. NICOLE SCHULTHEIS, Attorney at Law.Certified Federal Job Search Trainer & Resume Writer nicole@resume-place.com Direct Line:

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1 . NICOLE SCHULTHEIS, Attorney at Law.Certified Federal Job Search Trainer & Resume Writer Direct Line: Nicole Schultheis leads The Resume Place s ALJ coaching team and provides consulting and application services for attorneys and other professionals seeking federal jobs. She is also an executive writer and AV-rated lawyer with 25+ years state and federal court experience. Nicole s articles have been published in The MD Daily Record, MD Bar Journal, MD Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues, and other publications. As an attorney, she has represented both employers and employees in EEO matters, and has prepared and examined expert witnesses of many types. Nicole holds a BS in biology from MIT and a JD from Boston University School of Law. She is a member of the Maryland bar.

2 Nicole Schultheis, Attorney at Law Certified Federal Job Search Trainer Certified Federal Resume Writer Instructor GET INSPIRED TO LAND A FEDERAL JOB! Based on book, Ten Steps to a Federal Job, Second Edition, by Kathryn Troutman, The Resume Place, Inc.

3 Fall 2011 Powerpoint for new attorneys

4 Why Go Federal? Job security & career stability Competitive pay Public service / mission-oriented Opportunities: advance, transfer, training Great benefits Health, life, and LT disability insurance Family and medical leave 401(k)-type match program Flexible work schedules and telecommuting Transit subsidy (in DC metro area) 10 fed. holidays days leave per year See Federal Job Search Decision Questions, page 8

5 Why Go Federal? Nation's largest employer apart from USPS. About 2,000,000 civilian employees. Professional and related jobs: 1/3 of federal workforce, compared to 1/5 generally Lawyers: 31.8K or 1.6% total; projected increase => 8.6% Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators: 43.5K or 2.2%; 19.5% proj. incr. Job openings many Federal workers retiring But competition up, due to economy. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Career Guide to Industries, Edition

6 Why Go Federal? New legislation creates new federal jobs Transportation, Education, Environment, Afghanistan (USAID, USACE), Treasury, FDIC, SEC, Health and Human Services, other new initiatives created almost daily in response to changes in the economic climate will continue to be HUGE federal job years, despite threats of freezes and budget woes

7 Ten Steps to a Federal Job STEP 1: Focus Your Federal Job Search STEP 2: Networking Success STEP 3: Target Your Top Accomplishments STEP 4: Find the Perfect Job Announcement STEP 5: Identify Your Keywords STEP 6: Master the Federal & Electronic Resume STEP 7: Conquer the KSAs and Questionnaires STEP 8: Apply for Jobs STEP 9: Make Sure to Follow Through STEP 10: Interviewing 101

8 Targeting Your Search How do you know what to apply for? See Federal Job Statistics, page 12

9 Which Agencies to Target? Choosing 2 or 3 agencies (e.g., Office of Civil Rights, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, USAID, etc., helps you focus and begin your campaign without being overwhelmed: Learn How to Apply Learn agency missions See how to decide on agencies and list of agencies, pages 23-28

10 Are you interested in Social Justice? This is Just a SAMPLING of Groups and Series: GS Legal and Kindred, e.g., 0904 Law Clerk; 0905 Attorney; see CFPB Brandeis Fellowship 0904/0905 GS Social Science including 0160 Civil Rights Analysis GS Personnel Management, including 0260 EEO GS General Administrative, including Policy and Program development/management Applies to all programs serving underserved communities; also see 0360 EEO Compliance GS Inspection, investigation, enforcement, or compliance e.g CPSC Compliance Officer See Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families at See the list of occupational groups and series, pages 30-36

11 What Grade Level and Salary Is Right For Your Experience? How to determine your grade with education only: GS-4 Two years above high school (or AA Degree) GS-5 Based on Bachelor s Degree GS-7 One full year of graduate study or Bachelor s degree with superior academic achievement GS-9 Master s degree or equivalent J.D. goes here GS-11 Ph.D. J.D. is usually NOT equivalent See more info on federal grade and pay structures, pages 38-41

12 Networking Other people, especially current and former Federal employees, are the best source of basic information and insider tips. Who do you know? Can they hire you now? If not, how can they help you? What connections do you need to make?

13 Talk with How to Network Federal supervisors and employees Federal contractors Friends and relatives Ministers, rabbis, teachers, professors, classmates Get on online networking websites, such as Linkedin.com Attend federal job fairs LIKE THIS ONE! Conduct the 1-2 federal networking/application campaign

14 What Is A Top Accomplishment? Significant accomplishment or tangible result What did you do that was outstanding or above average? Did you achieve something brand new? Did you help the organization save money? Did you come up with a new idea that saved time or led to improved outcomes? See examples, pages 55-64

15 What Are Your Top Accomplishments? Why are they critical to your success? Supervisors can be overwhelmed with resumes on their desk. Stand out in a group of 30 or more resumes on the supervisor s desk. Come up with 5 10 accomplishments and list them in short and long format Keep an accomplishments journal.

16 Where do you use accomplishments in a federal job campaign? Your accomplishments will be used three times: Short version in your federal resume KSAs and essays Preparing for your interview practice talking about those accomplishments in order to get hired! Your TWO minute talking points.

17 Finding Vacancy Announcements Narrow your search and set up a plan Read announcements VERY carefully! Understand the types of job announcements: With specific closing dates With cut-offs or multiple / rolling deadlines Open Inventory, Standing Registers, Database Announcements ; Excepted Service (Attorneys)

18 Federal Job Search Websites USAJOBS Applicationmanager Avuecentral Resumix CPOL (Army) DONHR (Navy) Agency websites Washington Post Indeed.com YOUR LAW SCHOOL CAREER OFFICE federal internship programs not always posted. See list of excepted agencies not using USAJOBS, page 77 See websites and builders used by the major agencies, pages

19 Best search criteria: 1. Geographic area preference 2. Salary/grade level GS Agencies of Interest 4. All jobs in your location 5. Advanced search using job series Set up an all search automatic weekly check and auto search agent s

20 Interpret your Vacancy Announcement Read carefully and follow all the directions! Critical announcement components: Title of job, grade, salary, and geographic location Closing Date Who Can Apply All US Citizens Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs or Competencies) Duties Qualifications and One Year Specialized Experience Questionnaires, Core Questions, Vacancy-Specific Questions or Job-Specific Questions How to Apply

21 Why Keywords? Hiring officials look for keywords in your application to efficiently determine your qualifications for a position KSA keywords help you write effective resumes and narratives tailored to the announcement

22 Where Keywords Are Found Vacancy Announcement Find them in these sections: Duties, Qualifications, Specialized Experience, KSAs, Questionnaires Core Competencies Agency Mission See examples of keyword lists, pages 87-91

23 Finding Keywords in the Vacancy Announcement Save the vacancy announcement as an html file Copy these sections into a word processing file: Duties, Qualifications, Specialized Experience, KSAs, and Questionnaires Enlarge font and print Delete useless words Underline or highlight skills or knowledge that are significant to the position

24 Core Competencies for Attorneys INVESTIGATION/ANALYSIS OF FACTS: gathering evidence; reviewing documents and testimony LEGAL RESEARCH/ANALYSIS: Computer research, legislative history, policy papers, etc. WRITING: interpretative and administrative orders, rules, or regulations; contracts, memos, briefs, opinion letters, Congressional testimony ORAL/INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: negotiating, trials, meeting/advising clients, representing agency in dealings with others CASE MANAGEMENT: may be an issue. See examples of Core Competency keywords, pages

25 Master the Federal and Electronic Resume Federal resume is about 3 5 pages, twice as long as the private industry resume, and uses different language Write your resume using the Outline Format Adapt to create both your USAJOBS/online resumes and paper resumes

26 Creating Your Basic Resume Basic sections of a federal resume: Job Information and Personal Data Federal Job Compliance Information Work Experience (include awards here) Education Job-Related Training Additional Information / Other Qualifications and Skills Profile Statement See explanations of these sections, pages

27 Federal Resume Builder Free resource by The Resume Place!

28 What is the Outline Format? Developed by Kathryn Troutman in 2000 in The Electronic Federal Resume Guidebook Headings include keywords from the vacancy announcement Headings are in ALL CAPS for easy reading Each paragraph in the Work Experience blocks represent a skill set Paragraphs are 8 10 lines in length at most Separate Duties from Accomplishments To update, just edit and change the HEADLINES with new keywords

29 Create Your Federal Resume in the Outline Format 1. List keywords under each job you have held. 2. Identify which apply for each job and provide descriptions of applicable duties and responsibilities (Pro bono lawyering & other volunteer jobs count too) 3. Edit categories into Outline Format headers 4. Fill in outline, and for each job also provide summaries of your accomplishments See how this is done, pages

30 Outline Format Tips No special formatting No bold, italics, bullets, underlines Flush left, ragged right Small paragraphs (6-8 lines) Use ALL CAPS to highlight See more federal resume writing facts and tips, pages

31 KSAs Are Important KSAs are Rated and Ranked through questionnaire answers, narratives, and your resume. You must prove your qualifying experience as well as the listed KSAs See a sample KSA rating scale, page 163

32 KSA Narratives (if required) Give one good example per KSA Use different example if you can for each KSA Typical length is half to two-thirds of a page Pack in the information; edit carefully Write in the first person I Spell out acronyms the first time Quantify your results and accomplishments Use examples from all parts of your life

33 Write KSAs Using the Context-Challenge-Action-Results Formula CCAR: Storytelling style Context What was the situation? Challenge What were the challenges? Actions What were your actions? Results What were the results? Use our free KSA Builder using CCAR format:

34 Apply for Jobs Federal applications are submitted in dozens of different ways! Read How to Apply Instructions CAREFULLY Know the deadline Remember to SAVE copy of Announcement See important facts about deadlines, page 186

35 Online Resume Builders Read instructions for each builder Observe character count limits Write resume in Word and copy/paste into builder Use low/no formatting Proofread carefully Periodically save to avoid losing information See other application pitfalls to avoid, page 173

36 How to Apply: USAJOBS Store up to 5 versions of your resume in the database Putting resume in USAJOBS does not mean you are considered for positions, you MUST click Apply Online to start an actual application Supply ALL required documents e.g., transcripts & writing samples, answer questions, submit narratives, and add a COVER LETTER if permitted See how to use USA Staffing, AvueCentral, CHART, and CPOL, pages

37 Make Sure to Follow Through Follow status of your application Possible scenarios: Selection is still in progress Position is FILLED Closing date is EXTENDED Position is CANCELLED See how federal job applications are processed, page 187

38 Nail the Interview and Get Hired! Demeanor: Eye contact, professionalism, clear speaking, smile, have enthusiasm, demonstrate interest Substance: Talking Points (KSA-based; also plan thoughtful questions to ask interviewer(s). Preparation: Study federal interviewing techniques; learn about Structured Interviews and Behavioral Interviews. Prepare answers to common questions in advance. See more about nonverbal communication during an interview, page 216

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