A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish

Continually And Without Fail...Revise Your Resume

Every time you take a new class, accomplish something cool at work, or win an award – update your resume. If you don’t update it as you go along, you’ll either forget what you think you remembered or you may not be as accurate as it could and should be.

You never know when that Dream Job of yours will sneak up on you. Be prepared! A great job could come your way and you may not have a week to update your resume. You could have a day or even a few hours. Don’t let great job opportunities pass you by because your resume wasn’t in good enough shape to submit. Keeping track of your accomplishments, classes you’ve taken, dates, and awards will serve you well. Be proactive about keeping your resume fresh and relevant. This also means removing old lingo and obsolete keywords. Finally, target your resume to specific jobs.

Good luck!

Interviews: Don't forget to listen and do your research

Only talk 80% of the time in interviews. In other words, if you’re talking for 48 minutes out of an hour interview, you’re on the right track. This includes being prepared with questions to ask the interviewer. Do yourself a favor and don’t ask questions that you should already know. There are such things as “dumb” questions at an interview.

A dumb question is one that the employer feels its obvious you should know. Here are are a few examples of "dumb" questions:

 

1. What's the mission/purpose of your organization?
2. What are the responsibilities or duties of the job?
3. Why is your organization important?
4. What job and I interviewing for?

All of those questions are dumb! When preparing for an interview, you should always review the job annoucement or description. At a minimum, you will also want to review the organizations website. If you really want to impress them, review their social media sites and find out as much as you can about the actual office or department within the organization you're interviewing with. You can take brief notes or create bullet points with a few tidbits you've found. Bring them to the interview so you can refer to them as needed. It's normal for a interviewee to take notes or review their notes during an interview, so don't worry.

Doing your research can help you come up with intelligent questions to ask that will reflect well on you. Listening will also increase your ability to ask relevant and meaningful questions in the heat of the moment. This gives them a chance to experience your interpersonal and communication skills in action. Soft skills are in high demand with employers for many reasons, one being that soft skills are harder to learn than technical skills. Show them what you've  got!

Best of luck as you move forward!

Hate Waiting to Hear Back From That Federal Job?

Do you hate waiting to hear back from that federal job you applied to? If you’re like many job seekers who’ve applied to the federal government, then you know what it’s like to wait. Wait. And wait some more. It seems like months can go by before our “usajobs.gov” status changes; IF it changes.

Some federal agencies do a better job than others by actually keeping your usajobs.gov application status current. Some agencies will actually be reviewing your application when usajobs reflects that. Other agencies will have already made a selection or cancelled the vacancy and you are none the wiser. For some, usajobs.gov will continue to say, “Reviewing applications” or “forwarded to the selecting official” long after a vacancy has been canceled or filled.

So, how do you know the status of your federal application if you can’t rely on the usajobs.gov status? You don’t. You will have to get in touch with the HR Specialist point of contact (POC) listed on the vacancy announcement. Some vacancy announcements don’t even have a POC; there’s a generic number or email; but these are in the minority. I have found that contacting these generic numbers or emails will actually lead to a response (and sometimes quicker than a formal HR POC), so don’t despair. It just means that the particular agency uses a “help desk ticket” type of arrangement that serves the same purpose.

In any case, when you apply to federal jobs, you shouldn’t be waiting. Keep applying to any and all jobs you’re interested in that based on the announcements – you are qualified for. Applying to federal jobs is not a “one at a time” game. To win you have to have as many eggs in the basket as possible. Good eggs, not bad eggs. Applying to jobs you’re not even remotely qualified for is a complete waste of your time. And don’t apply only for the grade level you want. Apply to grades below and above if the option is there. There are so many people out there willing to take less pay just to get a federal job. You have to be willing to do this too. If you don’t, you may just end up without a job at all.  Don’t overestimate your professional value in the context of this down economy. Don’t underestimate desperate others willing to outbid you as the best candidate (less money, highest qualified).

Sunday Gratitude and Meaningfulness

I always considered Sunday to be a day of rest, gratitude, contemplation and thankfulness. Despite not having a perfect last couple of days, it was beautiful and meaningful. If you maintain an expectation of perfection, you will consistently set yourself up for failure. If you maintain an attitude of gratitude for all the good and for the "bad" in which you were able to learn from, you will always set yourself up for greatness and wisdom.

Give yourself the gift of contemplation; think about who you are and what you want to do with your life; your career. Its a gift because we spend SOoooo much time worrying about other things!  Think about your own direction' "pay yourself first" as David Bach would say. But I mean it in a career management type of way. It's OK to worry about your partners career and job issues. It's natural to worry about and try to direct your kids about their career and job issues too. The thing is, get yourself straight first. Don't leave yourself out. Maybe if you were more on target with your own career management, your children and partner would have a better example to follow. Keep this in mind.

Be thankful and aim for meaningful things, not the most expensive or even the most cheap. Meaningful things and meaningful experience, to me - is a path worth taking.

Thank you for walking with me. Happy Sunday!

Stop Blaming and Keep Your Head Up

 Searching for a job can be emotionally draining & frustrating. When you are interviewed, don't look how you feel. If you go there looking all drained and defeated, no one in their right mind is going to hire you.

Times are hard and it may seem like the world is ending. The world will end eventually, but I doubt it will be today. Or tomorrow. But it's up to you. If you've given up and let everything that's happening knock you down so hard that you don't get up, then your own world has ended, so to speak. Don't go there. Make the best of this situation. Find that small kernel of positiveness. There must be something that can be learned from all of this. Some benefit yet unseen. Find it. Find your hope. Find you confidence.

Stop blaming yourself, your age, your lack of education, and your clothes. It just may not be about you. It may actually be about this economy. Don't take it so personally that when an opportunity comes by, you can't even recognize it because you haven't seen it in a while and don't believe in it anymore.

If you believe you have reached the end of your rope, then that is your truth. If you believe that the best is yet to come; that you can and will get through this - you will. Please everyone, keep your head up.

Federal Job Advice: Determine Your Entry Level Fedjob Salary Goals

When it comes to applying to federal jobs, you need to seriously consider which level of job you will take (such as GS grade), job series that fit your skills best, and the promotional potential of the job you’re interested in. In this post I will focus on the job level and salary.

One of the most common ways the federal government differentiates between levels is through a chart of sorts called the General Schedule or GS. The GS is further divided into Grades. Each grade has 10 Steps and the pay is also different depending on the geographic location of your work site. In most cases you must have 52 weeks of experience at a Step before being promoted to the next Step. Different federal agencies may uses other scales for setting salary besides the GS, but  you can measure where they fall by comparing them to the GS.

Where you land on the GS is determined by a number of factors including, but not limited to your education, experience, GPA, certificates, etc.  If you have  less than a high school diploma, a high school diploma or are a college graduate, you may qualify for positions within the GS 1-GS 5 rage, depending on any other experience, certifications, etc. you have. 

For the DC metropolitan area (MD, VA, DC) GS1-GS5 salary can range from $22,115-$44,293. If you have a college degree with a high GPA or a graduate degree, you may want to consider positions within the GS 7-GS 9 range. Additionally, you’re very likely to start at the first Step of the Grade you actually qualify for.  Always prioritize your job applications towards positions that offer you a promotional career ladder, such as a position that hires at the GS 5 or GS7, with a “promotional potential” to a GS9 or higher.

The Federal Government is also known for “Matching” your current salary, especially if you can verify it through your latest paystub or tax return. Some agencies will not max your former salary if you’re currently unemployed (they figure – now that you’re unemployed, you should be happy to get what you’re offered – not what you ‘use’ to get).

Don’t waste your time applying to a federal job without a solid, updated, federal style resume. Read the vacancy announcements carefully and submit any required documentation. Be ready to upload your transcripts, one of the most commonly requested supplemental required documentation.

To see the General Schedule and what exactly in means for you in your specific geographic location, visit: http://www.opm.gov/oca/11tables/indexGS.asp

 

Federal Job Advice: "Do people actually get hired for job postings open less than 7 days?"

It’s common in this economy, that there are jobs posted in which the agency does not have money for. They post it in the hopes that the money will come through, but in this environment, it's unlikely to slim. Hiring managers can make selections but HR will not extend the job offer due to lack of funds. If this selectee already has a job - they may still accept the position when funds become available. If the person does not currently have a job, they shouldn't wait for the funds to become available. They should take another offer that will allow them to start work immediately. In short, as an applicant - you won't know if the job is “real” or not unless you have a contact within the agency who can give you a heads up. Applicants should simply apply to those jobs they feel they are qualified for with their best application possible. This means customizing your cover letters and addressing the KSAs on your resume and the CL. Don’t get too emotionally wrapped in the application process - there will be MANY jobs in which they apply to that they get no response from. USA jobs may show "reviewing applications" for months and months or the announcement may simply be canceled. The status may or may not even let you know of the cancelation. Seriously consider applying to jobs in which you are overqualified for in order to look like a golden needle in a haystack among all of the other applicants. Be sure you meet the specialized experience and specific qualifications so you don’t waste everyone’s time! In this economy old strategies won’t work. Maintain a positive attitude that won’t scream desperate if you do indeed secure an interview. Leave egos and arrogance at the door. Don’t’ expect your previous salary, especially if you’re not currently working. Without a current paystub, you could come in at the first step in the grade. Some income is better than no income.   External people do get hired into vacancies that are open for 7 days. It’s become more common now because there are so many applicants. In this economy, HR has no problem getting all the applicants they need in 7 days. In the past, HR use to need to keep the vacancy open for 14 or more days for the same qualified applicant pool. Only in the PAST was a 7 day vacancy likely to be for someone the agency already knows or wants.

Survival Jobs: Focus On Alignment With Your Goals

Have you been laid off or fired? In any case, you may have found the need to take on a less desirable job to make ends meet… A job otherwise known as a Survival Job.

A Survival Job isn’t something you should be ashamed about. As a matter of fact, it can be one of the most responsible things you can do.

Not any survival job will do, in my opinion. There are many jobs out there that you can secure “easily”, this means with minimal or no reference or background checks. Many will not require a resume. Most of these jobs tend to be in the service sector (retail, food, etc.).

Don’t simply apply for your Survival Job at the places most convenient to your home. Consider your interests, educational background, and hobbies. Focus your Survival Job search on those companies that relate to your “formal” career, long-term goals, background and interests. This makes it more likely that your Survival Job skills will provide you with transferable skills that can serve you in the future when the job market picks up again.

For example, if you were a construction worker, try to get a Survival Job at your local Home Depot. If you were an IT/Computer Professional, visit your local Best Buy and secure a gig in their computer department. If you were a Video Game Designer, apply to your local GameStop.

Business Building Tip: Cookie-cutter approaches won't cut it

I was invited to watch a info video about a new product that could help me in my own business. I was very interested. Guess what? The company created an unrealistic time frame for making said video available, in order to create a "strong incentive" to watch the video quickly.

Lesson: Know your audience and cater to them, otherwise you'll lose them and your credibility. Using "scarcity" strategies to entice people to take action quicker won't work if you have no idea how to effectively use them. In other words, don't cut off your nose to spite your face

You've seen scarcity strategies before: "If you call within an hour you'll get XYZ for free!" or "Only 5 left, don't get left out!"

This business, which I won't name, said in their marketing email, "I don't want you wasting any more time trying to use ineffective strategies to transform your business: I want to help you to get it right now with simple, easy to implement strategies and tools."

If they can't get their own marketing strategies right, how can they help anyone with theirs?

Many companies attempt to use cookie-cutter strategies, but don't do so effectively. They end up tripping over their own feet and missing tremendous opportunities for profit. Don't be like them. Your specific marketing strategy should correlate with your target audience. Is your target audience busy? Give them more time. Where do they go? Go market there. What do they want and need? Give it to them.

Cookie-cutter approaches just won't cut it in this economy.

Would you still want a "job" if you were married to royalty?

In honor of the recent royal wedding between William and Kate, I posted a question on my Facebook page, “Would you still want a "job" if you were married to royalty?”

If you were married to royalty, having enough money for your wants and needs would likely not be an issue. So, how would you spend those 8-12 hours a day you use to spend working? If money were no barrier, how would you like to spend your time? Would you travel, write books, start a business, or do volunteer work?

Are thoughts of actually spending your time the way you want to too far-fetched? If you don’t think you have any chance of doing the type of work you dream of and having the life you want, you’re not going to put much, if any energy into trying to make it happen. Your self-fulfilling prophecy will come true: you won’t have a chance and your dream won’t happen.

Unless your own royal wedding is around the corner, you will probably have to rely on yourself to create the life you want.

So, how do you go about creating the life you want? First, you decide what you want. Once you have a clear vision, put time and action-oriented energy into taking steps towards your vision. What you water, will grow.