14
1 Info Professionals in Federal Government So you want to be a fed! Michele Masias Law Librarian U.S. Department of Justic
| Date post: | 17-Jan-2015 |
| Category: |
Documents |
| Upload: | careersinfederallibraries |
| View: | 449 times |
| Download: | 1 times |
1
Info Professionals in Federal Government
So you want to be a fed!
Michele MasiasLaw LibrarianU.S. Department of Justice
2
Info Professionals in Federal Government
Discussion Points
Employment Outlook
Types of Federal Libraries and Jobs
Finding a Government Job
Applying for a Government Job
Federal Resume
KSAs: Knowledge, Skills, & Ability
Interviewing Tips
Questions
3
Info Professionals in Federal Government
Employment Outlook
Federal Civilian Workforce Statistics: The Fact Book, 2005 ed.: http://www.opm.gov/feddata/factbook/2005/factbook2005.pdf
Barr, Stephen. Senators Urge Government to Streamline Hiring Process. Washington Post, Friday May 9, 2008, D04.
Best Places to work in the Federal Governmenthttp://bestplacestowork.org/BPTW/about/
2.7 million employees2.7 million employees
300,000 new hires per 300,000 new hires per yearyear
1/3 eligible to retire by 1/3 eligible to retire by 20122012
$61K / $79K$61K / $79K
4
Info Professionals in Federal Government
Federal Libraries
• Agency Libraries• Academic Libraries• Medical Libraries• Law Libraries• School Libraries (DODDS)• Museums & Historical Centers• Family Libraries (Air Base, Army Post,
others)• Scientific & Technical Libraries & Info
Centers
5
Info Professionals in Federal Government
What is a Job Series?
• 1410 – Librarian Series• 1411 – Library Technician Series• 1412 – Technical Information Services Series• 1420 – Archivist Series• 1421 – Archives Technician Series• 1499 – Library and Archives Student Trainee
Series
More information: http://www.opm.gov/fedclass/text/gs-1400.htm
6
Info Professionals in Federal Government
How Can I Find Government Job?
• USA Jobs – http://www.usajobs.opm.gov
7
Info Professionals in Federal Government
The Mother Ship!The Mother Ship!
OPM.gov – http://www.opm.gov
8
Info Professionals in Federal Government
The Devil is in the Details!The Devil is in the Details!
9
Info Professionals in Federal Government
FEDERAL RESUME
• May be on paper or electronic– Follow the announcement carefully
• How a Federal resume differs from a private sector resume:– Always in reverse chronological order (most recent
jobs first)– Two - six pages long (3-5 for electronic)– Contains compliance information
• Announcement number• Title and grade of job• Social Security Number• Country of citizenship (most require US citizenship)• Veterans’ preference, etc.• Highest Federal civilian grade held
10
Info Professionals in Federal Government
There’s More!
• Work Experience– Job title with series and grade if government, duties and
accomplishments, employer’s name and address, supervisor’s name and phone number, starting and ending dates (mo/yr), hours per week, salary, and indication whether supervisor can be contacted.
• Education– High school through college
• Name, address, date of diploma• Training
– Course title and year taken• Job-related Skills
– List language skills, computer skills, typing speed, etc.• Job-related Honors, Awards, Professional Memberships,
Leadership activities
11
Info Professionals in Federal Government
The Dreaded KSAs
• Knowledge: An organized body of information, usually of a factual or procedural nature, which, if applied, makes adequate performance on the job possible.
• Skills: The proficient manual, verbal, or mental manipulation of data, people, or things. Observable, quantifiable, measurable.
• Abilities: The power to perform an activity at the present time. Implied is a lack of discernible barriers, either physical or mental, to performing the activity.
• Context: Describe the situation.• Challenge: Describe what needed to be done.• Action: Describe specifically what you did – your role• Results: Describe the outcome in concrete, verifiable
terms
12
Info Professionals in Federal Government
Writing Tips
• Write in the first person (“I”)• Plain English – down to earth – interesting, thought
provoking• Brag tactfully – Can quote from written awards or use
statistics.• Buzzwords/Keywords (Especially important for
electronic scanning of resumes and KSAs)– Use many of the keywords from the announcement
without overdoing it– Winning Words
• Action Verbs – ex. Train, analyze, recommend• Specific Nouns – ex. Reports, budget, policies• Descriptors – Accurate, National, Monthly, Diverse• Results – Increased, Quicker, Reduced, Improved
13
Info Professionals in Federal Government
Interviewing Tips
• Research the agency & be prepared to ask questions about what you want to know about the organization
• Ask yourself: is this the right job for me?
• Learn the questions that are commonly asked & practice
• Show up on time & look your best
• Be prepared for anything!
14
Info Professionals in Federal Government
Contact Information
Questions???
Michele MasiasLaw Librarian
U.S. Department of JusticeWashington, D.C. 20530
