The Insiders Guide to Getting Your Government Job. (How to take Advantage of the coming Surge in Federal Hiring)

Transcription

1 The Insiders Guide to Getting Your Government Job (How to take Advantage of the coming Surge in Federal Hiring) 1st Edition 2009

2 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or any information storage and retrieval system, by humans or robots, without the written permission from the publisher or its assignees, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in review. Copyright 2009 by MyGovtJob.com 1. Federal Jobs - United States -- Examinations, questions, etc. 2. Civil service - United States -- Study guides. 3. Postal service - United States -- Employees 4. Government Jobs United States -- Employees Disclaimer: The publisher is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by the United States Government or any government agency. This book has been designed to assist individuals to better understand the hiring process for the U.S. Government. The Publisher does not guarantee an interview for a government job nor can we control when jobs will be available in your area. The U.S. Government offers informational materials free of charge at The publisher of this book is not responsible for any changes that may have been made in U.S. Government hiring processes or quoted statistics during or after the printing of the book. 2

3 We dedicate this book to everyone who dreams of a better life and has the drive to do something about it. 3

4 4

5 Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 United States Government Employment: An Overview Minimum Requirements Compensation & Benefits Chapter 2 Applying for a Government Job Important Terms Step-By-Step Application Process When Will I Get a Response? Civil Service Exams & Other Written Exams Chapter 3 The Federal Style Resumé What is a Federal Style Resumé? Writing Your Federal Style Resumé Tailoring Your Resumé for a Specific Job Chapter 4 Top Secret! Government Employment Secrets My Best Career Match How to Have Job Postings Sent to Me How to Open Any Door: Networking Through Informational Interviews Hot Jobs Section: Top 5 Hiring Areas Chapter 5 Opportunities Finding Job Openings Overseas Employment Opportunities Veterans & Military Dependent Hiring People with Disabilities Students Senior Executive Service Chapter 6 Homeland Security Careers/ Law Enforcement

6 Chapter 7 USPS Minimum Requirements USPS Test The USPS Application Process The USPS Website Create Your ecareer Profile Searching for Jobs Step-by-Step USPS Hiring Process Summary The USPS Assessment Process Conclusion Appendices A. Get a Government Job Checklist B. Interview Strategies C. Sample Letters D. Overview of U.S. Government E. OPM Federal Office Network F. Federal Executive Boards Contact List G. Federal Agency Contact List H. Glossary of Terms I. ETA Jobs Vacancy Announcement Glossary

7 INTRODUCTION We want you to get your dream job! We want you to get started right away with a new career and a new life. In this economy we all need all the help we can get. That s why we created this simple, step-by-step guide to landing a job that can start you off with $47,000 a year plus benefits. How many jobs can start you off anywhere near that range without a college degree or two? Also, a job with the U.S. Federal government has traditionally been considered super-stable and recession-proof. Now add that to the fact that, for many positions, you get scheduled cost-of-living raises. That means your pay rate continues to go up the longer you stay on. Finally, don't forget the incredible benefits: health insurance for you and your family, retirement income, paid training, vacation time and overtime pay. Even more interested? We knew you would be. However, to many people, the U.S. government s hiring process seems too complicated or overwhelming and they just never try. Get a Government Job is here to help! This book will help you to: 1. Find the right government job opening for you; and 2. Apply for the job THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT EXPECTS YOU TO. Most job seekers understand how to respond to help-wanted ads in the local newspaper and many even have sent information to online job boards, but very few understand how to begin the application process to land a great U.S. government job. Knowing wha to do and when can seem daunting or even downright discouraging. Don't despair! We're here to help make this easy. It is essential to understand that government hiring specialists do not have time to address questions from or give advice to all the hundreds of thousands of job applicants each year. These personnel specialists must weed out applications submitted incompletely or improperly even if the applicant may be the most qualified person for the job! The U.S. government hires based on a number score given to each applicant. If you get a high score, you move to the front of the line, possibly jumping ahead of people who are older, more experienced and who have a better education. 7

8 On one hand, that means you get a chance to level the playing field in a very competitive environment, which is the best that anyone can hope for. On the other hand, it means you must put forth some time and effort to submit the very best resumé and application that you can a package put together just the way the government wants it to be. You now have in your hands the right tools to overcome the initial obstacles to get the government job you want -- and hopefully a whole new life! The goal of this guide is to be an invaluable resource to show you how to take the right steps and to gain the knowledge you need in the hiring process. With that goal in mind we designed this guide with the following: Easy, step-by-step instructions throughout the process Plain, everyday English, avoiding jargon Insider tips and techniques We have striven to make this the best, straight-to-the-point book offered a guide that is a real value for you. We wish you luck on your applications, interviews, and on your new career with the United States government. Sincerely, MyGovtJob.com 8

9 Chapter 1 U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT OVERVIEW In this Chapter: U.S. Government Employment Overview Minimum Requirements Compensation & Benefits U.S. Government Employment Overview In December of 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research declared that the United States had been in a recession since December of Today, economists are not sure if the end is anywhere in sight. If you are interested in trying to recession proof your career, you will need to focus on finding work that will continue even when consumers are without disposable income to spend. In tough economic times, it s essential to have a career in an industry that s stable and that continues to be needed in spite of fluctuations in the economy. Did you know that the United States Government is the LARGEST employer in the United States? The U.S. Government is hiring -- and may be able to provide you with exactly the type of recession-proof career you are looking for. According to federaljobs.net, The federal government employs over 2,700,000 workers and hires hundreds of thousands each year to replace civil service workers that transfer to other federal government jobs, retire, or leave for other reasons. 1 And as of September 2006, the federal government s total civilian workforce was 2,700, The U.S. Government hired an average of 238,184 employees per year from , including an astonishing 1,092,888 people in the year More good news: Approximately 50% of the total workforce is now eligible for regular or early retirements; that s 1,340,000 vacancies. 3 And, according to the OPM and the Partnership for Public Service, about 550,000 federal employees will leave the government in the next five years, the majority through retirement. 4 (Thank you, Baby Boomers!) That s a lot of positions becoming available! 1 Federaljobs.net. 19 May < 2 Damp, Dennis. The Book of U.S. Government Jobs, Damp, Partnership for Public Service. Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, 2 nd Edition

10 The Obama administration has promised to create/save 3.5 million jobs over the next two years in an effort to help spur the economy 1 The most likely and easiest way for Obama to make that happen is to hire them himself, in the United States Government. And everyone knows government compensation and benefits are great. Federal civilian employees average pay and benefits in 2006 was $116,450, compared with $55,382 in the private sector. 2 Government jobs are also stable. Lay-offs are very rare; usually when cutting back is necessary, positions are just not filled as employees retire or move on. 1 Whitehouse.gov. Economy Issues. 19 May < 2 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, NIPA 2006 Tables 6.2D & 6.5D, 19 May < 10

11 Here s a breakdown of Federal employment by state. 1 Geographic Area Executive Agencies Percent of Total Department of Defense Annuitants Annuitants + Employees Percent of Total Alabama 32, ,240 56,504 88, Alaska 10, ,963 6,826 17, Arizona 29, ,777 24,161 54, Arkansas 11, ,261 49,575 60, California 131, , , , Colorado 31, ,098 44,073 76, Connecticut 6, ,183 14,551 21, Delaware 2, ,196 7,430 9, Florida 68, , , , Georgia 59, ,457 75, , Hawaii 19, ,462 24,303 44, Idaho 7, ,128 12,308 19, Illinois 41, ,641 64, , Indiana 17, ,015 34,327 51, Iowa 7, ,264 19,620 26, Kansas 14, ,097 23,274 37, Kentucky 17, ,289 31,120 48, Louisiana 19, ,272 26,100 45, Maine 8, ,739 13,249 21, Maryland 96, , , , Massachusetts 22, ,807 44,801 67, Michigan 22, ,558 39,534 62, Minnesota 13, ,056 26,361 39, Mississippi 15, ,699 24,064 39, Missouri 29, ,055 51,289 80, Montana 8, ,035 11,062 19, Nebraska 8, ,339 12,942 21, Nevada 8, ,739 20,515 29, U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Employment Statistics. 22 May < 11

12 New Hampshire 3, ,546 14, New Jersey 26, ,886 55,397 81, New Mexico 19, ,953 25,743 44, New York 54, ,123 95, , North Carolina 30, ,208 61,487 91, North Dakota 4, ,439 5,847 10, Ohio 39, ,220 73, , Oklahoma 31, ,387 47,893 78, Oregon 16, ,861 30,693 47, Pennsylvania 57, , , , Rhode Island 5, ,924 9,145 14, South Carolina 15, ,981 39,630 55, South Dakota 6, ,992 15, Tennessee 21, ,792 40,714 62, Texas 102, , , , Utah 23, ,744 33,260 57, Vermont 3, ,974 7, Virginia 115, , , , Washington 42, ,635 61, , West Virginia 12, ,419 15,471 27, Wisconsin 11, ,240 24,430 35, Wyoming 4, ,266 9, Unspecified * includes unspecified geographic location ** includes U.S. territories NA = Not Applicable SOURCE: U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Office of Workforce Information Central Personnel Data Files (CPDF) September Files and the December 1, 2004 Annuity Roll (Breakdown of Federal employment by state, according to the Office of Personnel Management. 1 ) 1 U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Employment Statistics. 22 May < 12

13 This GET A GOVERNMENT JOB guide is designed to assist you in finding employment with the U.S. Government and provides the following information and guidance. Chapter 1: US Government Employment An Overview Chapter 2: Employment Application Chapter 3: The Federal Style Resumé Chapter 4: Top Secret! Government Employment Secrets Chapter 5: Opportunities Chapter 6: Homeland Security Careers/Law Enforcement Chapter 7: USPS Appendix A: Get a Government Job Checklist Appendix B: Interviewing Strategies Appendix C: Sample Letters Appendix D: Overview of U.S. Government Appendix E: OPM Federal Office Network Appendix F: Federal Executive Boards Contact List Appendix G: Federal Agency Contact List Appendix H: Glossary of Terms Appendix I: ETA Jobs Vacancy Announcement Glossary Minimum Requirements Citizenship Requirements for Employment The general requirements for employment vary with different government jobs, but here are a couple of statements from The Office of Personnel Management concerning citizenship of employees: The Federal Government gives strong priority to hiring United States citizens and nationals, but non-citizens may be hired in certain circumstances. Agencies considering non-citizens for Federal employment in the competitive service must follow usual selection procedures and also meet the requirements of all three of the following: immigration law; an appropriations act ban on paying certain non-citizens; and an executive order restriction on appointing non-citizens in the competitive service. In addition, agencies are responsible for applying any citizenship requirements 13

14 that may appear in their individual agency's authorization and appropriation laws. 1 Regulations that implement immigration laws are published in title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). According to 8 CFR 274a, U.S. employers may only hire an individual who is: a citizen (either by birth or naturalization); lawfully admitted for permanent residence; lawfully admitted for temporary residence; an alien admitted or paroled into the United States as a refugee; an alien granted asylum; a fiancé, fiancée, child, or parent of an alien who was admitted under certain conditions; an alien who is authorized employment with a specific employer incident to status (such as on-campus part-time employment of a non-immigrant student); or an alien who meets other requirements that are listed in the regulations. For more detailed information about employer and employee responsibilities under United States immigration law, please contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS. 2 Education and Training Requirements Education and training requirements vary with position. A few positions do not require a high school diploma. Some require a high school diploma; some a 2-year degree; some a 4-year college degree; and some require more specialized education beyond a 4-year degree. In 2006, 58% of federal employees did not have a college degree. 1 United States Office of Personnel Management. Laws, Regulations & Other Guidance Citizenship Requirements for Employment. 12 June < 2 United States Office of Personnel Management. Federal Employment of Non-Citizens Detailed Policy Information with Citations: Immigration Law. 12 June < 14

15 Smart TIP In some cases, work experience can be substituted for education. READ THE JOB POSTING THOROUGHLY to avoid missing out on a great opportunity because of education requirements! Background Investigation For some positions, a background investigation is required. The higher the security clearance level, the more stringent the requirements. Smart TIP Contrary to popular belief, over 80% of government jobs do NOT require a written entrance exam. Compensation and Benefits The U.S. Government offers its employees highly competitive compensation and benefits packages. Some salaries are graded, and are determined by the length of time you have been employed and the number of hours per week that you work. Others offer performance-based increases. Benefits offered include health care coverage and life insurance, as well as vacation time and sick leave. 15

16 The U.S. Government Employment website, gives the following information regarding their benefits plan: Working for the Federal Government Benefits Pay is only part of the compensation you will earn working for the Federal Government. We offer a broad array of benefits programs and family friendly flexibilities to meet the needs of you and your family. Here are some highlights. Look for additional information along with links to pages that spell out the details below. Our health insurance program is a nationally recognized model that offers you choice and flexibility along with a substantial employer contribution to premiums. And you can pay your share of premiums as well as your out-of-pocket costs with pre-tax dollars. Our leave policy provides ample time off to take care of your personal, your recreational and your health care needs. In addition to 10 paid holidays every year, you will accumulate 13 days of sick leave each year along with from 13 to 26 vacation days, depending on your years of employment. To help you manage responsibilities outside of your jobs and enhance your peace of mind while you are at work, Federal agencies offer a range of family friendly flexibilities including flexible work schedules, telework; child care and elder care resources; adoption information and incentives programs; child support programs, including subsidies and dependent care flexible spending accounts; and employee assistance programs. In addition to these programs that we know will be of interest to you right now, the Federal Government recognizes the need for income replacement and income support benefits down the road. Our 3-part retirement program includes a social security benefit, a 401(k) type plan, and a defined benefit component based on years of employment and salary history. In addition to retiree health insurance benefits under the FEHB Program, you also will be eligible for Medicare. You will be able to choose among several options for life insurance coverage for both you and your family members. 16

17 We offer the largest group long-term care insurance program in the country. As a new employee, you can apply by answering just a few simple questions. And you can tailor your benefits package to your own needs. As a new employee, you may be eligible for some special bonuses such as a recruitment bonus or a relocation bonus. This will be at the discretion of your employing agency. Other programs you may want to ask about include: incentive awards; employee development programs; student loan repayment programs; retention allowances; and interagency transfers. All agencies support community service and encourage participation in the annual combined Federal campaign. 1 Compensation for U.S. government jobs is generous. The following table shows the General Schedule for government employees. This schedule applies to many government positions. As the note below the table explains, pay is usually higher based on location, and positions outside the continental United States pay 10% - 25% higher. 1 Usajobs.gov. Working for the Federal Government Benefits. 5 May < 17

18 Grade Step 1 SALARY TABLE 2009-GS INCORPORATING THE 2.90% GENERAL SCHEDULE INCREASE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2009 Annual Rates by Grade and Step Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10 WITHIN GRADE AMOUNTS VARIES VARIES Please note that GS pay is adjusted geographically and the majority of jobs pay a higher salary. Pay rates outside the continental U.S. are generally 10% to 25% higher. Also, certain hard-to-fill jobs, usually in the scientific, technical, and medical fields, may have higher starting salaries. Exact pay information can be found on position vacancy announcements. 1 1 Usajobs.gov, Salary Table 2009-GS usajobs.gov. 13 May < 18

19 Chapter 2 APPLYING FOR A GOVERNMENT JOB In this Chapter: Important Terms Step-By-Step Application Process When Will I Get a Response? Civil Service Exams & Other Written Exams Important Terms There are a few important terms you need to understand when applying for a federal job. Refer to Appendices H and I of this book for extensive Glossaries, but here are a few key definitions. Vacancy Announcement/ Examination Announcement A job opening announcement for a federal position. Announcement Number The identification number given to each job vacancy announcement. You need to make sure you always identify the Vacancy Announcement Number on your job application and/or federal style resumé. The staffing specialist might not be able to process your application without knowing which job you re applying for. Civil Service Status Required Identify whether the vacancy announcement is open to Status Only or Competitive Status Only applicants or open to the general public. If Civil Service Status IS required, you must meet one of the following in order to apply for the position: STATUS EMPLOYEE - One who has completed the probationary period under the career-conditional employment system. Also known as an employee with competitive status. COMPETITIVE STATUS - A person on a career or career-conditional appointment who acquires competitive status upon satisfactory completion of a probationary period. PROBATIONARY PERIOD - The first year of service of an employee who is given a career or career-conditional appointment under 5 CFR 19

20 20 part 315. During this period, the agency determines the fitness of the employee, and the employee has no appeal rights. REINSTATEMENT - The noncompetitive reemployment in the competitive service as a career or career-conditional employee of a person formerly employed in the competitive service who had a competitive status or was serving probation when separated. Competitive Category The competitive category of the applicants who will be eligible to apply for a position. Some of the most commonly used terms used to describe Area of Consideration are: All Sources, Open to All Candidates or Nationwide: means anyone may apply. Open to Candidates with Civil Service Status: means only current Federal competitive service employees or Federal competitive service reinstatement eligibles may apply. Candidates with a Notice of Rating from Office of Personnel Management (OPM): means you must have a notice of rating from OPM to apply. For more information, please call OPM at (202) Candidates with Non-Competitive Eligibility: means you may apply under a special hiring authority. Series/Grade This item consists of three parts; pay plan, series and grade, e.g., GS Pay Plan: The three primary pay plans are: 1. General Schedule (GS) - The GS Pay Plan consists of 15 levels (GS-1 to GS-15). These are normally considered white collar positions. 2. Executive Schedule (ES) - These are positions above the GS- 15, Senior Executive Schedule or equivalent positions. 3. Federal Wage Grade System (e.g., WG, WL or WS) - These are normally considered blue collar position. Series Series are classes of positions similar in specialized line of work but differing in difficulty or responsibility of work, or qualifications requirements and, therefore, differing in grade and pay range. For each series there is a specific position title.

21 The Handbook of Occupational Groups and Series provides a complete listing of all series and position titles. Click HERE to access the handbook. Grade Grade is defined as a level of work or range of difficulty, responsibility and qualification requirements. The grade on a vacancy announcement will ordinarily be between 1 and 15. You will see the grade entered either as a single grade (e.g., 7) or as a multiple grade (e.g., 5/7/9). The single grade entry means that the position being filled through the vacancy announcement is only filled at one grade level, but may have a higher promotional potential. The multiple grade level entry indicates several key meanings for which you need to understand. These are: The grade entry of 5/7/9 indicates that an applicant may be selected to fill the position at any of the indicated grades. A separate application may be required to be submitted for each grade level that you want to be considered for. For example, if the position is advertised as a 5/7/9 you may have to submit 3 separate application; one for each grade level. If you have a question please notify the Personnel Office issuing the vacancy announcement to clarify this requirement. The grade entry of 5/7/9 indicates that the position is probably under a Career Ladder Promotion process. A career ladder is a series of positions of increasing difficulty in the same line of work through which an employee may progress from the entrance levels to the first level of full performance and the employee is given grade-building experience and promoted as he/she demonstrates the ability to perform at the next higher level. 21

22 KSA/ KSAO The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) or knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAO s) necessary for the successful performance of a position are contained on each job vacancy announcement. KSA's can be referred to on vacancy announcements in any of the following ways: Evaluation Factors Rating Factors Quality Ranking Factors Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics Job Elements The ranking of job candidates is primarily derived from the scores received during the ranking process. The scores are computed based upon the information obtained from the KSA's. Some announcements will request a KSA statement. Keep in mind that if you are requested to complete an Occupational Questionnaire, this is NOT the same as a KSA statement. Don t worry you ll become more comfortable with all these terms as you read through this book and begin to apply for jobs. And you can always refer to the extensive glossaries in Appendices H and I as needed. Now let s look at the steps to take to apply for a government job. 22

23 Step-by-Step Application Process QUICK LIST Apply for a Government Job 1. Print Checklist from Appendix A; begin gathering education and work records. 2. Log on to usajobs.gov. 3. Create an account on usajobs.gov. 4. Set up your Job Search Agents. 5. Search for job openings on usajobs.gov. 6. Choose a job and create a resumé. 7. Enter resumé info into Resumé Builder. 8. Apply for the job. 9. Contact federal agencies for openings. 10. Create resumés and apply for those jobs. Here s a summary of the steps you will need to take in order to apply for the position you desire with the Federal government. Steps 1-8 will get you started with usajobs.gov. Step 9 introduces you to other ways to find Federal job openings. Following this summary, you will find a more detailed explanation of each step. Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Step 5: Print the Checklist from Appendix A and begin gathering your education and work records. Log on to usajobs.gov and create an account. Create your account on usajobs.gov. Set up your Job Search Agent on usajobs.gov. (Or several Job Search Agents.) Search for job openings on usajobs.gov or receive s about job openings from your Job Search Agent(s). 23

24 Step 6: Step 7: Step 8: Step 9: When you find a job for which you d like to apply, create a resumé. Enter your resumé information into the Resumé Builder function on usajobs.gov. Apply for the job, using your distinct resumé, on usajobs.gov. Contact individual government agencies directly to find out about job openings not listed on usajobs.gov. Step 10: Create specific resumés for those jobs, and submit to appropriate officials. 24

25 Now let s look at each step in more detail. Step 1 If you like to keep track of things on paper, print the Checklist from Appendix A at the end of this book. This way you can check off items as you complete them. QUICK LIST Gathering Your Information 1. Gather your education information, beginning with High School. 2. Make a list of your work history for the past 10 years. You can make a typical list, draw a time-line, or use a sheet of paper for each year whatever method helps you most with this process. 3. Locate records or make phone calls to fill in manager names, salary, etc. on your work history list you ll be required to submit all this information. 4. Fill in any time periods you were not employed. 5. Add work you did more than 10 years ago if the experience helped qualify you for the job you re applying for. 6. Make sure you have military service information, if applicable. 7. Locate copies of training certificates or other applicable documentation. There is some common information you will need to provide for just about every position you apply for. Go ahead and begin gathering this information. It s exciting to begin looking at all the positions available, so start doing that, but make sure you take some time to get together the materials you need so that you ll be able to provide what s necessary when you apply. Information you ll need: (a) education information, beginning with high school; and (b) your work record for the past 10 years (you need to give a full account for the past 10 years, including periods of unemployment if applicable). If you have work experience that dates farther back than 10 years, that will help with the particular application you re working on, go ahead and include that information, too. Step 2 25

26 Log on to usajobs.gov. This is the centralized website where Federal agencies can post their job vacancies. There are other avenues for finding government job openings, but let s start here. 26

27 Step 3 Create an account on usajobs.gov. From the main screen, click on the Get Started button. Then click on 1. Create an Account. You will be asked to choose a username and password. Write these down in case you have trouble remembering them. Smart TIP AVOID THIS GLITCH! Once you ve created your account, when you sign in later, you are instructed to sign in with EITHER your username or address. You must sign in with your address. If you try to sign in with your username, you will get an error that tells you that your account has been locked because you ve exceeded 3 attempts at trying to sign in. 27

28 Step 4 Set up your Job Search Agent on usajobs.gov. (Or several Job Search Agents!) Begin utilizes this tool right away, so that it can begin looking for jobs for you. QUICK LIST Set Up Job Search Agents 1. Log on to usajobs.gov. 2. Click on MyUSAJOBS tab. 3. Sign in to your account (or create one). 4. Click on Agents, then Create New Agent. 5. Select locations, categories, occupational series, agencies, and salary range you re interested in. 6. Check No or Yes for Applicant Eligibility. 7. Select frequency of notifications. 8. Select position type. 9. If you d like, type in keywords for search. 10. Make a title for this Search Agent (you can t save it without naming first). 11. Then click the SAVE AGENT button. For more detailed information about using the Job Search Agents on usajobs.gov, see Chapter 5: Top Secret, the How to Have Job Postings Sent to Me. 28

29 Step 5 Search for job openings on usajobs.gov or receive s about job openings from your Job Search Agent(s). Now that you have your Job Search Agents working for you, take some time to search manually for some positions you might be interested in. You can use keywords to search for the openings you might like to apply for. Smart TIP For help with how to use keywords when searching for job openings, go to =keyword_tips. When you find a position you d like to learn more about, click on the Job Opening title. You will see a screen with the following tabs: Overview, Duties, Qualifications & Evaluations, Benefits & Other Info, and How to Apply. 29

30 Read several postings to familiarize yourself with wording and requirements. After taking a look at the Overview, click on the Duties tab to find out exactly what the job responsibilities are. If you think this position is a good fit, go ahead and print this page and the Qualifications & Evaluations page so that you can highlight keywords and use these words to tailor your resumé specifically for this job. KSA: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities KSA s, or KSAO s, are sometimes requested when you apply for a government position. KSA stands for Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The O in KSAO stands for Other Characteristics. Some agencies use the term KSA, and others use KSAO. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission gives a great explanation of KSA s on their website, along with some good tips for writing them. Here is an excerpt: Almost everyone calls them "KSAs" and while that may be as good a name as any, how you, the candidate, view them can determine your success (or failure) in obtaining that once-in-a lifetime job. Although you may not appreciate the fact while you struggle to present your talents both on paper and in a structured interview, this process does allow you to convince the Selecting Official that you are what he/she has been looking for in a candidate. The process is not complicated. You just need to draw on your past experiences, education and/or training that prove you can do the job-hopefully better than others in the candidate pool. Objective The objective of this procedure is to provide guidance in assuring that all qualified candidates receive fair and equal consideration for support positions based on merit principles. It is based on the premise that the best predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations and is designed to ensure that the SEC staffs most qualified candidates available. Personnel staffing decisions will be based on valid job-related criteria without regard to religious affiliation or nonaffiliation, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or nondisqualifying physical or mental disability, political affiliation, marital status, or reprisal. Personnel staffing decisions will be based on job-related criteria without personal favoritism. 30 Completing KSAs

31 You are asked to identify your major accomplishments as they relate to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) required for the position for which you are applying. Each KSA requires you to draw on your past experience, education or training that demonstrates that you possess the particular KSA. You must also provide a detailed response to each KSA. Address each KSA listed separately. Do not combine KSAs and give one answer. The response to each KSA should include a detailed narrative highlighting your past experience, education and/or training which further justifies that you possess the specific requirements for the position. Please indicate clearly the proper KSA with the appropriate response. Answers should be typed or pasted in the text box. In order to be considered for this position each KSA must be answered. Definition of Terms Knowledge: A body of information, usually of a factual or procedural nature, which, when applied, makes acceptable performance on the job possible. Skills: The proficient manual, verbal or mental manipulation people or objects. A skill can be observed quantified and improved with practice or training. Abilities: The power to perform an observable activity or behavior that results in an observable product or consequence. The following is provided to assist you in responding to the KSAs: Read the general description of the duties and responsibilities, read the list of KSAs. Look for clues to help you draw from your past experiences the best example that matches what is required for the position. For example, if one of the KSAs listed is "Ability to communicate in writing," look at the duties and responsibilities and determine what the job requires you to write. If you can show specific past experience in writing the kinds of things required for the job, you would have a better chance of receiving a higher score on this particular KSA. Write specific and detailed descriptions of your work experiences. Include answers to the following: 31

32 An estimate of when the experience(s) was acquired. A description of the problem(s) you faced or the objectives(s) you were trying to accomplish. A specific statement of what you actually did. A description of the outcome or results of the activity. The name and telephone number of someone who can verify the information you provided. (This does not have to be a supervisor.) 1 Smart TIP Read the entire job announcement THOROUGHLY even if you ve read other job announcements for the same position title. The keywords and phrases (that you want to incorporate into your resumé) might be different, even for jobs that are very similar. 1 United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Application Recommendations: KSA Overview. 13 June < 32

33 Under the How to Apply tab, you will see very specific instructions about how to submit your application for this job. Usually you can choose whether to mail, e- mail, or Fax. 33

34 Step 6 When you find a job for which you d like to apply, create a resumé. If you have a private sector resumé, you can use some of the information as a starting point, but don t waste your time submitting a private sector resumé for a government job. Since a private sector resumé doesn t provide all the detailed information required by the federal government, it will not be considered. Create your federal style resumé, including all the required information. You don t want to lose points because of missing information. For more detailed information about writing your resumé and tailoring it to a specific job listing, see Chapter 3: The Federal Style Resumé. It s a good idea to create your federal style resumé in 2 formats: 1. Simply-formatted electronic document for submitting online. 2. Attractively-formatted one for printing on quality paper and carrying with you to interviews, or for mailing. There s a Resumé Builder function on the website, but it s best not to use it yet. You don t want to get started and then have it time-out while you re looking up some information or thinking about what to write. First, create your resumé on paper or in a word processing program on your computer. Specifically gear this resumé toward the particular job you re applying for. Smart TIP Create your resumé on your own computer first. Take your time and do a great job. Then, when it s complete and tailored to a specific job opening, enter the information into the Resumé Builder on usajobs.gov. Step 7 Enter your resumé information into the Resumé Builder function on usajobs.gov. 34

35 Step 8 Apply for the job, using your tailored resumé, on usajobs.gov. Since the posting will be removed from the website after the closing date, it s a good idea to print a copy of the job posting. The posting very well could be removed from the website by the time you get a response. This way you have specifics about the opening you have applied for, should you need to refer to it later. Look over it before a phone conversation with potential hirer or before an interview. This will be especially helpful if you apply for several jobs. Smart TIP Print and keep a copy of the job posting for each job you apply for, along with a copy of your tailored resumé, so you can see what qualifications you highlighted for that particular job. Here s an example of what you might see under the How to Apply tab: HOW TO APPLY: You must submit your application so that it will be received by the closing date of the announcement. Submit a narrative statement responding to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) identified in the announcement. This information will be used to determine your eligibility and/or rating and is required. The resumé or application must contain: 1. The Employment Opportunity number, title and grade of the job for which applying (indicate the lowest grade level that you will accept if applying for a position advertised at multiple grade levels); 2. Full name, mailing address, day and evening phone numbers, social security number, country of citizenship, branch and date of military service, if applicable; 3. High school name and location, date of diploma or highest grade completed, college name and location, majors, type and year of any degrees received; 35

36 4. Work experience for at least ten years that includes job titles, duties and accomplishments, employer`s name and address, supervisor s name and phone number, starting and ending dates, hours per week and salary; and to include all periods of unemployment during the ten year time frame. 5. List of other qualifications such as job related training courses, job related skills, job related certificates and job related honors, awards and special accomplishments. As you can see, you will need to provide a record of your education and a detailed record of everywhere you ve worked in the past 10 years. Some positions will require an additional narrative statement to be submitted. Remember to use the spell-check function on your computer and have someone proofread this before you submit it! Spelling errors and grammatical errors do NOT make a good impression. Step 9 Now that you have your Job Search Agents working for you on usajobs.gov, it s time to look at some other avenues for finding Federal job openings. While the majority of federal job openings are listed on usajobs.gov, many are not listed there. Some agencies have been given direct hire authority and can fill positions themselves. Some agencies can hire college students noncompetitively. For more information on finding jobs not listed on usajobs.gov, see Chapter 5: Opportunities. Step 10 Create tailored resumés for the additional jobs you find, and complete the application process for those positions. 36

37 When Will I Get a Response? There are reports of people getting a phone call the same day they submitted their online application for a federal job, but don t expect that! That is a rare exception. Please be patient and persistent and remember that it can take several weeks to several months to get a response to a particular application. This is one reason it s so important to apply for many positions you re interested in, and keep on searching and applying, instead of applying for one job and waiting to hear back. There is no standardized response time, and it will vary from agency to agency and position to position. It might take several weeks or months; however, be encouraged that many areas of government are becoming more efficient in the hiring process because they know the competition for qualified candidates is intense, and that time is of the essence. Don t allow nay-sayers to discourage you or make you feel like, What s the point? because of the government s reputation of being slow. Again, be patient and persistent. Civil Service Exams and Other Written Exams Years ago, almost everyone applying for a federal job was required to take a Civil Service Exam. That is not the case anymore. More than 80% of civilian government jobs do not require completion of a written exam. Read the job announcement carefully to find out what will be required for that particular position. For some positions, you might be required to complete an extensive online questionnaire called an Occupational Questionnaire. Keep in mind that the Occupational Questionnaire is not the same thing as a KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) statement. Some agencies might ask you to complete an exam called the ACWA Test in order to help them evaluate your ability for the position. If you are asked to complete a test, it might be a good idea to review some basic test-taking strategies and tips (there are many great free resources online Google search for test-taking strategies or test-taking tips ). Then do your best on the exam. 37

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39 Chapter 3 THE FEDERAL STYLE RESUMÉ In this Chapter: What is a Federal Style Resumé? Writing Your Federal Style Resumé Tailoring Your Resumé for a Specific Job What is a Federal Style Resumé? As we explained in Step 6 in Chapter 2, applying for a government job requires a special resumé, a federal style resumé. Why can t you just use a general private sector resumé that you ve already worked on? A private sector resumé is supposed to be a very brief summary of your personal information, your education, and your related work experience what makes you qualified for a particular job. In fact, it works against you in the private sector if your resumé is too long! Prospective hirers usually want just one page to glance at. The U.S. government needs to know a lot more! They don t only want to know what work experience you have that s related to the position you re applying for they want to know EVERWHERE you ve worked for the past 10 years! If you re not a natural record-keeper, or have worked at many different positions, it might take some time and effort to gather all the necessary information, but remember: a high-paying, secure job with great benefits will be worth it! And, once you gather all the information you ll need, it will only take a short time to adapt your resumé to each position you ll be applying for. So, take the time up front to track down what you ll need. The 10-year employment history is something you ll need for every government job application. All hiring with the Federal government is based on an applicant point system. The highest score an applicant can be assigned is 100 points. Only applicants with the highest scores will be awarded an interview for the job. About 80% of examinations are NOT written tests, but an examination of your background, education, work experience, etc. What the hiring agent wants to know is: can you perform the job for which you are applying? Following the steps in this guide will help your competence stand out not be overlooked or underrated. 39

40 Writing Your Federal Style Resumé Your federal style resumé should always include the following information: Personal Information Your name, address, phone numbers. Plus your SSN, veterans' preference, and federal status. Job Information - The title, series, grade, and job announcement number of the job you are applying for. Summary of Experience - An easy-to-scan summary for the convenience of hiring managers. Professional Accomplishments - Similar to the "Work Experience" section of a regular resumé, but must also include salary information, average weekly hours, and supervisor's name and number. Education List education, beginning with most recent and moving back in time to high school. Training - Training and/or certificate programs you have completed that pertain to your career. Some job coaches recommend listing everything, even if something doesn t seem pertinent to this job application, because sometimes it might be a quality/skill they are looking for in the potential employee. Other Qualifications - Separate sections for any awards, certifications, publications, and presentations that pertain to your career. Again, include it if you think it might hold any value for a prospective employer. Check out these helpful tips from the government job website. This section helps explain the process, and gives some general things to think about while creating your resumé. 40 In an effort to drive the Federal hiring process toward a universal application format, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) gathered together several agencies from around the government to create one resumé format that would include all of the crucial data required for Federal application into one uniform resumé format. The product that resulted was the USAJOBS Resumé Builder. The USAJOBS Resumé Builder allows you to create one uniform

41 resumé that provides all of the information required by government agencies. Instead of creating multiple resumés in different formats, you can build your resumé once and be ready for all job opportunities. USAJOBS Resumé Builder Whether you're writing your first resumé, updating an existing one, or answering a position's Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's), stop and think about which keywords you need to add. You could be the most qualified person for the position, but you could be lost in a sea of applicants without the right keywords. A Single Keyword Communicates Multiple Skills and Qualifications When a recruiter reads the keyword "analyst," he or she might assume you have experience in collecting data, evaluating effectiveness, and researching and developing new processes. Just one keyword can have tremendous power and deliver a huge message. Study Job Announcements This is the best way to determine important keywords. Review several job announcements and their questions for your ideal position. The jobs don't have to be in your geographic target area. The idea is to find skills, experience, education and other credentials important in your field. You will probably find keywords frequently mentioned by different agencies. Focus on the "requirements," "skills" or "qualifications" sections of job ads, and look for buzzwords and desirable credentials for your ideal job. 41

42 Don't confuse telling your story with creating your autobiography. Recruiters are inundated with applications and are faced with weeding out the good from the bad. The first step involves quickly skimming through submissions and eliminating candidates who clearly are not qualified. Therefore, your application needs to pass the skim test. Look at your resumé and/or KSA's and ask yourself: Can a hiring manager see my main credentials within 10 to 15 seconds? Does critical information jump off the page? Do I effectively sell myself on the top quarter of the first page? The Sales Pitch Because applications are quickly skimmed during the first pass, it is crucial your resumé and KSA's get right to work selling your credentials. Your key selling points need to be prominently displayed at the top of the first page of the resumé and directly address each question asked in the KSA section. For example, if an advanced degree is an important qualification, it shouldn't be buried at the end of a four-page resumé. If a KSA question asks about your writing ability, immediately detail your experience instead of enjoyment of it. Use an Editor's Eye Many workers are proud of their careers and feel the information on a resumé should reflect everything they've accomplished. However, a resumé shouldn't contain every detail and KSA's should only address the question at hand. So be judicious. If your college days are far behind you, does it really matter that you pledged a fraternity or delivered pizza? The editing step will be difficult if you are holding on to your past for emotional reasons. If you were a recruiter looking at a resumé or an answer to a KSA, which of the following entries would impress you more: Wrote news releases. Wrote 25 news releases in a three-week period under daily deadlines. 42

43 Clearly the second statement carries more weight. Why? Because it uses numbers to quantify the writer's accomplishment, giving it a context that helps the interviewer understand the degree of difficulty involved in the task. Numbers are powerful resumé tools that will help your accomplishments draw the attention they deserve from prospective employers. With just a little thought, you can find effective ways to quantify your successes on your resumé. Think Money For-profit, nonprofit, and government organizations alike are and always will be concerned about money. So as you contemplate your accomplishments and prepare to present them on your resumé or in your KSA's, think about ways you've saved money, earned money, or managed money in your internships, part-time jobs and extracurricular activities so far. A few possibilities that might appear on a typical college student's resumé: Identified, researched and recommended a new Internet Service Provider, cutting the company's online costs by 15 percent. Wrote prospect letter that has brought in more than $25,000 in donations to date. Managed a student organization budget of more than $7,000. Think Time You've heard the old saying, "Time is money," and it's true. Companies and organizations are constantly looking for ways to save time and do things more efficiently. They're also necessarily concerned about meeting deadlines, both internal and external. So whatever you can do on your resumé or in your KSA's to show that you can save time, make time or manage time will grab your reader's immediate attention. Here are some time-oriented entries that might appear on a typical college student's resumé: Assisted with twice-monthly payroll activities, ensuring employees were paid as expected and on time. Attended high school basketball games, interviewed players and coaches afterward, and composed 750-word articles by an 11 p.m. deadline. 43

44 Suggested procedures that decreased average orderprocessing time from 10 minutes to five minutes. 1 Take care to be clear and specific. Remember that the first person to look over your resumé, to determine whether you are eligible for the job, might not be at all familiar with the specific type of work you ll be doing. According to John M. O Connor, Don't assume that the federal recruiter or reader of the documents understands acronyms or industry-specific terminology. For most people who are in a type of industry like telecom, technology or consumer products for example, have their own industry-specific jargon. Most jobseekers become so familiar with their own terminology it takes an interpreter, a writer or career coach to extract from them what they mean and interpret transferable skills. This must be done when you change industry and it certainly must be done to feature your skill sets and transferable hard or soft skills to the federal employment marketplace. 2 So, use terminology that someone outside your industry would still understand. It s a good idea to create your federal style resumé in 2 formats: 1. Simply-formatted electronic document for submitting online. 2. Attractively-formatted one for printing on quality paper and carrying with you to interviews, or for mailing. Smart TIP Create your resumé on your own computer first. Take your time and do a great job. Then, when it s complete and tailored to a specific job opening, enter the information into the Resumé Builder on usajobs.gov. Here are some examples of what a federal style resumé might look like, first in the simple format (for sending electronically), then in the nicer format (for printing on paper). 1 USAJobs.gov. Resumé & KSA Tips. 12 June < 2 John M. O Connor. Tips for Developing and Effective Federal Style Resumé. July 13, Carolinanewswire.com. 14 June < 44

45 Federal Style Resumé Example Electronic Document Format (Simply- Formatted) Jacob B. Greene 5561 Pebble Creek Way Nashville, TN Home: (714) Job Title and Vacancy Announcement Number: CS 356 Nurse Veteran's Preference: N/A Federal Civilian Status: N/A Country of Citizenship: U.S.A. CERTIFICATIONS Red Cross First Aid EDUCATION University of Irvine Irvine, CA 9705 Degree: Nursing Degree, May 2002 Academic: GPA: 3.25 Major: Delivery Nurse Academic Honors: Spring 2002 Honor Society Membership: Beta Gamma TRAINING LPN Nursing Program University of Irvine, Irvine, CA 9705 COMPUTER SKILLS Word, Excel, Internet EMPLOYMENT HISTORY General Hospital 233 Heath road, Irvine, CA 9705 From: 11/2005 To: Present Salary: $9.50/hour Hours: 30/week Supervisor: Jane Bond Telephone: (714) Present employer may be contacted. Position: Delivery Nurse Assist delivery room; work with doctors; care for babies Volunteer Experience Red Cross OC Chapter, 6/92 4/95 Stevenson, MD 21230, 15 5 hours per week Supervisor: Cynthia Hall, Telephone (714) Assist social services; deliver food and clothing; assist with fundraising events 45

46 Federal Style Resumé Example Formatted for Paper Copies Jacob B. Greene 5561 Pebble Creek Way Nashville, TN (714) Job Title and Vacancy Announcement Number: CS-356- Nurse Veteran's Preference: N/A Federal Civilian Status: N/A Country of Citizenship: U.S.A. CERTIFICATIONS Red Cross First Aid EDUCATION University of Irvine - Irvine, CA 9705 Degree: Nursing Degree, May 2002 Academic: GPA: 3.25 Major: Delivery Nurse Academic Honors: Spring 2002 Honor Society Membership: Beta Gamma TRAINING LPN Nursing Program University of Irvine, Irvine, CA 9705 COMPUTER SKILLS Word, Excel, Internet EMPLOYMENT HISTORY General Hospital 233 Heath road, Irvine, CA 9705 From: 11/ To: Present Salary: $9.50/hour Hours: 30/week Supervisor: Jane Bond Telephone: (714) Present employer may be contacted. Position: Delivery Nurse Assist delivery room; work with doctors; care for babies Volunteer Experience Red Cross - OC Chapter, 6/92-4/95 Stevenson, MD 21230, 15-5 hours per week Supervisor: Cynthia Hall, Telephone (714) Assist social services; deliver food and clothing; assist with fundraising events 46

47 Here s another example, from the Securities and Exchange Commission website 1 Joe Friday 2500 Rolling Road Baltimore, MD Home: (410) Office: (410) Job Title and Vacancy Announcement Number: TTC -XX- Law Enforcement Officer Veteran's Preference: N/A Federal Civilian Status: N/A Country of Citizenship: U.S.A. CERTIFICATIONS: Firefighter II, National Professional Qualifications Board EDUCATION: University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD Degree: B.S. Degree, magna cum laude, May 1994 Academic: GPA: 3.85/4.0 Major: Emergency Health Services Paramedic Track Academic Honors: Fall 1992, Spring 1993, and Fall 1993 Honor Society Membership: Phi Kappa Phi Calvert Hall College High School, Baltimore, MD College preparatory curriculum, received diploma, June 1989 TRAINING Introduction to Criminal Justice Essex Community College, Baltimore, MD, 21229, January May 1995 COMPUTER SKILLS: Macintosh and PCS, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: Nordstrom Mill Run Circle, Owings Mills, MD Securities and Exchange Commission. Sample Federal Resumé. 6 June < 47

48 From: 11/95 To: Present Salary: $8.00/hour Hours: 20-30/week Supervisor: Christopher Troutman Telephone: (410) Present employer may be contacted. Position: Loss Prevention Specialist Educate associates regarding external losses of merchandise. Ensure compliance with security procedures. Prevent external loss by using surveillance techniques, undercover operations, and physical deterrents. Provide a safe environment for both employees and customers. Control internal loss by monitoring physical inventory and financial transactions. Volunteer Experience: Stevenson Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company, 6/92 4/95 Stevenson, MD 21230, hours per week Supervisor: Roger E. Waters, Telephone (410) Volunteer Firefighter Active volunteer in community, with the duty of providing quality medical care to the sick and injured, and preservation of life and property. Tailoring Your Resumé for a Specific Job According to the OPM, it has delegated most of its examining authority for competitive service positions to agencies. That means they have given the agencies the authority to determine whether someone is qualified for a job there. The hiring agency has a list from the Office of Personnel Management of minimum qualification requirements for that position. When they receive your application, it s checked against the minimum requirements list looking at related work experience, education, any required licenses, etc. to see whether you are eligible for the job. 1 So it s really important that your qualifications for that particular job stand out on your resumé. 1 United States Office of Personnel Management. New to the Federal Government FAQs: Can OPM Review My Resumé/Application to Determine for Which Positions I Am Qualified?. 12 June < 48

49 QUICK LIST Tailor Your Resumé 1. Choose a job you want to apply for. 2. Read the entire announcement thoroughly! 3. Click on the Overview tab and print this page to save for your records. The announcement will be removed after the closing date and you might need to refer back to the Overview (especially since you ll be sending in many applications). 4. Print the Duties and Qualifications & Evaluations pages. 5. Now highlight key words and phrases on these pages. 6. USE these key words & phrases in your resumé & application. 7. File the pages you printed together for future reference. Make sure to tailor your resumé to that specific job announcement, using keywords and phrases from the Core Duties and Responsibilities listed in the announcement. Electronic rating systems and rating personnel scan for keywords and phrases. We found a nice system for tailoring your resumé to a particular announcement, by Kathryn Troutman. Here are the steps she recommends. The Troutman Method for Updating and Writing Your Federal Resumé: 6 Easy Steps 1. Systematically Analyze a Target Announcement First, go to and find a vacancy announcement that sounds good for your background and would be interesting for possibly your last job in government. Next, open a Word file and copy and paste the duties and specialized experience sections out of the announcement. Then, look to see if the announcement has any KSAs or a Questionnaire. If so, copy those into your Word file. 49

50 The Word file will become your analysis file to find keywords for your resumé. Now, make the type in your new announcement data file larger so you can see the words closer. Then underline one or two keywords or phrases in every sentence. Create an announcement list of keywords. You might have 20 to 30 of these words. 2. Systematically, Line-By-Line, Analyze Your Resumé Your next step is to copy and paste the duties section of your current job into the Word file. Underline one or two keywords or phases from each sentence in your description. Make your resumé list of keywords. 3. Match the Lists Compare the two lists (your announcement list of keywords and your resumé list of keywords). This comparison is a very effective way to see how on target your current resumé is with an announcement. How many words are missing from your current description? How many words can you add to your current description or your second position? 4. Create an Outline with Headlines for Your Work Experiences Using Some of the Keywords For your current work experience create an outline of five to seven keywords and nouns that represent the top five things you do at work. Try to use some of the keywords from your announcement list. For instance: SUPERVISOR, ADVISOR / LIAISON, PROJECT MANAGER, DATA MANAGER AND ANALYST. These five nouns would probably be in your target list of keywords. And these five words will become headlines in your resumé so that it is easy for the supervisor to see that you have the qualifications for the job. 5. Copy and Paste Your Resumé Content into Your New Outline 50

51 Now you can take your current resumé and copy and paste the text into the new outline with headlines that reflect the give most critical things that you do. 6. Add Accomplishments The last thing you need to write in your current work experience (and also in the second job block, too) are two accomplishments: two projects, problems or team efforts you performed that were outstanding. This is critical for the supervisor. 1 Let s look at a resumé BEFORE and AFTER using keywords and phrases to tailor it to a specific job announcement. On the following page is a federal style resumé BEFORE tailoring it. 1 Kathryn Troutman. Delaying Your Federal Retirement Plans? Writing Resumé Strategies to Get a Promotion: 6 Easy Steps. 6 June < 51

52 Joe Friday 2500 Rolling Road Baltimore, MD Home: (410) Office: (410) Job Title and Vacancy Announcement Number: TTC -XX- Law Enforcement Officer Veteran's Preference: N/A Federal Civilian Status: N/A Country of Citizenship: U.S.A. CERTIFICATIONS: Firefighter II, National Professional Qualifications Board EDUCATION: University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD Degree: B.S. Degree, magna cum laude, May 1994 Academic: GPA: 3.85/4.0 Major: Emergency Health Services Paramedic Track Academic Honors: Fall 1992, Spring 1993, and Fall 1993 Honor Society Membership: Phi Kappa Phi Calvert Hall College High School, Baltimore, MD College preparatory curriculum, received diploma, June 1989 TRAINING Introduction to Criminal Justice Essex Community College, Baltimore, MD, 21229, January May 1995 COMPUTER SKILLS: Macintosh and PCS, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: Nordstrom Mill Run Circle, Owings Mills, MD From: 11/95 To: Present Salary: $8.00/hour Hours: 20-30/week 52

53 Supervisor: Christopher Troutman Telephone: (410) Present employer may be contacted. Position: Loss Prevention Specialist Educate associates regarding external losses of merchandise. Ensure compliance with security procedures. Prevent external loss by using surveillance techniques, undercover operations, and physical deterrents. Provide a safe environment for both employees and customers. Control internal loss by monitoring physical inventory and financial transactions. Volunteer Experience: Stevenson Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company, 6/92 4/95 Stevenson, MD 21230, hours per week Supervisor: Roger E. Waters, Telephone (410) Volunteer Firefighter Active volunteer in community, with the duty of providing quality medical care to the sick and injured, and preservation of life and property. Now let s look at the Core Duties and Responsibilities listed for a job opening for a Law Enforcement Officer position. This is the position Joe Friday is applying for. Law Enforcement Officer Additional Duty Location Info: 3 vacancies - Throughout California, CA MAJOR DUTIES: DUTIES:(The duties described reflect the full performance level of this position) LAW ENFORCEMENT RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a primary law enforcement position under the provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) and 8412(d0 (FERS). Responsible for performing law enforcement duties including detection, investigation, apprehension, detention, and prosecution activities associated with the enforcement of the laws and regulations relating to the safe uses of National Forest System lands and resources. Conducts law enforcement related investigations on cases involving the execution of various investigative functions. Researches and analyzes information, determines actions to be taken, documents cases, formalizes reports, and/or makes recommendations. Prepares for or participates in special hearings. 53

54 Here is the information under the Qualification & Evaluations tab: Law Enforcement Officer QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: MINIMUM FEDERAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Grade 05: Qualifying experience for the GS-5 level includes three (3) years of progressively responsible experience (1 year of which was equivalent to the 04 level) which shows ability to: analyze problems, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; and communicate effectively orally and in writing. Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative or other responsible work. SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: The experience requirement may be met by successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed undergraduate education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements. Grade 07: Qualifying experience for the GS-7 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the GS-5 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: The experience requirement may be met by successful completion of one full academic year of graduate level education or law school OR successfully meeting the requirements of the Superior Academic Achievement provisions. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements. Grade 09: Qualifying experience for the GS-9 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the GS-7 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. 54 SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: The experience requirement for the GS-9 level may be met by two (2) full academic years

55 of graduate level education or completion of all requirements for a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or completion of all requirements for an LL.B. or J.D. degree. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS POSITION Grade 05: Processed, sorted, or distributed documents in a field such as law enforcement, including tasks such as screening documents for missing information, assembling forms that make up a file or record, logging pertinent data, and routing documents to appropriate units. Responded to recurring questions from Federal, State, or law enforcement personnel, customers, or others, on frequently used and clearly stated laws or regulations. Used an automated database to input standard information or adjustments, monitor recurring error reports and take corrective action, and generate data and reports in law enforcement or a related field. Reconciled, prepared, verified, or updated statistics, reports, or documents, including actions such as comparing invoice information to bills of lading or other source documents to detect discrepancies. Grade 07: Received training in order to apprehend and detain suspects of crimes, conduct patrols, and issue warning and violation notices. Researched and compiled statutory, regulatory, or other case information and data for the preparation of Federal and State reporting documentation, and to substantiate investigative findings and serve as a basis for administrative or legal action. As a basic trainee, performed limited investigative duties involving misdemeanor crimes. Grade 09: Conducted a full range of investigations of misdemeanor crimes from origin to completion. Performed preliminary investigations and portions of investigations for felony crimes. Conducted searches and arrested violators for a full range of criminal offenses for which established precedents are not fully applicable. See Other Information for further requirements. HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED: You will be rated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the education, experience and training you report relative to this position which shows that you possess the knowledge, skills and abilities required. Paid or unpaid experience will be considered. 55

56 Now, after reading the description thoroughly, print a paper copy and highlight the key words and phrases, like this: Responsible for performing law enforcement duties including detection, investigation, apprehension, detention, and prosecution activities associated with the enforcement of the laws and regulations relating to the safe uses of National Forest System lands and resources. Conducts law enforcement related investigations on cases involving the execution of various investigative functions. Researches and analyzes information, determines actions to be taken, documents cases, formalizes reports, and/or makes recommendations. Prepares for or participates in special hearings. Grade 05: Qualifying experience for the GS-5 level includes three (3) years of progressively responsible experience (1 year of which was equivalent to the 04 level) which shows ability to: analyze problems, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; and communicate effectively orally and in writing. Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative or other responsible work. Grade 05: Processed, sorted, or distributed documents in a field such as law enforcement, including tasks such as screening documents for missing information, assembling forms that make up a file or record, logging pertinent data, and routing documents to appropriate units. Responded to recurring questions from Federal, State, or law enforcement personnel, customers, or others, on frequently used and clearly stated laws or regulations. Used an automated database to input standard information or adjustments, monitor recurring error reports and take corrective action, and generate data and reports in law enforcement or a related field. Reconciled, prepared, verified, or updated statistics, reports, or documents, including actions such as comparing invoice information to bills of lading or other source documents to detect discrepancies. Grade 07: Received training in order to apprehend and detain suspects of crimes, conduct patrols, and issue warning and violation notices. Researched and compiled statutory, regulatory, or other case information and data for the preparation of Federal and State reporting documentation, and to substantiate investigative findings and serve as a basis for administrative or legal action. As a basic trainee, performed limited investigative duties involving misdemeanor crimes. Grade 09: Conducted a full range of investigations of misdemeanor crimes from origin to completion. Performed preliminary investigations and portions of investigations for felony crimes. Conducted searches and arrested violators for a full range of criminal offenses for which established precedents are not fully applicable. ***Pay special attention to ACTION words.*** 56

57 Now, incorporate several of those key words and phrases into your resumé. Use as many as you can while still having your resumé sound clear and precise (don t overdo it!). Choose the words that stand out the most, or which occur the highest number of times in the job Duties and Qualifications sections. Only use a keyword if it really fits your experience, education, or other qualifications! Remember: it never pays to lie on a resumé. Joe Friday s federal style resumé for this particular job listing would now look like this: Joe Friday 2500 Rolling Road Baltimore, MD Home: (410) Office: (410) Job Title and Vacancy Announcement Number: TTC -XX- Law Enforcement Officer SERIES & GRADE: GL /09 Veteran's Preference: N/A Federal Civilian Status: N/A Country of Citizenship: U.S.A. CERTIFICATIONS: Firefighter II, National Professional Qualifications Board EDUCATION: University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD Degree: B.S. Degree, magna cum laude, May 1994 Academic: GPA: 3.85/4.0 Major: Emergency Health Services Paramedic Track Academic Honors: Fall 1992, Spring 1993, and Fall 1993 Honor Society Membership: Phi Kappa Phi Calvert Hall College High School, Baltimore, MD College preparatory curriculum, received diploma, June 1989 TRAINING Introduction to Criminal Justice 57

58 Essex Community College, Baltimore, MD, 21229, January May 1995 COMPUTER SKILLS: Macintosh and PCS, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: Nordstrom Mill Run Circle, Owings Mills, MD From: 11/95 To: Present Salary: $8.00/hour Hours: 20-30/week Supervisor: Christopher Troutman Telephone: (410) Present employer may be contacted. Position: Loss Prevention Specialist Educate associates, through effective verbal and written communication, regarding external losses of merchandise. Ensure compliance with security procedures. Research and analyze problems, determine actions to be taken, document cases, formalize reports, and make recommendations concerning loss prevention. Prevent external loss by using surveillance techniques, undercover operations, and physical deterrents. Provide a safe environment for both employees and customers. Control internal loss by monitoring physical inventory and financial transactions. Plan and organize work. Volunteer Experience: Stevenson Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company, 6/92 4/95 Stevenson, MD 21230, hours per week Supervisor: Roger E. Waters, Telephone (410) Volunteer Firefighter Active volunteer in community, with the duty of providing quality medical care to the sick and injured, and preservation of life and property. Quickly analyze problems/situations, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions. See all the highlighted words and phrases? These were taken directly from the job listing and added to the resumé where they fit. Practice doing this. Get a friend s help it s a good idea to have someone else read over your resumé if you can. Even better if you have a friend who s good at grammar and editing. If you aren t comfortable doing this, and don t have a friend who can help, there are resumé-writing services that will help you for a fee. 58

59 Chapter 4 TOP SECRET! Government Employment Secrets In this Chapter: My Best Career Match How to Have Job Postings Sent to Me Usajobs.gov and Other Avenues How to Open Any Door: Networking and Informational Interviews Hot Jobs Section: Top 5 Hiring Areas My Best Career Match Don t know which job series to look for? Not sure which positions best match your education, experience, and qualifications? The first resource we recommend to help you find your best career match is a great tool on usajobs.gov, called Explore Your Career Opportunities. Go to Here are your options on this page. Look what it can help you do! 59

60 Explore Your Career Opportunities Career Interest Guide. Find jobs that are best suited for you based on your interests. Job Interest Matching. Investigate jobs that include tasks you like to do. When you indicate the kinds of tasks you prefer, they will be matched to jobs available in the government. This list contains some of the most common occupations in the Federal government but not all Federal jobs are represented. Specific Job Exploration. As an experienced job seeker, you may already have a particular Federal Job in mind. Find descriptions and minimum qualifications necessary for that job. Match Federal Jobs to Private Sector Jobs. Find private sector jobs that are similar to the Federal job you are currently performing or are interested in performing. 1 Job Series and Grades The U.S. government has a system of classifying positions. If you have never worked for the U.S. government and you re applying for a job, you may leave the Level question blank. However, it s good to understand the system so that you can determine the highest level you qualify for when applying, because this determines your salary. Why not begin at the highest level possible? Get paid the most you can for the same responsibilities. Here is some general information and guidelines: - A step is basically a raise in salary. Each grade in the Federal government has 10 steps. - If you are just starting out, you can qualify for jobs at the GS-2 level with a high school diploma or as little as 3 months of general work experience. At GS-3 and GS-4 levels, you can qualify with more months of general experience. Starting at GS-5, jobs generally require 1 year of specialized experience to qualify. - When you have a degree but no specialized experience in a career field, you are eligible for appointment at the GS-5 pay scale. (If you maintained a B average, or met other academic credentials in college, you can start out at the GS-7 pay scale.) 1 Usajobs.gov, Explore Your Career Opportunities, 14 May 2009, < 60

61 - To qualify for jobs at the GS-7 and higher grades, your background must have included experience closely related to the work to be performed in the job for which you are applying - You can qualify for GS-9 positions on the basis of a master s degree, and for GS-11 positions on the basis of a doctorate. 1 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Here s a description of the Job Qualification System from the OPM: WHAT THE APPLICANT CAN DO is the keynote of the Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations. Under this system, how applicants gained their skill and knowledge or the length of time they have spent in a line of work are not as important as the fact that they have the required ability or potential to do the job. The objectives in determining what the applicant can do are: To provide selecting supervisors with eligibles who have the skills, knowledge, abilities, and personal characteristics needed for the particular job being filled. To rank eligibles in terms of their qualifications so that the best qualified are considered first when there are more eligibles than vacancies. In this system, the job element method is used to match what applicants can do against what the work calls for. The knowledge, skills, and abilities of applicants are compared with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. If applicants have the ability to do the work, they are considered eligible for the job. Job element examining procedures permit flexibility in identifying the best qualified candidates with minimum time and effort. Alternative techniques can be used at the local level to better serve both the needs of management and the best interests of the general public, e.g., basic procedures and forms can be modified for use in service placement, shortage recruiting, broadband examining, etc. 2 1 Usajobs.gov. FAQ What is a series and/or grade? 18 May < 2 U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations, 13 May < 61

62 How to Have Job Postings Sent to Me Set up your Job Search Agent on usajobs.gov. (Or several Job Search Agents!) Begin utilizes this tool right away, so that it can begin looking for jobs for you. QUICK LIST Set Up Job Search Agents 1. Log on to usajobs.gov. 2. Click on MyUSAJOBS tab. 3. Sign in to your account (or create one). 4. Click on Agents, then Create New Agent. 5. Select locations, categories, occupational series, agencies, and salary range you re interested in. 6. Check No or Yes for Applicant Eligibility. 7. Select frequency of notifications. 8. Select position type. 9. If you d like, type in keywords for search. 10. Make a title for this Search Agent (you can t save it without naming first). 11. Then click the SAVE AGENT button. 62

63 Click on the tab My USAJOBS and then on My Job Search Agents. Once you click on My Job Search Agents, click on the Create New Agent button that comes up. This will take you step-by-step through the process of creating a Job Search Agent. This function of the website is great! It s basically an opportunity for you to have the computer look for jobs on your behalf and let you know when openings are posted, saving you a lot of time and energy. You will be allowed to choose what you want this Job Search Agent to look for. You get to choose: job locations job categories (Accounting Budget and Finance, Biological Sciences, etc.) occupational series (Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic, Air Traffic Controller, Animal Caretaker, etc.) which government agencies to search the salary range you re looking for Then you get to decide how often you d like to receive updates about postings. You can choose to be notified daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. You can then choose some keywords to search for, either in the job title or specific skills or areas of interest. 63

64 Now, you can expect to be notified when a job with your search criteria becomes available! You can create up to 10 different Job Search Agents. We recommend creating several Job Search Agents different ones for different career interests and/or geographical areas you d like to work. You will be asked to create a name for the Agent before you save it, so that you can easily keep track of your different searches. Choose a name that allows you to identify the search quickly, like Atlanta admin asst. or Texas keyword TRAVEL. How to Open Any Door: Networking through Informational Interviews Informational Interviews are a great tool to use when searching for a job. There are many resources online that discuss informational interviews. We are including the following tutorial from Quintessential Careers ( Informational Interviewing Tutorial Learn about how an informational interview should be an integral part of your networking and job hunting plan. An informational interview involves talking with people who are currently working in the field to gain a better understanding of an occupation or industry and to build a network of contacts in that field. Richard Bolles, author the enduring classic book on job hunting, What Color is Your Parachute, writes about this tutorial on his Website: "Another Quintcareers home run. One of the best & most complete articles (actually, it is a series of articles) on the subject available." Background Information About Informational Interviews Here s a startling statistic: One out of every 200 resumés (some studies put the number as high as 1,500 resumés) results in a job offer. One out of every 12 informational interviews, however, results in a job offer. That s why informational interviewing is the ultimate networking technique, especially considering that the purpose of informational interviewing is not to get job offers. Job offers just happen to be a delightful side benefit to this valuable practice. Informational interviewing is just what it sounds like interviewing designed to produce information. What kind of information? The information you need to choose or refine a career path, learn how to break in and find out if you have what it takes to succeed. Informational interviewing is an expanded form of chatting with your network contacts. It s the process of spending time with one of your network contacts in a highly focused conversation that provides you with key information you need to launch or boost your career. 64

65 The term "informational interviewing" was invented by Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the bestselling career guide of all time, What Color Is Your Parachute? Bolles refers to the process as "trying on jobs to see if they fit you." He notes that most people screen jobs and companies after they ve already taken a job, while informational interviewing gives you the opportunity to conduct the screening process before accepting a position. An informational interview is not the same as a job interview by any means, but it is probably the most effective form of networking there is. Terry Carles, a student recruitment counselor at Valencia Community College reports, "I teach Career Development, and my students are required to do an informational interview. Every semester, someone returns with a job, internship, etc., from their experience. One student completed an informational interview with a network administrator, and returned the next week with a $23,000 a year job offer." When you are considering entering or changing to a certain career path, it just makes all kinds of sense to talk to people in that field. Yet most people never do. They trust their professors, textbooks, or romantic notions about professions gleaned from TV or movies. When you really think about it, you miss out on an incredible opportunity if you fail to research your career field by talking to people in it. The best way to learn what you really want in a career is to talk with the people in that career field. Because of the exploratory nature of informational interviews, they are particularly effective for those, such as college students, who are just embarking on their careers. They are also an excellent tool for career changers who want to find out what s involved in the career they are considering entering. Even for those who don t wish to change careers but do want to change jobs, informational interviews can be a helpful way of discovering what working for other companies would be like. Potential Results of Informational Interviews You accomplish several things when you go out on informational interviews: You obtain a great deal of information about your career field and the skills needed to do that job effectively. You gain a perspective of work that goes beyond the limitations of job titles, allowing you to see not only what skills are required for the job but how you might fit into that work setting. Thus, you have greater flexibility in planning options. You have the opportunity to make personal contacts among management level personnel. You gain insight into the hidden job market (employment opportunities that are not advertised). You become aware of the needs of the employers and the realities of employment. First hand and current information allows you to learn what happens on the job beyond the understanding provided through your course work or other outside research. This exposure not only provides personal understanding but it could also result in your becoming a more impressive job candidate. Because informational interviewing is comparatively low stress, you gain confidence in talking with people while learning what you need to know. Informational interviewing provides an opportunity to meet with potential employers before the more stressful (for both parties) job interview. Because you are only asking for information, you are in control of the interview; you decide which questions to ask. Later, evaluate the acquired information for personal use. This opportunity will expose you to a variety of jobs and personalities of companies making the search for your "niche" that much easier. It is an opportunity to learn where you might fit into a particular organization. 65

66 Reasons for Conducting Informational Interviews Following are some good reasons to conduct informational interviews: to explore careers and clarify your career goal to expand your professional network to build confidence for your job interviews to access the most up to date career information to identify your professional strengths and weaknesses You gain invaluable interviewing experience and you gain visibility. In short, informational interviewing prepares you for what's in store and allows you the opportunity to network with others in your field of interest. Talking with family, friends or anyone with whom you feel comfortable should reduce the anxiety you may feel about interviewing. Guidelines for Informational Interviews The following are some guidelines for informational interviews: Identify an Occupation(s) for Informational Interviews Identify one or more occupations you would like to investigate. Assess your own interests, abilities, values, and skills, and evaluate labor conditions and trends to identify the best fields to research. Read all you can about the field before the interview. Decide what information you would like to obtain about the occupation/industry. Prepare a list of questions that you would like to have answered. Find out as much information as you can about each place before setting up an interview. Identify People to Interview for Informational Interviews Start with lists of people you already know: friends, fellow students, present or former co workers, supervisors, neighbors, etc. Professional organizations, the yellow pages from the phone book, organizational directories, and public speakers are also good resources. You may also call an organization and ask for the name of the person by job title. There's no one in the world who you can't try contacting. People like to help students out with job information. One student whose dream job was to run a Fortune 500 company called the president of Levi Strauss & Co., asked for an informational interview, and got it. To find a working professional, go to your college career center or alumni office [at Stetson, you will have more success at Career Services, even though the alumni database is not up to date.] and ask for a list of people who are working in the field that interests you. Locate alumni, people you've read about, or people your parents know. You should be prepared. Research the organization, person you'll be speaking with, product produced by the organization, etc. If your contact is an alumnus/alumna, look him/her up in the Alumni Office's biographical material (Be aware, however, that Stetson's alumni office gives out limited, if any information). Try easily accessible periodicals, such as local and large metropolitan newspapers. 66

67 The more you know, the better you'll be able to formulate questions pertaining to the organization and job. The more knowledge you have, the more confident you will feel about your ability to communicate effectively. Write to organizations for brochures and pamphlets for additional information. Ask yourself what it is you want to know and then figure out who has an investment in knowing that sort of information. Use the university library. Never Ask for a Job Don't mix informational interviewing with job seeking. Employers will grant informational interviews when they firmly trust that you will not hit them up for a job. The minute you begin trying to get a job, the employer will feel misled. If you discover a job that you do want to apply for during the interview, wait until the informational interview is over. The next day, call the employer and tell your contact that the informational interview not only confirmed your interest in the field, but also made you aware of a position that you would like to formally apply for. Sometimes the interviewee may offer you an internship or job. It's happened on numerous occasions. Many people have conducted informational interviews and have done nothing but ask questions and yet have been offered employment. What do you do if they offer you an internship or job? If it sounds good, take it! Suddenly your life changes in an instant! The typical job searcher is going around asking for a job instead of asking questions to find out more about the job and the employer. A job searcher needs to know the basics about the employer and what the company is about. The fact that you are seeking only information will help set you apart from the hundreds of others who are walking in asking for jobs and being told no. Approach the employer with the attitude that you are seeking career advice. It is, therefore, usually a good idea to set up an informational interview with a resource person before there is an actual job opening in your area of interest. Most managers and supervisors feel uneasy or uncomfortable talking with a potential candidate when the organization is actively recruiting to fill the position. However, you may find it helpful for future reference to find out the name of the manager or the person who does the hiring. (Be sure the information you get is accurate!) Prepare Ahead of Time for Your Interview Ask only those questions that are appropriate and important to you. You will convey your motivation and interest to the employer by acknowledging that the information the interviewee is giving you is important. A list of suggested questions can be found a little later in this tutorial. Scheduling the Informational Interview Contact the resource person preferably by telephone or letter. You can also try to have someone who knows the interviewer make the appointment for you. Scheduling the Informational Interview by Letter An introductory letter, written much like a cover letter without the job pitch, is a great way to get your name out there. Although an introductory letter should be typed, neat printing is acceptable. Your letter should include: A brief introduction about yourself; Why you are writing to this individual; A brief statement of your interests or experiences in the person's field, organization or location; 67

68 Why you would like to converse. Be straightforward; tell him/her you are asking for information and advice. The last paragraph of the letter should always include a sentence about how and when you will contact this person again. Make sure to follow up the letter as you said! Usually this follow up involves a phone call to set up a phone appointment or an informational interview. Never expect the person to phone you. If you have difficulties contacting the person, ask the receptionist for a convenient time to phone again. Finally, proofread all correspondence and save copies! Go to the next page or follow this link to a sample letter requesting an informational interview. Letter Requesting an Informational Interview Here's a sample cover letter requesting an informational interview. Additional samples appear on pages of Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates: May 15, 2007 Mark Steppe, Esq. VAVILOV, WEBB, WALSH & RIVER 1313 Avenue of the Harbors Suite 4444 Silver City, CA Dear Mr. Steppe: I am student at California Western School of Law, beginning my third trimester. Labor law has been of interest to me since I took a class in that subject as an undergraduate. Your firm has an outstanding reputation in that field of practice. My area of concentration in law school will be labor law. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you briefly and discuss the practice of your specialty. I am especially interested in your views regarding public vs. private employment experience. Any further insights you have would be greatly appreciated. I will contact your office the week of October 2 to set up a mutually convenient time for this informational meeting. Sincerely, Jeremy D. Muller If someone has referred you to another person for an informational interview, consider a letter, such as this sample referral letter requesting an informational interview. Requesting an Informational Interview in Person or by Phone People who grant informational interviews are generally willing to share minutes of their time to explain their expertise in their field. Please remember to be flexible in your scheduling, as these 68

69 volunteer interviewees may have prior commitments.if your prospective interviewee seems too busy to talk to you, ask a convenienttime when you could call back to discuss scheduling an appointment. Althoughthere are many techniques to requesting the informational interview, the following are good approaches: 1. "Hello, my name is. I m conducting career research in your field. I would like to meet and talk with you for about 30 minutes so that I can find out more about your field of expertise." 2. "Hi, my name is and I m a student at University. I got your name from. You re in a line of work that I m interested in, and I was hoping that you could help me gain insights into the profession. I m sure that my questions could be answered in a minute informational interview." 3. If you prefer to arrange an appointment in person and cannot get past the front desk, treat receptionists as resources. They hold the key to getting inside the unit or section ofthat organization if you do not already have an inside contact or referral. Ask them some of your questions. You will usually get good information. Receptionists and other support staff know much more about their company than we often realize. They know how it works, the names of key people, job requirements, etc. It is important that they understand what you want. If you ask them something that they feel could be more fully answered by someone else, they will usually give you a referral. 4. You can use your own creativity, but the most important thing is to emphasize that you are simply trying to get first hand information, and whatever they share with you will be appreciated. Most of the time, your prospective interviewee will be more than willing to take minutes to answer your questions. Sometimes the person will want to talk over the phone, but often he or she will invite you to his or her workplace. When you can, choose that the interview be at their workplace because you ll learn more and make a stronger connection with the person. You may want to schedule some of your interviews with managers and supervisors who have the authority to hire. Identify yourself and explain that you are researching careers in the contact s field, and that you obtained the person s name from (if you were referred). Do Some Research Before the Interview For an informational interview to be truly effective, you can t just go into it blindly. Thorough company research is an absolute necessity when you go on a regular job interview. You don t have to do quite as much research for an informational interview, but some degree of research will greatly enhance the quality of informational interviews. If you are informed about the company, you ll be able to ask more intelligent and relevant questions. You ll respond thoughtfully to information and any questions the interviewee might put to you. You won t ask questions that could easily have been answered by doing your homework. A number of great resources are available for company research, many of them right at your fingertips on the Internet. Two excellent resources that walk you through the whole process of company research are the Quintessential Careers Guide to Researching Companies site and our Stepby Step Guide to Researching Companies. Other resources include: Company Website Annual Reports Other Company Literature Library Reference Material University Career Service Office 69

70 Preparing for an Informational Interview The day before the interview,call to confirm your appointment with the contact person. If you have questions regarding the location of the contact s office, this is the time to ask. Plan to arrive 10 minutes early for your interview. Carry a small notebook and pen. Be polite and professional. Refer to your list of prepared questions; stay on track, but allow for spontaneous discussion. Dressing Appropriately for an Informational Interview Because 90 percent of all jobs are never advertised, you will uncover job openings that never make it to the newspaper or employment office. Thus, be prepared to make a good impression and to be remembered by the employer. Dress as you would for a regular job interview. For some excellent tips on proper attire, read our article, When Job Hunting: Dress for Success. Be Prepared to Take Notes at an Informational Interview Pretend you are a reporter. You don t need to write down everything, but there may be names, phone numbers or other information that you may want to remember. Be enthusiastic and show interest. Employ an informal dialogue during the interview. Be direct and concise with your questions and answers and do not ramble. Have good eye contact and posture. Be positive in your remarks, and reflect a good sense of humor. Bring Your Resumé to an Informational Interview Bring a copy of your resumé along with you. Try to find out about specific characteristics or qualifications that employers seek when hiring. If you feel comfortable doing so, you may ask the person you are interviewing to critique your resumé. Questions to ask at the Informational Interview You have arrived and are greetedby the individual at the front desk. When the interviewee comes out to meet you, introduce yourself. Thank your contact for his or her willingness to meet with you, and reemphasize that you are there to learn and gather information about his or her career field. Use an informal dialogue duringthe interview. Below are some typical informational interview questions. Remember that you won t have time to ask anywhere nearly all of these questions, so target the ones you feel will be most useful to you personally. Pick a dozen or so that get at what you most want to know. Feel free to skip some even most of these questions or to substitute questions of your own as long as you don t come off sounding like you re there for a job interview. You may also want to consult 101 Dynamite Questions to Ask at Your Job Interview; even though the questions in that book are designed for job interviews, many of them are adaptable to informational interviews. 70

71 You may want to get permission from your interviewees to tape record the conversations, but be aware that transcribing taped conversations can be very time consuming. What is your job like? A typical day? What do you do? What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job? What kinds of problems do you deal with? What kinds of decisions do you make? What percentage of your time is spent doing what? How does the time use vary? Are there busy and slow times or is the work activity fairly constant? How did this type of work interest you and how did you get started? How did you get your job? What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position? Can you suggest some ways a student could obtain this necessary experience? What are the most important personal satisfactions and dissatisfactions connected with your occupation? What part of this job do you personally find most satisfying? Most challenging? What do you like and not like about working in this industry? What things did you do before you entered this occupation? Which have been most helpful? What other jobs can you get with the same background? What are the various jobs in this field or organization? Why did you decide to work for this company? What do you like most about this company? Do you find your job exciting or boring? Why? How does your company differ from its competitors? Why do customers choose this company? Are you optimistic about the company s future and your future with the company? What does the company do to contribute to its employees professional development? How does the company make use of technology for internal communication and outside marketing? (Use of e mail,internet, intranets, World Wide Web page, video conferencing, etc.) What sorts of changes are occurring in your occupation? How does a person progress in your field? What is a typical career path in this field or organization? What is the best way to enter this occupation? What are the advancement opportunities? What are the major qualifications for success in this occupation? What were the keys to your career advancement? How did you get where you are and what are your long range goals? What are the skills that are most important for a position in this field? What particular skills or talents are most essential to be effective in your job? How did you learn these skills? Did you enter this position through a formal training program? How can I evaluate whether or not I have the necessary skills for a position such as yours? How would you describe the working atmosphere and the people with whom you work? Is there a basic philosophy of the company or organization and, if so, what is it? (Is it a people, service or product oriented business?) What can you tell me about the corporate culture? What is the average length of time for an employee to stay in the job you hold? Are there incentives or disincentives for staying in the same job? 71

72 72 Is there flexibility related to dress, work hours, vacation schedule, place of residence, etc.? What work related values are strongest in this type of work (security, high income, variety, independence)? If your job progresses as you like, what would be the next step in your career? If your work were suddenly eliminated, what kinds of work do you feel prepared to do? With the information you have about my education, skills, and experience, what other fields or jobs would you suggest I research further before I make a final decision? How is the economy affecting this industry? What can you tell me about the employment outlook in your occupational field? How much demand is there for people in this occupation? How rapidly is the field growing? Can you estimate future job openings? What obligations does your employer place have on you outside of the ordinary work week? What social obligations go along with a job in your occupation? Are there organizations you are expected to join? Are there other things you are expected to do outside work hours? How has your job affected your lifestyle? What are the salary ranges for various levels in this field? Is there a salary ceiling? What are the major rewards aside from extrinsic rewards such as money, fringe benefits, travel, etc.? From your perspective, what are the problems you see working in this field? What are the major frustrations of this job? What interests you least about the job or creates the most stress? If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why? What would you change? What are the educational, requirements for this job? What other types of credentials or licenses are required? What types of training do companies offer persons entering this field? Is graduate school recommended? An MBA? Does the company encourage and pay for employees to pursue graduate degrees? Does your work relate to any experiences or studies you had in college? How well did your college experience prepare you for this job? What courses have proved to be the most valuable to you in your work? What would you recommend for me? How important are grades/gpa for obtaining a job in this field? How do you think my university s reputation is viewed when it comes to hiring? How do you think graduation from a private (or public) university is viewed when it comes to hiring? How did you prepare for this work? If you were entering this career today, would you change your preparation in any way to facilitate entry? What abilities or personal qualities do you believe contribute most to success in this field/job? What are the typical entry level job titles and functions? What entry level jobs are best for learning as much as possible? Who is the department head or supervisor for this job? Where do you and your supervisor fit into the organizational structure? Who else do you know who is doing similar kinds of work or uses similar skills? What other kinds of organizations hire people to perform the functions you do here? Do you know of other people whom I might talk to who have similar jobs? Do you have any advice for someone interested in this field/job? Are there any written materials you suggest I read? Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this field? What kinds of experience, paid or unpaid, would you encourage for anybody pursuing a career in this field? What special advice do you have for a student seeking to qualify for this position? Do you have any special world of warning or encouragement as a result of your experience?

73 These are my strongest assets (skills, areas of knowledge, personality traits and values):. Where would they fit in this field? Where would they be helpful in this organization? Where might they fit in other fields? Where might they be helpful in other organizations? How would you assess the experience I ve had so far in terms of entering this field? [If you feel comfortable and it seems appropriate:] Would you mind taking a look at my resumé? The whole interview could be spent finding answers to the dozen or so questions you decide to ask. But as you practice and move further toward your target, questions will probably pop into your head spontaneously based on what you need to know. Pay careful attention to what s said by the person you interview. Ask questions when something isn t clear. People are often happy to discuss their positions and willing to provide you with a wealth of information. Try to keep the conversation friendly, brief, and focused on the contact person s job and career field. For even more questions you could ask in an informational interview, go to 200 Informational Interview Questions. Sharing Information at the Informational Interview Share something about yourself, but do not dominate the interview by talking about yourself. You are there to get the information that will help you learn the most about the occupational field so that you can be prepared to compete for a job. Be aware, however, that many informational interviews have turned into actual employment interviews. Don t count on it, but it does sometimes happen. If it seems that you are being interviewed for a specific job, clarify with the employer so you can make sure you emphasize your functional/ transferable skills and why you feel they relate to this job. Be a Good Listener at the Informational Interview Listening is half of the communication. Besides being able to ask questions and convey a message to employers, you need to develop the skill of really listening to what they tell you. Be receptive and show that the information is important to you. You must listen to it and understand it. Build the Network at the Informational Interview You have spent minutes with this person, asking questions, getting advice and sharing a little about yourself. Thus begins your contact network. The person has taken time to share with you; in other words, he or she has invested time in you. Most people like their investments to pay off. Most people will feel good about your staying in contact with them. You do not have to call or write every week. Just keep your interviewee posted on your research. The interviewee may not have a job for you but may know of other employers or people to which you may be referred. If possible, keep these people informed about your progress. If you have done your job well, they will be interested in your final choices. Ask for your contact s business card and exchange one of your own, if you have one. Ask for Referrals at the Informational Interview People who are in the same kind of business usually know their competition. Before leaving, ask your contact to suggest names of others who might be helpful to you and ask permission to use your contact s name when contacting these new contacts. 73

74 Always Send a Note of Thanks After the Informational Interview Be sure to send a thank you card or letter within one to three days after the interview. This communication is an effective way to keep in touch and to be remembered by people. Let them know they were helpful and thank them for the time spent. As a nice touch, quote something that the resource person said back to them, word for word. Ask the person to keep you in mind if they come across any other information that may be helpful to you in your career research. Include your address and phone number under your signature. (The sample thank you letters can be found here and on pages of Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates are for actual job interviews, but can easily be adapted for informational interviews.) Record, Analyze, and Evaluate the Informational Interview For possible future reference, keep a list of all the people you have interviewed or plan to interview. You may even plan to keep a special notebook or cards with interview notes on your questions covered. Include the main things that you gained from each interview. This file will be a rich source of information as you conduct your occupational exploration. Immediately following the interview,nrecord the information you gathered. Now you know how to get the inside scoop on your dream job. This activity alone can lead to your dream job or connect you to a mentor, because employers are very impressed by students who have the savvy to analyze the experience. In evaluating the interview and making the best use of the acquired information, ask yourself the following questions: What did I learn from this interview (both positive and negative impressions)? How does what I learned fit with my own interests, abilities, goals, values, etc.? What do I still need to know? What plan of action can I make? Another Use for Informational Interviews Phillip Levine of "Ask The Expert" suggests that people who have been out looking for jobs and have become so fearful of getting a "no" that they actually become paralyzed can benefit from informational interviewing. Informational interviews enable job seekers to get in front of employers and regain self confidence as well. Levine notes that with informational interviewing you can t be rejected but you can learn a great deal. He tells this story: "Caroline, a computer programmer client of mine had reached the stage where she was going for interviews and expecting a no. As a matter of fact, she was now avoiding interviews if possible. She was becoming gun shy. Forcing her out to further interviews was not the answer. The rejections were affecting her personal self confidence and self esteem. This is a situation in which job seekers become frustrated and continue to heap more pressure on themselves for interviews and the more pressure they feel the less well they perform. It becomes a terrible spiral. "Caroline had to break out of this and so I suggested informational interviewing. It was a method to stay in front of employers yet take the pressure off. Instead of a strict and formal job interview she was now seeking informal discussions with employers regarding job, company details and the types of people an employer looks for. This process was helpful, to keep her moving forward. 74

75 "She was actually gaining more information, but in a very relaxed manner. Instead of asking for a job in which case she might receive a rejection, she was only seeking information about jobs. As a matter of fact, she was doing more of the questioning and the employer was doing the answering. (If there was a job possibility she could always go back later and formally apply.) "The process didn t directly result in a job for Caroline, but her self confidence returned. She gained contacts, which eventually turned into decent job leads." More Helpful Hints About Informational Interviews Some final hints about informational interviews: If you ask for minutes of a person s time, stick to the limit. Take all information given with a grain of salt. Don t settle for just one or two interviews about a given area of work; a broad information base is essential. Avoid impressions about an area of work based solely on whether the person interviewed was likeable or the surroundings attractive. When in an interview, ask what you want to know but really let the person talk because you might discover and acquire information about unanticipated areas of employment. Note your reactions on an objective level, but don t ignore personal feelings; what you naturally gravitate toward or away from is very important. Find out if the interviewee has any insight on the qualifications necessary for a position such as the one you are discussing. Talking with people doesn t have to be a formal process or one you practice only when job hunting. Chat with people casually on a plane or bus, while waiting in lines, at social gatherings, etc. Since most people enjoy talking about their work, curiosity can open many doors. 1 Hot Jobs Section: Top 5 Hiring Areas According to the Partnership for Public Service, of the 193,000 mission-critical jobs to be filled, almost 80 percent of these projected new mission-critical hires will be in five professional fields: 1. Security, Protection, Compliance and Enforcement (62,863 new hires) 2. Medical and Public Health (35,350 new hires) 3. Accounting, Budget and Business (21,248 new hires) 4. Engineering and Sciences (17,477 new hires) 5. Program Management/Analysis and Administration (14,305 new hires) 2 Let s look more closely at these top 5 fields. 1 Quintessential Careers. Informational Interview Tutorial. 14 June < 2 Partnership for Public Service. Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, 2 nd Edition,

76 Security, Protection, Compliance and Enforcement (62,863 New Hires) This category ranks as the single largest area of projected hiring, as it did in the 2005 Where the Jobs Are report. 1 And projections do not include the confidential hiring data for the Central Intelligence Agency or the National Security Agency. Occupations: Criminal investigators Non-criminal investigators Inspectors Police officers Security guards Prison guards Airport screeners Customs officers Border patrol officers Immigration agents Intelligence analysts Medical and Public Health (35,350 New Hires) The Department of Veterans Affairs projects they will hire more than 28,000 employees through 2009 to staff veterans hospitals. Occupations: Doctors Nurses Nursing assistants Pharmacists Medical technicians Occupational therapists Industrial hygienists 1 Partnership for Public Service. Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, 2 nd Edition

77 Accounting, Budget and Business (21,248 New Hires) The biggest demands will be from the Internal Revenue Service and The Department of Defense. Occupations: Accountants Auditors Budget analysts Financial analysts Contracting specialists Revenue Agents Tax examiners Engineering & Sciences (17,477 New Hires) The Department of Defense will hire many engineers of all types, as will the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NASA, Department of Transportation, and Department of Energy. The increased demand for scientists is driven in part by the threat of bioterrorism. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security project hiring the most scientists. Occupations: Engineers (of all types) Biological sciences Physical sciences Veterinary medical sciences Program Management/Analysis and Administration (14,305 New Hires) Occupations: Program managers Skilled analysts who monitor program operations Administrative staff 77

78 Other Areas of Increasing Demand Federal Aviation Administration: Air traffic controllers ( The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development: Foreign service officers and career staff The Patent & Trademark Office (PTO): Patent examiners Top 10 Professional Fields Projected Hires 1 1. Security and Protection, 35, Medical and Public Health, 35, Compliance and Enforcement, 27, Admin./Program Management, 14, Information Technology, 11, Business and Industry, 11, Engineering, 10, Accounting and Budget, 9, Legal, 9, Social Sciences, 4,151 The Partnership for Public Service report recognizes the following trends in government hiring: Large increases in compliance and enforcement hires, linked primarily to expanded customs, border security and immigration activities by the Department of Homeland Security. Dramatically increased demand for information technology (IT) specialists. Higher demand for health care workers. Significant increase in accounting, budget and business jobs, likely due in part to increased demand for contracting specialists. High demand for air traffic controllers, engineers, Foreign Service Officers, and patent examiners. Decline in demand for secretaries, administrative assistants and clerks. 2 1 Partnership for Public Service. Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, 2 nd Edition Partnership for Public Service. 78

79 CHAPTER 5 OPPORTUNITIES In this Chapter: Finding Job Openings Overseas Employment Opportunities Veterans & Military Dependent Hiring People with Disabilities Special Incentives There are more than 45,000 jobs listed each day on usajobs.gov. And, remember, many openings are not even listed on that website! In this chapter, we ll talk about some of the ways to find out more about these opportunities. Finding Job Openings The U.S. Government Jobs Website The U.S. Government Jobs website can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To begin your session, go to You may create an account right away, or read information about government employment, benefits, etc. Access to the website is free. My Search Agents Usajobs.gov has a great feature that can save you tons of time and effort. It s called My Search Agents. This feature allows you to enter up to 10 different searches, using distinct key words, locations, etc. to search. Instead of searching yourself every day for different job title keywords, criteria, locations, etc., My Search Agents will search for you, AND you the job postings that match your criteria! You can even decide how frequently you would like to receive the s! There are Step-by-Step instructions in Chapter 2 about using Job Search Agents. 79

80 Other Avenues Although is a great place to start, it isn t the only place to look for government jobs. Most government jobs are listed on usajobs.gov, but many are not. QUICK LIST Find Jobs Not Listed on Usajobs.gov 1. Go to and click on your local Federal Executive Board to go to that website. 2. Contact your local FEB and request a directory of local agencies. Contact agencies directly and request job opening postings. 3. Check out the government pages (blue pages) and the yellow pages in your local phonebook for government agencies in your area. 4. If there s a specific agency you d like to work for, go to that agency s website and contact them. Usa.gov has a directory of all agencies at 5. Check your state employment office. Google-search your state, state employment office to find the website. The OPM provides all state employment offices with employment lists. Many state employment office websites offer lots of resources for job seekers. Begin to contact individual government agencies directly to find out about job openings not listed on usajobs.gov. Some Federal agencies advertise openings in newspapers, participate in job fairs, and recruit on college campuses. If you would like to work in the area you live in, you can find out what government agencies are near you by looking going to the Federal Executive Board website, Then click on your local FEB. Your FEB can provide you with a directory of federal agencies in your area. If you re willing to re-locate, search other cities. Just keep in mind that the government only considers paying moving expenses for current employees, so the first moving tab will be on you should you decide to take a job in a new place. When you find a job you d like to apply for, create a specific resumé for that job, and submit to appropriate officials. 80

81 You will find a list of contact information for Federal agencies in Appendix F. Overseas Employment Opportunities Federal Employment Overseas The Federal Government has technical, administrative, and supervisory employment opportunities overseas. These positions are usually in the competitive Federal service, and as vacancies occur, positions are filled in most cases by transferring career Federal employees from the United States. Only when Federal employees are not available for transfer overseas, and qualified United States citizens cannot be recruited locally, are these vacancies filled through the open examination process. For opportunities overseas, see detailed information on the reverse. Individuals may also apply directly to Federal agencies for excepted service positions such as attaché office clerk-translator, translator, interpreter, and Foreign Service, Department of State positions. Federal agencies that employ individuals overseas include, but are not limited to the following agencies: Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce Department of Defense Department of the Air Force Department of the Army Department of the Navy Department of State Agency for International Development Peace Corps QUALIFICATIONS Generally, the qualification requirements are the same as those established for positions in the United States. Applicants may, however, be required to meet certain additional or higher standards. For example, a foreign language capability, while not required in all Federal jobs overseas, would obviously be a valuable qualification. SALARY Overseas white-collar employees are paid the same base salaries as 81

82 Federal employees in the continental United States. Where warranted by conditions at the post, employees may receive a post differential or cost-of living allowance. In foreign areas, the wages of blue-collar employees are based upon continental United States rates and, in some cases, a post differential or cost-of-living allowances. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY (DoDEA) The Department of Defense (DoD) operates dependents' schools, kindergarten through grade 12, in overseas areas for the purpose of providing American, public school-type education for minor dependents of active duty military and civilian personnel of DoD who are stationed overseas. Normally, applications for teaching positions are accepted from September through January 15, for employment for the following school year. For further information about DoD Dependents' Schools opportunities, please visit the DoDEA Recruitment website at or contact DoDEA's Recruitment Center at (703) INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES RETURNING FROM OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT Certain former overseas employees may be eligible for noncompetitive appointments to Executive Branch positions. For further information, contact the Federal agency where you are interested in working. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION... Use the Office of Personnel Management's USAJOBS services. USAJOBS is easily accessible Federal employment information. USAJOBS provides worldwide job vacancy information, employment fact sheets, job applications and forms, and has on-line resumé development and electronic transmission capabilities. In many instances, job seekers can apply for positions on-line. USAJOBS is updated every business day from a database of more than 30,000 worldwide job opportunities. USAJOBS is available to job seekers in a variety of formats, ensuring access for customers with differing physical and technological capabilities. It is convenient, user friendly, accessible through the computer or telephone and available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week. 82 USAJOBS is the official job site of the United States Federal Government. It is your one-stop source for Federal jobs and employment information and may be accessed at

83 On the web site, job seekers can access worldwide current job vacancies, employment information fact sheets, applications and forms, and in some instances, apply for jobs online. Complete job announcements can be retrieved from the web site. The USAJOBS web site also has an Online Resumé Builder feature. Using the resumé builder, job seekers can create online resumés specifically designed for applying for Federal jobs. Resumés created on the USAJOBS resumé builder can be printed from the system for faxing or mailing to employers; and saved and edited for future use. For many of the vacancies listed on the site, job seekers can submit resumés created through USAJOBS directly to hiring agencies through an electronic submission process. Automated Telephone System is an interactive voice response telephone system which can be reached at 1/ or TDD 1/ Local telephone companies charge for long-distance calls. By telephone, job seekers can access worldwide current job vacancies, employment fact sheets, and applications and forms. In some instances you can apply for jobs by phone. 1 1 Usajobs.gov. Federal Employment Overseas. February 26, June < 83

84 If you a re interested in becoming a foreign service officer, you will find the following information helpful. It is from The United States Department of State website. 1 Becoming a Foreign Service Officer The Foreign Service Officer selection process begins with online registration, proceeds through the selection process, and for those who succeed, culminates in hiring from the register for assignment to the A-100 course, the training and orientation course that marks the beginning of every Foreign Service Officer career. IMPORTANT NOTICE ON YOUR CAREER TRACK CHOICE You should be aware that, in some career tracks (political and public diplomacy) there are many more candidates than openings, and many candidates will not be hired. In other career tracks (economic, management, and consular), there are not enough candidates and most everyone on the register will be hired. You should consider this information when you select a career track. If your skills and interests equally match multiple career tracks, you should consider selecting a career track that offers you a greater chance of getting a job offer. If you successfully pass the Foreign Service Officer Test, Qualifications Evaluation Panel, Oral Assessment, security and medical clearances and a Final Review, you are placed on a hiring register. The hiring register is based on the specific career track you chose at the time of registration. Based on your Oral Assessment score, plus any additional credit for language or veteran s preference, you are rank-ordered on the career-track register, where your eligibility is valid for 18 months. You are hired from the register based on the needs in each career track. It is extremely difficult to change career tracks once you are hired from the register. You are urged to consider carefully which career track is the best fit for your interests and background. We have designed a tool to help you make your career track decision, Which Career Track is Right for You. 1 United States Department of State. Becoming a Foreign Service Officer. 13 June < 84

85 Steps to becoming a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) 1. Choose a Career Track 2. Register for the Test: Application 3. Take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) 4. Submit Personal Narrative for Qualifications Evaluation Panel Review 5. Take the Oral Assessment After you pass the Oral Assessment: Clearance: Medical and Security Final Review Panel The Register Assignments and Training Key Considerations: Foreign Languages Candidates with Disabilities Veteran's Preference Commitment to Foreign Service Work Veterans & Military Dependent Hiring Veterans can enjoy the benefits of the Veterans Readjustment Appointment (VRA) Program. For military dependents, there are programs like the Military Spouse Preference Program and the Family Member Preference Program. Veterans Preference A good first step is to go to the usajobs.gov website and find out your Veterans Preference Status. Veterans Preference can really help you in the government job application process, because it can give you a 5 or even 10 points advantage over other applicants who are not veterans. The U.S. Department of Labor says: PREFERENCE IN EXAMINATIONS Veterans meeting the criteria for preference and who are found eligible (achieve a score of 70 or higher) either by a written examination or an evaluation of their experience and education are 85

86 eligible to have either 5 or 10 points added to their numerical ratings depending on the nature of their preference. For all other positions, the names of the 10-point preference eligibles who have a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are placed ahead of the names of all other eligibles on a given register. The names of other 10-point preference eligibles, 5-point preference eligibles, and non-veterans are listed in order of their numerical ratings. For scientific and professional positions grade GS-9 or higher, names of all eligibles are listed in order of ratings, augmented by Veterans' Preference, if any. 1 Click on the button on the right: Determine your Veteran s Preference Status. You will see this screen, which allows you to choose from 7 options. 1 United States Department of Labor. E-laws Veterans Preference Advisor: Preference in Examinations. 12 June < 86

87 Choose option #2 to find out more about Veteran s Preference. Choose option #1 to find out whether you re eligible. You will complete a short questionnaire to determine your status. There is a special section of the website only accessible by 10-point Veterans Preference candidates. It s to the right, under the How to Get Started box. 87

88 Veterans Benefits and Programs Now go to option 2 on the right, in the How to Get Started box. Click on Determine your eligibility for Federal Veterans Benefits and Programs to find out details about other benefits you might be eligible for. You ll come to this page with many topics that might be of interest to you. 88

89 People with Disabilities People with disabilities may apply for both competitive and non-competitive positions. Here is more information about federal jobs for people with disabilities. Job Seekers with Disabilities Federal agencies fill jobs two ways, competitively and noncompetitively. Persons with disabilities may apply for jobs filled either way. People who are selected for jobs must meet the qualification requirements for the jobs and be able to perform the essential duties of the jobs with or without reasonable accommodation. Jobs Filled Competitively Jobs that are filled competitively are advertised through USAJOBS. Each job advertisement contains instructions on how to apply. Approximately 16,000 jobs are available each day. USAJOBS contains two ways to complete an application: The Federal Job Search and Application Form, OF-612, and the Online Resumé Builder. In addition to this basic application, most advertisements require applicants to submit additional statements about their qualifications for the job. Applicants can register to receive an every day that matches the type of job they are interested in obtaining. The notification lasts for 120 days. Applicants can renew their registration before it expires. Jobs Filled Non-competitively People with Mental Retardation, Severe Physical Disabilities, or Psychiatric Disabilities and have documentation from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits may apply for non-competitive appointment through the Schedule A (5 C.F.R (u)) hiring authority. Applicants with documentation may apply directly to agencies' Selective Placement Coordinators or equivalent to be 89

90 considered for jobs. Applicants should send a resumé plus the pertinent documentation to the Selective Placement Coordinator or equivalent. Appointment Authorities The Federal Government has a special Schedule A (5 C.F.R (u)) appointing authority for persons with Mental Retardation, Severe Physical Disabilities, or Psychiatric Disabilities. Disabled veterans may also be considered under special hiring programs for disabled veterans with disability ratings from the Department of Veterans Affairs of 30% or more. Proof of Disability and Certification of Job Readiness Eligibility for appointment under this Schedule A (5 C.F.R (u)) authority consists of two parts: 1. Proof of Disability: An individual wishing to be hired under this Schedule A (5 C.F.R (u)) authority must provide proof he or she is indeed an individual with mental retardation, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability. This proof must be provided to the hiring agency before an individual can be hired. This proof may be in the form of documentation obtained from licensed medical professionals, state or private vocational rehabilitation specialists, or any Government agency that issues or provides disability benefits. 2. Certification of Job Readiness: An individual hired under this authority must be ready to perform the job for which they are being considered. This certification is a statement that the individual is likely to succeed in the performance of the duties of the position for which he or she is applying. For instance, the certification of job readiness for an individual applying for a position as an Administrative Assistant or an Accountant may state that the "individual is likely to succeed performing work in an office environment." This certification of job readiness may be obtained from the same individuals that provided the proof of disability. The certification may be on the same documentation as the proof of disability or it may be a separate document. 90

91 In situations where an individual has the proof of disability documentation, but not the certification of job readiness, hiring agencies have the discretion to place an individual on a temporary appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R (u)) to determine an individual's job readiness. Finding a Position In addition to competing for a position by applying through a vacancy announcement, the Federal Government's Selective Placement programs include a special hiring authority for hiring people with Mental Retardation, Severe Physical Disabilities, or Psychiatric Disabilities. You may apply for employment directly to agencies, which may use this authority to streamline the appointment of people with disabilities. If you are interested in being considered under this special authority, and have proof of disability from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits, you should contact the Federal agency where you wish to work. Ask for the Selective Placement or Disability Employment coordinator or their equivalent. Certain veterans may also be considered under special hiring programs for disabled veterans with disability ratings of 30% or more. Your Department of Veterans Affairs vocational rehabilitation counselor should be able to provide you with additional information about this process. 1 1 United States Office of Personnel Management. Job Seekers with Disabilities. 12 June < 91

92 Students If you are a student, working at least half-time for your high school diploma, GED, vocational/technical school certificate, or any college degree, you could be hired by the government through the Student Educational Employment Program. The OPM s website for students has some great information: You will learn about the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) and the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). Students working through SCEP may have the opportunity to be hired after graduation into a government career with no competition. Click on NEW TO STUDENTJOBS.GOV near the bottom of the screen. You will now see this screen, where you can create an account, search for jobs, etc. 92

93 What is e-scholar? E-Scholar is the Umbrella Term that encompasses Jobs, Internships, Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, Apprenticeships and Cooperative Education within the Federal Government linking to the educational opportunities available to students high school through doctorate level and career professionals. Our goal is to simplify the process of finding educational opportunities and to assist Federal agencies in attracting talented professionals. 1 Senior Executive Service There is a special government program for senior executives. To find out more, log on to usajobs.gov. Click on Information Center. Then you ll see this screen: 1 Studentjobs.gov, e-scholar. 6 June < 93

94 See Career Exploration about halfway down on the left side? Click on SES underneath Special Opportunities. 94

95 CHAPTER 6 HOMELAND SECURITY/LAW ENFORCEMENT As we talked about in Chapter 4 in the Hot Jobs Section, Homeland Security and Law Enforcement are growing quickly and creating more and more job openings. Security, Protection, Compliance and Enforcement areas are predicted to hire the most new employees: 62,863 new hires! Consider a career in Homeland Security or Law Enforcement. In her article entitled, Secure Your Future and Country with a Job in Homeland Security, 1 Mary Hart says: Homeland Security (HLS) is defined as the deterrence, prevention, and preemption of, and defense against, aggression targeted at U.S. territory, sovereignty, population, and infrastructure as well as the management of the consequences of such aggression and other domestic emergencies. The tragic events of September 11 have shown us how significant it is that America have a coordinated and comprehensive national strategy to help protect the United States against terrorist threats or attacks. The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for border and transportation security, emergency preparedness and information analysis and infrastructure Security. The office of homeland security focuses on terrorist prevention and detection, and coordinates preparedness, protection and response and recovery activities in conjunction with state and local governments. Degrees in Homeland Security Heightened security at federal buildings, and state and local government agencies has created a massive increase in criminal justice and homeland security job opportunities. In response to the need for more qualified personnel, online and campus college 1 Hart, Mary. Secure Your Future and Country with a Job in Homeland Security. May 9, Associated Content News. 12 June < cat=9>. 95

96 degree programs have addressed this need and now offer homeland security degrees. Here are some of the agencies that you can work for in the Department of Homeland Security: The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is the security and law enforcement component of the U.S. Department of State, which provides a secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy on a global scale. This agency hires agents for federal law enforcement. These jobs do require a college degree. The starting salaries start at $32,000 and can be as high as $46,000. It varies according to education, what kind of assignment you are given, and how much experience you have. You will find that the income in these jobs rises as you advance in your career. Transportation Security Administration is responsible for protecting the Nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. This fast growing sector offers exciting career opportunities nationwide. The jobs do not require a degree, but it helps for job placement. The only way to advance your position in this field however, is to have an associate's degree or higher. According to the bureau of labor statistics, average starting salary is just below $40,000. Customs and Border Protection prevents terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States. As a U.S. Customs agent, you will be working for the Treasury Department. To enter this field you need to be at least 21 years of age, and pass physical and written testing, background and drug screening and have a 4-year college degree. Training covers fraud, smuggling, surveillance, investigations and more. Agents will earn a median annual salary of 49,736. Potential threats against the United States will continue to keep the growth rate of homeland security careers steady. With a job in Homeland Security, not only will you have a great job, you will also have the opportunity to serve your community and country. 96

97 CHAPTER 7 THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE In this Chapter: Minimum Requirements USPS Test 473 The USPS Application Process The USPS Website Create Your ecareer Profile Searching for Jobs Step-By-Step USPS Hiring Process Summary The USPS Assessment Process The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the Federal Government. The USPS has its own website and hiring process. If you would like more detailed information about how to get hired with the U.S. Postal Service, the Ace The Postal Exam package gives step-by-step instructions and provides several practice exams to help you prepare for Test 473. Visit acethepostalexam.com to order this comprehensive package. Minimum Requirements The following is a list of minimum requirements to be eligible for employment with the United States Postal Service: 1. You must be 18 years of age or older. *Exception: Applicant may be 16 or older if he or she has obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent, such as a GED. 2. You must be a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident alien with a green card. 3. You must be able to read and write English. 4. Male applicants born after 12/31/59 must be registered with the Selective Service System. More information on this in Section 2, The Application Process. 97

98 5. You must provide employment history of all previous employers for the 7 year period prior to the application date. Periods of unemployment are included in this section. 6. You must indicate prior military service, if any. 7. For jobs which require driving, applicants must have a valid driver s license and safe driving record. Please note that eligible employees will also be required to submit to criminal background checks, urinalysis drug screens, and possibly certain medical assessments. USPS TEST 473 Test 473 for Major USPS Entry-Level Jobs, also known as the 473 Battery Exam, is the test used by the USPS to fill the majority of full time career positions, including those listed above. The test is composed of 4 parts: Part A Test Section # of Questions Address Checking Minutes Allowed You Will... Compare 2 columns of addresses and determine if they are identical or not. Part B Part C Section 1 Part C Section 2 Forms Completion Coding 36 6 Memory 36 7 Demonstrate you have the ability to read and complete forms correctly. Use a guide to assign routes to addresses. Memorize assigned codes for address ranges, and then assign routes to addresses. Part D Inventory of Personal Characteristics and Experiences Answer questions about your personal job-related experiences and characteristics. 98

99 Part D is now administered online when you first apply for a job vacancy. The other Parts of Test 473 (Parts A, B, and C) are administered at testing facilities. More information on preparing for Test 473 is provided in Section 3 of this guide. Note: Test 473 is referred to as Test 473-C when it is administered to applicants applying specifically for the City Carrier position. It is the same test as Test 473; it simply goes by a different name. Other tests are administered to fill certain other positions. The other exams offered by the USPS are: Exam 91: Motor Vehicle Operator Exam Exam 460: Rural Carrier Associate Exam 710: Clerical Abilities Exam Exam 714: Data Conversion Operator Exam Exam 931: Exam for such positions as maintenance specialists and technicians, welders, custodians, carpenters, painters, certain mechanics, machinists, electricians, masons, plumbers, firemen, and stationary engineers. Exam 932: Electronic Technician Exam Exam 933: Exam for a variety of maintenance positions The USPS Application Process In 2008, the USPS implemented major changes to its recruiting and hiring program. Post Office job announcements are now posted on-line, and applicants are tested for specific job openings only. Previously, individuals would first take the required test, and then wait to see what jobs might become available. If you meet the USPS minimum requirements and would like to be considered for employment, you will need to use a computer with internet access and have a valid address, as all applications must be completed online using the USPS ecareer application system. For a list of providers offering free accounts, go to If you do not own a home computer, you may use one at a public library, school, or state unemployment office at no charge. 99

100 The USPS Website The USPS website can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To begin your session, log on to the main page of the online application system at and note the information outlined in red on the right of your screen. Create Your ecareer Profile Proceed to Step 3, Create Your ecareer Profile. You should set aside minutes to complete your profile, and should be aware that your session will end after thirty minutes. Although it is possible to search for available jobs on the website without having completed your ecareer Profile, it is best to complete your profile first. That way, when you search available jobs and find a job opening that you are interested in, you will be ready to apply. The first thing you will be asked to do on Step 3 is to create an account by selecting a unique USERNAME and PASSWORD. Pay special attention to the instructions given as to what characters to include and how many characters: Your USERNAME should be at least 6 characters long (ex. Johnsmith), and your password should at least 8 characters long, with at least one uppercase 100

101 character and one numeral (ex. Bob1977). If you are timed out after thirty minutes as indicated earlier, you can log back in with your USERNAME and PASSWORD. (See Step 4, Login Now, on the main page of the online application system). Smart TIP Write down your chosen USERNAME and PASSWORD and keep them stored in a safe place. With your own personal USERNAME and PASSWORD, you will be able to log on to the USPS website using any computer with internet access. If, for some reason, you forget your USER NAME and PASSWORD, the website allows you to retrieve them. Simply click on the Retrieve Forgotten Password link, also found in Step 4 on the main page of the online application system; enter the address that you gave when you first registered, and click the yellow box marked Request Password. The USPS will you your USERNAME and a new password. You should change your password to 101

102 something easy for you to remember, then write it down and keep it somewhere safe. Be aware that the next several sections make use of a tool known as the drop down box. In order for you to see a complete list of your answer choices with a drop down box, simply click on the upside down triangle on the right hand side of the box. A list will be displayed, or dropped down, from which you may select your answer. Personal Data Once you have created an account, the next screen that appears requires you to input personal data, such as your name, address, birthplace, address, and phone number. Be sure to provide accurate information in this section in order for the USPS to be able to contact you regarding employment. Work Experience After inputting your personal information, click on the yellow box marked Work Experience at the bottom of the screen in order to proceed. This next section asks you to input information regarding your work experience. After answering two brief yes or no questions, you will input your work history of the previous 7 years, including volunteer work, starting with your current position. Simply click the yellow Add box near the bottom of the screen and follow the instructions in order to add the name of your current employer and input the required data regarding your employment. 102

103 For your current employer entry only, you should check the box marked Current Employer. Other required data in this work experience section includes such specifics as your supervisor s name and the amount of your salary. Please note that a drop down box is provided in this section for Government Employment Type. Unless your employer is the USPS or Federal Government, you would choose N/A from the drop down list. Drop down boxes are also provided in this employment history section for country, state, reason for leaving, and functional area. 103

104 For the dates you will be providing in this section, be sure to enter in mm/dd/yyyy format. For example, if you want to enter the date of January 2, 2002, you would input 01/02/2002. After you have completed the entry for your current employer, click on the save button at the bottom of the screen. Then click the yellow Add box again in order to add the name and information of another employer, following the same procedure as before. Repeat this procedure as many times as necessary in order to complete your 7 year employment history. You may not be able to provide all of the necessary information regarding former employers. If you are unable to provide a previous employer s phone number, for example, you may simply enter unknown in the box provided. Please note that the USPS expects your 7 year employment history to be a CONTINUOUS time period. You should therefore be sure to include any periods of unemployment. For these periods, you would simply type unemployed in the 104

105 box marked company name and then provide the dates during which you were unemployed. Finally, you will see a yellow Back box at the bottom of the screen. This box appears at the bottom of each page of your ecareer profile. Simply click on it at any time you wish to go back to a previous screen in order to review or edit your profile. Education/Training After inputting your work experience, click on the yellow box marked Education/Training at the bottom of the screen in order to proceed. This next section asks you to input information regarding your education and training. As with the Work Experience section, simply click the yellow Add box and follow the instructions to input information regarding any education or training you may have had. 105

106 Drop down boxes are provided in this section for your country, state, education type, education level, and field of education. Dates in this section should be in mm/yyyy format. For example, if you attended an educational institution beginning in January of 2002, you would input 01/2002 as your Start Date. After you have completed your first entry in this Section, click on the save button at the bottom of the screen. Repeat this procedure as many times as necessary in order to complete the Education/Training Section of your ecareer Profile. General Eligibility After inputting your education and training, click on the yellow box marked General Eligibility at the bottom of the screen in order to proceed. This section asks you several simple yes or no questions regarding your general eligibility for employment with the USPS. Sample topics covered include whether are not you are a United States citizen and whether any of your blood or marital relatives are currently employed by the USPS. 106

107 If you are a male born after December 31, 1959, question 4b will ask if you are registered with the Selective Service System, and if so, to enter your Selective Service number. If you need to find out your Selective Service number, go to the Selective Service System website at and click on Check a Registration. Input your information and follow the instruction to retrieve your Selective Service number. 107

108 Veterans Preference After answering the questions in the General Eligibility section, click on the yellow box marked Veterans Preference at the bottom of the screen in order to proceed. ALL applicants are required to answer the yes/no questions in this section, whether or not they have ever served in the United States Armed Forces. If you were ever discharged from the armed forces under conditions other than honorable, you will need to provide details. 108

109 The remainder of this section is important for individuals interested in claiming Veterans Preference. Veterans are given preference for employment with the USPS under certain conditions: Five Point Preference Five points will be added to any veteran s rating if he or she earns a passing grade on the postal exam. In order to claim this 5-point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. At the bottom of the screen there is a blue box with two tabs in the top left corner, one marked Terms of Service, and the other marked Supporting Docs When you click on the Terms of Service tab, you will be able to input data from your DD214. When you click on the Supporting Docs tab, it will bring you to another screen which will allow you to upload a copy of your DD214 directly. For information on obtaining a copy of your form DD 214, go to Ten Point Preference Ten points will be added to the basic rating of a disabled veteran or veteran who has received a Purple Heart award if he or she earns a passing grade on the postal exam. A 10-point preference will also be given to the following people: the spouse of a veteran unable to work because of a service-related disability; the unmarried widow of certain deceased veterans; and the mother of a veteran who died in service or who is permanently and totally disabled. *Veterans with a 10-point preference are placed at the top of the USPS hiring list ( register ) in order of their scores ahead of all of the other eligible candidates. At the bottom of the screen there is a blue box with two tabs in the top left corner, one marked Terms of Service, and the other marked Supporting Docs. When you click on the Supporting Docs tab, it will bring you to another screen where you can click on the SF15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference link in order to complete the required form and submit it online. You will also need to upload electronic copies of the supporting documents requested for this section. A drop down box is provided for you to choose your specific claim type. (Example: spouse of living veteran who is totally disabled). Attachments 109

110 After you have completed the Veterans Preference section, click on the yellow box at the bottom of the page marked Attachments in order to proceed. You will complete this page later, once you have found an actual position to apply for and are ready to apply. This page asks you to upload specific documents ( attachments ) for certain jobs. Assessments After viewing the Attachments page, click on the yellow box at the bottom of the page marked Assessments in order to proceed. This section asks one simple yes or no question regarding whether or not you have an Exam History Code. 110

111 If you took a USPS entrance examination BEFORE the online application was available, AND you have an active eligible exam score, then you would have received an Applicant Eligibility Notice. This Notice would have contained an Exam History Code. This section asks if you have ever received Exam History Code, and if so, you would enter the code in the space provided, taking special care to enter the code correctly. If you have lost your Applicant Eligibility Notice, unfortunately, there is no way for you to get a replacement letter or retrieve your Exam History Code. Review and Release After you have completed the Assessments section, click on the yellow box at the bottom of the page marked Review and Release in order to proceed. This section asks if you want to release or lock the ecareer Profile you have just created. If you want to release your profile to the USPS, then recruiters can view your profile and contact you about job openings. If you instead choose to lock your profile, it will remain locked, and you will only be considered for the specific jobs for which you apply. At the bottom of the screen in this section, you will see your profile, labeled Candidate Overview. You should review your profile and check for errors, and print out a copy for your records. When you are satisfied with your completed profile, you should click the yellow box on the screen marked Complete in order to submit your ecareer Profile. 111

112 Searching for Jobs Once you have completed your ecareer Profile, you are ready to search for and apply for actual job openings with the USPS. You will need to have the pop-up blocker on your computer disabled and JavaScript will need to be enabled. Log into your account using your username and password then choose the blue tab at the top of the page marked Job Opportunities. You should start your search using the Location (state name) criteria only. This search will only allow you to view 30 random results at a time. However, it is better to do multiple searches than to try to include too many criteria in one search. Click on the yellow box marked Reset at the bottom of the Job Search screen before every new search. 112

113 After entering your desired location, click the yellow box marked Start, and you will be taken to a screen listing available USPS jobs in your state. If you click on a job opening that interests you, another screen will appear with detailed information and specific requirements for the position. If you would like to apply for this position, click on the yellow box marked Apply in order to continue the application process. If not, simply click on the yellow box marked close in order to close the window and return to your search results. If you clicked on the Apply box, then, because you have already created an ecareer Profile, a welcome screen will appear, and will ask if you would like to use your profile information in order to continue the application process. Click the yellow continue button in order to be directed to your profile. The Personal Data page you created will appear on your screen. You should review this page and make any necessary changes. 113

114 Repeat this process for the Work Experience, Education, General Eligibility and Veterans Preference pages. At this time, you may also upload any necessary documents that you may not have uploaded earlier when you created your profile. Cover Letter When you have reviewed your profile and are at the bottom of the Veterans Preference page, click on the yellow box marked cover letter in order to proceed. A window will appear with space for you to type in a short application cover letter. You do not have to include a cover letter, but it is probably a good idea for you to do so. Simply introduce yourself in the letter and express to the USPS why you are interested in working for them. Attachments When you are ready to proceed, click on the yellow box marked Attachments at the bottom of the page. As noted earlier, this is where you will provide the USPS with any documents requested for the particular job opening. Summary of Accomplishments and References When you have uploaded all of the necessary documents, click on the yellow box marked Summary of Accomplishments and References at the bottom of the page. First, the Summary of Accomplishments tab provides you with space to describe your qualifications for this particular job. You may insert your resumé here if you desire. This section provides you with the best opportunity to show the USPS how you are able to meet the requirements listed for this particular job. When you are ready to proceed, click on the second blue tab, marked References, in order to enter up to three personal or professional references in support of your application. You should first contact any potential references in order to make sure that they are willing to give you a good reference for the job. In order to add a reference, including the person s name, title, and phone number, simply click on the yellow box marked Add. Once you have entered the information, click on the yellow box marked Save at the bottom of the screen. You may repeat the process up to two more times in order to add more references. 114

115 Driving History When you have completed the Summary of Accomplishments and References page, click on the yellow box marked Driving History at the bottom of the page. This section asks four yes or no questions regarding your driving record. Obviously, the USPS will pay close attention to this section if you are applying for a job which will require driving. If you have been found guilty of a moving violation in the last five years, and therefore answered yes to question three, you should click on the blue tab marked Driving Violations, and then click on the yellow box marked Add. A new screen will appear with spaces for you to answer questions about the specific violation. When you are finished, click on the yellow Save box at the bottom of the screen. Similarly, if you have been in an accident in the last five years, and therefore answered yes to question four, you should click on the blue tab marked Accidents, and then click on the yellow box marked Add. A new screen will appear with spaces for you to answer questions about the specific accident. When you are finished, click on the yellow Save box at the bottom of the screen. Authorization and Release When you are finished with the Driving History section, click on the yellow box marked Authorization and Release in order to proceed. In this section, the USPS collects certain information which will enable them to perform a background check. First, you should answer the three yes/no questions regarding whether or not you have a criminal history. Next, there are three blue tabs marked Other Names, Previous Addresses, and Additional Information. As in the previous Driving History section, you will click on each blue tab, and then add the required information in the spaces provided. For example, when you click on the blue tab marked Other Names, you will then click on the yellow add box, and spaces will appear in which you can add any other names that you may have gone by in the past. When you are done, you will click on the yellow save button. You would repeat this procedure in order to add any previous addresses you have had in the last five years, as well as any additional information you may need to provide regarding criminal charges that may be pending against you. Prior to requesting a criminal records check from a consumer reporting agency, the USPS will a message to you requesting your consent and some additional information. You will be asked to sign and fax a consent form as soon as possible. Additional information requested may include your driver s license 115

116 and social security numbers. You should respond promptly to this ! Delaying response or not responding at all jeopardizes your chances of getting a job with the USPS. EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) and Disability When you are finished with the Authorization and Release section, click on the yellow box marked EEO and Disability in order to proceed. You should read the Privacy Act Statement and the Sex, Race and Ethnicity Statement printed in this section before choosing whether or not to answer the four questions at the bottom of the page. Whether or not you answer the questions will have no bearing on the USPS s hiring decision. The USPS uses this section for research purposes only. Send Application When you have completed the EEO and Disability section, click on the yellow box marked Send Application at the bottom of the page. The first question to appear in this last section asks once again for your Exam Eligibility Code, if you have one. A document entitled Candidate Overview should appear in this section, if your computer has a PDF viewer. The Overview simply compiles the information from the previous sections and allows you to view it in one concise document. Read over this document carefully, checking for errors. If you need to make changes, you must go back to the specific section where the change needs to be made (for example, Education) and make the changes there. When you are ready to submit your application, click on the yellow Send Application box in order to submit your job application in to the USPS for review. If your application is missing some required information, a message will appear telling you which information is missing. After supplying the necessary information, you should resubmit your application. Once your online application has been successfully submitted as outlined in Section 3, a new page will appear on your screen with a message telling you that your application has been submitted. Shortly you should receive an from ecareerworkflow@usps.gov stating whether or not an assessment (an exam, such as Test 473) is required for the job you have applied for. This will be sent to the address you provided to the USPS, and the subject line of the will read, Acknowledgement of Application. This simply indicates that the USPS has received your application and plans to review it. If you do not receive this , your provider may have treated it as spam and either blocked its delivery or put it in your s spam or junk mail folder. You can try checking your spam folder, and if you find the 116

117 message there, put a check by it and mark it not spam to send it to your regular Inbox. You may submit as many applications for employment with the USPS as you wish using their online application system. There is no limit. The only requirement is that each application be completed and submitted before you may start working on the next one. Step-by Step USPS Hiring Process Summary For your convenience here is the summary of the hiring steps. Understand that this might vary according to your geography or position applied for. 1. Visit 2. Click on the careers link at the bottom of the home page. 3. Complete your ecareer Profile (The link is in the box on the right side of page). 4. Search for jobs in your area after completion of your profile. If there are no available positions continue to check back regularly since positions are constantly updated. 5. Once you re being considered for a position, the USPS will contact you via The USPS will send you an online personality test via If you are selected after the personality test, the USPS will send you Postal Battery Exam testing times and locations. You ll typically have two weeks in which to take the test. (Don t wait until then to start studying!) 8. If you have passed the Postal Battery Exam and have scored in the top percentile group, you ll be contacted to arrange a face-to-face interview. 9. If you pass the interview stage you ll be offered the position. 117

118 Notes Keep checking back to with the USPS available jobs. You can apply for more than one. As with any job search, persistence and patience are crucial. Make sure you ve best positioned yourself for consideration by highlighting your skills and qualifications in your ecareer Profile and resumé. Make sure to write clearly and use correct grammar. There are no regularly scheduled Postal Battery Exams. The USPS will contact you with location and schedule information once you are considered for a position. The Personality Test should be considered carefully! It might seem easy but you are being evaluated for personality fitness for a position and team. The USPS Assessment Process The assessment process is an important part of the USPS job application process. The following steps make up the entire process for individuals applying for jobs requiring Test 473: QUICK LIST Complete USPS Assessment Process 1. Establish an assessment account using the instructions given to you in an e- mail from the USPS. 2. Successfully complete the online portion of the assessment (Part D of Test 473). 3. Schedule a time to complete the proctored (monitored) portion of the assessment (Parts A, B, and C of Test 473) at an approved testing location. 4. Complete the proctored portion of the assessment. This means you will go to a testing location and someone (the proctor) will administer these parts of the test to you, either on a computer or with paper test booklets and answer sheets. CONCLUSION Congratulations! If you are reading this after having completed the material and applied for a job or several! -- you are to be commended. We are confident 118

119 you will be prepared to move forward with your career with the U.S. Government. One last parting shot - don't give up! The government hiring process can take many weeks. Agencies have a 45-day timeline goal for hiring that s the goal. So DON T apply for one position and then wait to hear back before applying for more apply for as many positions as you can! And if you don t get the first job you apply for, continue to research and apply! The more you utilize the principles and information contained in this guide, the more likely you'll be to snag that government job you want and deserve. No tip or strategy can replace consistent focus and effort. Also, like anything worth having or doing, most job searches are taking longer. With unemployment on the rise as of Feb 2009, every position is competitive. We do believe we've provided valuable tools to get you started and on your way, but keep at it. If it takes applying 10, 15 or 20 times for a position and dozens of follow-up calls and s, you have to persist. DON T GIVE UP! A stable, lucrative government job will be worth it! When you do get your position, we want you to do two things for us: Send us an with your success story. We love to share in the victories with you. We also appreciate feedback to help us know we re doing things right. If your story is really encouraging and chosen, we'll pay you to allow us to publish it on our website along with the many other testimonials. Send your stories and testimonials to MyGovtJob.com 119

120 APPENDIX A Get A Government Job Checklist Action 1. Print this checklist. 2. Gather work/education info. 3. Log on to usajobs.gov and create an account. 4. Set up your 1 st Job Search Agent on usajobs.gov. 5. Search listings and choose a job to apply for. 6. Create a distinct resumé for that position. 7. Enter your resumé information into the Resumé Builder. 8. Apply for the position. 9. Contact individual agencies to find more job openings. 10. Create distinct resumés for those positions and submit. Notes 120

121 APPENDIX B Interviewing Strategies After having worked diligently to submit a great application and government resumé, and having received an interview call, you now have the opportunity to present yourself to your potential new employer. Exciting right? Maybe, but stressful and a bit nerve-wracking too. Just consider this the final test to getting what you really want. It will be worth it to take this step as seriously and prepare as thoroughly as you can. There are many, many resources online to help with specific interview tips and techniques, so we suggest you do further research. However, the list and tips provided here should be enough to get you off on the right foot with even the most hardened interviewer. QUICK LIST Ace Your Interview 1. Be early! You must know where you re going. Double-check MapQuest/Google Maps they can be incorrect. 2. Do your homework. Know interviewer s name and the job information. 3. Make a good first impression through appearance. 4. Communicate well use good grammar and manners. 5. Use confident body language. 6. Never lie, but emphasize the positive. 7. Highlight what you can do for the company. 8. Ask good questions. 9. Don t discuss salary until given an offer. 10. Be yourself. Let's start with the top 10 interview basics: 1. Be early! Know exactly how to get there, arrive early in case of something unexpected, and take a breather before you take the hot seat. If you use an internet mapping site like MapQuest or GoogleMaps, keep 121

122 in mind that occasionally these sites give directions that are wrong. It s best to call and confirm directions, or drive there yourself before the day of your interview to be sure. 2. Do your homework. Know the interviewer s name, what the job role requires, what you possess that qualifies you to have that job. 3. First impressions are lasting ones. Look the part of someone who is responsible, intelligent and hardworking. Smile often. Project confidence. 4. Mind your manners and grammar. Employers must know that you can communicate properly. 5. Watch your body language and posture. Understand that the way you stand and sit, and your facial expressions speak louder than words. 6. Never, ever lie, but emphasize the positive. Lies will come back to haunt you but open, honest dialogue with a positive spin is always appreciated. 7. Highlight what you can do for the company. Use this time to show you will add value and will contribute. 8. Ask questions. It shows an interest in the position and company. It also allows you to show what you know in the form of a question. 9. Don't discuss salary until given an offer. Don't even think about it until you are asked or extended an offer. There is really no point. 10. Be yourself. As much as possible, try to relax and be who you are, not who you think they want you to be. If you're a fit it, will show. 122

123 Now for a few advanced ideas and tips to Ace Your Interview! Rule #1 Make a great first impression. The most critical part of any interview takes place in the first 5 minutes! Yep, the time together might be an hour or more, but the decision was made long before the last handshake. You might walk out thinking you just hit a home run and then scratch your head when the call never comes. What happened? In the first few minutes...seconds even, the interviewer has had the chance to see your timing, dress, posture, walk, hair, smile and even smell you -- before even shaking your hand. Your presentation has already started before you open your mouth. An interviewer s job is to ask themselves first and foremost, "Will this person fit in around here?" And second, "Will they reflect well on my decision-making ability?" They evaluate your appearance against what they perceive is their work environment and how they are personally received. Well, you might ask yourself "How am I supposed to know that?" It's easy. Unless the interviewer hates their job and is looking to immediately leave, they think like everyone else. That is, my work and employer are important, professional and respectable. So the trick is to project in that first few minutes that you are important, professional and respectable. How you achieve that is in the next tip. Rule #2 Work hard and long before any interview to be prepared. The point of this entire book is the help prepare you for a new job. Don't fumble the ball on the one yard line by failing to spend a significant amount of time preparing for your face-to-face interview. Males and females alike should labor over what to wear. It should be clean, pressed and in-style. Be sure to wear shoes that are in good shape and polished (interviewers notice shoes!). Your personal grooming should be impeccable. Don't laugh -- we even recommend practicing smiling and walking in front of a mirror. Make sure you project calmness and confidence in every movement. A good friend is a great resource to give you the outside feedback you need to polish your presentation. 123

124 While you have a friend nearby, have a mock interview. Have them quiz you with questions about the company, job and qualifications. Have them ask you the "standard" interview questions listed in this section. Just like this guide, the more practice tests you take, the better your result. Rule #3 Build rapport. Another critical factor in those initial few minutes involves building rapport. At this stage getting the job has little to do with your experience and qualifications. It has everything to do with letting the interviewer know they can trust you to represent them well. How that's accomplished is easier than you think, but again, takes practice. When we first meet new people, we naturally scan their face. So use your face as a focal point to capture the interviewer s attention and communicate your message. A slight, casual smile communicates confidence and intelligence. Please practice this in a mirror to get it exactly right. A big grin or a smirk communicates the wrong message. The right smile sends psychological cues people will automatically associate with confidence and intelligence. With your smile you should strive to strike the right tone of warm and friendly, while projecting the thought, "I'm the perfect choice for this job." Another presentation technique involves the use of eye contact. Maintaining good eye contact says, "I am not afraid." Again, that confidence communicates your professionalism and ability to get things done. Incidentally, I'm not suggesting staring your interviewer down. A thoughtful pause and side glance as you consider a question you have been asked is a good reason to break eye contact. But re-establish it as soon as you begin to deliver your answer. Rule #4 Dig for information and ask for feedback as often as possible. Wouldn t it be incredibly valuable to have your interviewer give you answers he is looking for BEFORE you have to answer? The most direct and easy way to get that information is to tell him how excited you are about the position and that you have many questions about it. Often the response will be, "Like what?" That is your red carpet invitation to ask a question like, "Can you tell me more about the specific functions of the position and what kind of person will excel at it?" or "Can you tell me exactly how this role fits into the overall organization?" or "Can you tell me the qualities or characteristics that will help someone excel at this position?" 124

125 Now listen carefully. Your interviewer is about to tell you how to get hired! Take notes and jot down specific adjectives and phrases he uses. Those same words should be reflected back to him during the rest of the interview. Don't over-do it, but find a way to use them somewhere. Another technique for getting the "right" answer, or at least for giving you time to think, is call "reframing the question." When asked a difficult question, you can reframe it or ask it back to your interviewer in different words. For example, if you are asked, "Where do you see yourself in ten years?" you can politely and with a thoughtful head tilt ask back, "Are you looking for my long term personal or business goals?" Again, his answer should help focus your answer while giving you more time to formulate it. Try being a detective in this area. Often the person interviewing will give you plenty of ammunition to get the job and all you have to do is put the clues together. Rule #5 Tell a good story. People love stories. When asked about previous jobs, situations, accomplishments or failures, don't get nervous about it. Get excited about the opportunity to tell your story! Just like any great story, your stories should have three basic elements: A challenge, a hero and a happy ending. If you keep it to about 2-3 minutes and use that formula, you can mesmerize even the most hardened Human Resource person. Keep things lively, interesting and on point and the interviewer will have all the information she needs to project you in that hero role. It's a great way to continue to build rapport or a connection. Story-telling is also an effective technique for tooting your own horn without coming across as boastful by using another person s opinion to frame your "happy ending" (it can be your old boss, co-worker or friend that communicates how great your are). It should sound something like, "...and after I got the project back online, my boss sent a note to our V.P. about my leadership and quick thinking..." The key to success on this point is to have some solid examples of what you can do ready in advance. You can find a way to make them fit. There are many behavioral-type questions that ask you to give specific examples of when you did something. Be ready with a short story. 125

126 Rule #6 Follow up. The interview isn't over after you say goodbye. Your follow-up call, letter or should be on the way as soon as you get home from the interview. That means being sure to get a business card or contact information for the interviewer before you leave the interview. It's standard business practice to exchange cards or information at the beginning or end of a meeting. That card is one more chance to help you either seal-thedeal in a close race or to give you a second chance at life if the interview didn't go as well as you'd have liked. A call at the end of the day on the same day you interviewed should be used to communicate, "Thank you, I appreciate your time and consideration," and to highlight a reason to choose you. It can be something that was brought up during the interview or something altogether new that you forgot to mention. Either way, mentioning it in an "Oh-by-the-way " happy tone while thanking them leaves a great impression. The follow-up note or is best sent the next day, first thing in the morning. Many people recommend a hand-written note. We agree that a hand-written note has a more profound impression, but if the choice is a brief thank you via e- mail or nothing, then by all means, send that message! You will find a sample Follow-up Letter in the Appendix of this guide. Rule #7 Be ready for standard interview questions. Finally, you should also be prepared for all the basic interview questions. Great answers to these are available online or in interviewing books Tell me about yourself. 2. Tell me about your experience. 3. What is your most important accomplishment to date? 4. How would you describe your ideal job? 5. Why did you choose this career? 6. When did you decide on this career? 7. What goals do you have in your career? 8. How do you plan to achieve these goals? 9. How do you personally define success? 10. Describe a situation in which you were successful. 11. What do you think it takes to be successful in this career? 12. What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction in your life? 13. Would you rather work with information or with people? 14. Are you a team player? 15. What motivates you? 16. Why should I hire you?

127 17. Are you a goal-oriented person? 18. Tell me about some of your recent goals and what you did to achieve them. 19. What are your short-term goals? 20. What is your long-range objective? 21. What do you see yourself doing five years from now? 22. Where do you want to be ten years from now? 23. Do you handle conflict well? 24. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How did you resolve it? 25. What major problem have you had to deal with recently? 26. Do you handle pressure well? 27. What is your greatest strength? 28. What is your greatest weakness? 29. If I were to ask one of your professors (or a boss) to describe you, what would he or she say? 30. Why did you choose to attend your college? 31. How has your education prepared you for your career? 32. What were your favorite classes? Why? 33. Do you have any plans for further education? 34. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have? 35. Why do you want to work in the industry? 36. What do you know about our company? 37. Are you willing to relocate? In the future? 38. Are you willing to travel? How much? 39. Is money important to you? 40. What kind of salary are you looking for? 127

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129 APPENDIX C Sample Letters: Cover, Interview Follow-up/Thank You Sample Cover Letter Your Name Address City, State ZIP Code Cell Phone Number Address Potential Employer Name Title Company Name Address City, State ZIP Code Date Dear Mr./Ms. : I am applying for the Mark-Up Clerk posted on the USPS.com website. At your convenience, I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the position and my candidacy with you. You can find my resumé attached to this . I am looking to utilize my experience in package handling, leadership and organizational skills to succeed in the Mark-Up Clerk position. The pertinent experience and skills for the posted position include: Highly organized. (Fill in appropriate skills you want to highlight.) Strong work ethic. Relevant computer skills (Microsoft products, HTML, etc.). Good listener...solid work ethic...desire to excel...meet deadlines...enjoy a fast-paced environment...extraordinary factual recall... (etc.) I'd love to find out more about the position you're looking to fill, and I would welcome the opportunity to tell you how my skills and ideas can benefit the USPS. I can be reached at (5555) or name@gmail.com. Thanks for your consideration; I look forward to hearing from you soon! Sincerely, Your Signature Your Typed Name 129

130 Sample Interview Follow-up / Thank You Letter Your Name Address City, State ZIP Code Cell Phone Number Address Interviewer Name Title Company Name Address City, State ZIP Code Date Dear Mr./Ms. : Thank you for taking the time to talk to me about the Mail Carrier position with United States Postal Service. I appreciate your time and consideration in interviewing me for this position. After speaking with you and the group, I believe that I would be a perfect candidate for this position, offering the quick learning and adaptability that is needed for a diversified position. In addition to my enthusiasm for performing well, I would bring the organizational skills necessary to get the job done. I am very interested in working for you and look forward to hearing from you once the final decisions are made regarding this position. Please feel free to contact me at anytime if further information is needed. My cell phone number is (555) Thank you again for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Your Signature Your Typed Name 130

131 APPENDIX D Overview of U.S. Federal Government Do you remember your high school U.S. Government class? It s a good idea to review a little bit and familiarize yourself with how our government works. Branches of Government (U.S. Government Printing Office. Ben s Guide: Branches of Government. 22 May < The following is an excerpt from an article by Martin Kelly on About.com: The government of the United States is based on a written constitution, the shortest in the world in fact. This constitution consists of a Preamble, seven Articles, and 27 Amendments. From this document, the entire federal government was created. It is a living document whose interpretation has changed over time. The amendment process is such that while not easily amended, US citizens are able to make necessary changes over time. 131

132 Three Branches of Government The Constitution created three separate branches of government. Each branch has its own powers and areas of influence. At the same time, the Constitution created a system of checks and balances that ensured no one branch would reign supreme. The three branches are: Legislative Branch - This branch consists of the Congress which is responsible for making the federal laws. Congress consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Executive Branch - The Executive power lies with the President of the United States who is given the job of executing, enforcing, and administering the laws and government. The Bureaucracy is part of the Executive Branch. Judicial Branch - The judicial power of the United States is vested in the Supreme Court and the federal courts. Their job is to interpret and apply US laws through cases brought before them. Another important power of the Supreme Court is that of Judicial Review whereby they can rule laws unconstitutional. Six Foundational Principles The Constitution is built on six basic principles. These are deeply ingrained in the mindset and landscape of US Government. Popular Sovereignty - This principle states that the source of governmental power lies with the people. This belief stems from the concept of the social contract and the idea that government should be for the benefit of its citizens. If the government is not protecting the people, it should be dissolved. Limited Government - Since the people give government its power, government itself is limited to the power given to it by them. In other words, the US government does not derive its power from itself. It must follow its own laws and it can only act using powers given to it by the people. Separation of Powers - As stated previously, the US Government is divided into three branches so that no one branch has all the power. Each branch has its own purpose: to make the laws, execute the laws, and interpret the laws. Checks and Balances - In order to further protect the citizens, the constitution set up a system of checks and balances. Basically, each branch of government has a certain number of checks it can use to ensure the other branches do not become too powerful. For example, the president can veto legislation, the Supreme Court can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional, and the Senate must approve treaties and presidential appointments. 132

133 Judicial Review - This is a power that allows the Supreme Court to decide whether acts and laws are unconstitutional. This was established with Marbury v. Madison in Federalism - One of the most complicated foundations of the US is the principle of federalism. This is the idea that the central government does not control all the power in the nation. States also have powers reserved to them. This division of powers does overlap and sometimes leads to problems such as what happened with the response to Hurricane Katrina between the state and federal governments. Political Process While the Constitution sets up the system of government, the actual way in which the offices of Congress and the Presidency are filled are based upon the American political system. Many countries have numerous political parties (groups of people who join together to try and win political office and thereby control the government) but the US exists under a twoparty system. The two major parties in America are the Democratic and Republican parties. They act as coalitions and attempt to win elections. We currently have a two-party system because of not only historical precedent and tradition but also the electoral system itself. 1 Here are some government agencies under each of the three branches. You can see a complete chart at Legislative Branch Architect of the Capitol U.S. Botanic Garden Government Accountability Office Library of Congress Congressional Budget Office 1 Martin Kelly. Overview of United States Government and Politics: Foundation and Principles. 22 May < 133

134 Executive Branch Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce Department of Defense Department of Education Department of Energy Department of Health and Human Services Department of Homeland Security Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of the Interior Department of Justice Department of Labor Department of State Department of Transportation Department of the Treasury Department of Veteran Affairs Some Independent Establishments and Government Corporations under the Executive Branch Central Intelligence Agency Commodity Futures Trading Commission Consumer Product Safety Commission Environmental Protection Agency Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Farm Credit Administration Federal Communication Commission Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Reserve System Federal Trade Commission National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AmTrak) National Science Foundation Office of Personnel Management Peace Corps Securities and Exchange Commission Small Business Administration Social Security Administration Tennessee Valley Authority United States Postal Service 134

135 Judicial Branch United States Courts Administrative Office of the United States Courts Federal Judicial Center United States Sentencing Commission 135

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137 APPENDIX E Office of Personnel Management Federal Office Network These OPM Federal Service Centers assist federal agencies. You can contact them for assistance if you encounter application problems. ATLANTA Services Branch 75 Spring Street, SW, Suite 1000 Atlanta, GA (404) (FAX) Atlanta@opm.gov CHICAGO Services Branch 230 South Dearborn St., DPN 30-3 Chicago, IL (312) (FAX) Chicago@opm.gov DENVER Services Section Alameda Pkwy, P.O. Box Denver, CO (303) (FAX) Denver@opm.gov KANSAS CITY Services Section 601 East 12th St., Room 131 Kansas City, MO (816) (FAX) KansasCity@opm.gov NORFOLK Services Section 200 Granby St., Room 500 Norfolk, VA (757) (FAX) Norfolk@opm.gov PHILADELPHIA Services Branch 600 Arch St., Room 3400 Philadelphia, PA (215) (FAX) Philadelphia@opm.gov RALEIGH Services Branch 4407 Bland Rd., Suite 200 Raleigh, NC (919) (FAX) Raleigh@opm.gov SAN ANTONIO Services Section 8610 Broadway, Room 305 San Antonio, TX (210) (FAX) SanAntonio@opm.gov SAN FRANCISCO Services Branch 120 Howard St., Room 735 San Francisco, CA (415) (FAX) SanFrancisco@opm.gov WASHINGTON Services Branch 1900 E St., NW, Room 2469 Washington, DC (202) (FAX) Washington@opm.gov 137

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139 APPENDIX F Federal Executive Boards Contact List Federal Executive Boards President Kennedy established Federal Executive Boards (FEB) on November 10, 1961, to improve internal Federal management practices and to provide a central focus for Federal participation in civic affairs in major metropolitan areas. Federal executive Boards are composed of the heads of all Federal Departmental and agency field offices, both civilian and military, located in major metropolitan areas. A Chair and other officers are elected annually from among the membership to provide leadership to the Board s operation. 1 The main website for United States Federal Executive Boards is There you can access the websites of many specific Federal Executive Boards. Here are the addresses and contact information for the current Federal Executive Boards. 1 Atlanta Federal Executive Board. Federal Executive Boards. 22 May < 139

140 ATLANTA, GA Craig Dawson, Chairperson Gwendolyn Campbell, Executive Director Federal Executive Board Richard B. Russell Federal Building 75 Spring Street, SW, Room 1142 Atlanta, GA Phone: (404) FAX: (404) Website: BALTIMORE, MD* Jack Cunnane, Chairperson Richard Howell, Executive Director Federal Executive Board Fallon Federal Building 31 Hopkins Plaza, Room 820A Baltimore, MD Phone: (410) FAX: (410) BOSTON, MA Manuel J. Vaz, Chairperson Kim Ainsworth, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 10 Causeway Street, Suite 350 Boston, MA Phone: (617) FAX: (617) Website: BUFFALO, NY Philip Dissek, Chairperson Paul Kendzierski, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 130 South Elmwood Avenue, Suite 416 Buffalo, NY Phone: (716) FAX: (716) Website: CHICAGO, IL David A. Schnell, Chairperson Jan Stinson, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 230 South Dearborn Street, Room 3770 Chicago, IL Phone: (312) FAX: (312) Website: CINCINNATI, OH Jack Craig, Chairperson Tina Toca, Program Specialist Greater Cincinnati Federal Executive Board 1116 JWP Federal Office Building 550 Main Street, Suite Cincinnati, OH Phone: (513) FAX: (513) Website: &

141 CLEVELAND, OH Martha Smith, Chairperson Michael Goin, Executive Director Federal Executive Board A. J. Celebrezze Federal Building 1240 E. Ninth Street, Room 355 Cleveland, OH Phone: (216) FAX: (216) Website: DALLAS - FT. WORTH, TX* William E. Peterson, Chairperson Gladean Butler, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 525 S. Griffin Street, Suite 870- LB102 Dallas, TX Phone: (214) FAX: (214) Gladean.butler@gsa.gov DENVER, CO Paul Sherbo, Chairperson Gay Page, Executive Director Denver Federal Executive Board Denver Federal Center Bldg. 810, Room 5014 Denver, CO Phone: (303) FAX: (303) Website: gpage@denver.feb.gov DETROIT, MI Michael Jansen, Chairperson Michelle Rhodes, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 477 Michigan Avenue, Room M10 Detroit, MI Phone: (313) FAX: (313) Website: michelle.rhodes@gsa.gov HONOLULU PACIFIC, HI Kirk E. Bruno, Chairperson Gloria Uyehara, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room Box Honolulu, HI Phone: (808) FAX: (808) Website: guyehara@hpfeb.org HOUSTON, TX Edward Pringle, Chairperson Mike Mason, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 2350 N Sam Houston Parkway E Suite 1000 Houston, TX Phone: (713) FAX: (936) Website: houstonfeb@gmail.com 141

142 KANSAS CITY, MO Romell Cooks, Chairperson Cindy Hillman, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 1500 E. Bannister Road, Suite 1176 Kansas City, MO Phone: (816) FAX: (816) Website: LOS ANGELES, CA Glen Banks, Chairperson Kathrene Hansen, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 501 W. Ocean Blvd, Suite 3200 Long Beach, CA Phone: (562) FAX: (562) Website: MINNESOTA Terrance Virden, Chairperson Ray Morris, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 1 Federal Drive, Room 510 St. Paul, MN Phone: (612) FAX: (612) Website: Ray_Morris@ios.doi.gov NEW MEXICO John Woosley, Co-Chairperson Georgia Marchbanks, Co-Chairperson John Kwait, Executive Director Federal Executive Board P.O. Box 156 Albuquerque, NM Gold SW Albuquerque, NM Phone: (505) FAX: (505) Website: John_Kwait@fws.gov NEWARK, NJ Scott McShaffrey, Chairperson Angela A. Zaccardi, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 970 Broad Street, Room 1434-B Newark, NJ Phone: (973) FAX: (973) Website: Angela.Zaccardi@gsa.gov NEW ORLEANS, LA Keith T. Hill, Chairperson Kathy Barr? Executive Director Federal Executive Board P.O. Box New Orleans, LA Old Gentilly Road New Orleans, LA Phone: (504) FAX: (303) Website: Kathy.barre@usda.gov 142

143 NEW YORK, NY Patricia Amberg-Blyskal, Chairperson Cynthia Gable, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 26 Federal Plaza, Room 3016 New York, NY Phone: (212) FAX: (212) Website: OKLAHOMA Barry Dodson, Chairperson LeAnn Jenkins, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 215 Dean A. McGee Avenue, Suite 153 Oklahoma City, OK Phone: (405) FAX: (405) Website: OREGON* David Ferguson, Chairperson Ron Johnson, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 1220 SW Third Avenue, Suite 1776 Portland, OR Phone: (503) FAX: (503) PHILADELPHIA, PA Brenda M. Laroche, Chairperson Jack Ratcliffe, Executive Director Federal Executive Board William J. Green, Jr., Federal Building 600 Arch Street, Room 4320 Philadelphia, PA Phone: (215) FAX: (215) Website: PITTSBURGH, PA Terry Wolf, Chairperson George Buck, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 1000 Liberty Avenue, Room 1303 Pittsburgh, PA Phone: (412) FAX: (412) Website: ST. LOUIS, MO Wanda Good, Chairperson Rose Garland, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 1222 Spruce, Room 2.202c St. Louis, MO Phone: (314) FAX: (314) Website:

144 SAN ANTONIO, TX Leopoldo Vasquez, Chairperson Rebecca Froboese, Executive Director Federal Executive Board San Pedro Ste San Antonio, TX Phone: (210) FAX: (210) Website: SAN FRANCISCO, CA* Rosemary Melville, Chairperson Dianna Louie, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 1301 Clay Street, Room 1400N Oakland, CA Phone: (510) FAX: (510) SEATTLE, WA* Rory Westberg, Chairperson Anne Tiernan, Executive Director Federal Executive Board Jackson Federal Building 915 Second Avenue, Room 2942 Seattle, WA Phone: (206) FAX: (206) SOUTH FLORIDA Ron Demes, Chairperson Jaqueline Arroyo, Executive Director Federal Executive Board 4780 SW 64th Avenue, Suite 103 Davie, FL Phone: (954) FAX: (954) Website:

145 APPENDIX G Federal Agency Contact List Legislative Branch Architect of the Capitol U.S. Capitol Building Washington, DD (202) United States Botanic Garden Office of The Director 245 First St. SW Washington, DC (202) Government Accountability Office 441 G Street, NW Washington, DC (202) Government Printing Office 732 North Capitol St. NW Washington, DC (202) Library of Congress Recruitment & Placement Office 101 Independence Ave. SE Washington, DC (202) Congressional Budget Office Second & D Streets, SW Washington, DC (202)

146 Judicial Branch The Supreme Court One First Street NE Washington, DC (202) Lower Courts Administrative Office of the US Courts Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Bldg. One Columbus Cir. NE Washington, DC (202) Special Courts Clerk s Office US Court of Federal Claims 717 Madison Place NW Washington, DC (202) Administrative Office of US Courts Human Resource Division Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Bldg. One Columbus Cir. NE Washington, DC (202) Federal Judicial Center Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Bldg. One Columbus Cir. NE Washington, DC (202) U.S. Sentencing Commission Suite South Lobby One Columbus Cir. NE Washington, DC (202)

147 Executive Branch The White House Office 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Office of Management & Budget Executive Office Bldg. Washington, DC (202) National Security Council Eisenhower Executive Bldg. Washington, DC (202) Office of Policy Development Eisenhower Executive Office Bldg. Room 469 Washington, DC (202) U.S. Trade Representative th Street NW Washington, DC (202) Council of Economic Advisors 1800 G St. NW Washington, DC (202) Council on Environmental Quality 722 Jackson Place NW Washington, DC (202) Office of Science & Technology Executive Office Bldg th St. NW Washington, DC (202) Office of Drug Control Policy Executive Office of the President Washington, DC (202) Office of Administration Eisenhower Executive Bldg th St. NW Washington, DC (202) Office of the Vice President Eisenhower Executive Office Bldg. Washington, DC (202)

148 The 15 Executive Departments Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC (202) Department of Commerce (DOC) Fourteenth St. and Constitution Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Employment: (202) Bureau of the Census Marketing Service Office Dept. of Commerce Washington, DC (301) 763-INFO Economic & Statistics Administration Public Information Office Bureau of Economic Analysis Dept. of Commerce Washington, DC (202) Economic Development Administration Dept. of Commerce Washington, DC (202) International Trade Administration Dept. of Commerce Washington, DC (202) Minority Business Development Agency Office of the Director Dept. of Commerce Washington, DC (202)

149 National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) NOAA Northwest Region 7600 Sand Point Way NE Bin C15700, Bldg. 1 Seattle, WA (206) NOAA Northeast Region 1 Blackburn Dr. Gloucester, MA (978) NOAA Southwest Region 501 W Ocean Blvd. Suite 4200 Long Beach, CA (562) NOAA Southeast Region th Ave. St. Petersburg, FL (727) Patent & Trademark Office Office of Public Affairs Washington, DC (703) National Institute of Standards & Technology (301) 975-NIST inquiries@nist.gov Department of Defense (DOD) Office of the Secretary The Pentagon Washington, DC (703)

150 DOD Employment Information Human Resources Directorate Washington Headquarters Services 1155 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC (866) Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave. SW Washington, DC (800) USA-LEARN DOE Employment Information Human Resources Group 400 Maryland Ave. SW Washington, DC (202) Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC (202) Department of Energy Employment Information Office of Human Capital Management (202) Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) 200 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC (202) Administration for Children & Families Office of Human Resource Management 370 L Enfant Promenade SW Washington, DC (202)

151 Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality 540 Gaither Rd. Rockville, MD (301) Center for Disease Control & Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd. NE Atlanta, GA (404) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD (888) Indian Health Service Management Policy Support Staff Room 6-34, Suite Thompson Ave. Rockville, MD (301) National Institutes of Health Office of Human Resources (301) NIH Employment Information 1 Center Lane Bethesda, MD (301) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Washington, DC (202)

152 Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) 451 Seventh St. SW Washington, DC (202) HUD Employment Information Office of Human Resources (202) Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC (202) U.S. Fish, Wildlife & Parks Service Office of Public Affairs Department of the Interior Washington, DC (202) Headquarters Personnel Office: (703) National Park Service (202) Bureau of Land Management Department of the Interior LS C Street NW Washington, DC (202) U.S. Geological Survey Department of the Interior Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA (703) ask@usgs.gov 152

153 Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement Department of the Interior Washington, DC (202) Minerals Management Service Department of the Interior Room 4259, MS C Street NW Washington, DC (202) Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of the Assistant Secretary Department of the Interior 1848 C Street NW Washington, DC (202) Bureau of Reclamation Department of the Interior Washington, DC (202) Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC (202) DOJ employment hotline (202) Antitrust Division FOIA Unit Department of Justice 325 Seventh St. NW Washington, DC (202) Civil Division Department of Justice Tenth St. & Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202)

154 Criminal Division Department of Justice Tenth St. & Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Environment & Natural Resources Division Department of Justice Tenth St. & Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Tax Division Department of Justice Tenth St. & Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 935 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Employment Information: Director, FBI 935 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC Bureau of Prisons 320 First St. NW Washington, DC (202) Employment Information: Bureau of Prisons Central Office 320 First St. NW Washington, DC (202) United States Marshals Service Washington, DC (202)

155 Drug Enforcement Administration Army Navy Drive Arlington, VA (202) Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC (202) Employment Information: DEA Office of Personnel Army Navy Drive Arlington, VA (202) Foreign Service Opportunities: Foreign Service, Recruitment Division HR/REE Room H E Street NW Washington, DC (202) Civil Service Opportunities: (202)

156 Department of Transportation (DOT) Central Employment Information Office 400 Seventh St. SW Washington, DC (202) Employment Opportunities: Transportation Administrative Service Center (TASC) Room PL Seventh St. SW Washington, DC (202) (800) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 800 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC (202) Federal Highway Administration 400 Seventh St. NW Washington, DC (202) Federal Railroad Administration Office of Personnel 1120 Vermont Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Personnel 400 Seventh St. SW Washington, DC (202) Federal Transit Administration 400 Seventh St. SW Washington, DC (202)

157 Research & Innovative Technology Administration Personnel Office, Rm Seventh St. SW Washington, DC (202) Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Internal Revenue Service 1111 Constitution Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Bureau of Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau 1310 G Street NW Washington, DC (202) Bureau of Engraving & Printing Office of External Relations 14 and C Streets SW Washington, DC (202) U.S. Mint 801 Ninth Street NW Washington, DC (202)

158 Bureau of Public Debt 999 E Street NW Washington, DC (202) Employment Information: Bureau of Public Debt Division of Personnel Management Employment and Classification Branch Parkersburg, WV (304) Department of Veteran Affairs 810 Vermont Ave. NW Washington, DC (202)

159 SOME INDEPENDENT AGENCIES Central Intelligence Agency Office of Personnel Washington, DC (703) Commission on Civil Rights 624 Ninth St. NW Washington, DC (202) Commodity Futures Trading Commission st Street NW Washington, DC (202) Consumer Product Safety Commission Division of Personnel Management 4330 East West Hwy. Bethesda, MD (301) Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 625 Indiana Ave. NW Suite 700 Washington, DC (202) Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) (202) (employment) Equal Opportunity Commission 1801 L Street NW Washington, DC (202) (202) (employment) Farm Credit Administration Human Resources Division 1501 Farm Credit Drive McLean, VA (703) Federal Communications Commission th Street SW Washington, DC (888) (202) (employment) Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Director of Personnel th Street NW Washington, DC (202) Federal Election Commission 999 E Street NW Washington, DC (202) (800) Federal Housing Finance Board 1625 I Street NW Washington, DC (202)

160 Federal Labor Relations Authority 1400 K Street NW Washington, DC (202) (202) (employment) Federal Maritime Commission 800 North Capital St. NW Washington, DC (202) (202) (employment) Federal Mine Safety & Health Commission 601 New Jersey Ave. NW Suite 9500 Washington, DC (202) Federal Reserve System 20 th St. & Constitution Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board 1250 H Street NW Washington, DC (202) Federal Trade Commission 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) (202) (employment) General Services Administration 1800 F Street NW Washington, DC (202) (202) Government Printing Office Chief Employment Branch 732 North Capitol St. NW Washington, DC (202) Merit Systems Protection Board Personnel Division 1615 M Street NW 15 th Floor Washington, DC (202) NASA NASA Headquarters 300 E Street SW Washington, DC (202) (202) (employment) National Archives & Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Rd. College Park, MD (866) (800) National Credit Union Administration Office of Human Resources 1775 Duke St. Alexandria, VA (703)

161 National Endowment for the Humanities 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) National Endowment for the Arts 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) National Labor Relations Board Personnel Operations 1099 Fourteenth St. NW Washington, DC (202) National Mediation Board 1301 K Street NW Suite 250 East Washington, DC (202) National Railroad Passenger Corporation 60 Massachusetts Ave. NE Washington, DC (202) National Science Foundation Division of Personnel Management 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA (703) National Transportation Safety Board 490 L Enfant Plaza SW Washington, DC (202) Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC (301) Occupational Safety & Health Commission th St. NW Washington, DC (202) Office of Government Ethics 1201 New York Ave. NW Suite 500 Washington, DC (202) Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Recruitment/Employment 1900 E Street NW Room 1469 Washington, DC (202) (202) (employment) Office of Special Counsel 1730 M Street NW Washington, DC (800) Peace Corps th Street NW Washington, DC (202)

162 Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 1200 K Street NW Washington, DC (202) Postal Rate Commission 901 New York Ave. NW Washington, DC (202) Railroad Retirement Board 844 N Rush Street Chicago, IL (312) Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street NE Washington, DC (202) (202) (employment) Selective Service System Arlington, VA (703) Small Business Administration 409 Third Street SW Washington, DC (202) Social Security Administration 6401 Security Blvd. Baltimore, MD (410) United States International Trade Commission 500 E Street SW Washington, DC (202)

163 APPENDIX H Glossary of Terms Ability Accredited Education Agency Applicant Application Forms Appointee Appointing Officer Armed Forces Career Appointment Certificate Certification Is competence to perform an observable behavior or a behavior that results in an observable product. Education above the high school level completed in a U.S. college, university, or other educational institution that has been accredited by one of the accrediting agencies or associations recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. Any department or independent establishment of the Federal Government, including a Government-owned or -controlled corporation, that has the authority to hire employees in the competitive, excepted, and senior executive service. A person who has asked to be considered for a job with an agency. An applicant may be a current employee of the agency, an employee of another agency, or a person who is not currently employed by an agency. Forms and resumés that show an applicant's qualifications for employment in a Federal position. A person being hired for a position in an agency A person having power by law, or by duly delegated authority, to make appointments. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Competitive service permanent appointment given to an employee who has completed 3 substantially continuous, creditable years of Federal service. In special cases (such as Administrative Law Judges), career appointment may be given to a person at the time he or she is hired from a civil service register. A list of eligibles taken from a register and submitted to an appointing officer for employment consideration. The process by which the OPM, or an agency office with delegated examinating authority, submits certificates to appointing officers. 163

164 Personnel action that moves an employee, while serving continuously in the same agency, to: Change to Lower Grade Competitive Appointment Competitive Examination Competitive Position Competitive Service 1. a position at a lower grade when both the old and new positions are under the General Schedule, or 2. to a position with a lower rate of basic pay when both the old and the new positions are under the same type ungraded wage schedule or in a different pay-method category. An appointment to a position in the competitive service following open competitive examination or under direct-hire authority. Open to all applicants, may consist of a written test, an evaluation of an applicant's education and experience, and/or an evaluation of other attributes necessary for successful performance in the position to be filled. A position in the competitive service. Includes all positions in which appointments are subject to the provisions of Chapter 33 of Title 5, United States Code. Positions in the executive branch of the Federal Government are in the competitive service unless they are specifically excluded from it. Positions in the legislative and judicial branches are outside of the competitive service unless they are specifically included in it. Basic eligibility for noncompetitive assignment to a competitive position. A person on a career or career-conditional appointment acquires competitive status upon satisfactory completion of a probationary period. Competitive Status It may also be granted by statute, Executive Order, or the civil service rules without competitive examination. A person with competitive status may be promoted, transferred, reassigned, reinstated, or demoted without taking an open competitive examination, subject to the conditions prescribed by the Civil Service rules and regulations. (5 CFR ) 164

165 Concurrent Experience Consultant Consultant Position Cooperative Education Program (Co-Op Program or Work Study Program) Detail Direct Hiring Authority Disabled Veteran Displaced Employee Program (DEP) Experience gained in more than one position, during the same period of time, with either the same employer or with a different employer. One who serves in an advisory capacity to an officer or instrumentality of the government. (5 U.S.C. 3109) A position requiring the performance of purely advisory or consultant services, not including the performance of operating functions. Program under which a student alternates periods of education and Federal employment under terms of an agreement between his or her school and a government agency. Agreements may provide for the student's permanent employment in the agency upon satisfactory completion of the education and work assignments required by the agreement. A temporary assignment of an employee to a different position for a specified period, with the employee returning to his or her regular duties at the end of the detail. OPM-approved agency recruiting plans which expedite recruitment of persons for appointment to positions in shortage occupations. A person who has separated under honorable conditions from active duty in the Armed Forces performed at any time and who has established the present existence of a serviceconnected disability or is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension because of a public statute administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs or a military department. A system to help place career and career-conditional persons who are scheduled to be displaced or have been displaced through reduction in force (RIF) or because of their inability to accept assignment to another commuting area. An employee being displaced through RIF is placed on the agency's reemployment list. An employee displaced by inability to accept assignment to another commuting area may apply to OPM for placement assistance. 165

166 The city, county, and State in which the employee works. For most employees, this will be the location of the employee's desk or the place where the employee normally performs his or her duties. Duty Station For those employees no fixed work site, the duty station will be determined by the employing agency. For example, the duty station of an investigator who works in the field may be the location of the office from which assignments are normally made. For an inspector, whose duties may require him or her to be on-site at many places, it may be his or her home. Education Above the High School (or Post High-School Education Excepted Position Excepted Service Executive Order Expert Expert Position Federal Government Service Agencies will also designate the duty stations of employees who work at installations, such as military bases, whose boundaries cross county or state lines. Successfully completed progressive study at an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college, or university where the institution normally requires a high school diploma or equivalent for admission. A position in the excepted service (5 U.S.C and 5 CFR part 213) Unclassified service, unclassified Civil Service or positions outside the competitive service and the senior executive service. Excepted service positions have been excepted from the requirements of the competitive service by law, Executive order, or OPM regulation. (5 U.S.C and 5 CFR part 213) A directive issued by the President. A person with excellent qualifications and a high degree of attainment in professional, scientific, technical, or other field. An expert's attainment is such that he or she usually is regarded as an authority or as a practitioner of unusual competence and skill by other persons in the profession, occupation, or activity. (5 U.S.C. 3109) A position that cannot be satisfactorily performed by someone who is not an expert in that field. The total of all periods of military and civilian Federal service considered for retirement, reduction-in-force, and leave purposes. 166

167 Federal Merit System A complete system of personnel selection and management based on an integrated set of personnel policies, procedures and practices designed to accomplish three basic objectives: 1. to recruit a competent work force; 2. to insure a stable work force; and 3. to provide equal opportunity for employment. Fill-in Employment Foreign Education Federal Wage System Full-Time Work Schedule General Schedule Grade Graduate Education Employment held by persons during the time period after leaving their regular occupation in anticipation of, but before entering, military service. Education acquired outside of any State of the U.S., the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or any territory or possession of the U.S. The job-grading and pay system that applies to most trade, craft, and labor positions in agencies subject to 5 U.S.C Under this system, pay is adjusted according to the rates paid by private industry for similar jobs in the same area. Included are Federal employees in recognized trade or craft or skilled mechanical crafts, in unskilled, semiskilled or skilled manual labor occupations, and other persons, including foreman or supervisors, in positions where trade, craft, or labor experience or knowledge is the main requirement. (5 U.S.C. chapter 53, subpart IV, and 5 CFR part 532) A full-time work schedule requires most employees to work 40 hours during the work week. The GS graded pay system established under the Classification Act of 1949, as amended. (5 U.S.C. chapter 53, subchapter III, and 5 CFR part 531) A level of work or range of difficulty, responsibility and qualification requirements. (5 U.S.C. 5102) Successfully completed education in a graduate program for which a bachelor's or higher degree is normally required for admission. To be creditable, such education must show evidence of progress through a set curriculum, i.e., it is part of a program leading to a master's or higher degree, and not education consisting of undergraduate and/or continuing education courses that do not lead to an advanced degree. 167

168 Group Coverage (or Generic) Qualification Standards High School Graduation or Equivalent Indefinite Appointment Individual Occupational Requirements Inservice Placement Intermittent Service or Intermittent Employment Knowledge Standards prescribed for groups of occupational series that have a common pattern of education, experience, and/or other requirements. Means the applicant has received a high school diploma, General Education Development (GED) equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territoriallevel Board or Department of Education. One given a nonpermanent employee who is hired for an unlimited period of time. Requirements, e.g., experience or education, for particular occupational series or positions within a series and are used in conjunction with a group coverage (generic) standard. Includes a noncompetitive action in which position is filled with a current or former competitive service employee through promotion, reassignment change to lower grade, transfer, reinstatement, reemployment, or restoration. Inservice placement also includes noncompetitive conversion of employees whose Federal excepted positions are brought into the competitive service under title 5 CFR , and Department of Defense/Nonappropriated Fund (DOD/NAF) and Coast Guard NAF employees whose positions are brought into the competitive service. Service when employee works on an irregular basis for which there is no prearranged scheduled tour of duty. In the past, "WAE" was used on personnel documents to identify intermittent service. A body of information applied directly to the performance of a function. The attributes required to perform a job and are generally demonstrated through qualifying service, education, or training. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's) Knowledge is a body of information applied directly to the performance of a function. Skill is an observable competence to perform a learned psychomotor act. Ability is competence to perform an observable behavior or a behavior that results in an observable product. 168

169 Merit Staffing Program Modification of an OPM Qualification Standard for Inservice Placement Actions The system under which agencies consider an employee for vacant positions on the basis of personal merit. Vacant positions are usually filled through competition with applicants being evaluated and ranked for the position on the basis of their experience, education, skills and performance record. (5 CFF part 335) Means agency or OPM substitution of qualification requirements different from those in the published standard. While applicants who qualify under a modified standard do not meet all of the specific requirements described in the published standard, their overall background show evidence of their potential success in the position to be filled. A modified standard may apply to any number of positions in an organization. An appointment to or placement in a position in the competitive service that is not made by selection from an open competitive examination, and that is usually based on current or prior Federal service. A noncompetitive action includes: Noncompetitive Action 1. all of the types of actions described under inservice placement, above; 2. appointments of non-federal employees whose public or private enterprise positions are brought into the competitive service under title 5 CFR ; and 3. appointments and conversions to careen and careerconditional employment made under special authorities covered in 5 CFR 315, Subpart F. Normal Line of Promotion (or Progression) Occupational Code OPM Outside the Register Appointment The pattern of upward movement from one grade to another for a position or group of positions in an organization. See definition of series. The Office of Personnel Management. An appointment in the competitive service made under an agency's applicant supply system because either there is not a sufficient numbers of eligibles on the appropriate register or no competitor inventory exists. Agencies are also authorized to make temporary limited appointments outside the register at grades GS-12 and below. 169

170 Part-Time Service or Part-Time Employment Part-Time Work Schedule Pay Plan Placement Position Position Description Position (or Job) Title Preference (Veterans' Preference) Service when employee works on a part-time work schedule. A schedule that requires an employee to work less than fulltime, but for a specific number of hours (usually hours per administrative work week) on a prearranged scheduled tour of duty. The pay system or pay schedule under which the employee's rate of basic pay is determined, e.g., General Schedule (GS), Executive Schedule (EX), and Leader under the Federal Wage System (WL). Putting employees into jobs. This may be done by appointment of someone new to government; by promotion, change to lower grade, reassignment, or transfer within an agency or from other agencies of a current employee; and by reinstatement of a former employee. The officially assigned duties and responsibilities that make up the work performed by an employee. A statement of duties and responsibilities comprising the work assigned to a civilian employee. The name of a position, such as "Secretary," or "Civil Engineer," or "Personnel Staffing Specialist." An employee's category of entitlement to preference on the Federal service based on active military service that was terminated honorable: 10-point (disability) preference is the preference to which a disabled veteran is entitled. 10-point (compensable disability) preference is the preference to which a disabled veteran is entitled if he or she has a compensable service-connected disability rating of 10-percent or more. 10-point (30% compensable disability) preference is the preference to which disabled veteran is entitled if he or she is entitles to a 10-point preference due to a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more. 10-point (other) preference is the preference granted to the widow/widower or mother of a deceased veteran or to the spouse or mother of a disabled veteran. It is called "derived preference" because it is derived from the military service of someone else - a veteran who is not using it for 170

171 preference. When the disabled veteran does use the service for preference, then the spouse or mother is no longer entitled to preference. 5-point preference is the preference granted to a preference-eligible veteran who does not meet the criteria for one of the types of 10-point preferences listed above. Preference Eligible Probationary Period Provisional Appointment NTE Quality Ranking Factors "Rare Bird" Position Rate of Basic Pay Means veterans, spouses, widows, or mothers who meet the definition of "preference eligible" in 5 U.S.C Preference eligibles are entitled to have 5 or 10 points added to their earned score on a civil service examination (see 5 U.S.C. 3309). They are also accorded a higher retention standing in the event of a reduction in force (see 5 U.S.C. 3502). Preference does not apply, however, to inservice placement actions such as promotions. The first year f service of employee who is given a career or career-conditional appointment under 5 CFR part 315. During this period, the agency determines the fitness of the employee, and the employee has no appeal rights. (5 CFR part 315, subpart H) A temporary appointment to a continuing position when the agency intends later to convert the employee to a nontemporary appointment and has current authority for such conversion. Knowledge, skills, and abilities that could be expected to enhance significantly performance in a position, but are not essential for satisfactory performance. Applicants who posses such KSA's may be ranked above those who do not, but no one may be rated ineligible solely for failure to posses such KSA's. One where the OPM has determined that the pay or duties of the position are such, or that the qualified persons are so few, it would be in the interest of good civil service administration to fill the position through open-competitive examination. (5 CFR ) The rate of pay fixed by law or administrative action for the position held by an employee before any deductions (such as taxes) and exclusive of additional pay of any kind (such as overtime pay). 171

172 The change of an employee from one position to another without promotion or change to lower grade. Reassignment includes: Reassignment 1. movement to a position in a new occupational series, or to another position in the same series; 2. assignment to a position that has been redescribed due to the introduction of a new or revised classification or job grading standard; 3. assignment to a position that has been redescribed as a result of a position review; and 4. movement to a different position at the same grade but with a change in salary that is the result of different local prevailing wage rates or a different locality payment. Recruitment Bonus Reemployment Priority List A one time payment of up to 25 percent of basic pay to an employee who is newly appointed to a hard-to-fill position. (5 U.S.C. 5753) A list of career and career-conditional employees an agency has separated because of 1. reduction-in-force or 2. compensable injury or disability where recovery takes more than one year from the time the employee began receiving compensation. Reemployment Rights Register Reinstatement The entitlement of an employee to return to nontemporary employment after assignment to other civilian employment. This other employment may be with the Foreign Service, public international organizations, or other agencies in the executive branch or overseas. (5 CFR part 352) A list of qualified applicants compiled in order of relative standing for certification. Noncompetitive reemployment in the competitive service as a career or career-conditional employee of a person formerly employed in the competitive service who had a competitive status or was serving probation when separated. (5 CFR part 315, subpart D) 172

173 Related Education Research Positions Restoration Rights Seasonal Employee Scientific and Professional (ST) Positions Selective Factors Senior Executive Service Education above the high school level that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position being filled. Education may relate to the duties of a specific position or to the occupation, but must be appropriate for the position being filled. Positions in professional series that primarily involve scientific inquiry or investigation, or research-type exploratory development of a creative or scientific nature, where the knowledge required to perform the work successfully is acquired typically and primarily through graduate study. The positions are such that the academic preparation will equip the applicant to perform fully the work after a short orientation period. The entitlement of employees who leave their civilian positions for military duty to return to those positions after termination of that duty and the entitlement of an employee to return to his or her position after recovery from compensable injury. (5 CFR part 353) An employee who works on an annual recurring basis for periods of less than 12 months (2080 hours) each year. Positions established under 5 U.S.C to carry out research and development functions that require the services of specially qualified personnel. ST positions are in the competitive service, but are not filled through competitive examinations. Recruitment is carried out by the agencies concerned. ST positions are ungraded. (5 CFR part 319) Knowledge, skills, abilities, or special qualifications that are in addition to the minimum requirements in a qualification standard, but are determined to be essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of a particular position. Applicants who do not meet a selective factor are ineligible for further consideration. Positions that are classified above GS-15 of the General Schedule or in level IV or V or the Executive Schedule or equivalent positions, which are not required to be filled by an appointment by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and in which employees direct, monitor and manage the work of an organizational unit or exercise other executive functions. 173

174 Senior Level (SL) Positions Separated Under Honorable Conditions Series or Occupational Series Positions established under the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (Pub. L ) to replace positions at grades GS-16, GS-17, and GS-18 of the General Schedule. SL positions are classified above GS-15 of the General Schedule and are ungraded. (5 CFR part 319) Either an honorable or general discharge from the Armed Forces. The Department of Defense is responsible for administering and defining military discharges. Classes of positions similar in specialized line of work but differing in difficulty or responsibility of work, or qualifications requirements, and therefore, differing in grade and pay range. Series are designated by a title and number such as: the Accounting Series, GS-510; the Secretary Series, GS-318; and the Microbiology Series, GS-403. Skill Special Government Employee Special Salary Rates Specialized Experience Staffing Differential An observable competence to perform a learned psychomotor act. An employee who is appointed to work for a period not to exceed 130 days during any period of 365 days. The standards of employee conduct to which a special government employee is subject differ from those to which other employees are subject. (18 U.S.C. 202) Salary rates higher than the regular statutory schedule. The President establishes these higher pay rates for occupations in which private enterprise is paying substantially more that the regular Government schedule and this salary gap significantly handicaps the Government's recruitment or retention of well-qualified persons. (5 U.S.C and 5 CFR part 530, subpart C) Experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. The annual total dollar amount (equal to 5 percent of basic pay) paid over and above basic pay to make it easier to hire and to retain employees in selected General Schedule grades and/or occupational groups, when authorized by OPM. (Pub. L , sec. 209) 174

175 Standards Status Employee Status Quo Employee Step Superior Qualifications Appointment Temp Appt-Per Temporary Appointment Tenure Term Appointment Statements of significant requirements job applicants must meet (qualification standards) and guides against which duties and responsibilities of a position are measured (classification standards). One who has completed the probationary period under the career-conditional employment system. Also known as an employee with competitive status. (5 CFR ) An employee who failed to acquire competitive status when the position in which he or she was serving was placed in the competitive service by a statute, Executive Order, or Civil Service Rule which permitted his or her retention without acquisition of status. (5 CFR part 316, subpart G) The step of pay plan under which an employee is paid. For example, step 2 of GS 7; step 1 of WG 5. Placement of a person in a hard-to-recruit-for position at a pay rate above the minimum based on the applicant's unique or unusually high qualifications, a special government need for applicant's services and the fact applicants' present salary or salary offerings are higher than the minimum rate of the grade level to which the applicant can be appointed. (5 CFR (b)) Temporary appointment pending establishment of register when there are insufficient eligibles on a register to fill a position that will last for a period of more than one year. (5 CFR part 316, subpart B) An appointment made for a limited period of time and with a specific not-to-exceed (NTE) date determined by the authority under which the appointment is made. The period of time an employee may reasonably expect to serve under his or her current appointment. Tenure is governed by the type of appointment under which an employee is currently serving, without regard to whether the employee has competitive status or whether the employee's appointment is to a competitive service position or an excepted service position. Appointment to a position that will last more than one year but not more that four years and which is of a project nature where the job will terminate upon completion of the project. (5 CFR part 316, subpart C) 175

176 Tour of Duty Uniformed Services Veteran Veterans' Preference Wage Area Wage Employees Waiver of an OPM Qualification Standard Work Schedule The hours of a day (daily tour of duty) and the days of an administrative workweek (weekly tour of duty) that are scheduled in advance and during which an employee is required to perform work on a regularly recurring basis. The Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) plus the commissioned officer corps of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A person who was separated with an honorable discharge or under honorable conditions from active duty in the Armed Forces performed during one of the periods described in 5 U.S.C An employee's category of entitlement to preference in the Federal service based on active military service that terminated honorably. A geographical area within which a single set of regular wage schedules is applied uniformly by Federal installations to the covered occupations under the Federal Wage System. (5 U.S.C. chapter 53, Subchapter IV, and 5 CFR part 532) Also called Federal wage employees or prevailing wage employees. These employees are in trades, crafts, or labor occupations covered by the Federal Wage System and their pay is fixed and adjusted from time-to-time in accordance with prevailing rates. Involves setting aside requirements in a published standard to place an employee in a particular position, usually to avoid some kind of hardship to the employee, such as in cases of reduction in force or administrative error on he part of the agency. Extra training and/or skills development may be needed to help the employee adjust to the new position. Waivers are granted by OPM or an agency, as appropriate, on a case-by-case basis, and do not directly affect other positions in the organization. The time basis on which an employee is paid. A work schedule may be full-time, part-time, or intermittent. 176

177 Work-Study Programs Government or non-government programs that provide supervised work experience related to a student's course of study and are part of, or a supplement to, education. Federal student-trainee programs are examples of such programs. United States Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration ETA Jobs Vacancy Announcement Definitions. Updated May 12,

178 178

179 APPENDIX I United States Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration ETA Jobs - Vacancy Announcement Glossary Explanation of Vacancy Announcement Components The below explanations are meant to be applied to the components of a Vacancy Announcement for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA). However, in general terms, they can be applied against most Federal Vacancy Announcements. If you have any questions when using them, please call the Agency issuing the vacancy announcement to resolve your questions. Announcement Number: This is the identification number given to each job vacancy announcement. RULE OF THUMB: MAKE SURE YOU IDENTIFY THE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER ON YOUR APPLICATION! Federal Personnel Offices receive many applications for each vacancy announcement issued. Unless you identify the vacancy announcement number for the specific position you are applying for, the Staffing Specialist may not be able to process the application. Opening Date: This is the date that the vacancy announcement becomes open for you to submit an application. Closing Date: This is the date the vacancy closes. There are ordinarily two means by which applications are received at Federal Personnel Offices; by mail or hand delivery. For applications sent through the mail there are ordinarily two cut off dates used: 179

180 1. The application must be received at the Personnel Office not later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement, or 2. The application must be post marked not later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You must read the vacancy announcement very closely to determine when the application must be physically received at the applicable Agency. The receipt date is not standard from Agency to Agency or even within an individual Agency. RULE OF THUMB: UNLESS THE VACANY ANNOUNCEMENT SPECIFIES OTHERWISE, ALWAYS ASSUME THAT THE APPLICATION MUST BE RECEIVED AT THE PERSONNEL OFFICE NO LATER THAN THE CLOSING DATE OF THE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT!! Applications hand delivered to the Personnel Office must be received no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Some agencies will accept applications by fax. ETA does accept faxed applications, however, ETA will not accept applications faxed from Federal organizations. You should call the Personnel Office at the Agency you are applying to and verify whether or not a faxed application will be accepted. CAUTION:DO NOT ASSUME THAT A FAXED APPLICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED! Although some agencies accept applications, at the present time it is not a common practice. This means of applying is being reviewed but at the current time it is not normally an acceptable means of applying against a vacancy announcement. Once again, you should call the applicable Federal agency to verify if an copy of an application is acceptable. CAUTION:DO NOT ASSUME THAT AN ED APPLICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED! Number of Vacancies: This is the number of vacancies for a particular vacancy announcement. Bargaining Unit: 180

181 This item is used to inform the applicant as to whether or not the position is within the labor bargaining unit(s) of a particular agency. A NO or N/A (not applicable) means that the position does not fall under a bargaining unit. Promotion Potential: This item will indicate if there is future promotion potential after you are hired into the position. If this item states NO or N/A (not applicable) there is no promotion potential above the grade reflected in the announcement. If this item contains a specific grade, that is the highest grade level that you can non-competitively attain in that position. If a grade is indicated, you may be promoted to that grade without further competition upon meeting all legal regulatory requirements. However, a promotion is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied. Civil Service Status Required: RULE OF THUMB: IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY IF THE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT IS OPEN TO "STATUS ONLY" APPLICANTS OR IF IT IS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC!! If Civil Service Status IS Required: There are a few definitions, as defined by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, that will help you in determining this. They are: STATUS EMPLOYEE - One who has completed the probationary period under the career-conditional employment system. Also known as an employee with competitive status. COMPETITIVE STATUS - A person on a career or career-conditional appointment who acquires competitive status upon satisfactory completion of a probationary period. PROBATIONARY PERIOD - The first year of service of an employee who is given a career or career-conditional appointment under 5 CFR part 315. During this period, the agency determines the fitness of the employee, and the employee has no appeal rights. REINSTATEMENT - The noncompetitive reemployment in the competitive 181

182 service as a career or career-conditional employee of a person formerly employed in the competitive service who had a competitive status or was serving probation when separated. If you do not meet the conditions outlined above then you probably do not have "STATUS" and should apply against vacancy announcements open to the General Public only. WARNING:DO NOT BE CONFUSED BY THE TERMS "STATUS ONLY" AND "COMPETITIVE STATUS ONLY". THESE TERMS HAVE THE SAME MEANING! There are certain noncompetitive categories that may allow you to apply against a "STATUS ONLY" position. The most common non-competitive categories are identified below: Veterans Readjustment Appointments (VRA) 30% Disabled Veterans Former Peace Corps or VISTA Volunteers Physically Handicapped or Mentally Retarded Outstanding Scholars Program If Civil Service Status IS NOT Required: This vacancy announcement is open to the General Public and anyone can apply. Temporary Position: A temporary position is an appointment made for a limited period of time and with a specific not-to-exceed (NTE) date. Part-Time Position: 182

183 There are a few definitions that will help you in determining what is defines as part-time work. They are: PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT - Service when an employee works on a parttime work schedule. PART-TIME WORK SCHEDULE - A schedule that requires an employee to work less than full-time, but for a specific number of hours (usually 16 to 32 hours per administrative work week) on a prearranged scheduled tour of duty. Each vacancy announcement will indicate if the position is a full-time, intermittent or part-time position within the vacancy announcement's text. Area of Consideration: This item can consist of two parts; geographical area and competitive category. Geographic Area: The geographic category identifies the geographical area from which applicants can apply. Examples are: Washington D.C. Metropolitan area Denver, CO Competitive Category: The other is the competitive category of the applicants who will be eligible to apply. Some of the most commonly used terms used to describe Area of Consideration are: All Sources, Open to All Candidates or Nationwide: means anyone may apply. Open to Candidates with Civil Service Status: means only current Federal competitive service employees or Federal competitive service reinstatement eligibles may apply. Candidates with a Notice of Rating from Office of Personnel Management (OPM): means you must have a notice of rating from OPM to apply. For more information, please call OPM at (202) Candidates with Non-Competitive Eligibility: means you may apply under a special hiring authority. Position: 183

184 This is the position title for the vacancy being advertised, e.g., Office Automation Assistant. This title corresponds with a series number. Series/Grade: This item consists of three parts; pay plan, series and grade, e.g., GS Pay Plan: The three primary pay plans are: 1. General Schedule (GS) - The GS Pay Plan consists of 15 levels (GS-1 to GS- 15). These are normally considered white collar positions. 2. Executive Schedule (ES) - These are positions above the GS-15, Senior Executive Schedule or equivalent positions. 3. Federal Wage Grade System (e.g., WG, WL or WS) - These are normally considered blue collar position. Series: Series are classes of positions similar in specialized line of work but differing in difficulty or responsibility of work, or qualifications requirements and, therefore, differing in grade and pay range. For each series there is a specific position title. The Handbook of Occupational Groups and Series provides a complete listing of all series and position titles. Click HERE to access the handbook. Grade: Grade is defined as a level of work or range of difficulty, responsibility and qualification requirements. The grade on a vacancy announcement will ordinarily be between 1 and 15. You will see the grade entered either as a single grade (e.g., 7) or as a multiple grade (e.g., 5/7/9). The single grade entry means that the position being filled through the vacancy announcement is only filled at one grade level, but may have a higher promotional potential. The multiple grade level entry indicates several key meanings for which you 184

185 need to understand. These are: o o o The grade entry of 5/7/9 indicates that an applicant may be selected to fill the position at any of the indicated grades. A separate application may be required to be submitted for each grade level that you want to be considered for. For example, if the position is advertised as a 5/7/9 you may have to submit 3 separate application; one for each grade level. If you have a question please notify the Personnel Office issuing the vacancy announcement to clarify this requirement. The grade entry of 5/7/9 indicates that the position is probably under a Career Ladder Promotion process. A career ladder is a series of positions of increasing difficulty in the same line of work through which an employee may progress from the entrance levels to the first level of full performance and the employee is given gradebuilding experience and promoted as he/she demonstrates the ability to perform at the next higher level. Salary Range: There are a few definitions that will help you in determining the salary range. They are: o o STEP - The step of the pay plan under which an employee is paid. The GS Pay Plan has ten steps for each grade. The lowest step is 1 and the highest step is ten. This is the reason for the range of salary for a specific grade level (e.g., GS-3 - $19,079 to $23,849 indicates a Step 1 salary of $19,079 (minimum) and the Step 10 salary of $23,848 (maximum)). LOCALITY PAY - This is a locality-based comparability payment. It is based upon the geographical locality of the position and is added to the base salary. All grades (GS 1 through 15) begin at Step 1 and can be increased to the maximum Step 10. Clerical rates apply for the following: series 0312, Clerk Steno; series 0322, Clerk Typist; series 0326, Office Automation Clerk; series 0356, Data Transcriber; and any series with the (Data Transcribe), (Ofc Automation), (Stenography) and (Typing) following the series title. 185

186 Evaluation Factors: The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) necessary for the successful performance of a position are contained on each job vacancy announcement. It is IMPORTANT to know that KSA's are ordinarily referred to on vacancy announcements as: o o o o o Evaluation Factors, Rating Factors, Quality Ranking Factors, Knowledge, Abilities, skills and Other Characteristics, or Job Elements. How important is it to address the KSA's when applying for a job vacancy? Consider this definition of KSA's previously referenced in the "The Federal Personnel Manual": "The factors that identify the better candidates from a group of persons basically qualified for a position." The ranking of job candidates is primarily derived from the scores received during the ranking process. The scores are computed based upon the information obtained from the KSA's. For more detailed examples on writing KSA's just click on one of the below topics. o o o Steps to Success A Framework To Follow Task Examples Duty Station: This is the city, county and State in which you will be working. In most cases, this will be the actual location where you will normally perform your work. 186

187 In cases where there is no fixed work site, the duty station is determined by the employing agency. For example: o o The duty station for an investigator who works in the field may be the location of the office from which assignments are normally made. The duty station for an inspector, whose duties may require him/her to be on-site at many places, may be his/her home. Agencies will also designate the duty stations of employees who work at installations, such as military bases, whose boundaries cross county or state lines. Noncompetitive Status Persons: A "Noncompetitive Status Persons" is an applicant that is eligible to submit an application for a competitive (Status) vacancy announcement based upon their eligibility in one of the Excepted Appointment Authorities. Excepted Appointment Authorities: The most common Excepted Appointment Authorities (non-competitive categories) are identified below: o o o o o Veterans Readjustment Appointments (VRA) 30% Disabled Veterans Former Peace Corps or VISTA Volunteers Physically Handicapped or Mentally Retarded Outstanding Scholars Program Qualification Requirements: RULE OF THUMB: YOU RECEIVE CREDIT FOR UNPAID EXPERIENCE OR VOLUNTEER WORK SUCH AS COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, SOCIAL SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES ON THE SAME BASIS AS FOR PAID EXPERIENCE! 187

188 General Experience General Experience is usually required at grade levels where the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of a specific position are not a prerequisite, but where applicants must have demonstrated the ability to acquire a particular knowledge and skills. The description of qualifying general experience will vary in its degree of specificity from one series to another. For some occupational series, any progressively responsible work experience may be qualifying. Others may require experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupational series. For example, an entry level medical technician position may require general experience that provided a basic knowledge of the procedures and equipment in a chemical or clinical laboratory. Specialized Experience Specialized experience is typically required for positions above the entry level where applicants must have demonstrated that they posses the ability to perform successfully the duties of the position after a normal orientation period. Specialized experience is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Many qualification standards describe specialized experience as experience "related to the work of the position." This is to allow agencies to pinpoint the specific requirements in the vacancy announcement for their positions. For example, to meet the specialized experience requirements for a medical technical position, the applicant would likely be required to have a specific level of experience performing duties such as preparing culture media and stains and performing certain laboratory tests. Below is a listing of tables which will provide you with minimum general, specialized and educational requirements for each of the four primary categories of positions for which you will normally apply. o o o o Qualification Requirements Pattern For Administrative, Management and Specialist Positions Additional Experience and Education Requirements for GS-7 and Above Professional Positions Qualification Requirements Pattern for Technical and Program Support Positions Clerical and Administrative Support Positions 188

189 Organizational/Geographic: This item provides information such as the agency, division within the agency, and, often times, the actual office where the position is located. This item can also include the actual address of the position, e.g., city, state, zip code. Position Duties and Responsibilities: RULE OF THUMB: AS YOU PREPARE YOUR KSAs, MAKE SURE YOU COMPARE THE RANKING FACTORS AND YOUR EXPERIENCES AND EDUCATION TO THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION! This section describes both the duties and responsibilities of the position being advertised. It may also provide information on the work unit, a brief description of the work unit's mission and other general information about the position. Conditions of Employment: This section identifies specific requirements for the position announced. Such items can include: o o o o o o o o o Requires a security clearance. Subject to frequent overtime. Requires a medical examination. Subject to frequent travel. Subject to financial disclosure requirements. Requires a valid driver s license. Subject to geographic mobility. Requires a supervisory/managerial probationary period if the requirement has not been met. Subject to drug test prior to appointment. 189

190 Method of Evaluation: This section describes information on how the applications will be evaluated. It may provide such information as: o o o o o How applicants will be ranked to determine the best qualified, How the most important Ranking Factors are identified, Specific responsibilities of the applicant to provide information, Whether or not previous supervisors will be contacted, and How and who will conduct interviews. How to Apply: This section provides specifics on what you need to do to apply for the position. It will include such information as: o o o o o o The types of applications that will be accepted, a description of the various information to be included on the application, specific documentation required to be included with your application, the specific address to send your application to, the cut-off date for receipt of the application, and a point of contact to obtain additional information regarding the vacancy announcement. Additional Information to Applicants: WARNING: MALE APPLICANTS BORN AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1959 MUST BE REGISTEREDWITH THE SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM (OR HAVE AN EXEMPTION) TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A FEDERAL JOB! 190

191 This section contains additional information for you to consider when applying for the position. Some examples of the types of information that can be contained in this section are: The use of postage paid government agency envelopes to file job applications is a violation of Federal law and regulation. If the position is announced with promotion potential, the incumbent may be promoted without further competition upon meeting all legal regulatory requirements. However, a promotion is not guaranteed and no promise is implied. Travel and relocation costs will be paid for employees of the Department for promotion. Other moves are payable if relocation is determined to be in the best interest of the government. Created: March 27, 2004 Updated: May 12,

192 Internet Job Search Handbook Tips and Techniques For using the Internet to Land a Job 1 st Edition 2009

193 Table of Contents Introduction Section 1 - Job Hunting on the Internet Section 2 - Job, Career and Company Research Section 3 - Making Contacts and Networking on the Internet Conclusion

194 Introduction Depending on which news source you are listening to, we are in the worst economy in the last 20, 50 or even 70 years. That last estimate puts us in competition for the worst economic environment since the Great Depression (with a capital G and D!). That is not a competition we want to win, but day-byday it sure looks like we are doing a good job of it. Here are the headlines from this very morning: Unemployment may be worst than you think CNNMoney, June 2009 Airlines seen losing $9 Billion this year CNNMoney, June 2009 Stocks start week with a tumble Reuters, June 2009 Tech Leads triple digit pullback Fox News, June 2009 It s definitely a scary marketplace right now. But this handbook isn t about the marketplace. It s about something a whole lot more important and personal you getting a job. What I ve found is people aren t nearly as worried about the marketplace as long as they have a steady income. Mess with my regular paycheck and it won t matter that the market is soaring; my world looks bleak and feels worse. So if you are reading this you are probably between the proverbial rock and hard place; you are unemployed (or in a dead end job) and looking around in a very difficult, unforgiving hiring environment. That s why we wrote this handbook. The way we see it, you have to use every advantage possible to beat out all the competition that s out there right now in your same situation. Having access to the Internet is no longer an advantage; every one has access to it. But, knowing how to use it better, faster and smarter can mean the difference between landing the perfect career and having to continue the search. The Internet provides an invaluable resource that has revolutionized the way people find jobs. Here are some of the obvious advantages to leveraging the Internet to help you find a job: The Internet is always on and is everywhere It provides 24/7 access to job postings, career development resources, training aids, research tools. Also, it doesn t have borders so you can search for jobs in any geography and in any field and expect to find results.

195 Provides a vast collection of Resources Imagine how long it would take to find, gather and assimilate all the information you can access with one search engine query. The Internet is a library, bookstore, newspaper, TV, career councilor, psychologist and water cooler all rolled into one. It puts the NET back into networking Finding people to talk to about a career in Movie Visual Effects could have been a daunting task a few years ago. Now, with , discussion boards and social networking sites you can dialogue with experts, colleagues, and potential employers at will. The key idea behind the handbook is simple: Know Better! To be more specific, we want you to: Know better sites and keywords to search for jobs. Know better sources to research companies, careers, training, and positions. Know better ways to initiate and develop relationships that can be the key to getting a job despite heavy competition. We ll cover each of these areas in detail; however, keep in mind the point of this is not to overwhelm you with fluffy, wordy data. We wrote this ebook to be short, to the point, and easy to read. There are certainly longer and more detailed sources for using the internet for your job search, but this is an outstanding primer to get you going. Ideally it will be all you need to get a job. We certainly hope so. Now for some ground rules. Because we want to keep this simple and direct, we made a few assumptions. We assume you already understand the basics about internet usage and navigation. Since you probably got this ebook from online, we figure you know about URL s, search engines, and websites. If you need a refresher please visit or Also, while we will touch on job hunting elements such as resumé building, interviewing, and networking, it will all be focused on Internet-related tips and techniques. Look for future ebooks for more detailed instructions on these other topics. Finally, we assume you have some idea of what type of job you are qualified for or interested in. It is important to have a clear picture of where you want to go before you get started -- the clearer the picture of your goal, the better. While browsing the general job sites and reading articles is a great way to get familiar with the process and

196 educate yourself, it s not the most efficient way to find a job. If you do need help finding your calling, we suggest picking up a copy of What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles. We ll also be sending an ebook on the topic in the near future.

197 Section 1 Job Hunting on the Internet You can choose to start your job hunt with two different strategies: (1) you can start surfing the internet with a Google search and keep clicking links until your fingers fall off; or (2) you can start by designing an attack plan. We suggest the latter since you ll need your fingers later for all sorts of useful things. Start by writing down a list of the jobs you think you might want to pursue. If you aren t sure whether you are qualified or what skills are exactly needed to be successful in a job or career, some quick online research should help answer those questions quickly. We ll go into more detail about online job research later. This initial step shouldn t take much time this is kind of a wish list. If you want to be an anchor on ESPN, write it down. Now step back and take a realistic view of your list. Ask yourself if you have the necessary skills, experience or training for each position you have listed. Now don t rule out something that you know will require special skills or training again, the Internet makes career training more accessible than every. For example, the 473 Postal Battery Exam is all you need to qualify for many entry level positions at the Post Office. A hiring process guide and Postal Exam study guide are all most people need to get started. Take a look at for more information. However you decide to go about this step, consider the time and cost needed to gain the necessary skills or training. Is it worth your time? Or if you don t have a job currently, do you have any time to spend training? If not, keep narrowing down your list of possible jobs. As you ll see throughout this guide we ll consistently use a funnel approach to help focus your time and efforts. Imagine a funnel with a wide mouth. We believe it s OK to start with big-picture, very general ideas, and stuff that all in that into that wide funnel top. However, you should be able, with careful consideration, be able to eliminate options until you only have a few things to focus on. The process of elimination is represented by the narrowing of the funnel walls. Finally, only a few concentrated, very focused ideas drip out of the narrow tip. Those are ideas or actions worthy of spending time and energy on. Keep this image in mind since we ll use it extensively.

198 Hopefully, you ve narrowed your job list to a few. Depending on your needs and how urgent your situation is, your list should include dream jobs, stepping-stone jobs and what-i-can-get-now jobs. The next step is to fill your funnel with job locations. It s not enough to say, I ll take anything in Atlanta or Chicago or Boise. You should again narrow down your search locations based on proximity to your home, commute times, kid s school or daycare, etc. Once you start the narrowing process, most likely you ll end up with submarkets, suburbs or even neighborhoods that are prime targets for you. These first two steps don t seem to be related to the Internet at all, but they are. Between the jobs, skills, experience and locations listed, you have a very nice set of KEYWORDS to help springboard your job posting search on the major job boards. Now for a few thoughts on KEYWORDS before we continue. Understanding how the uses of keywords affect your search results is critical. Knowing how to select the right words to focus your search on mega-job sites is vital to save time and effort. For example, if you search for a sales position in Denver on Monster.com you d end up with 776 hits you d have to spend time wading through. However, if you narrowed your search to pharma sales you d end up with a whopping two positions to explore. See the difference? Now keep in mind, starting with a broad search in the beginning is fine, but your best use of time and energy will typically be focused on a more defined search. You might be asking yourself, How do I pick the best keywords? Well, if you walked through the first two steps you already have a nice list of jobs, skills, experience and locations to start you off. Another way to find relevant words

199 and phrases is to pick them out of the job descriptions you find in the general searches. If while searching for mechanic you find a number of positions requesting skills with transmissions specialist or Mechanic Japanese models or Mercedes Benz mechanic you can add them to your list to help define your next search. Always remember, if you don t have an original thought steal one! Now that you have a list of keywords, it s time to fill your funnel. The largest, most broad funnel tops are the mega job sites. While some sites come and go, these are the most popular today: (we know this is a paid site, but it can be worth it.) Because of the size and scope of these popular sites, it s easy to get lost or sidetracked. Again, it s OK to start with a general job title or description to see what is available in a specific area, but your most efficient use of time will usually be more specific. For example: Starting a search on monster.com for Human Resource in the Los Angeles, CA yields 126 jobs hits. Searching through 126 jobs listing is both tedious and downright grueling. Narrowing the search by using Human Resources Benefits in LA, CA yields 42. Still quite a few, but less than half of before. But still too large a data set to handle easily. Finally, narrowing your search by specific job title and location such as Human Resource Benefits in Thousand Oaks, CA provides a list of 10 options. Now that is a list that can easily be handled, thus your job search as gone through the funneling process and ten solid job positions have trickled out of the end funnel for your to follow up on. By now you understand how to narrow down your search to be efficient. However, often you ll find yourself in the opposite situation; there aren t enough jobs available that fit your refined keyword list. If you are looking for a CRM Software Sales Manager position in Biloxi, MS there might be only one or two

200 positions. That could be a tough position to land if there are a number of qualified candidates. However if you expand your search to Sales Manager in Biloxi or Software Sales in Biloxi, you will get more to work with. VERY IMPORTANT TIP! To be even more efficient, especially when dealing with the mega-sites, be sure to save your searches and set up search agents that send updated job postings automatically. Mega job sites are only your first stop in a complete job search. Round out your job search system by visiting: Job search engines like and These are great choices to help consolidate your search time. Your local online classifieds like: Atlanta, GA - Chicago, IL - or Billings, MT - Specific company websites such as: or Any professional organization or association websites like or VERY IMPORTANT TIP AGAIN! Again be sure to save all your searches whenever possible. That will allow you to quickly scan multiple sites in a short amount of time. As a matter of fact you can save different jobs searches to save even more time. If you are like many others, you have a dream job that fits into your career track, and a short-term, interim job that could get your through a lean time. So just as you d have two or more resumés prepared to send to prospective employers, depending on which category they fall into, you d have two or more different job searches saved on each site.

201 Section 2 Job, Career, and Company Research You know it s bound to happen. After weeks (or sometimes months) of serious job hunting, you ll finally get a job offer. Great news right? Well the problem is, after banging your head against the wall for days thinking, Why does no one want me? you don t just get that one offer, but two, three or even four others. And they want you NOW. So who do you choose? Which is the best company? Where are the best career opportunities? Which provides the best career path? Since this is your moment of truth, this decision could lead to ultimate career bliss, or another dead end. How do know what to choose? Here are other questions that might pop up during your job search: I heard this company was struggling financially? Should I consider an offer? How do I one day get to be an Internet Architect if I m a DBA now? What kind of salary can I expect from this job? Who can I go to for advice about what this job really entails? What skills do I need to have to be a Hollywood Movie editor? What part of the country should I consider relocating to for more career opportunities? Is NY, NY the only place to start my Fashion Modeling career? The Internet is nothing if not the biggest research tool on the planet. There is more information on any job, career or company than you could possibly read. That is also part of the problem too much information can bog you down. I again recommend a funnel approach to finding answers. Start with the big questions on the major search engines:

202 Scrolling through the first few pages should help generate a few very specific sites to should begin to provide more in-depth information. For example: You wanted to do a quick background check on Newstar Financial, a company that has extended an offer to you. A quick Google search of Newstar Financial quickly pulls up the corporate website which is a good place to start. It also pulls up: All of these provide a general background about the company. It includes name and address of execs (another very good search), corporate financial statements, stock value, competitors, and a general description of the company. All if this information should give you insight into the health, wealth and future of the company BEFORE you pledge your life and energy to them. The search also yields a number of news articles that are floating around the web. Take a few minutes to scan these too. It can tell you a lot about the company in a condensed version. Other great sources to find out the background of a company are: Hoovers online - Dun & Bradstreet - Edgar Some solid sources for information related to specific jobs are: A starting point site with a general description of about any job you can possibly think of. Want to be a liquid fertilizer servicer? It s in there. A general site with basic information to get you started. - A government website with great information about jobs duties, needed skills, education requirements and JOB OUTLOOKS! Nice. Obviously to find out the expected salary range. It also includes variables such as geographic pay scale differences. Another good source of salary information.

203 This is a great place to either find answers about your job, career or company to questions that have already been asked. Or you can post a new question. This is a resource you should consider using over and over again. Plenty of links to job market info and economic outlooks. Also, keep in mind that all the mega job boards that have already been discussed here have many articles and tools to help. They can provide information not only on the job search itself, but also about specific fields and opportunities. Monster.com has an interesting tool that helps provide a career roadmap. That could be useful if you are trying to figure out a way to get to a certain position or job title and don t know where exactly to begin. So, by the time you are done researching Newstar Financial, you should have a very good idea of the mission, history, success and future of the company. It should make it a whole lot easier than just relying on your gut. Knowledge is the key to making the right decision. Even though you might be tempted to take whatever job is offered, doing your homework ahead of time will help you make the best decision in the long run. So remember to start your research before you think you need it. Again, starting big and broad and narrowing your search or funneling is key. You can start with the resources mentioned and eventually narrow down. Don t forget to check out the company s website. That should tell you a lot about not only how the company makes money, but also provide insight into how tech-savvy they are. Obviously you will be doing research throughout your job search, but especially important times to open up your browser are: Looking for specific industry leaders in your field. Looking for reputable, local companies you d like to pursue. When you have an interview. When you have an offer. When you are networking and looking for contacts. After you ve accepted a position (yes, your research doesn t stop once you get the job).

204 3 Making Contacts and Networking If you were looking for a magic bullet in this guide to help you get a job, I want you to know: There are no magic bullets! But this section is as close as you get. At the root of a cliché is some universal truth. Therefore the adage, It s not what you know but who you know is essentially true. This isn t the time or place to discuss how fair it is -- just accept that it is. Now, if you accept the fact that knowing certain people can help you get ahead, why not use that to your advantage?! The Internet is constantly providing new and exciting ways to reach out and connect with people. You can name almost any area of interest and then go on the web and find a group dedicated to that topic. Now consider applying this to an Internet job search. What you end up with is a network of people that are interested in, involved in, or working at the job, career or company that you want! Ultimately a job search isn t just a hunt for a position ; it involves finding person with a specific need. So the Internet is the perfect place to begin building relationships that can help you and that, in turn, you can help. Where should you begin? Start with yourself of course! How connected are you right now? Are you on Myspace? Linkedin? Facebook? Twitter? If not, it s time you get started -- right away. A recent article stated that 43% of all internet users are now using social networking sites. These sites will be the vehicle that you will use to get connected. They are cornerstone sites that you should continue to use as your network expands, so as you sign on, be sure to present yourself in a friendly, likeable yet professional manner. VERY IMPORTANT POINT! If you are already on a social network site and have used it to connect with your old high school buddies and you are still trying to impress them with how cool you are, then STOP RIGHT NOW. Most employers and prospective employers are now scanning social sites to EXCLUDE candidates. If Michael Phelps, a national Hero, can almost drown his stellar career prospects (including millions in endorsements) with a single picture of him smoking a bong, then what are your

205 chances of surviving a career search with compromising photos, phrases and even music on your personal site? Ignore this warning at your own peril. Let s start with the basic premise of networking: EVERYONE you know is part of your network. Your best friend, your neighbor, your hair dresser, your coworkers, your high school friends, your college friends, your fraternity/sorority bros and sisters, your country club friends, your kid s football team parents, your doctor, your church members, your civic club, your volunteer organization contacts, your family (even a cousin twice removed), your doubles partner, your vendors, your customers, your upline/downline, and yes, even the people you meet online! Everyone, whether they are close to you or not, is part of your personal network. Another basic premise: most people want to help. Even if they can t help you right away, if they know you have a need, they ll try to help when there is an opportunity. Two more simple but great ways to forge strong networks are to (1) try to build or strengthen links in your network before you need anything by keeping in touch; and (2) helping others. So where is the online connection? Think about it, the Internet is one giant network of computers that are all connected, so it is a physical representation of your personal network. It also provides the most efficient way to communicate with the world. You can use it to stay close in a one-on-one chain or in a one-to-many situation via a website, blog or social network. How incredible is that? Since the creation of the water cooler there has never been a better way to connect with people. Your first step should be to make a list of your network. Use the list I just mentioned to spur your thinking. Try to push yourself to make it as exhaustive as possible. Next to every contact see if you have an address. If not, you should get it with either a phone call, an oh, by the way conversation, or VERY IMPORTANT POINT! Find them online! How? Start by joining a few of these social networking sites: These sites allow you to friend or add people to your personal web site. In addition, you can connect to the friends of your friends. See how you can quickly expand your network? In addition, you can search these sites via keywords such as your job title, specific industry you are interested in, specific

206 city or company. Hopefully your can start with people that you know and grow the network from there. Remember, as you create your page or profile you are selling yourself! Highlight your key skills, accomplishments and QUALITY of your personal connections. You d be amazed at how impressive it is that you are connected to other power players in your field. But you can t fake it (for too long at least). The connection has to be mutual, beneficial and somewhat equal. If you find an important figure in your industry and you d like to make them part of your sphere of influence, consider the humble, yet knowledgeable approach. Start with a well thought out question, related to their expertise. A dumb question will get you no-where-fast so give it some careful consideration. Here is a solid list of how to use Linkedin to find a job from About.com. Use it to pattern your other social networks: How to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job - Or Have a Job Find You Create a Profile. Create a detailed profile on LinkedIn, including employment (current and past), education, industry, and web sites. Consider a Photo. You can add a photo (a headshot is recommended or upload a larger photo and edit it) to your LinkedIn profile. Note that it must be a small photo - no larger than 80x80 pixels. Keywords and Skills. Include all your resume keywords and skills in your profile, so your profile will be found. Build Your Network. Connect with other members and build your network. The more connections you have, the more opportunities you have, with one caveat from Kay Luo, "Connect to people you know and trust or have a business relationship with, no need to go crazy and connect with everyone." Get Recommendations. Recommendations from people you have worked with carry a lot of weight. Search Jobs. Use the job search section to find job listings. Use Answers. The Answers section of LinkedIn is a good way to increase your visibility. Respond to questions, and ask a question if you need information or assistance. Stay Connected. Use LinkedIn Mobile (m.linkedin.com) to view profiles, invite new connections, and access to LinkedIn Answers from your phone.

207 Conclusion If you ve gone to any of the websites we ve mentioned you should by now understand the power of using the internet as a job search tool. But keep in mind, it s only one of many tools. Don t rely on one avenue to get you the job you want. By now you should also know the dangers of using the Internet as a job search tool it provides so many fun and interesting yet ultimately unproductive distractions! Be careful and stay focused. Remember, when you are unemployed your job search IS YOUR JOB. So for the time being, try to be disciplined and stay away from online games, news sites and whatever else keeps you from a steady income stream. And finally, for the last time, remember the funnel approach. Since the Internet is so vast, it s OK to start with the big, broad search, but you must quickly narrow down to what is productive and valuable. Now you know better. Good luck and happy hunting!

208 The Top 10 Job Search Tips 1 st Edition 2009