Transcript eCareer
Selling Yourself In eCareer Presenter Jean Lovejoy, Postmaster Orlando
Your Profile is…
eCareer
--Your
Only
Spokesperson
Make every word count!
-- Must demonstrate that
You
are the Best Qualified Person for the Position
It’s ok to Sell Yourself!
•
eCareer
Value
Easy - Convenient – Secure.
Search & Apply for Jobs - 24/7 from anywhere.
• Up-to-the-minute info on application status.
• Opportunity to sell your knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s) to a review board and/or selecting official.
eCareer
•How to get there?
•Logon at www.liteblue.usps.gov
•Enter employee ID (EIN) and USPS PIN number.
The Candidate Profile Process
Personal information
• Communication data • Work experience • Education • Training • Special skills/Associations • Summary of Accomplishments • Data Overview • Finalize Profile
Work experience -
1500
character max.
•Be concise - include significant accomplishments --(e.g.,
major
duties & accomplishments) •
Use “action” verbs
(i.e.
built, created, developed, expedited
, etc…) Action verb websites - excellent resource – Google search “
action verbs alphabetical”
for lots of results!
•Include relevant experience from volunteer work or other non-Postal jobs, if necessary
Work experience —1500 character max.
Purchasing Specialist 5/8/1999 – 1/22/2004 Description
– As the Purchasing Specialist I was the Contracting Officer for the Postal Service with a $100,000 warrant. I was responsible for writing and contracting between 100-200 (annual) service and supply contracts and never had a customer protest. I worked within a capital and expense budget for the District and was within budget each year. I maintained three personal credit cards (Expense, Capital, and Environmental), each with a $10,000 single purchase limit. I supervised and provided guidance to three contract technicians and two Supply Clerks. During my last year as the Purchasing Specialist I successfully rolled out the National eBuy program and credit card program to over 1000 Postmasters. This included administering training and establishing profiles in the eBuy system for Managers/Postmasters and Supervisors.
Special Skills —2000 Character Max.
PROJECTS June 1999-Present - Co-Coordinator, Toys for Tots Giveaway ORGANIZATIONS May 2003-Present - American Red Cross Advisory Committee October 2000-Present - Junior League – Liaison for Youth Programs OFFICES Jan. 2007-Present - Secretary, Heights Little League AWARDS/HONORS Junior League Certificate of Appreciation, CDS Recognition Letter LICENSES – Real Estate
Summary of Accomplishments —
6000
Character Limitation (approx. one page, 10-point, Arial font) •Reference
accomplishments
to/for each
KSA
•State compelling
reasons
why you should be offered an interview •Highlight
strengths and skills
that best match needs of the position •Organize this section to represent your key qualifications, areas of expertise and significant accomplishments
STAR
• S ituation – What issues have you encountered that needed resolution?
• T ask – What responsibilities did you need to complete?
• A ction – What did you do to resolve the issue or demonstrate responsibility that highlighted your experience or qualification?
– What initiatives and innovative approaches did you exhibit?
• R esult (Be
accomplished.” specific – ex: “As a result of my ability to work with others, my goal of 100% employee satisfaction of my team members was
– What was the outcome? – Did you accomplish the goal?
– To what extent were you responsible for the final outcome?
Summary (cont.)
Consider…
•
Relevance
to the job for which you’re applying •
Degree
of personal responsibility —What was your role?
•
Complexity
of the work? Yes, but not too much.
•
Positive
results.
•
Breadth
of demonstration – TMI?
•Avoid
“I believe” - “I Feel”
statements – facts only.
Summary Of Accomplishments: Hints
• The eCareer program will time out and you could lose your work – create all of your narratives in MS Word, then copy & paste • Check your Character Count in MS Word (Tools / Word Count,
Characters with Spaces
) • Use the Spell Check Tool in MS Word (Tools / Spelling and Grammar)
KSA Example
Summary of Accomplishments — Ex:
Decision Making – As a clerk at the Oak Tree Office, I reported to work one hour earlier than the Postmaster. As I began to sort our mail one morning, I realized that two trays of mail had been dispatched to the incorrect office. To remedy this, I called the Clerk in the neighboring office where the mail should have been delivered. She said the driver had not arrived at her office yet, and she would alert him on his phone of the error. The driver returned within seven minutes and picked up the mail. As a result, all mail was dispatched on time. Planning and Scheduling – When I was the Tour III A/Supervisor our outgoing mail section was losing productivity during the early hours of the tour. I performed a two week survey tracking mail as it came in for processing. I found that PTF’s were assigned to the incorrect processing operations, causing delays and wasting hours. I changed their duty assignments and balanced the workload. The result was a more even workflow and a decrease of four hours of work per week.
KSA Examples
Work Unit Planning As the new Supervisor, Customer Services at Anytown Highend Station, I discovered old clerk schedules did not cover operational needs without overtime usage, currently 5.7%. An SSA vacancy had to be filled, 8 of 10 schedules had to be changed or adjusted, the union had to be notified, and the plan had to be shared with employees. I completed these activities, implemented necessary abolishments, reposts and position changes according to Art 12. As a result, I sufficiently covered all work assignments daily, planned operational needs, eliminated built-in overtime and reduced the overtime percentage by 2% in two pay periods
KSA Example
Change Management The carrier operation at Anytown Highend Station experienced MRA on 19 of the 37 routes. I verified the DOIS data, ensured scanning points were 95%, and daily workload matched to workhours. I analyzed the data for the routes with Operations Programs (OPS), reviewed lines of travel, and moved territory which resulted in the reduction of 2 full-time routes. I worked with OPS to finalize all route information was in place after MRA process. As a result, all 19 routes were making the standard and returning to the station within 8 hours thirty days after adjustments went into effect.
Attachments
•
The Attachments Tab in the Candidate Profile should not be used to add any documents such as OIC evaluations, resumes, recommendation letters, news articles, and training certificates.
•
When “additional documentation” (ie: test results, work samples) is specifically requested in the vacancy posting, you may attach electronically-stored documents to supplement your data but only if requested!!
•
Do not use this tab to extend or supplement your Summary of Accomplishments.
• •
Job Descriptions & KSAs
•
Excellent
source of info!
References
•
The Reference Tab is only accessible when actually applying for a vacancy.
•
Make sure to ask your references prior to using their name.
•
Remember to provide them with a copy of the announcement and your Candidate Profile.
How can you improve your Candidate Profile?
•Ask for feedback after selection process is complete.
•Update as necessary (Remember to
change/modify KSA’s
for different positions. Keep a “KSA Bank” saved and use as needed). •Ask others to review your profile for constructive feedback.
Any Other Ideas?
Selling Yourself In eCareer