Tuesday, September 18th, 2007
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW
Work- or academically-related accomplishments are what set you apart from the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other candidates vying for the same position. Hiring managers know that past achievement is indicative of future performance. They also know that achievers are self-starters, motivated, and an asset to their employers.
Remember, a hiring manager will afford no more than 10 seconds to a candidate’s resume, unless they are compelled to read further. Accomplishments are what capture and retain their interest.
What is an Accomplishment?
1. Any results-related activity that goes beyond your general job description.
2. An achievement that is quantified with dollar figures or percentages, and time periods.
3. Upward progression in your chosen career:
A. Being recruited into the company to achieve specific goals (i.e. cost containment)
B. Being promoted to positions of ever-increasing authority
4. Work-related awards
5. Academic scholarships
6. Industry-specific certifications or licensure (i.e. CPA, RN, MD, bar admissions)
What is NOT an Accomplishment?
1. Completing work you are expected to do and have been hired to do (daily tasks).
2. Promptness.
3. Being congenial.
4. Any activity that cannot be quantified by dollar figures/percentages/results, attainment of an award, scholarship, certification, or other means of recognition
Do’s and Don’ts of Accomplishments:
1. Don’t write vague statements such as:
Self-starter known for completing projects on time.
The above sounds self-serving to an employer. Instead, quantify what you’ve done (using dollar figures/percentages, and time periods) and for whom.
The same accomplishment strengthened with quantifying data:
Saved Marriott International $150,000 within eight months of hire by successfully completing a reorganization plan that eliminated three unnecessary positions.
In the above, there’s no doubt about the employer (Marriott International), the cost-savings ($150,000), the time period (eight months of hire), or the means by which this was achieved (…by successfully completing a reorganization plan that eliminated three unnecessary positions.)
2. Don’t keep where you achieved these results a mystery.
All too often candidates will have superb accomplishments, and will list each and every one of them, but fail to include where they took place. Nothing is more exasperating to a hiring manager than to have to guess the where and when of an accomplishment. Nothing diminishes the effectiveness of an achievement faster than withholding important data.
Don’t write:
Salvaged a multi-million dollar account by traveling to London and resolving a large bank’s networking issues.
With the above, the hiring manager may very well wonder – what large bank? – specifically, what networking issues is this candidate referring to? – for what company was this activity undertaken? – why was travel to London necessary or required?
When an accomplishment raises more questions than it answers, it’s no longer effective, and should be revised using specific and quantified data.
3. Don’t include accomplishments that have little to do with your career goal and do not enhance your candidacy.
For example – if you were awarded an academic scholarship for the study of journalism, but are now moving into pharmaceutical sales, the inclusion of the academic award will do little to impress a hiring manager.
However, if you received a research award in Biology at the Masters’ or Ph.D. level, this will enhance your candidacy for a career move into pharmaceutical sales, especially if you have little to no professional experience in the field.
Tuesday, July 17th, 2007
by Tina Erickson, MA, ResumeEdge.com Editor and CPRW
Employers are increasingly making use of the “Behavioral Interview”. The theory behind this type of interview is “Past performance is the best indicator of future success.”
In behavior-based interviews, you will be asked to give specific examples of a time that you demonstrated particular behaviors or skills.
You will describe in detail a particular event, project, or experience; how you dealt with the situation, and ultimately, the outcome.
A Behavioral Interview question might look something like this:
Describe a time that you had to work with someone that didn’t like you. How did you handle it?
Or
Tell me about the most difficult customer experience you had to deal with. How did you resolve the issue?
Both of these questions are trying to assess how you deal with conflict.
How to prepare for Behavioral Interview questions:
First, you will want to have an understanding of what competencies the employer is looking for, a good place to start is the job description, job posting, or a recruiter if you are working with one.
Some of the basic competencies that they may be looking for are:
► Innovation
► Delegation
► Flexibility
► Motivation
► Communication Skills
► Conflict Resolution
► Team Building
Next, you will want to spend some time thinking about how you demonstrated these competencies. For example, think about a specific situation, the action you took and finally the result. You should not only come up with stories about positive outcomes but situations that did not have a positive outcome, interviewers will want to know how you dealt with these situations as well.
Even if you aren’t facing a job interview, it is always a good idea to be prepared by keeping a list of competencies and accomplishments, if you write them down right after they happen you will be armed with detailed accounts the next time you interview.
Tina has had over 10 years of Human Resource Management experience in a Fortune 50 company where she led the National Pharmacy Recruiting Team and recruited Executive level candidates for various positions. She holds a Master of Art degree in Human Resource Management from WebsterUniversity. Request Tina for your ResumeEdge.com product by keying her last name only, no caps (erickson) in the ‘request your editor’ field of the ResumeEdge.com online form.
Monday, June 18th, 2007
by Daniel Barcus, MBA, CPRW, ResumeEdge.com Editor
There are three key steps you can take in any interview to make yourself stand out. Sticking to the point and staying focused on what you’re trying to achieve will help. Many interviewers want to appear friendly, but if you let yourself get steered into idle conversation, the interview may end before you’ve had a chance to sell yourself.
Interviews often start with a very friendly “tell me about yourself.” This is your first chance to set yourself apart from the pack of other applicants. Lead off with two or three major accomplishments, rather than the various bits of personal information most candidates will respond with. If you can do that, you’re already compelling the manager to hire you. A strong way to close that portion of the conversation is to ask “what are the most important things you need to have achieved for this job, so we can tailor our discussion to that?”
Second, after you have presented your skills and experience, it’s a good idea to check in with the manager. One way to do that is to say “There is no such thing as the perfect candidate, but suppose I’m the last interview and you have to make a decision tonight. What reservations would you have about offering me this job right now?” When you ask a question like this, you have to be quiet and wait for an answer! If the manager has a question, or says that you don’t have much experience in one area, try to address that in a positive way, either by demonstrating where you do have that experience or how your other strengths will empower you.
Last, if you want the job, ask for it. In question form. “I really like what I’ve learned about your organization and leadership. This is the job I want. May I have it?” Again, be silent after you ask the question. Most interviewers will not be prepared to make an offer on the spot, but if they’ve talked to 20 candidates that day, they will remember the one candidate who asked for the job! Please note that pleading statements like “I hope you’ll offer me this job” do not have the same effect.
If you take these three steps, you will go a long way toward standing out in an employers mind as a strong, focused and capable candidate.
Daniel Barcus has 20 years of professional experience in high technology and career coaching. He earned an MBA in Organizational Design, Entrepreneurship and Marketing from the University of Chicago, a BS in Marketing from the Miller College of Business at Ball State University, as well as CPRW certification. He has written resumes to help clients achieve their goals from entry level to executive in a wide array of industries. Request Daniel for your ResumeEdge.com product by keying his last name only, no caps (barcus) in the ‘request your editor’ field of the ResumeEdge.com online form. http://www.resumeedge.com/services/federal-resume/index.php?nav=se.fed
Monday, June 11th, 2007
by Jennifer-Joy Bronk, Esq. ResumeEdge.com Editor and CPRW
Whether you are seeking employment within the world of the Federal government or a long-standing employee entering the Senior Executive Service, the Federal resume is your key to securing the job you want. Each agency, regardless of nature, requires that every applicant complete an OF-612 or submit a Federal resume. Additionally, many positions require Knowledge, Skills and Abilities essays (KSAs). Higher-level positions for experienced Federal employees often request Executive Core Qualification essays (ECQs). Each of these requirements maintain a significant and distinct expression of capability, and as such, these three areas are addressed in turn.
I. The Federal Resume
Hiring in the Federal government is a lengthy and complex process. There are tens of thousands of applicants seeking positions within hundreds of Federal agencies across the globe. Thus, when reviewing applications, points are calculated based on your experience, knowledge and skill set. Further, there are a significant number of classifications and restrictions, often referred to as category ratings. Of the plethora of qualifications for employment, the most noted ones include: government direct hires, student employees and veterans. Because of these detail-oriented hiring specifications, hiring committees (yes, they are committees!) must first narrow down the applicants based on this eligibility.
As such, eligibility and hiring preference are considered two of the most important factors in your Federal resume. Your resume must highlight any special emphasis employment program for which you might be eligible. There are several programs which allocate additional points, including one for dependents and spouses of active duty personnel under the Military Spouse Preference program and the Family Member Preference Program. Further, Veterans Preference, as per the Veterans Readjustment Act allocates five or ten points depending on time served and war service.
Aside from this important distinction, the Federal resume is an exhaustive compilation of each position you have held, your educational background as well as any additional proficiencies, certifications, or training you maintain. The document can extend up to any page limit. The most noted exception to this limit is the Resumix System, which uploads resumes up to five pages in length.
The importance of your Federal resume can not be underscored enough, as it is the core description of what you can offer the agency as well as your expertise in the field area. It is essentially what demonstrates that you have the minimum qualifications for the position, thus allowing you to make the first cut. Because the Federal government now uses highly sophisticated, proprietary search engines, such as USAJobs or Resumix, your resume most hold the key words which delineate your knowledge and demonstrate your understanding of the field. Meanwhile, while meeting these needs, your resume must immediately highlight the relevant achievements and be a user-friendly document, allowing the reader to easily digest the information without becoming overwhelmed by the volume of information.
II. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
KSAs are usually one-page narratives which answer direct questions posed by the job announcement. They can be quite vague, such as Describe your oral and written communication skills to a complex question requiring intricate knowledge of a federal program. As stated above, the answers to these questions carry point values, and as such, it is extremely important that you directly answer the question with as many examples as possible, always utilizing the specific words employed in the question. The answers to these questions should not exceed one page, but it is not uncommon for one question to occupy two pages when your experience is lengthy. KSAs are an essential part of your application and you should focus as much time as possible in ensuring that you have fully and completely answered each part of the question.
Remember, it is essential that you use as many specific examples as possible in your answer. The committee is looking for an understanding of the knowledge you maintain, your skill set in accomplishing the task questioned and your ability to complete the task properly. As such, each answer must demonstrate those three factors with examples to obtain maximum points.
According to the National Archives and Records Administration, KSAs can test either both or either of your technical skills or soft skills, technical skills being knowledge of “accounting principles or the ability to create and manage Microsoft Access databases.” (See All About KSAOs, pg. 1) Soft skills include “the attitudes and approaches applicants take to their work, such as the ability to collaborate on team projects or the ability to communicate orally with a broad range of individuals.” (See All About KSAOs, pg. 1) The committee then reviews your answers to the questions and assigns a rating between 5-20 points for each question. The point value is not publicized, and as such, you should weigh each question of equal importance.
Therefore, pay careful attention to your KSA answers in their specificity and their direct answer to the questions posed. Remember, your Federal resume expresses your minimum qualifications but your KSAs demonstrate your selective factors, qualifications “that are essential to successfully perform the duties of the job. A selective factor is one that usually cannot be learned during the normal period of orientation to the job and may take extensive training or experience to develop.” (See All About KSAOs, pg. 4) Thus, it is essential that you demonstrate through your experience examples that you maintain the qualities called for and should receive further consideration by the committee in the form of an interview.
III. Executive Core Qualifications
ECQs are often utilized for the Senior Executive Service. These questions are rooted in finding people who can lead “the continuing transformation of government” based on the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. (See US Office of Personnel Management, www.opm.gov). ECQs are fundamentally different from KSAs as the totality of your answers are evaluated rather than each individual answer. As such, the rating is a score of your complete ECQ submission. The questions for ECQs are preset, and they include: Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen and Building Coalitions. In answering these questions you must describe a specific problem, discuss your immediate plan to resolve the problem, the action you took and the result of your action. In so doing, you must also address certain characteristics fundamental to senior-level Federal employees, such as leadership, communication skills, integrity and a passion for public service.
It is important to remember that ECQs are not evaluated for your specific expertise, as this is not what qualifies you for the position. In the Senior Executive Service, it is you “broad executive skills needed to succeed” which are examined. (See US Office of Personnel Management, www.opm.gov). More specifically, the committee needs to see that you are a person which the experience, credentials and character to lead people in areas of unprecedented change and growth. These people are out of the box thinkers and can develop strong teams to ensure that goals are met. The skill set required here is beyond that of lower Federal positions, as members of the SES often must be pioneers in the areas of the specialty. As such, your ECQs must be exceptional and demonstrate you as a person of integrity, skill and experience.
In conclusion, your application for any Federal position is a package of your Federal resume and either ECQs or KSAs. Each document weighs heavily in the interview selection process and it is essential that you devote the time necessary to ensure that your package not only answers the posed questions, but highlights your skills, accomplishments and knowledge in a manner that demonstrates that you are the most highly qualified applicant in their pool of prospective employees.
Jennifer-Joy Bronk is an attorney licensed in Washington, DC. She has worked as the Legal Consultant for the Foreign Service Worldwide and has served on Capitol Hill. Further, she was on the Board of Directors for a large Foreign Service NGO. She is also a veteran Foreign Service Spouse. As a ResumeEdge consultant, Jennifer has written thousands of resumes and maintains a proven track record of ensuring that her clients secure interviews and ultimately land the job of their dreams. Request Jennifer for your Federal product by keying her last name only, no caps (bronk) in the ‘request your editor’ field of the ResumeEdge.com online form. http://www.resumeedge.com/services/federal-resume/index.php?nav=se.fed
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