Transcript Making the Difference - Eastern Kentucky University
Making the Difference
Finding and Applying for Opportunities in Federal Service Presented by EKU Career Services
The Partnership for Public Service
The Partnership works to revitalize our federal government by
inspiring transforming
government works.
a new generation to serve and by the way
Benefits of Government Service Have the opportunity to make a difference Be able to influence the future of our country Enjoy work/life balance
Benefits of Government Service Student loan repayment assistance • Some agencies may repay up to $10,000 of your student loans per year • In 2009, 36 agencies provided employees with assistance Flexible schedules and generous vacation Training and professional development Competitive health and retirement benefits Excellent advancement opportunities
Federal Pay and Advancement General Schedule (GS) is the pay scale for many federal jobs from 1-15 Each GRADE has 10 steps, allowing for a range of salaries Varies by geographic location Within a few years, you can progress through several grades
General Schedule (GS) Grade Criteria
Grade
GS-5 GS-7 GS-9 GS-11
Qualifying education
4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor’s degree OR a bachelor’s degree Bachelor’s degree with one of the following: • Class standing (upper third of class) • • 3.0 or higher GPA; 3.5 or higher GPA in major Honor society membership Master’s degree (or equivalent) Doctorate degree Source: opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp
GS-5 and GS-7 are considered “entry level”
Selected 2010/2011 Starting Salaries
City
Atlanta Chicago
GS-5
$32,722 $34,316 $33,101 Dallas New York City San Francisco $35,309 $37,073 Washington, D.C.
$34,075 Source: http://www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/indexGS.asp
GS-7
$40,534 $42,508 $41,002 $43,738 $45,923 $42,209
GS-9
$49,581 $51,995 $50,154 $53,500 $56,172 $51,630
Selected 2010/2011 Starting Salaries
City
Atlanta Chicago Dallas New York City
GS-5
$32,722 $34,316 $33,101 $35,309 San Francisco $37,073 Washington, D.C.
Source: http://opm.gov/oca/08tables/indexGS.asp
$34,075
GS-7
$40,534 $42,508 $41,002 $43,738 $45,923 $42,209
GS-9 GS-11
$49,581 $59,987 $51,995 $62,909 $50,154 $60,681 $53,500 $64,729 $56,172 $67,963 $51,630 $62,467 Then, 2-3 years later… possible career progression
Where the Jobs Are: By Location Plus 50,000 employees work overseas
Where the Jobs Are: By Occupation In 2009, roughly 103,631 people were hired in the federal government at the entry-level (GS-5, GS-6, GS-7, GS-8, GS-9) into the following occupations:
Occupation
Business and Accounting Legal Medical and Public Health Biology/Natural Resources Social Sciences/Liberal Arts Engineering and Architecture Education Information Technology Source: fedscope.opm.gov
# Employees
12,802 11,064 11,005 7,614 4,254 3,696 1,527 1,522
Agenda Part 1: Opportunities and benefits • A job for every interest • • Benefits of government service
Where the Jobs Are
Part 2: Navigating the process • • • • How to search for a federal internship or job How to apply for a federal internship or job Essays and KSAs – changing in 2011 Summary
Where to Start Your Search Friends Family Alumni Professors
Tools for Narrowing Your Search makingthedifference.org
The Partnership’s Web site for students and job seekers USA.gov
The U.S. Government’s official web portal bestplacestowork.org
The most comprehensive and authoritative rating of employee satisfaction in the federal government
Where to Look: makingthedifference.org
• 17 interest-specific career guides • Agency profiles • KSA writing and federal resumes tips • Profiles of young feds in public service • Information on security clearances • Information on student loan repayment
Where to Look: USA.gov
Where to Look: bestplacestowork.org
Executive Order 13562 – Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent Graduates President Obama signed December 27, 2010 The principal purpose of the order is to establish a comprehensive structure to help the Federal Government be more competitive in recruiting and hiring talented individuals who are in school or who have recently received a degree.
OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Career Pathways
Make application process less cumbersome: • Accept resumes instead of requiring detailed applications • Eliminate KSA’s (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities) from the initial application process OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Career Pathways
• Increase quality and speed of hiring: • • Currently - 120 days on average Target – 80 days or less OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Career Pathways
• Notify applicants about their status during the process: 1.
2.
3.
4.
Application received Application has been evaluated, have met or not met minimum qualifications Found well qualified, invited for interview Selected for position OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Pathways Programs
The three Pathways Programs will each provide noncompetitive conversion eligibility to participants and will be used in targeted ways to develop talent for civil service careers. OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Internship Program
A new Internship Program will be created that is targeted towards students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions. Will take the place of the STEP and SCEP Programs OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Recent Graduates Program
• This brand new program will target recent graduates of trade and vocational schools, community colleges, universities, and other qualifying institutions. • To be eligible, applicants must apply within two years of degree completion (except for veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation, who will have six years after degree completion). OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Recent Graduates Program
• Successful applicants will be placed in a two year career development program with a cohort of peers hired during timeframes aligned with academic calendars. • After successfully completing the program, participants will be considered for noncompetitive conversion to career jobs.
• Replaces Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program
• For more than three decades, the PMF Program has been the Federal government’s premier leadership development program for advance degree candidates. • The Executive Order expands the eligibility window for applicants, making it more “student friendly” by aligning it with academic calendars and including those who have received a qualifying advanced degree within the preceding two years.
• It also directs OPM to set qualification standards, and to make changes in order to make the PMF experience more robust and substantive for participants.
OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Pathways Programs
In the months ahead, OPM will be proposing implementing regulations and assisting Federal agencies in adopting these reforms. Students and recent graduates can expect to see these reforms fully implemented within a year. www.opm.gov/hiringreform OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG
Getting Started: Current Student Programs Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) Description • Similar to a traditional internship • Great program for a summer or short term experience Eligibility • Student must be enrolled in an accredited degree granting institution Additional • Always paid, usually at a GS-2/3 for an undergraduate student • • Length of the experience is set by the agency Not required to be posted on USAJOBS.gov
Getting Started: Current Student Programs Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) Description • A student works in an area related to what they are studying Eligibility • Student must be enrolled in an accredited degree granting institution • An agency must form an agreement with the institution the student is attending Additional • Always paid • If student works at least 640 hours (or less depending on academic achievement or prior experience), after internship, they may be eligible to be hired into an agency non-competitively • Not required to be posted on USAJOBS.gov
Getting Started: Current Student Programs Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) Description • Full time 2 year long position • The term “intern” refers to the idea of trying out a position for 2 years Dissolved - March 1, 2011 Replace by Recent Graduate Program • Details yet to be determined by each agency
Getting Started: Current Student Programs Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) Description • Government’s most prestigious fellowship program • Students complete a 2 year rotation within an agency or between agencies as full-time fellows Eligibility • Student who has just completed a master’s program • Apply during the fall of their final year of graduate school Additional • A candidate must be nominated by their institution • For more information: https://www.pmf.opm.gov
Where to Look for Positions Your career development center Popular job/internship search engines makingthedifference.org
USAJOBS.gov Agency Web sites
Partnership Facebook Fan Page Federal Jobs and Internships Job Fairs and other Federal Events!
Where to Look: USAJOBS.gov
Where to Look: USAJOBS.gov
Where to Look: Agency Web Sites
Now let’s search…
Launch the Process at USAJOBS.gov
TIP: Use Advanced Search for more options
Search by Various Fields
SEARCH BY:
Keyword Location Job Category Salary Range Pay Grade
Federal Jobs by College Major EI-23 Form
Anatomy of a Vacancy Announcement
OVERVIEW
Summary of the organization’s mission and impact, plus a brief description of the job and its key requirements
Anatomy of a Vacancy Announcement
DUTIES
Lists major duties and responsibilities of the position, adding more detail to the brief overview
Anatomy of a Vacancy Announcement
QUALIFICATIONS & EVALUATION
Identifies skills and experience needed for the role and explains how applications will be assessed
Anatomy of a Vacancy Announcement
BENEFITS & OTHER INFO
Describes additional elements of the compensation package or perks associated with the job
Anatomy of a Vacancy Announcement
HOW TO APPLY
Provides step-by-step instructions on how to apply and may include information on when/how applicants can expect to hear from the agency
How to Apply
BE CAREFUL!
Follow the “How to Apply” instructions closely — they may differ across agencies.
Overview of the Online Process After selecting the job to which you’d like to apply, there are usually several steps in the online application process: 1.
2.
3.
4.
Create your federal resume Answer the questions posed online Submit the complete application package by the stated deadline Follow up with the appropriate agency contact to inquire about progress in hiring for the position
Building a Federal Resume
Building a Federal Resume Federal resumes require more detail than standard resumes • Personal information • Education and coursework levels • Work experience 1-5 pages in length On USAJOBS.gov you can store up to 5 resumes and tailor them for different positions
Building a Federal Resume Online Sections: Candidate information Work experience Education References Affiliations Desired locations
Building a Federal Resume
Program Coordinator
-Oversee three mentoring
programs in limited resource communities
-Recruit, train and manage 25
adult mentors and 30 youth
Federal Application Process Applicants will be assessed for federal opportunities using one of the following methods:
Application Questionnaire Essays
(sometimes called KSAs)
Sample Questionnaire
Serve as a primary point of contact for a specific subject matter.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
I have not had education, training or experience in performing this task.
I have had education or training in performing the task, but have not yet performed it on the job.
I have performed this task on the job. My work on this task was monitored closely by a supervisor or senior employee to ensure compliance with proper procedures.
I have performed this task as a regular part of my job. I have performed it independently and normally without review by a supervisor or senior employee.
I am considered an expert in performing this task. I have supervised performance of this task or am normally the person who is consulted by other workers to assist them in this task because of my expertise.
Application Essays Agencies commonly require essays as part of the application to address characteristics they seek. Can be extremely important in the evaluation process in sorting out the best qualified candidates Vary depending on the job, but examples include: skill in written and oral communications; demonstrated technical ability; knowledge of specific subject matter areas Are similar to interview questions; answers should provide concrete examples (coursework and volunteer experience count), particularly to demonstrate quantifiable results, complexity, or leadership Should be a narrative written in first person and about 1-2 pages each
What is KSA?
KSA is an acronym for “Knowledge, Skills and Abilities” Specifically address each KSA in your application, providing examples of how your experience prepares you for this role
KSA Response Approach: CCAR
C ontext
Describe the specific problem you had to address. What did you have to solve, resolve, respond to, handle, etc.?
C hallenges
Describe the factors that contributed to a particular challenge such as budget cuts, new legislation, institutional reform, new goals from upper management, etc.
A ction
Describe the steps you took to solve the problem. Stay away from the ordinary — be extraordinary in your response!
R esult
Describe the outcomes of your actions — use %, #s, grades. What was the difference you made — highlight THE BEST.
Sample KSA
Ability to communicate in writing.
KSA Response Example
C ontext-
As the Newsletter Editor in my living-learning community, I was responsible for writing articles and editing all submissions published in our monthly newsletter.
C hallenges
- Our community wanted to use the newsletter as a means for reaching out to alumni of the program with the goal of increasing their involvement in the community. Before I started as Editor, we had never had a submission from an alum.
A ction
- I decided to focus the first newsletter of the year entirely on accomplishments of our alumni, with a message throughout encouraging alumni to submit articles and pictures.
R esult -
Over the course of the academic year when I was Newsletter Editor, we received an average of 5 alumni submissions per newsletter. Additionally, alumni and program participants rated the quality of the newsletter higher than any other year.
Summary Tips for the KSA Section Address key words/phrases mentioned in the position description Tie your experiences to each KSA Use illustrative examples Focus on outcomes to which you directly contributed Use plain language, without acronyms Review your answers to ensure they are succinct, easy to read, and grammatically correct
Applicant Eligibility When submitting an application, agencies request eligibility information including: • Past or current federal employment • • • Veteran qualifications • (http://www.opm.gov.veterans/html/vetsInfo.asp) Disability status Non-competitive appointment • Peace Corps and AmeriCorps*VISTA have 1 year of non competitive eligibility ( www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.whyvol.profben#adv) (www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/alumni/opportunities.asp)
Summary: Tips for Applying Plan ahead Allow plenty of time to thoroughly complete your application Select carefully Always consider using a tailored application for each vacancy you apply Prepare for a wait Don’t assume you have been rejected if you do not hear back within weeks of submitting your application Follow-up with an agency Contact the identified representative to learn the status of an application or find out more about a job
What Happens Next After the closing date for applications, the agency evaluates candidate qualifications From this assessment, the agency produces a list of qualified candidates From the list of qualified applicants, agencies select candidates for interviews At this point, agencies are like other organizations • • They conduct interviews and select the best candidate(s) for the job Some jobs require security clearance
Summary Federal agencies hire the best and brightest, and getting a federal job is competitive Increase your chances of being hired by following a few clear steps: 1.
2.
3.
4.
Research potential opportunities Consider various employment avenues Search on job Web sites and specific agencies Follow the application directions carefully Sell yourself!
www.makingthedifference.org