“Job seekers may want to look at Uncle Sam” |
| Job seekers may want to look at Uncle Sam Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:37 PM PST For the AJC Uncle Sam wants you -- to work for the federal government. Government agencies need to add about 193,000 new employees to fill "mission critical" jobs in many fields in the next two years, according to a report from the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit organization that seeks to revitalize the federal government. That's good news for job seekers who have the patience and stamina to plow through the cumbersome federal hiring process. "The federal government is a great employer and offers unique job opportunities. Where else could you do the things that they do at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance? You can find interesting work, job security, a career path, all while knowing that you are serving your country," said Leigh Moore, owner of Bridge Career Management, and a certified federal job search trainer. "But the government is a different culture and not a good fit for everyone." The hiring process is also different than the private sector: Expect to invest some time learning the system. Moore teaches classes at the Knowledge Shop in Marietta, and Emory University's Center for Lifelong Learning. She also coaches individuals on how to search for federal jobs and hone their applications for greater success. "Getting in is the challenge," she said. Current federal employees, veterans, people who have served in the Peace Corps or those who have a certified disability get preference for federal postings. "The good thing is that even if you get in at a lower level, you can always move up," said Theresa Wicker of Atlanta. Tired of corporate layoffs, she's been working with Moore and reading Kathryn Troutman's book "The Federal Resume Guidebook" to explore federal opportunities. Wicker was a flight attendant with Eastern Airlines until it went under in 1991 and has worked in hospitality, customer service and administrative assisting. "The government seemed like a safer place to work and less age-discriminating. The jobs are interesting, and the benefits are great," she said. "By joining the National Business Aviation Association, I learned that I qualified to be a federal cabin safety inspector, since I had been a flight attendant." She recently sent off an application with a 19-page KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities) statement to apply for that title. She's also applied and interviewed for a job with a corporate airline that does government work. Moore said that finding work with government contractors is sometimes a door into a government job. Wicker is waiting to hear, but in the meantime, she's searching for new opportunities and building her network. "It's a slow process and so different than the regular corporate market that you have to find people who understand it. Networking with people who are already in government jobs is very helpful," Wicker advised. According to a 2009 "Where the Jobs Are" report from Partnership for Public Service, about 80 percent of the new hires will be in five professional fields: security, protection, compliance and enforcement; medical and public health; accounting, budget and business; engineering and sciences; and program management/analysis and administration. There is a wide range of jobs within those sectors. To find them, Moore advises clients to first look in the blue pages of the phone book to locate government agencies in their area. "Many people think you have to live in Washington, D.C., to work for the government, but about 84 percent of jobs are located outside the capital. Atlanta has about 30 to 40 agencies located here," she said. Next, job seekers should visit www.USAJOBS.gov, which lists federal openings and accepts online applications for many agencies. "Set up an account and begin to do a national search for the kind of job titles for which you would qualify," Moore said. "The federal government does competency-based hiring. You have to discern exactly what the job calls for and match your competencies to the description. If you only have two out of the 12 competencies asked for, don't waste your time applying." Troutman recommends making a list of key words in the recruitment advertisement and using those in your work experience descriptions. Federal job resumes are usually at least four pages long and often require additional KSA statements or answers to questionnaires. "For a corporate job, you can say you manage a team of five direct reports. The hiring manager will assume that means you hired some of them, and that you direct and evaluate their work," said Moore. "For a government application, you would break down all of the functions -- hiring, directing, evaluating, giving annual reviews, coaching, etc. -- to show exactly what you did, your accomplishments." The aim is to have your application rated "best qualified" for the job. "You can't cut corners or take a shotgun approach. You must read the requirements of each position carefully and tweak your resume accordingly," she said. Troutman advises to be systematic in your federal search. Locate favorite websites and check them daily. Make a list of target agencies and job titles that most closely match your qualifications, said Moore. The same title, say project manager, is found in many agencies. Use LinkedIn and other networking tools to find contacts in those agencies who could alert you to job openings or make introductions to key personnel. In the past, the process has taken several weeks to many months, but that's changing. "Federal hiring is being streamlined, thanks to a presidential executive order that President Obama issued in May and which went into effect on Nov. 1," said Moore. Aimed at accelerating the hiring process and improving communication with candidates, it cuts the application requirements to a resume and cover letter only (eliminating time-consuming KSA statements and other collateral materials) for first-round applications. Once the applicant pool is narrowed, then agencies may request more information. "It also calls for hiring managers to have more touch points with applicants during the process, so that job seekers aren't left in the dark," she said. "Government hiring managers haven't sourced talent in the same way the private sector does. They've posted jobs and hoped for the best." As a result, they've lost good candidates who found other offers while waiting to hear. "President Obama is asking hiring managers to be more involved and proactive," said Moore. "We're hoping that the streamlining initiative is going to bring about a much quicker turnaround." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Content Keyword RSS To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment