating himself from this situation, he’s starting over, wondering what to do next.

He’s still an artist, but probably doesn’t want to work solely as a creator. Arts management looks better and better. Currently, he has started a restaurant job, with the most appealing features being that he can walk away at any time without feeling guilty, he eats well, is around nice folks, and continues his job search.

Reluctantly, at my urging, he did two things: contact key people in his network and register at a temp agency. The network seemed reasonable to him, the agency did not, but he did it. Here’s what happened next.

The agency called back. The called said there was a perfect job opening for him at a small art studio and school. They wanted a business manager, with decent pay and flexible hours.

Dan also contacted a professor from his college. The professor called back. She let Dan know that their department will be hiring a part-time staff person. She invited Dan to tour the facility, where he met key people who urged him to apply.

Where do things stand now? The art school has scheduled a second interview. And the college has requested that he schedule an interview with them.

What a grand problem! Dan has moved from unemployed and uncertain to unemployed and in demand. And both opportunities are in his new interest in arts management. We are working on ways to finesse keeping his options open as long as possible.

Dan’s situation, potentially having two part-job offers, is typical of something that happens in tough times. Employers are uncertain of their own situations, such as grants, student enrollment, or budgets. So how do they hire? They do it part-time. And when the economy turns upward, they turn to their loyal part-time staff and offer them more. We hope.

I’m happy that Dan is busy investigating two job opportunities. We don’t know if he will be offered one, both, or none of them. Still, he is meeting people, checking out the effectiveness of his resume, and feeling more confident about his options. If he is offered both part-time jobs, he will have to juggle schedules, travel, and responsibilities. And no one has said anything about health insurance. It’s an exciting, but not perfect situation.

Part-time employment is better than no-time employment.

Are you stuck in your job search? Are you taking advantage of these unique times? If you would like to speak with a career counselor who can help you navigate through the recession, please visit my website for contact information.

The Arts: frills or necessities?

A massive stimulus bill is being debated in both houses of the U.S. Congress this week. There is honest debate about what constitutes honorable use of the taxpayers’ money, and then there is political posturing.

Did you catch the remark by a politician who thundered that there had not be a penny for the arts in that bill?

I was shocked at the ignorance of our history and the role that visual and other arts play in society. Of course, there are luxury elements therein, and we are dependent on watchdogs to keep us from subsidizing box seats at the opera.

However, consider how the WPA projects of the New Deal enriched our nation even as it provided employment to artists along with bridge engineers and builders, vocational educators and adult literacy teachers. .

• The city center of Greenbelt, MD has its captivating statue of a mother holding a child who is holding a carton of federally-paid milk.
• Many artists of the 1930s and 1940s earned annual contracts with the WPA (Works Progress Administration) of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.

It seems that art was just part of the employment scene, nothing special. And those artists enriched public buildings from post offices to schools to hospitals with art that today provides a rich look at the world of that time. Frills? Not really. I yearn for the time when artists, musicians and dramatists were considered workers, part of the eight million Americans who survived during those tough times by doing what they knew how to do.

Career assessment: feedback and possibilities

Remember being in the seventh grade when someone handed you a test to complete? I do. I was totally into music, and the report form of the test said I should work in a music store. I was crushed. I had no ability to think critically, to remember that the test had no measure of talent, that I was free to question and even reject the results if they didn’t suit me.

I find that most people remember similar experiences: being told they “should” be an undertaker, a lawyer, a dentist, a farmer. a homemaker. We joke about these findings now, but we took them very seriously at the time. What were they thinking?

Tests are different now, and you are different. If you are an adult of any age, you will still be interested in your test results, but I hope you will not allow a print-out to change the course of your life if you don’t like what it says. Here are a few observations I’ve made after going over many, many assessment results with people ranging in age from college-bound to retirement planners.

• They hope to see something they are dreaming of,
• They are afraid that there won’t be anything of interest to them,
• They are afraid of being labeled mediocre,
• They are afraid of being found to have enormous potential,
  
• They will have to adjust their thinking,
• They won’t understand the results,
• They will have to explain the findings to the people in their lives.

A good interpretation should allow plenty of time for you to receive an adequate explanation of the results. You might like to know how the test was developed and normed (established statistically), how stable the results will be in your life, and how to implement the results in your educational and work life.

A client recently found validation of a strength she had not considered and didn’t particularly want to go into. She just told me that although her new job is in the field she wanted, it will also contain the possibilities of being more focused on this newly-discovered interest. She therefore approaches the new job with a curiosity and willingness to go in that new direction. It is possible to use your test results to build up your willingness to learn something new.

Whether you are taking a test online, in a class or a training program, or with a qualified career professional, remember these tips:

• keep a light touch about it,
• be willing to explore new possibilities,
• be open about the ideas you’re considering,
• be willing to laugh at yourself,
• remember that assessment is only part of career decison-making.

If you would like to discuss career assessment or take a test or two, please visit my website at www.anneheadley.com to schedule an appointment.

Technology as a minor: making you unique

Too many college students arrive at college with a persistent mantra; study computers… study computers… study computers.

The mantra was put there by well-meaning, check-writing parents and other relatives, neighbors, a few teachers, all offering advice they wish they had heeded in their time.

Our confused college students know that there is more to life than programming. What does it mean for an artist, a writer, an athlete, a linguist, a diplomat, a dancer, a biologist, a teacher?

I think the answer lies in combining one’s primary passion with an understanding of the technology that will increasingly support almost all other endeavors. Theater arts majors will be more employable when they are comfortable with computerized stage lighting, sound, and special effects. Teachers will be prepared for classrooms that are in front of them or online. Artists can still be creative, especially when technological tools are at hand. Composers will produce music of today and tomorrow with electronic sounds added to the traditional orchestra. Athletes will know more about facilities management, record-keeping, and media needs.

Talented young people may find it difficult to enter the paid workforce, but with an additional tool or two from technology, they will be more marketable. (Don’t forget to hghlight computer accomplishments on your resume!) And the senior members of the family can rejoice and say I told you so.

Would you like to discuss your college major and how it can be made more appealing for today’s or tomorrow’s job search? Please visit my website at www.anneheadley.com for contact information.

Science websites for kids: inspiring, educating, encouraging

I’ve been exploring the student section of the website produced by NASA and I highly recommend it to young people. You will be surprised at what you can find at www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents. You can select the grade range of the explorer, and the content varies in an age-appropriate way.

In the K-4th grade section, NASA writers educate us on how long the current voyage to Pluto will take. By comparing the ten-year-voyage to the decade of childhood or adolescence, they have found an imaginative and personal ways to explain the passage of time.

The same web section (K-4th grade) invites kids to send in a local geological specimen to its Rock Around the World collection for NASA scientists to identify and preserve. I can imagine kids aged 5 – 10 enjoying that activity and having their eyes opened to the possibilities of a career in the natural world. What a great activity for an aftercare program, a scout troop, a family reunion, or a summer camp.

When the grade level goes up to 5-8, information becomes more structured, straightforward, and formal. Along with the offer to identify a rock (described above), there are design contests which dreamers, explorers, and others with vivid imaginations might love to enter.

As the grade levels advance, so does specific career information. Throughout high school and college, visitors to the site can find opportunities, information and contests. Congratulations to NASA on serving the public in such a creative way.

If you know of other websites that will be useful to young internet explorers, please feel free to leave a comment about them. If I agree that they offer career information and fun without any cost, I will be happy to review them at a future time.

Liberal Arts Majors: a tip for success

In The Washington Post’s business section of 4/8/08, there is a small item containing information for liberal arts majors. Citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Vicki Elmer reminds literature or general studies majors to keep in touch with their career centers on campus. She writes that college internships will count heavily in landing that post-graduation job. You can read just a snippet or the whole article at http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2007/winter/art01.htm.

Parents need not panic when their students opt out of majors in engineering, business, or computer programming. There are jobs for people with proven communication and research skills. With planning, your sons and daughters will have a track record and portfolio to document their competencies in oral and written communication. They can learn to brush up on how to discuss their abilities in job interviews.

If you would like to speak or meet with a career counselor who can coach the college student into productive internships or summer jobs, please visit my website at www,anneheadley.com for contact information.

The Smithsonian online: information for kids

When you visit Washington, DC, you know to allow more than a day to visit the rich collection of the numerous museums that make up the Smithsonian Institution. From the Hope diamond to Joe Louis’ gloves, from Toscanini’s baton to Neil Armstrong’s astronaut suit, from art treasures to spacecraft, you will gape at the breadth of the collection, be grateful that it is available to you at no cost, and wish you had more time to browse. You will also be happy to introduce your children to America’s treasures.

But wait! There can be more time. You can rest your tired feet, let your fingers do the walking, and encourage your kids to do more exploring. By visiting http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students, they can explore, learn, play, and dream of careers that use these fabulous objects. Stamps, portraits, antique automobiles, rocks, and historic documents will come to life. You don’t know what new object might give way to a quest for more research, a choice in a course elective, or ultimately a career direction.

Today’s young people are exposed to a vast amount of information. Shouldn’t some of it be material that suggest career possibilities? I hope you will encourage your young people to browse on the Smithsonian website. They will enjoy the freedom to explore as they are learning possibilities for the future.

If you would like to speak with a career counselor about the process of career choice, please visit www.anneheadley.com for contact information.