Making the Difference

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Making the Difference

• Finding and Applying for Opportunities in Federal
  Service
• Presented by
• EKU Career Services

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The Partnership for Public Service

• The Partnership works to revitalize our federal
  government by inspiring a new generation to serve
  and by transforming the way government works.

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Benefits of Government Service

• Have the opportunity to make a difference
• Be able to influence the future of our country
• Enjoy work/life balance

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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

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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

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General Schedule (GS) Grade Criteria
Grade Qualifying education
GS-5 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelors degree OR a bachelors degree
GS-7 Bachelors 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
GS-9 Masters degree (or equivalent)
GS-11 Doctorate degree
Source opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp Source opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp
GS-5 and GS-7 are considered entry level
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Selected 2010/2011 Starting Salaries
City GS-5 GS-7 GS-9
Atlanta 32,722 40,534 49,581
Chicago 34,316 42,508 51,995
Dallas 33,101 41,002 50,154
New York City 35,309 43,738 53,500
San Francisco 37,073 45,923 56,172
Washington, D.C. 34,075 42,209 51,630
Source http//www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/indexGS.asp Source http//www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/indexGS.asp Source http//www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/indexGS.asp Source http//www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/indexGS.asp
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Selected 2010/2011 Starting Salaries
City GS-5 GS-7 GS-9 GS-11
Atlanta 32,722 40,534 49,581 59,987
Chicago 34,316 42,508 51,995   62,909
Dallas 33,101 41,002 50,154   60,681
New York City 35,309 43,738 53,500   64,729
San Francisco 37,073 45,923 56,172   67,963
Washington, D.C. 34,075 42,209 51,630   62,467
Source http//opm.gov/oca/08tables/indexGS.asp Source http//opm.gov/oca/08tables/indexGS.asp Source http//opm.gov/oca/08tables/indexGS.asp Source http//opm.gov/oca/08tables/indexGS.asp
Then, 2-3 years later possible career
progression
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Where the Jobs Are By Location
Plus 50,000 employees work overseas
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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 Employees
Business and Accounting 12,802
Legal 11,064
Medical and Public Health 11,005
Biology/Natural Resources 7,614
Social Sciences/Liberal Arts 4,254
Engineering and Architecture 3,696
Education 1,527
Information Technology 1,522
Source fedscope.opm.gov Source fedscope.opm.gov
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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

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Where to Start Your Search
Friends
Family
Alumni
Professors
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Tools for Narrowing Your Search

• makingthedifference.org The Partnerships Web
  site for students and job seekers
• USA.gov The U.S. Governments official web
  portal
• bestplacestowork.orgThe most comprehensive and
  authoritative rating of employee satisfaction in
  the federal government

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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

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Where to Look USA.gov
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Where to Look bestplacestowork.org
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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.

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Career Pathways

• Make application process less cumbersome
• Accept resumes instead of requiring detailed
  applications
• Eliminate KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)
  from the initial application process

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Career Pathways

• Increase quality and speed of hiring
• Currently - 120 days on average
• Target 80 days or less

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Career Pathways

• Notify applicants about their status during the
  process
• Application received
• Application has been evaluated, have met or not
  met minimum qualifications
• Found well qualified, invited for interview
• Selected for position

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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.

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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

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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).

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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)

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Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program

• For more than three decades, the PMF Program has
  been the Federal governments 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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Getting Started Current Student Programs

• Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF)
• Description
• Governments 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 masters 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

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Where to Look for Positions

• Your career development center
• Popular job/internship search engines
• makingthedifference.org
• USAJOBS.gov
• Agency Web sites

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Partnership Facebook Fan Page
Federal Jobs and Internships Job Fairs and other
Federal Events!
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Where to Look USAJOBS.gov
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Where to Look USAJOBS.gov
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Where to Look Agency Web Sites
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Now lets search
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Launch the Process at USAJOBS.gov
TIP Use Advanced Search for more options
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Search by Various Fields
SEARCH BY Keyword Location Job Category Salary
Range Pay Grade
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Federal Jobs by College Major
EI-23 Form
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Anatomy of a Vacancy Announcement
OVERVIEW Summary of the organizations mission
and impact, plus a brief description of the job
and its key requirements
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Anatomy of a Vacancy Announcement
DUTIES Lists major duties and responsibilities of
the position, adding more detail to the brief
overview
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Anatomy of a Vacancy Announcement
QUALIFICATIONS EVALUATION Identifies skills and
experience needed for the role and explains how
applications will be assessed
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Anatomy of a Vacancy Announcement
BENEFITS OTHER INFO Describes additional
elements of the compensation package or perks
associated with the job
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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
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How to Apply
BE CAREFUL! Follow the How to Apply
instructions closely they may differ across
agencies.
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Overview of the Online Process

• After selecting the job to which youd like to
  apply, there are usually several steps in the
  online application process
• 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

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Building a Federal Resume
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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

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Building a Federal Resume Online

• Sections
• Candidate information
• Work experience
• Education
• References
• Affiliations
• Desired locations

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Building a Federal Resume

• Program Coordinator
• Oversee three mentoring programs in limited
  resource communities
• Recruit, train and manage 25 adult mentors and 30
  youth

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Federal Application Process

• Applicants will be assessed for federal
  opportunities using one of the following methods

Application Questionnaire
Essays (sometimes called KSAs)
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Sample Questionnaire

• Serve as a primary point of contact for a
  specific subject matter.
• 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.

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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

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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
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KSA Response Approach CCAR

• Context Describe the specific problem you had to
  address. What did you have to solve, resolve,
  respond to, handle, etc.?
• ChallengesDescribe the factors that contributed
  to a particular challenge such as budget cuts,
  new legislation, institutional reform, new goals
  from upper management, etc.
• ActionDescribe the steps you took to solve the
  problem. Stay away from the ordinary be
  extraordinary in your response!
• ResultDescribe the outcomes of your actions
  use , s, grades. What was the difference you
  made highlight THE BEST.

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Sample KSA
Ability to communicate in writing.
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KSA Response Example

• Context- As the Newsletter Editor in my
  living-learning community, I was responsible for
  writing articles and editing all submissions
  published in our monthly newsletter.
• Challenges- 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.
• Action- 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.
• Result - 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.

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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

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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 AmeriCorpsVISTA have 1 year of
  non-competitive eligibility
• (www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shelllearn.wh
  yvol.profbenadv)
• (www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/alumni/
  opportunities.asp)

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Summary Tips for Applying

• Plan aheadAllow plenty of time to thoroughly
  complete your application
• Select carefullyAlways consider using a tailored
  application for each vacancy you apply
• Prepare for a waitDont assume you have been
  rejected if you do not hear back within weeks of
  submitting your application
• Follow-up with an agencyContact the identified
  representative to learn the status of an
  application or find out more about a job

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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

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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
• Research potential opportunities
• Consider various employment avenues
• Search on job Web sites and specific agencies
• Follow the application directions carefully
• Sell yourself!

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• www.makingthedifference.org